Labor Day Blues

When you only get six paid holidays a year, you cherish them dearly—especially the three-day weekends. I always try to make the most out of a holiday weekend. When I was young, my family always got together for a cookout or pool party. When my kids were young, without family around, I’d try to keep a celebratory feel to the weekend with yummy breakfasts of bacon, pancakes, eggs or French toast—a picnic somewhere or cookout and some kind of special dessert. Once my family relocated to North Carolina and were within driving distance, suddenly every three-day weekend became an opportunity for us to go visit them. Of course, great food is still involved.

Enter Labor Day weekend 2010. Weather-wise, it was a beautiful weekend—80 degrees, sunshine, low humidity—perfect, except no plans. Corey had been home from college several weekends in a row just prior to Labor Day weekend, plus we would be seeing him in Richmond the next weekend, so we didn’t expect him home. Kimberly and Angela, both away at college, weren’t coming home either. Of course, Calvin and Vicki are in Seattle. And Cathy and Andrew were out of town. Since I had just spent a week with my Dad, we didn’t make plans to travel back to North Carolina either.

So what’s a mom to do, when none of her chickies are around? This weekend was the first time that I really missed Calvin—enough to feel pretty gloomy. I began to think that I should have gone to visit my family. But Henry came to the rescue with a suggestion. The weather was so gorgeous, why not plan a hike up Sugarloaf Mountain? Sugarloaf Mountain, one of Frederick County’s highest elevations, has many hiking trails and beautiful vistas, plus it’s close to our house. So Sunday was spent chasing away the blues on the trails of Sugarloaf. What a great cure!

This past Christmas, I gave Calvin some Seattle-themed gifts, including a book on hiking some of the great mountain trails in the surrounding area. He and Vicki have explored a couple places already. Next summer, when we go for a visit, we’re hoping to trek up Mt. Ranier, (which is a lot taller than Sugarloaf!). Seen from a distance, it is beautiful and impressive, so I’m looking forward to the challenge.

In the meantime, Corey and I will be have to be content with a short trip to visit Calvin and Vicki over a long weekend in October, while he is on fall break. The weather in the fall and winter is not the greatest in Seattle so we’ll probably be doing indoor activities like—well, just visiting. Maybe I’ll even make French toast and bacon. Another great cure for the “I’m missing you” blues.