Special holidays like Memorial Day give us a reason to have fun, and this one is big because it’s the first major holiday since New Year’s. Most of the country has opened up again, the major vacation spots are posting crowds for the first time in over a year, and even with nasty weather in some spots (like the East coast), it looks like some happiness has returned to the nation.
The holiday is meant to recognize the sacrifice of our country’s military personnel, so as a veteran myself I’m proud to count myself among those who served. Of course, I served in peacetime and was on duty in a time when women did not serve alongside men in the battlefield, and a lot of firsts for women happened long after I got my honorable discharge papers, but it was still an experience I’m glad I had.
The month of June will have me doing more self-care regimens than I’ve done in about eight years, having come off of elder care duties and spending the aftermath overcoming some health issues for which I continue to chastise myself, so this holiday weekend marks a door closing on some of the most unusual journeys of my life.
Since yesterday was plagued by rain, I waited until today to venture out. Despite the morning storms, I broke out the umbrella and visited the farmer’s market to buy produce–farm picked tomatoes, onions and potatoes–for my hamburgers and potato salad. They needed the patronage, since the prospect of getting wet keeps most people at home. Besides, I enjoyed the walking. Afterward, I did some non-fridge food shopping at the market and got some beverages, clementines and such. After that, on to the big box stores to take advantage of bonus cash before the deadline and use up two gift cards with unknown balances on them.
Still on the agenda: gardening, summer clothes duty (along with boxing winter clothes duty), laundry, crafting (hoping to finally get a few hours to make something), take a few chapters from my online class, make potato salad and plot my meals for the four-day regular week.
This is not the weekend for shore excursions or cookouts for me. It’s not easy to do patio parties for one, but every holiday I do some darned good holiday meals, and whether it’s for one or more than one, it’s a way to celebrate, reflect and have a bit of fun. We all need that right now.
I’m glad we got to this holiday. Let’s make the rest of the year a memorable one.
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