Happy Labor Day/Happy September!

 I know it is Labor Day, and I'm sure the holiday has great significance for some, but for most it is like the last day of summer...the last holiday before the busy-ness of the fall season sets in. 

This was the first sunset of September from last night! It seems like the fall sunsets are always the best, so I am looking forward to seeing more beauties throughout the next months.

And for some, today is a day of "labor", working on some much needed projects around the yard or house as we close out the summer season and prepare for fall:

 

Hubby and son Benton have been busily trimming some low hanging trees in the yard, which turned out to be a bigger job than either expected, but aren't they always?

So thankful for our strong younger son to help out with the hard stuff! 

As today is the 2nd day of September, I need to share the "calendar roll call" for the new month! I didn't do it yesterday because I had more exciting things to show, like Black Bellied Whistling Ducks! (you can check that link in case you missed it.) So here we go!

I will start with my favorite, the John Sloane Country Seasons painting for September, entitled "Grandma's Kitchen".

I don't know if any of you had a Grandma with a kitchen like this. Maybe we are too young to have seen the wood stoves and hand pumps in action, but I'm sure our grandmothers and maybe our mothers probably grew up with this kind of kitchen.  My mother in law remembers her mother using a wood stove, and she always baked the best biscuits!  I love everything about this kitchen, and if I could have one like this I'd love it...but it might be a novelty that would wear out when I got tired of stoking up that fire and making sure someone always had wood chopped just right for it...and I think I would miss the hot water coming right from the tap.  I do have a Hoosier Cupboard like that one below, and it belonged to my hubby's grandmother. I've shown pictures of it before. You can read more about it HERE.  Although mine is oak stained now, when I got it it was white, with many layers of paint on it, which I stripped, but that's another LONG story for another time. (there's a link to that story in the above link as well).

Moving along to the other calendars...this one is in my bathroom, and although the mountains are a bit too steep and rocky for my liking, I love the water and the boats.  Looks like a nice place to visit...

The Teapot calendar is a bit different this time. Not sure I like black candles, but the chocolate cake looks like something people who can eat chocolate would love. LOL. This is not in my particular kind of taste for teapots...but maybe someone will like it...

The Thomas Kincade calendar is always a special one...what a beautiful estate...can you imagine yourself living there?  They must have a really good gardening staff and other "servants".  It would be fun to visit sometime...

I love the verse above and this one below...which makes me think more about school and education again...

For many children throughout the land Labor Day is their last day of freedom before the school bells ring again! I remember those days, and in some ways I miss the excitement of going back to school and having new pencils and notebooks and supplies, and maybe a new outfit to wear the first day of school...

Me, First day of school many moons ago. Brooksville, Florida, where I spent the first semester of 1st grade, and then we moved to Tavares, where I stayed for the rest of my school "life" through 12th grade.

I love seeing the shadow of my Mother taking this picture. I would recognize that shadow of her head and hairstyle anywhere. That's a sweet memory. I just wish she could've gotten me to open my eyes and look at the camera! LOL. Notice my handkerchief tied to my dress? I guess that was in case I got the sniffles when I left home to go to school for the first time in my life. I rather doubt that I cried. I loved going to school.

Now, here is the last calendar of the bunch, but I saved it for last for a reason...

Here's the Susan Branch calendar for September...a brownie recipe, which is appropriate for who's coming next...

Ah yes! Lily Grace is dressed in her "Brownie" uniform, and is all ready to go to school!  She's been begging and begging to go to school, and so I think it is time, don't you?  She's certainly very bright and so anxious to learn new things all the time...

And here she is with her other friends, and they are also ready to get back to school!

I doubt that today's students have a classroom like this, but this is where Lily Grace and her friends will be going to school each day.  This is actually from one of the older John Sloane calendars.

Oh, and the children over at Pamela's Victorian Cottage are all excited and getting ready for school to start too:

And here's the classroom where they will attend! (yes, another John Sloane picture! I save these calendars just for such events!)

And this little couple from the farmhouse are ready for school...this must be "Nellie and Joe" from the song "School Days, School Days"

How many remember this song?  I don't remember all these verses, but I thought it was cute and appropriate to share here...

School Days, School Days

A nostalgic song. Words and music by Cobb & Edwards. Published by Gus Edwards Music Pub. Co., New York City. 1. Nothing to do, Nellie Darling, nothing to do you say Let's take a trip on memory's ship, back to the bygone days Sail to the old village school house Anchor outside the school door Look in and see, there's you and there's me A couple of kids once more Chorus: School days, school days, dear old golden rule days Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic Taught to the tune of a hickry stick You were my queen in calico, I was your bashful barefoot beau And you wrote on my slate, I love you Joe When we were a couple of kids 2. 'Member the hill, Nellie Darling And the oak tree that grew on it's brow? They've built forty stories upon that old hill And the oak's an old chestnut now 'Member the meadows so green dear So fragrant with clover and maize Into new city lots and preferred bus'ness plots They've cut them up since those days --------------------------------------------------------

I think I will close with this for today.  I hope you enjoyed this little walk down memory lane!  I kind of got carried away, but it was fun.  Have a blessed and Happy Labor Day, doing whatever you enjoy doing on the last holiday before fall really sets in!