August 31: Holiday: Labor Day/Work Ethic/Dirty Jobs or Writer’s Choice or Your WOTY Review
“Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas.”
– Charles Kettering
Featured Bloggers for WQW #32: Trucks and Cars
Thank you to those who linked as of yesterday.
IT’S EASY TO PLAY ALONG WITH #WQW
This weekly writing challenge runs from Wednesday through Tuesday at noon. All you need is a quote to go with your post. Write a poem, story, or memoir. Share photos and a story or no story. Just have fun with it and let the quote or quotes lead the way.
Topics for the year (subject to change) are listed on the WQW Page. Feel free to post weekly, or drop in from time to time – All are welcome.
Definition
“The first Labor Day holiday (in the United States) was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.”
History of Labor Day
Does anyone really need a definition of hard work? It is different for everyone.
- It could be sitting on the phone all day dealing with angry clients.
- It could be physical, which is the kind of labor that makes me grumpy.
- It could be writing all day and suffering from sciatica like John Steinbeck.
- It could be driving all over Los Angeles showing property or looking for property for wealthy buyers.
- What is your labor? It might be reading this long post!
For More Ideas about Labor Day and Hard Work or Your Month
YOUR BLOG POST GOES NEXT
- EKLASTIC
- KEEP IT ALIVE
- GARY A. WILSON STORIES
- LADY LEE
- NEW 2 WRITING
- SECOND WIND LEISURE
- WIDE EYES WONDERING
Work Is Where You Find It
“Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning. Once it does, it becomes the kind of thing that makes you grab your wife around the waist and dance a jig.”
— Malcolm Gladwell
I have over forty-five thousand photos in Lightroom and could add the keyword “work” or “labor” to most of them.
I think of labor or work as something for which one is paid. Some people work just as hard as volunteers. And for many, there is no Labor Day or day of rest.
Some work is just a labor of love, like our gardens at our home in California. Vince insisted that hardscape came before the labor of planting and harvesting.
Humans are not the only hard workers in the world.
Hopefully, these ideas inspire your own WQW post for this week.
Remembering the Month of August
“Instead of trying to change your entire life in January, the simpler strategy is to adopt a 12-month plan where you’re making constant improvements.”
– S.J. Scott
My life has been full this month. Curating it has been less than I would consider successful. For the most part, it has just happened to me.
- Published 10 blog posts, which is four less than last month.
- Illustrated, edited, and/or wrote 32 poems and published them on my private blog.
- Took 53 pictures and videos, including a beautiful geranium that finally bloomed for the first time this summer.
- Reviewed and signed documents to hire a new manager for our condo in Scottsdale. It never ceases to surprise me how much work it is to have rentals even if you are not doing the actual work. Vince spent a week in Scottsdale finishing up projects.
- Cared for, medicated, and cleaned up after a sick kitty who is doing better but is far from over his two-week bout of diarrhea. He has been to the doctor three times in two weeks and has been such a good boy.
- Averaged 5,218 steps up 24% from last month according to Mr. Fit Bit. I wonder how Mr. Bit measures sleep. Several days measure less than one hour of sleep per night. I probably took my watch off, LOL.
- We had several outings with friends and lots of phone conversations planning upcoming trips.
- Enjoyed 28 days of monsoon rains.
- Harvested 4 tomatoes smaller than the size of tennis balls.
- Enjoyed two concerts, one free serendipitous on a walk downtown with Vince, and one with dinner and friends
- Had 31 teeth cleaned.
“I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” —
Thomas Jefferson
My Best Photography Finds for August
“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
— Theodore Roosevelt
It’s funny how the focus of a post changes because of the quotes you pick out. It can change for many reasons, actually. The construction photos I had picked out originally my husband didn’t want me to share, which made more “work” for me. LOL
My guess is that 99 percent of people in the world would not consider a hobby blog as work, but you all know the thought and energy that goes into creating a post that matches or introduces a challenge. This blog is my labor of love.
This week I am running so late, and the scheduled time is up to me, but the pressure to finish is real, isn’t it? All that’s left is to visit each post I’ve linked after I press publish – only three hours late. Then I have to get to my SILs house by 1:30 to meet with someone who will give us an estimate on indoor shutters. Pant, pant.
Other Challenges
- Cell Pic Sunday hosted by John Steiner
- Sunday Stills Challenge hosted by Terri Webster Schrandt Under Construction
- Monday Windows hosted by Ludwig Keck
- Changing Seasons hosted by Ju-Lyn and Bushboy
- Thursday Trios hosted by Mama Cormier
- Last on the Card hosted by Bushboy
- Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Hosted by Cee Neuner – Man-made items
- Thursday Doors hosted by Dan Antion
- Hammad Weekend Skies hosted by Hammad Rais
- Water Water Everywhere #141 hosted by Jez Braithwaite
- LAPC hosted by Anne Christine – favorite finds
- Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge – hosted by Cee Neuner – fruit
- FOTD Foto of the Day hosted by Cee Neuner
- Natalie’s Weekend Coffee Share – every Friday through Sunday a time to catch up with friends
I have all your blogs open on my computer and will visit you all this afternoon and evening.
IRL (In Real Life)
We are having another blogger meet-up if anyone happens to be passing through the Prescott area on September 15th. Let me or Lisa from Micro of the Macro know if you are interested in meeting us for lunch.
What About Your Experiences?
Remember if you are researching a topic, you have found a gold mine of quotes. I summarized articles, and the name or website behind the post adds the gravitas I might lack about a topic. Don’t forget that songs count as quotes, too.
Ongoing on Always Write
- On August 9th Story Chat presented Gloria McBreen’s new story, “Backstab” and the Summary. Tuesday, September 6th Gary Wilson’s new story, “A Daily Regret” will publish. Look for it. It’s the last of Year Two.
- PPAC #61 – “In Heat or Cold, Black and White or Two Colors” (Photographing Public Art Challenge) is your choice of art – no theme! Two more days to link.
- Upcoming topics for WQW
- September 7: Food: Healthy Snacks
- September 14: Senses: Sight
- September 21: Autumn or Fall
- September 28: Fire, Writer’s Choice or WOTY
- For a list of past WQW posts visit my WQW Page
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
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