Labor Day

It's Labor Day, and a beautiful sunny Monday morning here in Tennessee. Today is also my daughter's 8th birthday, so we'll be out celebrating this afternoon... and it looks like the weather is going to hold up just long enough for the outdoor party.

The rain is coming, though - and plenty of it. Hurricane Frances gave Florida a real beating over the weekend, and now it is heading our way. No hurricane in TN, of course, but we are expecting flooding downpours for several days on end once it reaches this far inland.

I cant help but feel grateful for everything in my life this morning. My career, my two beautiful (healthy) children, the fact that Grandmother is doing so well... and this beautiful weather, even. Watching CNN last night left an impact on me - fear, sadness, shock that anything so horrible could happen (but knowing full well that it does, and always will). Not just Frances, and Ivan pulling right in behind it... but the gruesome events in Russia... and all of the other horrible and insane things that they reported on television.

I'm not one to watch TV very much. In fact, we went without it completely for almost two years when we lived in the cabin by the lake. I was the last one to know about 9/11 - and still to this day have never seen "the footage". I think I am glad for that. More glad that my children did not witness it. We did talk about it, though, and always do openly discuss these sorts of things... I just prefer not to be subjected to the imagery.

Remind me not to watch CNN anymore.


Today, Labor Day, is a day to celebrate ACHIEVEMENT. And my daughter's birthday, of course ;) So with those two thoughts in mind, I'm going to shake off the 'world news', go put the finishing touches on cake decorations and have a GOOD day.

And over the course of it, decide how I can best contribute to the victims of Frances as they take stock and begin to rebuild their lives and homes...