It seems that this year many people are taking the time to point out to us Americans that Memorial Day is not about opening your pool, having a barbecue or getting a day off of work.  Rightly so, I say.  Memorial Day is about remembering those who gave the ultimate gift in service to our country.

Mr. Muse and I spend our morning outside planting in the garden and emptying out and moving a raised bed that had been overrun with quackgrass.  That is a miserable species to deal with, and since the placement of that bed was a bit inconvenience to begin with, we decided to empty all the quackgrass filled soil into the pasture (over the fence and down a hill) and flip the raised bed on top of the one next to it as we were building our beds up another tier anyway.  Now, we’re just in need of soil and we can plant that bed.

After all of that physical laboring, we made our way inside and meal planned, went over the house cleaning and yard work plan, cleaned and then I was given a tour of the state of projects going on in the workshop by Mr. Muse.  Our camper’s galley kitchen is looking wonderful with storage drawers, a new counter stained a dark blue, high gloss (easily cleaned) white side walls and a drawer for the cooler.  There is even a scabbard for the pudgie pie maker!  Mr. Muse is incredibly talented – and yes, I remind him of that often.

Now, it’s time for me to check the level of the cookie jar (Mr. Muse has eaten a great deal many cookies this week) and plan out the next ones I’ll be baking.  Then, I shall take advantage of the day and go through my closet to plan outfits for work at the new job and… read.  I was so happy to finish Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain because it was so informative.  I learned a lot about myself and why I needed (and still do) so much time alone.  I now understand why I get so turned off and freaked out by people who, as I interpret it, force themselves into my life and why my reaction can become verbally violent.  I also understand why in school I was only a mediocre student despite scoring very high on standardized tests and why in a work setting, I’m incredibly uncomfortable with forced socialization.  It all makes sense now.

I wish you all a wonderful Memorial Day and please take a moment to say thank you for those who sacrificed everything so you can be where you are today.