Labor Day, Good Food & A Little Something to Think About
Well, y’all… Happy Labor Day! 🇺🇸
Today started pretty early around our house. I think Mr. C was up around 5:00, and I was up around 6:00. By 6:30, we were already in the kitchen getting things together for our Labor Day potluck at Elizabeth and Charles’ house.
And let me just tell you… there was going to be FOOD! 😂
Mr. C and I were making a lemon cookie pudding that is about as easy as it gets. Lemon cookies, Cool Whip, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla pudding mix. Mix it all together and somehow those simple ingredients turn into something really, really good. Sometimes the easiest recipes are the biggest hits!
We were also making a Mexican casserole and putting together a big salad. I decided to make the salad a little more fun by putting all the toppings in my snack box so everyone could pick and choose what they wanted. You want cheese? Go for it. Croutons? Yep. Whatever toppings you like, make your own perfect salad.
Elizabeth was making her cheese dip with chips, and y’all… her Rotel with sausage is SO GOOD! It reminds me of something my mom used to make, so there’s a little bit of nostalgia mixed in with all that cheesy goodness.
She was also making tacos, and Mr. C and I had bought the ingredients for Savannah to make chicken enchiladas.
So between all of that, we definitely weren’t going to go hungry!
Once we got everything packed up and ready to go, we headed over to Elizabeth and Charles’ house. We got there around 11:00, and before long, the house started filling up.
At first, Alisha and Jonathan weren’t going to be able to make it because they were coming in from Tulsa. But they ended up getting there around 11:30 to pick up Marshall and Scout, the dogs, and they were able to visit with everyone for a while too.
Before long, we had Brody and Savannah, the three kids, Elizabeth and Charles, Alisha and Jonathan, me and Mr. C… basically a pretty full house!
And honestly? It was good.
Good food. Good conversation. Good fellowship.
We stayed from around 11:00 until almost 2:00, and I would definitely call it a successful outing for Mr. C and me. Sometimes you don’t need some big elaborate adventure. Just getting out of the house, spending time with family, eating good food, and laughing and talking can be enough.
Of course, there was also a little something that got me thinking.
Everyone was talking about taking a cruise next May, and Elizabeth asked me if I wanted to go. Naturally, I mentioned it to Luther.
His response was basically, “I don’t care if you go or not.”
😂 Well, okay then!
But when we got home, we talked about it a little more, and that’s when I started doing the math in my head.
If I went, I would probably be looking at around $1,400 just for the cruise because I wouldn’t have someone sharing the room expense with me. Then there’s spending money, transportation, possibly a hotel if I ride down with someone who stays overnight, food, and all those little extras that seem to magically add up.
And suddenly that $1,400 cruise isn’t a $1,400 cruise anymore.
We’re probably talking $2,500 or more.
And that’s where I’m sitting here thinking…
Do I really want to spend $2,500 on a cruise?
I know it would be fun. I know I’d probably have a wonderful time. And I’m not completely ruling it out yet. But when I look at everything else I’m trying to accomplish financially, I just don’t know if that’s where I want my money to go.
Especially right now.
Maybe I’ll change my mind. Maybe I’ll figure out a way to make it work. But right now, I’m leaning toward passing on this one.
And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Sometimes being intentional with your money means being able to say, “That sounds like a lot of fun, but it’s just not the right thing for me financially right now.”
And speaking of things that make me happy…
When we got home, I spent some time playing on my phone and finished writing a letter to one of my new pen pals. I’m actually sending out three pieces of mail today—one to Denise, one to Katie, and one to Linda.
I’m really proud of myself for getting back into snail mail!
There is just something about sitting down and actually writing a letter to someone. It’s slower than sending a text or typing an email, but somehow that makes it feel a little more special.
After that, I took a shower and got myself ready because tomorrow is going to be another busy day.
I’ll be working overtime tomorrow and staying until 5:00 PM. I’m trying to bring in a little extra money, and I’m also hoping to make up some saves since we weren’t there yesterday.
That means I missed out on potentially getting about 10 saves.
But you know what?
I’m not going to stress about it.
We’re still very early in the month. If I can stay on track now, it will make things so much easier toward the end of the month. I’d much rather work steadily toward my goal than get to the last few days and be scrambling, stressing, and beating myself up because I didn’t make it.
So that’s my Labor Day.
A little family time.
A LOT of good food.
Some laughter and fellowship.
A little cruise conversation.
Three pieces of snail mail.
And a little planning for tomorrow.
Not a bad way to spend a holiday at all.
And maybe that’s something I’m learning more and more as I get older: not every day has to be exciting to be a good day. Sometimes a simple day filled with people you love, good food, and a little time to think is exactly what you need.
Now… if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to go think about that lemon cookie pudding again. 😂
Until next time, friends, take care of yourselves, enjoy the little things, and remember to be intentional with both your time and your money.
Stop by next time. I hope to see you then!
—Karen ❤️
