Worth A Thousand Words!

I woke up knowing it was a Vespers Sunday and feeling good about it but feeling like it was a Monday and being confused about it. It’s the three-day weekend thing being on the wrong three days. Sad to say, I must be finally and fully indoctrinated.

I remember back in 1971 when the Uniform Federal Holiday act was put into place. At that time, five long-standing holidays – George Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day and Veteran’s Day – were moved from their usual dates to a designated Monday in order to give federal workers additional three-day weekends. Since then, Washington’s Birthday has morphed into President’s Day and we’ve added Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day to Monday holiday list.

Double the Fun

In the beginning, traditionalists (like me!) objected to the change but only Veteran’s Day was successfully moved back to its original November 11^th date. Thankfully, New Year’s Day, Independence Day and Christmas stayed on their respective dates and Thanksgiving continued to be observed on the fourth Thursday of November. But, otherwise, there were no longer those blessed ‘surprise’ days off in the middle of the week.

Stephanie’s Strawberry Cake

Now forty-three years have passed since our three-day holiday weekends went into effect. I’m sure that a majority of Americans have no idea that it was ever any other way. And, I realized this morning when I felt in my bones that it ought to be Monday that I, too, have come to accept a three-day weekend as a Saturday-Sunday-Monday event – as in if it’s the third day, it must be Monday!

I’m very glad I was wrong about that. I am so looking forward to Vespers with Pastor Adrienne Strehlow’s inspirational words, Cate and Starla doing the ‘special music’, Suzanne Knutzen playing the ‘new’ old organ to accompany the hymn-singing, and Bradley Huson’s presentation of the Oysterville Moment. No, indeed. I wouldn’t want to miss this Sunday for all the Monday holidays of the year!