Labor Day

It's Labor Day, and I'm in the office this morning.  My job is labor-but-not-labor, which sometimes puts me at frustrating odds with wondering what I actually accomplish in a given day.  (This is one of the reasons why I've learned to love cooking so much; there is great satisfaction in doing something tangible that has meaningful material results for people around me.  Though I do not do it for pay, and I don't always love it, cooking has taught me that my hands are skilled at some labor.)

Today I do want to honor those who labor, however--in particular, those who labor for the food that I cook and eat. 

I'm not always as conscious of this honor as I would like to be, but we do make an effort (in our small way) to put our money where our mouths are in terms of the food we eat and the ways we eat it. 

We have a community supported agriculture (CSA) subscription through our local farmer's market, and the farmers keep us in lovely vegetables throughout the growing season (which they stretch remarkably long for our northern climes).  We shop some at our local co-op though more at our regional chain grocery, itself an employee-owned business and one of the best grocery chains I've ever had near me.  I am thankful for all of the people who grow, transport, and sell the food that I have such ready access to.

And though we eat out more often than we should, we do strive for locally owned restaurants, particularly those that offer diverse ethnic food in our overwhelmingly white, midwestern city.  These are small but more numerous than one might expect in our small city, and they're largely the best restaurants in town.  I am thankful that these small businesses take on the risks, challenges, and long hours of bringing other parts of the world to this one in their food.

This week, when I'm laboring at my desk a bit more than usual, getting ready for the school year to begin in a crash on Wednesday, it's good to remember others at work and others whose work blesses my soul and body with good food.  And maybe someone else will cook dinner tonight.

Happy Labor Day!