Usually May Day means I go around telling off my racist Orange County neighbors who refer to May Day in a Very Derogatory way.

I know. This year is flying by.

Happy Birthday, CAP's mom! You rock!

Hey -- it's my mom's bday too! Good day for it.

Happy Birthday to Mom!

I know, I know... the older you get the faster time goes. It's scary stuff.

Happy May day!
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Happy Birthday to Laurie's mom Laurie!!

As for it being May already, I'm still writing 1989 on my checks. Sad but true.

It's May Day? In Bossy's chilly neighborhood it feels like October Day.

When I was in 8th grade forced bussing was implemented in Cleveland. There was a lot of tension over the whole thing and rumors of gang riots. The busing started in about April (I have no idea why they interrupted the school year sending us to all new schools) and a big rumor started among the white kids that on May 1st there would be a huge race riot. I was one of the few kids at my bus stop, everyone else stayed home (I'm sure it was my mom who made me go to school, I would have taken the free day even if it was a crock). But while I was standing there, someone drove by in a pickup truck, with people in the back yelling through bullhorns "remember May Day! Remember May Day!" and I thought oh my god, it's true, there are going to be riots! Of course there weren't, and later in life I realized what aspect of May Day they were talking about.

Um, Donna, I must live in a cave cuz I don't know what aspect of May Day is being referred to here. And why are the people of LA wanting to maybe riot in the streets??

Btw, happy birthday, Laurie's mama!

May Day in my childhood: Dancing in a pretty dress around a huge phallic symbol with other frolicing children.

May Day in my early adulthood: International Worker's Day.

May Day now: SWAT team practice.

I miss the days when my neighbors would leave May Day baskets of candy and flowers on our front door.

Of course, I was only 5 years old and getting a basket of candy and purple violets was always kind of exciting.

The neighbor would leave the basket on the porch, then she'd ring the door bell and run back next door.

Nowadays, when someone leaves something on your porch, rings the bell and runs, it's either a bag of flaming doggy poo, or it'll be somethng that you'll call the Bomb Squad out for.

Ya know... I never understood May Day either, but I actually just got called downstairs to sign for a bundle of tulips from a "secret admirer". Any day that ends in me getting flowers is awesome in my book :) May Day rocks!

Ps... they are probably from my Mom, but I'm totally going to tell everyone they are from some hot and steamy guy...

Last nite when I realized it was going to be May it caught me totally by surprize. You'd think a semi-intelligent person could work out the whole calendar-date-time-continuum thing, but alas, I have issues with it. The older I get, the worse it gets . My oldest daughter is graduating from college this month, so maybe that has something to do with it.
Happy Birthday to your mom!!!

OMG, I know, how the hell did it get to be May already??? Gah!

All freak outs aside, happy birthday to your mommy!

I was clueless about May Day as well and googled it. Hmm, there's my new thing I learned today, now I can go home, right? No? Oh well, it never hurts to ask.

I just found out last night the whole May Day thing used to go like this:

Village Virgins dancing around the (phallic) Maypole, then (get this), when the dancing was over, the virgins were chased into the forest and deflowered by the village boys!

Who knows if this is true...

I also don't get any other "aspects" or riots on May Day. Happy Birthday to Laurie's Mom! (and to me - 37 - ugh!)

PS - Am all a-twitter that you emailed me back the other day, Laurie. A celebrity! Now we can be best friends (but not in a creepy, stalker way, obviously).

Everyone should check out the WEBS online anniversary sale - I just got a bunch of sock yarn - and I don't even know how to knit socks!

Being an older person I remember May poles and long pretty pieces of fabric or crepe paper fluttering attached to their tops and kiddies swirling around the poles until the poles were braided with beautiful colors. Also, in Catholic School...it was the Month Of Mary - so LOTS of flowers in the school yard, lots of parades with tin foil covered cookies sheets loaded with statues and LOTS of more flowers, oh and singing and chanting - but at least it was outside!! Also, May means the black rubber-seated swings would be drying out so my butt wouldn't be wet when I sat down - I LOVE to swing, then and now. May is being 8 years old and making sachets for my mother with Sweet William. Yeah month of May. Happy Birthday to Laurie's Mom, thanks for the great daughter.

OK, there is clearly something I am completely missing here on the right-hand coast. (Taking to the streets? Orange County? Huh?) But happy May Day, anyway! For several years running we had a spring party featuring a Maypole, and I'll have to dig up the pix of the Maypole dance featuring dancers of wildly different heights. (The neighborhood kids got older and less interested in such shenanigans, but we still have all the parts of our modular Maypole.)

Happy Birthday Laurie's Mom!!

When my mom was in college (1957), they did the Maypole thing and she was the May Queen! I have a picture of her in this pretty dress with this wreath of flowers in her hair, it's pretty cool.

Laurie, Happy bday to your mom, and on a totally unrelated subject, I'm so glad that you seem to be back to your former "humorous and ever-so readable, not-so-serious" self lately. Welcome back.

Okay, here's another question to add to my comment above. Is this May Day celebration a regional thing?? I never heard of it except for maybe like in the 1800's or something. This is all strange to me.

FYI: Last year on May 1 there was an Immigration protest in Los Angeles. The police starting firing rubber bullets at the participants and trafic was snarled, etc. It was a BAD day in LA!

Back to your regular scheduled commenting.

It's too chilly for it to seem to be May out here in MA. And I'm with Leeny, we didn't have May Day festivities in my part of Upstate NY (specifically the Southern Tier). Was this regional? I have been informed that it is actually prom night that was reserved for the ritual defloration of the virgins as Maypoles are so last year.

I once read the phrase "redder than May Day in Moscow" which amused me. Of course, this was back in the Soviet era but still.

Happy Birthday to your Mom!

Oh! And happy birthday, Laurie's mom! What strong and beautiful genes you have.

I'm from Southern Oregon and I have never heard of violence connected with May Day. One of my good friends is prone to sending me lovely little packages with chocolate and other May-ey things. Ohhhh, maybe I should take a bouquet to some of my friends!!

I was just telling my daughter today how my sisters and I would make little bouquets of flowers in paper cones laced with ribbons, and we'd tie them to all of our neighbors' doorknobs on May Day.

I had no idea there was any ugly association with May Day - neither deflowering nor rioting! Bummer.

I always think of May Day as "Beltane." I keep forgeting about International Workers' Day. On Beltane, you get all those wonderful pseudo-fertility rites; on May Day you get Communists (and Socialists, and anarchists, etc.).

I think the traditional May Day rioting only started a few years ago...at least here in America.

May Day here is called Americanism Day and there is an Americanism parade. It began as a backlash to the parade that used to celebrate International Workers Day. This town opted to have all of its immigrants sworn as citizens on May 1, then these new Americans marched in a "new" parade. No doubt this was the idea of the coal mine owners and operators.

When I was in our local garden club, we celebrated with May baskets. A lovely tradition! I still have the first one I ever received and whenever I look at it, I think of the woman who gave it to me.

I always think of the Maypole when I think May Day, but then I'm from the midwest and of German heritage. I thought protests were supposed to be about something, not just on a particular day. Having a planned protest on a certain day makes it seem kind of silly. I hope you brought extra yarn to work, to fend off any thrown items!

How on earth did we get to May so soon?

February ate March :)

Happy May Day!

I don't understand the "welcome back" comment, Susan. Can't one person be many moods? Can't one person's diary have any old thing they want in it?

I simply do not understand.

I went back and tried to find the last apparently unfunny and tragic column I posted, must have been Katie & Armando that you hated?

Happy May Day.

I'd like to add that OLGA Scoops underwear are the best underwear in the world. Granted, they are nylon and not cotton, but they do not bunch. I get them at barenecessities.com.

Laurie, I like your moods. Some of your best blog posts are the "moody" ones. (and when I say "moody", I mean all your moods, not just one specific mood)

Did you dance around a May Pole yet? If no one gave you any May Day flowers yet, here's a virtual one.

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Many people are unaware that May Day (May pole, deflowering, etc..)was originally a Pagan holiday. Christianity has a way of erasing that part of history.

anyhoo.....Happy Birthday Mama Purl!

Oh, Laurie. How I dislike judgy people. To quote the wonderful Billy Joel, I love you just the way you are!!

Best thing about the 2nd annual May Day Illegal Immigrant Protest and Fish Fry is that the traffic up here in the Northern part of LA is skimpy!!!!!

RAH!!!!!

Are they protesting illegal immigrants, or is it illegal immigrants protesting something else? (I live in Nebraska and do not understand California much)

hit enter too soon.

Hopefully everyone has fun at the protest and they dance around the May Pole instead of having the protest end badly.

Happy Birthday, Laurie's Mom!!!

When I was in jr. high, I read a book (whose name I, of course, cannot remember now), but it was about two girls who were away at a boarding school and decided to make up a May basket for a teacher they particularly liked. They spent like a month getting it ready and putting special treasures in it and sort of making a "scene" in the basket (used an old mirror as a miniature "pond" for example). I'm not sure why, but I always really loved the description of the basket and the whole tradition.

Sure wish I could remember the name of the book! Alas, this is my 43rd May Day so my brain cells are not quite as fresh and springy as they used to be :-(

good question. This year is flying by!

May 1st commemorate the International Workers' Day.
The other thing that is supposed to be remembered is those workers in Chicago that die fighting for worker's rights in 1886 (8 hours-day among other things)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Day

Ups, I forgot to add...HB to your mom Laurie

Happy May Day KJ your not alone today is my 43rd B-day too! and yes the cells are lacking sometimes. Erin I love the virtual flower you sent what a nice gift. Happy B-day to Lauries mom!! and all I know about May Day it the May pole and dancing weaving the ribbons around the pole utill they run out ribbon, (dont know why) As a new knitter thats what I fell like Iam doing sometimes.

Happy Birthday to your mom Laurie. Skipping the whole May Day thing to thank you for the earlier undies that do not ride up info. I am hoping that they will work out as well as the Revlon Colorstay did. Hope May Day is safe and trouble free.

Here's some more virtual flowers for everyone...

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Erin, that's so cute!

I did fail to mention that Maypoles had pagan origins. I think they are supposed to have green buds/leaves on them (you know, rebirth, fertility, zucchini and all that), but ours is a long piece of PVC pipe. Not very traditional, I admit, but practical and reusable.

Laurie, I like your moods too. Show me someone who is cheerful all the time, and I'll show you someone who should be exiled to the Island of Perkiness for the benefit of humanity.

When I was a child we used to take little bouquets of our garden flowers to our neighbors' doors, ring the bell and go hide to watch the delight on their faces as they saw the pretty flowers. Those were kinder gentler times in the late 1930s and 40s!
Sarah

Sarah, a couple of my neighbors in the neighborhood I grew up in used to do that. We'd get a couple of flower baskets on May Day. One of the neighbor's put candy and flowers in the basket, and the other neighbor just did flowers, and this was just in the early 1970s.

I gave those neighbors baskets too, until one of them moved away and the other one died. I was about 5 or 6 when the May Day baskets ended.

I really miss those neighbors. I was really young, but remember those neighbors pretty clearly.

I hope they liked their little Dixie cups of violets, lilacs, and dandelions. I put pipe cleaners on the top of the cups so that they'd be little "baskets".

Wait... where are the undies that don't ride up??

ErinL,
It's the undocumented workers of Los Angeles gathering to protest their lack of American rights and respect.

International Worker's Day has really never been observed in North America

My favorite bake shop where I get croissants bigger than my head for breakfast was closed today to commemorate International Workers Day. It's Berkeley. They're a coop. So I went to Jack-in-the-Box for breakfast instead. :( Bad choice.

i thought the anti-clogging undies were a metaphor. are they for real? i must have them.

In all the democratic countries May 1, except USA, UK and Andorra, is Labour Day and its because we remember the fights of labour movement, specially the Chicago Martyrs(1). Isn't ironic that?

(1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_Riot

Happy Birthday to your Mom!

I swear I thought May 1 was the day you did a Maypole dance.

P.S. This is your blog. You can post whatever you like!

Happy Birthday Laurie's mom!!

Sue F - I grew up in the Southern Tier of NY as well! We celebrated May Day as kids - we would make baskets out of paper and fill them with flowers. We'd leave them on the doorstep or hang them on the doorknob, ring the doorbell and then run away.

I used to make paper baskets, fill them with dandelions (the only thing blooming in WI today) and hang them on neighbors' doorknobs. Sort of like ding-dong-ditch, but with wilted flowers. I asked a bunch of young-uns (in their 20's) if they ever did that and all I got was blank stares.

I miss that! Kids these days don't have any fun!

Happy birthday, Laurie's Mom! In your honor, I'm going to cause a May Day melee in the cosmetics section of my local CVS pharmacy.

Rebecca, I bet if you asked the young'uns if they remember when they blasted their way thru Grand Theft Auto I, they'd all be sitting there nodding, and saying "good times...good times...". (yikes...that's a scary thought!)

I remember when video games werent called "video" games...they were called "Pinball machines". IF I ever have kids, and I get a little girl of my own, she'll be making May Day baskets for her relatives (because I wont be letting any kid of mine walk up to a stranger's door)

Oh, and Laurie, I agree with Andree, this is YOUR blog, post whatever the heck you want, if someone doesnt like it, they can go sit on the business ends of their knitting needles.

I dont like Al Gore, but I dont get into a hissy fit when you're declaring your love for him...it's kind of funny the way you say it and who am I to say who you should love or hate (plus I'd rather gush over the adorable cuteness your new dogbrother, or go Awwwwww! to a picture of Bob being scared of air and hanging off the cat tower thingie)

I dont see why other people feel the need to kvetch about what you write about on your own personal blog. This is your world, we're just all visitors...some of us are polite enough to not offend our host (you!).

It's kind of fun to be looking at your cats and knitting and love of Al Gore thru the little window you keep open here.

So, next time someone bitches about a picture of a gas station, or makes a comment about your "moods" in a condescending way, screw them...Ewwwww!!!...err...ummmm......Ignore them! Yeah...Then you can post more pictures of the Cat Herd and warn us if the cucumbers are starting to amass an army out in the backyard. (so we can all go buy pickle jars, garlic, and vinegar to fight them off with)

By the way, how much was gas in CA today? The station by my house actually lowered the price from $3.46 to $3.37!!! (I'm in Nebraska, land of corn based gasoline)

1. May Day
a. I'm old enough and from a part of the country that was innocent/safe enough that we did May baskets. So nice.
b. Also old enough to remember the news used to always cover the May Day demonstration of Communist military power with massive parades.

c. Los Angeles, last May 1 was a demonstration by immigrants from Mexico, legal and ill-, to (I guess) legalize those who were here illegally, and there was, cough, civil unrest. Also, it was a good excuse for kids to skip school. This year, not so much.

2. Orange County - I am a resident, and I have good neighbors and bad, neither more or less prejudiced than other places I've lived.

3. To Laurie (in key of something), whose blog I love in all her moods:

"It's my blog, and I'll cry if I want to,
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to.."

Kaiti- it must have been lost in the suburb-of-IBM-we-don't-do-that-old-fashioned-stuff-anymore-this-is-the-space-age-darn-it white-bread mentality. Too bad, it sounds really sweet and nice. Maybe it was the lack of flowers other than dandelions (assuming any made it past the DDT and weedkiller)?

And when we all have no-ride-up underwear no one will be able to get their knickers in a twist!

Here in SE Colorado we celebrated May Day with 3+ inches of snow and fog and extreme gray overcastedness. (73degF yesterday, 37degF today)On the plus side, I got to go to school this evening with my 7yo in our PJs to drink hot chocolate and listen to stories about bugs and browse around at the book fair and buy a fairy paper doll book (with sparkly stickers). And there was more sun and blue sky at 7:30pm on the way home than at 7:30am at the bus stop. Go Figure.

I'm with you lot - at the risk of being quite rude - Susan,who asked you?

Now I'm done with my soapboxing let me just say Happy Birthday Mrs C.A.P.'s mama.

Hi Laurie,

about the "welcome back" comment...

I'm kind of late to the party, but I just wanted to say that I love your book and your online diary! One of the reasons I enjoy your writing so much is that you, like most people, ARE in different frames of mind on different days. It is unrealistic to expect someone to be bubbling over with glee every day! (If you figure out how to do it, please let me know.) In my opinion, your writing is so refreshing BECAUSE you are honest about how you feel from day to day. You have given voice to my thoughts so many times...the serious thoughts and the not-so-serious! I have cried along with you during the sad times and I have nearly fallen on the floor laughing at your funny posts. Keep it up, don't change a thing!