A day of National Days, 12 of them in all, but my favorite has to be Another Look Unlimited Day. “The perfect time to clean out your closet…, which occurs on the day after every Labor Day. This is the best opportunity to go through your belongings and take another look. Rake through your clutter and see what’s fit to reuse, gift, donate, or even sell,” the description says. We’re a huge fan of reuse, donate, and sell in this house. In fact, we gave away 4 items in the past 2 days through Freecycle and Craigslist: a toilet seat, a tension rod, ankle weights, and hand weights. Six more boxes in the closet and garage await a similar fate. Last year we sold close to $4,000 worth of stuff; this year we’re giving more than selling.

We’re also in the midst of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year that celebrates the creation of Adam and Eve. I heard no shofars sounding the wake-up call for “sleepers to awake from their slumber and repent to God,” but I did take a long walk, more than 3 miles, which is my way of waking up and remembering God. Plenty of wildflowers are still blooming along the trail, reminding us that warm weather will linger a little longer, and there is much to be contented about. And grateful for, including the long growing season in the Midatlantic.