This morning my mailbox was full of posts labeled Wordless Wednesday, but my eye kept wanting to read Worthless Wednesday first. I don’t know why. I actually like Wednesdays, and always have.
When I was growing up, my father had a small grocery store in which my mother often helped out, especially on days when it was busy. However, the store was closed on Wednesdays, typical of retail businesses in the 60s.
Wednesday meant my parents wouldn’t be working, and they’d be home. Because of it, the entire day had a relaxed feel about it, even though my school routine remained unchanged.
Throughout my childhood, I absorbed that Wednesday vibe and still enjoy it all these decades later.
The weatherman says today will be the last of the heat and humidity we’ve been experiencing the past couple of weeks. So to celebrate this final day of ‘summer’, on a relaxed Wednesday, I offer this photo.
This is where I’d like to be on this last Wednesday in September.
Happy *Worthless* Wednesday!
That looks like a perfect place to spend a worthless Wednesday! Those red chairs are wonderful just there.
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I can’t believe I took me so long to return to this cycling route that I used to love so much. I fell in love with it all over again.
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May I join you on that dock on the next “Worthless Wednesday”? Pretty please?
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You would always be welcome 🙂
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🙂 xo
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Nice memories 🙂
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Thanks 🙂
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A day off in the middle of the week seems like a great idea. Too bad that capitalism ate up that day.
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Once upon a time I was a firm believer in capitalism. That was until I realized that people with power/money are generally selfish, cruel, and greedy.
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This is such a gorgeous Wordless Wednesday shot, Joanne. It brilliantly sums up the amazing late-September weather that so many of us have been experiencing!
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So you’ve been getting it on the west coast as well? It’s still sunny, but considerably colder. I can’t believe that earlier this week we were sweating in the mid-30s and this morning it was 9
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We used to have half day closing on a Wednesday here, but that’s long gone. In the days when I used to work Saturdays I always liked having Wednesday as my alternative day off. It seemed to break up the week nicely. Are they official Parks Canada red chairs or just any old red chairs? Looks like a lovely spot anyway.
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No, they aren’t official Parks Canada chairs. I have yet to see them in spite of having visited 2 national parks this year.
These are just red chairs. They do make a statement though 🙂
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I’m not a fan of Wednesday, but I can understand why you are. I’m happy to learn why you like Wednesday. Interesting how childhood experiences shape our adult lives in different ways.
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It’s funny that until I wrote that post, I’d never deliberately connected the dots on the two.
Is there a story behind why you don’t like Wednesdays?
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It might have to do with too many childhood/teenage evenings spent at church practicing with the choir. I couldn’t sing, but ended up being forced into participating. I’d be so tired at the end of practice, and then still had to go home and do homework. I just came to dread Wednesdays back then, and the feeling has stuck.
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oooh – it’s right up there with my piano lessons early Saturday morning at the convent with Sister Lucie. I was terrified of her … a perfect way to ruin Saturdays for me.
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Same sort of thing. I liked playing instruments, but I didn’t really like singing– yet there I was on Wednesdays, a tired little introvert, being forced to warble. The adults meant well, but…
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Another good post, Joanne. I was a bit perturbed when I saw your heading – you seem a much more positive person than the title suggested. What a relief to learn about your ‘slip of the eye’ and the very worthwhile Wednesdays of your childhood.
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hehehe! Those slip-of-the-eyes can produce very amusing results 🙂
… either that or I’m easily entertained 😉
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interesting to close the store on Wednesdays. Was there any particular reason this was customary?
I’d like to join you out on that dock, it looks so inviting!
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The only logic I’m aware of providing a retailer with 2 rest days per week. Stores were closed on Sunday, and Saturdays were the busiest of the week. To avoid having stores closed on 2 consecutive days, they were closed on Wednesday rather than Monday. That’s the best I could figure out.
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Interesting…thanks! 😀
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I am so glad you explained this because when I saw ‘worthless’ I though, oh, did she mean to say that? Ha! Yes, you did. Let me know when I should come and sit on the dock with you… 🙂
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Dock or no dock, my bar is always open 🙂
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I once had a job that required me to work four days a week. I was able to pick the day I wanted off… and I chose Wednesdays. Most others chose Fridays or Mondays but I liked the break in the middle of the week. So, definitely not worthless (although if anyone looked at what I actually accomplished today, they might disagree).
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That’s the beauty of a day off in the middle of the week …. it’s meant to be casual 🙂
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Beautiful photo, and I can only imagine you could write a good sized book on running a family business. And, the stories you must have about your fellow humans. 🙂
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Tell me about it! From my own personal observations of the public interacting with retail staff, I can only conclude that people suck.
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Isn’t it funny how our childhood impressions stick with us? Just like weekends. They’re special even if we’re retired. 🙂 Love that photo with the red chairs. Quintessential summer! Our last few days of warm weather are supposedly coming to an end too, Joanne. Darn. But it’s that time of year! Happy Worthy Wednesday. ❤
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I hope you had a worthy day too 🙂
The weather has finally changed and it will be pleasant to sleep tonight with the cool air coming in the windows.
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I’ve always like Wednesday’s though I don’t know completely why. I like the way it sounds and I like that it’s in the middle. I don’t recall stores being closed on Wednesday’s. I wonder if that happened in the U.S. That looks like a lovely spot to close out September. I wish I were there as well!! 🙂
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I’m quite a bit older than you, so by the time you came around, Wednesday closings may have already been discontinued.
Like you, I think anywhere near water is a good place to be 🙂
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A beautiful photo of a beautiful place. I love water. So Wednesdays are your Fridays, nice!
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The beauty of being retired is that every day can be whatever I want it to be 🙂
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Oh that’s more or less true for anyone, retired or not, it’s in the attitude… I’m lecturing like I’m any good at it, which I’m certainly not.
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🙂
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Oh, that is a pretty photo, Joanne…a place where I’d love to be almost every day of the summer that I’m not on the bike. 😉
Being closed on a Wednesday must have been the thing in Canada, huh? I only remember that most businesses in the states used to be closed on Sundays and all holidays.
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hmmm – now I’m starting to think it might have been just a Canadian thing – or at least an Ontario thing.
Now I’m so used to 7-days a week shopping, I can’t imagine!!
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That photo is simply dreamy x
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Thanks 🙂
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My husband is off work Tuesdays which means its the only night we can be together and i can have some help with the kids and chores. It’s kind of nice and similar to the reason you always like Wednesdays.
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It’s your special day! Funny how we have attachments to certain days 🙂
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Great to hear about your relaxed Wednesdays. I’ve always loved them too. With a friend we had Wednesday parties, stemming from the film Angel Heart, where it is proclaimed that Wednesday is one hell of a day I need to check the quotation, I remember it in Serbian which is how we used to watch films – unofficial video tapes with Serbian subtitles. “Sreda je divljak dan.” (I checked: “Today is Wednesday. It’s anything can happen day.”)
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{gasp} “Anything can happen day” is perfect!!
That is definitely my kind of day!
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Interesting about how your childhood shaped your feelings about Wednesday’s – so many of our likes/dislikes/anxieties harken back to forgotten childhood experiences so really neat you can make this link.
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So true. We absorb so much as children … a lot more than we think we did.
Which then makes me worry about my children and I can only hope their lasting memories are favourable 🙂
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I’m sure this Wednesday wouldn’t be “worthless” if you could enjoy it on that dock! Have a good one.
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I wish I could have. Sadly, that’s a private dock … and I wasn’t invited.
…but there are still plenty of cool places along the lakefront that have public access 🙂
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I’ll join you Jo, looks like there is room for us both. A nice cold glass of Prosecco would go down well too 🙂
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I like the way you think 🙂
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That looks like a lovely spot no matter what day it is! Enjoy your last hot day.
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Thanks – sadly it was a to-do list day, but I did get lots done.
… and now the weather has broken and there’s a lovely cool breeze 🙂
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I find it compelling that even though your Wednesday didn’t change as you headed off to school, you were able to pick up the relaxed vibe of a day off for your parents. And that it tinted your day, too, for the better. That makes me smile. 🙂
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I’ve had various personality profiles done over the years, and basically I’m an emotional sponge. I pick up and absorb the mood of the people around me. This is just an example of a childhood absorbing the vibe from my parents 🙂
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It’s an excellent venue for the last Wednesday in September. We’re going to move back into open window days beginning this evening and I’m delighted.
I find it uncanny that I wrote about Tuesday and you wrote about Wednesday, and now I’m excited to see if anyone has a post rating the appeal of Thursdays. I’m so glad Wednesdays are a good day for you, and I think it’s sweet how the vibe originated.
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The weather has broke! The windows are open and a stiff breeze is blowing through the house.
All is well 🙂
… and of course Thursday is a good day – doors 😉
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Same! 😀 Yayyy!
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We’re having a heat wave also. Sounds like your folks must have been lovely people. Enjoy your “worthless” day in their memory!
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Thanks Jan 🙂 It’s been a good one!
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Looks like a great spot to worthlessly use up a Wednesday for all it is worth.
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Exactly! 🙂
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Enjoy visiting the lake . . . even if it’s just in your mind’s eye. 😀
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In the end, it’s just as well I didn’t go. The weather has changed and the cool air has moved in already. I’m not necessarily unhappy about that. The A/C war with my husband can now end 🙂
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Love the imagine, Joanne, especially as the AC man just left and our AC is working again…but of course, not needed. Today is a lovely, cool, fall day, as opposed to the over 90F days we survived without the AC.
I laughed a bit at seeing “Worthless” for “Wordless.” I’ve mis-read some titles and other things like that sometimes, with either bizarre or hilarious results in my mind. 🙂
janet
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Janet, I do that all the time where the first glance is quite wrong from what it actually says. Sometimes it makes me laugh out loud.
Poor you without A/C. Braving the heat of the past week would have been challenging.
I’m glad to see the cooler evening temperatures!
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These days you have to take your humor where you can find it! 🙂
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Isn’t that the truth!
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Unfortunately so and even then, people often have a hissy fit because of it.
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Beautiful image Joanne 😀 And lets not forget Wednesday’s are Prince Spaghetti 🍽 days and Wednesday is Sundae at Carvel 🍦
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Two more reasons to love Wednesday!!
hmmm – I just might need to buy some ice cream today. Those calories are on you, my friend 🙂
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Your title made me smile, Joanne. That lake looks so gorgeous. I’d love to get away there. away from this Florida heat.
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This heat is so unusual for us at the end of September. I’m not complaining though, because the summer didn’t happen. Everyone has been cramming it in now while they can.
I would love to head down to somewhere close to water today … but honestly, I’m feeling much too lazy 🙂
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Unfortunately Wednesdays are not a favoured day this year for me. I have a meeting at each end of the day and a double yard duty. However, as my contract is for Mon to Wed sometimes I just pretend that Wednesday is Friday. 😁
That looks like a much nicer spot to spend a Wednesday. 🙂
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Ooooh – you have a heavy workload on Wednesdays. I could see that it might not have the same sense of relaxation for you.
In that case, Happy-Last-Day-Of-The-Workweek to you 🙂
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I always wondered by Wednesdays were wordless. Mondays are harder so that’s when I would appreciate wordless humor. Then again, I’m not typical. Wednesdays are hump day and the slide into the weekend.
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The alliteration works even if the sentiment doesn’t 🙂
I’m just struggling with words in general. Today I actually forced myself to hit *Publish* instead of letting it languish in the draft folder like all the others.
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I have days like that.
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That does look like a nice place to be on (hopefully) the last 90° day of this year. I’m generally OK with Wednesdays. Once you get past noon, it is the long slide into the weekend.
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On, or near, water would be a perfect place to be today. If I was smart, I would just abandon the to-do list today and play hookie.
See? Even when you’re retired, there is a sense of playing hookie 😉
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I look forward to experiencing that.
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I think you’ll be a natural at it 🙂
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Can I come? I bring a cooler 🙂
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… and what a time we would have!!
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Cool! My dad had a Dutch grocery/import store when I was growing up and Wednesday was the day to go around to the wholesalers and pick up stock. I loved helping dad out with this when I wasn’t in school. Tuesdays Mom went to the store so Dad could have another day off besides Sundays (remember when stores were closed on Sundays?) so Tuesday invariably meant spaghetti for supper ‘cos Dad was cooking. Enjoy what will probably be the last hot day for 2017, Joanne! I’ll be thinking of you while working in the A/C’d environment of the lab….:-)
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Can you imagine the stores being closed on Sundays now?!! They’re even making squeaky noises about allowing retailers to stay open on holidays.
I had an Italian father so every day was pasta day. We had some form of pasta every. single. day. In our home, potatoes were the rarity because my father didn’t like them.
To this day, I don’t often eat pasta – or potatoes 🙂
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I kinda wish they were still closed on Sundays. Not sure this has been a step in the right direction. I also remember when people would go visiting on Sundays, and you didn’t even need an invite. Mom cooked extra just in case someone would drop by. Seems like another lifetime ago!
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I wonder if it was a small town thing. My parents and their friends did the same thing. They would drop in for a coffee and chat for an hour or so. I miss that.
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