Memorial Day was always the teaser of holidays.

As a kid in grammar school, Memorial Day was always May 30th. We got the day off, to be sure, but it was a teaser, nonetheless.

Unless it happened to fall on a Friday, Memorial Day was always followed by a school day. This particular school day would usher in the three longest weeks of the school year. The last day of which would be the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL.

Memorial Day was the equivalent of Thanksgiving, which ushered in the longest month of the year leading up to Christmas.

Christmas and the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL were the two most significant events in a kid’s life, and no other days were as keenly anticipated as they.

Still anticipating the long weeks ahead, Memorial Day was always a great holiday.

To us boomers of the 1950s and 60s, a day to hang a flag out or wave our patriotism in some other fashion, Memorial Day was a day to appreciate America as much as we enjoyed the ever-present hot dog and baseball doubleheader.

The weather was always beautiful (at least that is how I choose to remember it).

The hot dogs were always delicious, and Mantle and Maris always had a homer or two.

I still love Memorial Day and plan to have that hot dog in a minute or two.

But I still like thinking about those Memorial Days on Leland Avenue and anticipating those last three weeks of school.