Hi neighbors. I hope you all found a May basket on your doorstep this morning. It's always nice to have the smell of fresh flowers to mix with the aroma of coffee and toast at breakfast.

I don't know if children still make May baskets at school or not. I remember we used to make them with either paper plates or construction paper rolled into cones. The construction paper ones were often covered with paper doilies. Paper plate baskets were painted or decorated with glued on construction paper cut-outs.

Some years we would weave strips of construction paper into a basket -- well into what looked like one side of a basket. That would then be glued or stapled onto a flat paper plate so it formed a pocket.

Remember paper flowers? Some were made with bits of construction paper, either cut into leaves, stems or flower petals and glued together. Others were drawn on white card stock and then cut out.

How long has it been since you accordion folded tissue paper to make those soft flowers? With the invention of scented tissues, they even smelled like flowers. I recall when that was a big event.

According to tradition, once your May basket is made and filled with real or handmade flowers, you should put a ribbon on it and hang it on someone's doorknob.

I remember one year our girl scout troop made tiny May baskets for residents at a nursing home. Everyone loves fresh flowers and even if you don't use real flowers -- handmade flowers from a child are always treasured.

You have all probably gotten bouquets of stemless dandelion blossoms to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Did your school or community put up a May pole when you were younger? Do they still? When I was in school -- and no, son, I did NOT ride a dinosaur to school -- we did. The entire student body would get a turn running around the pole and wrapping colorful streamers around it at recess.

Of course the May pole was actually the tether ball pole, but not that day. That day it was the center of a dance that included all the students and most of the staff.

May first is still a big holiday in some parts of the world because of the international workers strike in 1886. Here in the United States, that original workers (labor) day, fell into some disfavor when it became associated with the Communist and Socialist political parties.

May first was the day laborers protested long work hours and demanded an eight-hour work day in 1884.

Because the whole movement was deemed a black mark on (and by) American industry, the day has pretty much become obsolete as a Worker Day.

The now traditional Labor Day was started to move the whole thought process to the fall so it wouldn't be associated with the original unsatisfied, unionized worker concept.

Other notable events are associated with May 1. Here is a partial list of them.

In 1790 the first US census was completed.

On May 1, 1863. the Battle of Chancellorsville saw Union Major General Joseph Hooker's troops lose to Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Buffalo Bill Cody put on his first Wild West Show May 1, 1883.

On May 1, 1898, the Spanish-American War kicked off at Manila Bay when the US Navy destroyed the Spanish Pacific fleet in the first battle of the war.

Petrol Loco, the first prototype gasoline-powered "locomobile" (automobile), is completed on May 1, 1902.

The Empire State Building is dedicated in New York City May 1, 1931.

The Summer Olympics were cancelled due to war May 1, 1940.

Cheerios was introduced as CheeriOats by the General Mills cereal company on May 1, 1941.

On May 1, 1956 the polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk was made available to the public.

Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu on May 1, 1967.

Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) was formed to take over US passenger rail service May 1, 1971.

And let's not forget that on May 1, 2003 President George W. Bush announces the end of major combat operations in Iraq.

Until the next time friends remember; May 1, or any day, is a good time to give spring flowers to your loved ones and neighbors to celebrate the end of winter and the beauty of spring.

Remember, the little baskets on the door knobs are supposed to be a surprise! If you didn't get a May basket, you still have time to make a few to give to your friends and family.