THINGS ARE RETURNING TO NORMAL

Labor Day used to mark the transition from summer to fall. In a strictly astronomical sense, of course, we still have a few weeks of summer left, but after Labor Day it just doesn’t feel like summer.

Here in Georgia, that transition really takes place several weeks earlier. Schools reopen in mid-August, and the teachers are back in the saddle even earlier. This year, She Who Must Be Obeyed was back in her classroom on August 2, so as far as we are concerned, summer’s been over for more than a month now.

But Labor Day is still a milestone of sorts, if only because it’s a three-day weekend. And this year, it was notable for being a mini family reunion. First, Elder Daughter and the Mistress of Sarcasm were both here, having come to celebrate their mother’s birthday. And to add to the festivities, South Florida residents Uncle Phil and Aunt Marge were camping out in order to dodge Hurricane Frances.

This could have been a nerve-wracking and chaotic weekend. As it turns out, the only chaos was the random piles of clothing and miscellaneous crap strewn on the floors of the girls’ rooms. We are fortunate in that we actually love having our fully-grown kids around. And the chance for the girls to spend time with Phil and Marge was an extra bonus. The old adage that "relatives are like fish; after three days, they start to stink" most definitely did not apply to us this long Labor Day weekend.

But all good things must come to an end, and so did our little family idyll. Yesterday, at what the Mistress calls the "butt-crack of dawn," I took Elder Daughter to the airport, fighting the gusty remnants of Frances all the way. This morning, Phil and Marge took off, heading south to brave the traffic on Interstate 75. Later today, the Mistress herself will fill her car with the usual swag and head off to Savannah. That leaves just She Who Must Be Obeyed, the cats, and me... and tomorrow morning I’m off to Canada on a business trip.

So flow the rhythms of life chez Elisson. One day, a houseful of people eating, telling stories, catching up with family events, eating, watching old videos and movies. And eating. Next day, quiet... except for the cats.

Can’t wait to get back home and make some noise.