Summer's last hurrah

Labor Day signals the end of summer, regardless of what the calendar says. The pools close. Kids return to school. And you put away those white shoes until Easter if you ever listened to what your mama told you.

So what better way to usher out the dog days of summer than a trip to the beach?

I spent a dozen years in New England and didn't appreciate what I had -- the ocean at my fingertips, some of the best seafood in the world and history galore. But what I did appreciate was my dear friend who anchored me through relationship storms, fed me more meals than I can ever repay, helped housebreak my dog and shoveled me out from a foot of snow one Christmas as I was flying back from a trip to see my folks. They just don't make them better than the Fabulous K.

K and her delightful hubby J hosted the Three Whos, Mama Who and Grandma Who this past week, and a grand time was had by all. We zoo'd it, did a cookout with seven kiddos under the age of 5, checked out the Children's Museum, went north to Beantown and -- oh, yeah -- hit the beach. Ate my favorite foods, drank my favorite frozen lemonade and scarfed down the best cinnamon rolls in the land. But mostly, I had quality time with the Whos. And maybe, just maybe, they'll be Mama's girls for at least a week!