I wore white shoes all this week because ever since I was a child my mother always said, "Never wear white shoes after Labor Day." Being that it's Labor Day next week I wore them in a last ditch effort of denial that the summer is coming to a close. Out of an entire year we only have part of May, June, July and August � 4 months of warm weather. Only 14 weeks out of 52 that are decent and the rest we're bundled up like an Eskimo. "How is this fair?" I mumble to myself as I endure the drudgery of going through the kid's fall clothes � an endless task of going through what fits, what goes to donations, and making a list of what you still need for the kids going back to school.

The fall starts to creep in at the start of the new school season. The cost of education for kids is cuckoo bananas these days. When I was a kid we got one notebook and two pencils, Sunday school was free, after school activities were part of the school program, you wore your sibling's hand-me-downs, used a pay phone when you needed a ride home, and brought your lunch. I got the list of stuff my second grader needs to go back to school and I'm sure she'll break her back carrying it all. Apparently learning comes at a price. Every year the teachers ask for a ton of stuff which, when I was a kid, were provided by the school. Suddenly each year I have to buy crayons for my daughter. What happened to the ones from last year? If all the kids in every class bought crayons last year then where are they all? You can't possibly tell me all were used down to the nub. Stuff like a box of tissues is needed in abundance too. If twenty kids bring in two whole boxes surely there were some left at the end of the year. There's no way each child is going through two boxes of tissues themselves � they should be home sick if that were the case. Basically after 2-3 years the place would explode with all the extra tissue boxes.

I'm shocked to find out they all get their own ID cards to get the school lunch like it's a credit card or something. Suddenly my homemade lunches with "I love you" heart shaped notes and yummy sandwiches in various shapes can't compare with the chicken fingers and tater tots they can swipe on their cards. Religion ain't free no more either, let me tell ya'. Fork over a couple hundred bucks for the books and we'll let you learn about our maker. Hand me down's are still worn but now it's considered vintage and you buy them from "boutiques." New "gently used kid's clothing" specialty shops are making more money selling used clothes than the mall stores are selling new ones � that's a hoot.

Labor Day weekend is definitely the big marker that the summer is fleeting fast and it's just a jump away from turning the clocks back. Sigh� so bittersweet this weekend is. It's the last big shindig weekend for many of us as people travel all over to go camping, take out the boat one last time, bring the kid to college for the first time, see some old friends for drinks, and take stock of the past few months. You try to enjoy yourself but you know the long fun days of summer are gone and after this weekend you gotta knuckle down again and put in some long hours on things you're not crazy about doing. So you go up to the cabin with your cousins, do some fishing and canoeing at Lake George, enjoy that great concert at Bethel Woods one last time before reality comes a knockin'.

Then to seal the deal there's the Jerry Lewis Telethon, which was always a big thing in my house. There's a chill in the air, you unpack from the weekend, watch a little of the telethon and donate after they bring you to tears, go through the bills and hope you don't have to turn the heat on until mid-October. You re-group and think about the year ahead of you and hope for the best, wondering what's in store as you shiver and put on a sweater. So my end of summer blues have me in deep reflection as I pack away those white strappy sandals with a whimper and hang up my bathing suit for the year. Oh, but then I spy a flyer for new brown suede boots and I get a sparkle in my eye thinking of how I'm gonna look great in those at all the upcoming fall festivals and Octoberfests. Yah!!