The summer was a mad dash to this weekend when I finally caught an ephemeral glimpse of genuine calm after the family picnics, reunion of friends, and absconding from my general need to be keyed in to work 24/7.  At the Traver picnic (my maternal grandmother’s family of Irish descent), I discovered (among other things) that I have a cousin, Jim Shea, who writes for the Hartford Courant.  Now that it’s after Labor Day he reminds us that the election season shifts into high gear: Labor Day Means Summer is Over; Political Season Has Begun. Sigh.