Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer….
That’s what I was thinking of Monday morning as I struggled my way upstream at Costco, braving the currents and the other poor fish caught in the next-to-last-minute Thanksgiving rush.
It’s already starting. The snipping and snarling, the tight smiles and underbreath comments, the musical jangle of ramming carts as they hurtle towards the aisles of chocolates and gift baskets – all to the faint but never-ending soundtrack of Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole. And I was one of the first to slip through the hallowed roll up doors — imagine if I’d been one of those poor suckers who staggered in about ten-thirty?
I will never be mistaken for Martha Stewart (although I too could wind up in jail, considering how tense I get during the holiday shopping sprees), but I go all out for Thanksgiving. We polish up my grandmother’s silver, get out the crystal. I buy lots of fresh flowers, chocolates, dig up the soothing classical music CDs. We order the pies from Marie Callender, we make hors doeuvres for before dinner and clam dip for after, we lay a fire in the fireplace (although this year it’s probably going to be too warm for a fire, however ambiant). We even…clean the house.
Yes!
It takes a week because ever since I started writing full-time virtually NOTHING gets done around here. Well, the garden looks pretty nice — especially since the warm weather is keeping everything in bloom. But…oh my Lord what a horrendous job it is. We’re pulling light fixtures down and emptying bookshelves…ugh! And it’s so much worse when you don’t keep it up.
But who the heck has time to keep it up?
Not me. Not with my writing schedule.
But the weird thing about this is that the process of having to clean every inch of this place reminds me of how much I have to be grateful for. Starting with…a home. A roof over my head. Not everyone has that — it’s easy to take it for granted when you do.
And moving on to all these wonderful books…and the worlds I’ve visited thanks to them. And the all these lovely fragile little vases and knick knacks that need dusting? Those come with the memories of my grandmothers and the time spent with them. Dusting photos of my parents, sisters, bandmates, friends — happy memories there. Lots of them. So much to be thankful for. And that’s what it’s really about, isn’t it?
So getting the house ready isn’t all bad. And at least the shopping is pretty much done — after Costco, we toddled over to Trader Joe’s and spent another $200 bucks on wine. Of course we won’t drink it all Thanksgiving Day, some of it will be needed for the recovery period.
Speaking of the recovery period, I read Maggie’s post yesterday with interest. Black Friday. The very name conjours all the horror of Costco multiplied by ten and overseen by Sauron and his minions. And yet it’s a tradition for so many, this Friday after Thanksgiving shopping spree.
Me? I want to stay home and enjoy my clean house and eat leftovers and see what’s on telly. Of course this year I’ll have my 2000 words to get finished, but better 2000 words or even 2000 lashes than braving all those lost souls determined to finish their Christmas shopping by the end of the weekend.
So, what about you? What have you got planned for Thanksgiving? And the day after? Are you a stay at home and enjoy the fruits of your labor, or are you the brave the shopping storm type?
Either way, here’s wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!
