The holidays are rearing their hungry heads, coming closer and closer. Needing, needing. Stuff to do. We have lists, mental and written. Between now and Thursday I have to get, accomplish, plan, shop for X, Y, Z. And, then comes the mind-dizzying rush of turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and family closeness.Too close at times for some folks, me included — did you remember to bring your own take-home containers this time? No, no it’s okay, I’ll let you borrow some of mine. I’ve learned just to smile.

But, it’ll be okay, because when I sit down to break the bread with my family tomorrow, I’ll be grateful for what we have. I’m not experiencing the kind of Thanksgiving that way too many on the East Coast, New York, New Jersey are suffering.

Hurricane Sandy is New York’s Katrina Kindly direct your attention to the slideshow link at the bottom of the photo of the burned out SUV.

I look at those photos and I wonder why I’m worried about the fact that I forgot to buy purple grapes for the Waldorf Salad I’m taking to Mom’s tomorrow. POV is important for my experience of what’s still swirling around me.

And, then in a few short weeks, oh, I always round it off to 4 weeks to make it easy, we’ll be celebrating the various winter festivals. Which includes having visitors to my house. And, that means cleaning with a capital “C”. It’s got to happen at least once a year, whether it needs it or not. Oh, there’s another whole list for that, make no mistake. And, concerns about which corner of the living room, pardon me, Grand Room will we be putting The Tree? And, every second the I spend thinking about these silly details, I am thinking about the people in the Middle East. Bombs, rockets, death, fear, blood, anger.

Sometimes life is bittersweet, isn’t it?

And we sit here, sipping our coffee and tea, pinching bits off of a two day old pocket lint scone, yawning and checking out our morning sites. And, we clench our fists, and get tight chests and teary eyes, because it’s so hard to deal with at times. But, we do what we have to do to start another day. A day of keeping up the right attitude, keeping an open heart and mind. Another day of helping a friend and another day staying determined to never give up.

And, PS, it’s like my Columbo moment, with the PS’s, But, when I smile at my mom tomorrow, it will be a true and honest one, because we will be together and safe, with family. Wishing you all a most enjoyable and tasty holiday.

And, PPS, here’s a link for KrisAinTx to an egg nog recipe.