PlazaJen: Passion Knit

'Merican Peeps - Happy Thanksgiving.

I am feeling victorious this holiday because, right now, I am the picture of Preparation Organization. I have all the serving dishes out, all the potatoes peeled & chopped & waiting for the burner to turn on, the turkey is in the roaster, the cranberries are simmering, and we are READY! And it doesn't even "start" until 4pm. The only thing better would be if all the other rooms in the house were as organized! But it feels good. Having an extremely clean refrigerator helps a bunch, I'll admit it, I feel a little rush of joy and pride every time I open the door. (It was long, long overdue for a cleaning, scrubbing & ruthless disposal of items.)

And tomorrow morning, I'll conduct my military-esque insurgence on the stores of my choosing; I even have a notebook with a list, the times they open, and whatever deal details I need to know. Ah, yeah. I think I just heard all of you shaking your head & saying "That's crazy." No, crazy is getting up at FOUR a.m. to go to JC Penney. My list is relatively short, I don't go to Wal-Mart or Best Buy (I do not want to be involved in the pushing or running, it's not worth it), I just hit about five or six stores, and am usually back home & tucking myself back into bed by 9 or 9:30. I know some people who shop 'til early afternoon! Now THAT'S crazy. It's all in the perspective. :)

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, here's your chance to reflect on what you have, what you're grateful for, and to remember those less fortunate. It's a good idea to do that every day, of course, but these days are filled with abundance for those who are fortunate, and even in my highly organized kitchen, I recognize the path I'm on, one that in part was given to me, in part one I've worked hard for, and that path allows me to (over)feed my family and look forward to crazy-ass early-morning shopping. I'm grateful, and I also wish I could get that Adam Sandler "Turkey for me & a turkey for you" song out of my head.

What? You want me to get all maudlin and preachy? You know what to do. Donate to a food bank, be somebody's angel and buy some toys when you're out tomorrow, give back, do good things, make a little birdhouse in your soul.... ah hell. Now that's in my head. Thanks to all of you for reading, this crazy roller coaster funhouse of a blog, that wails and screams and goes clank in the night. I love writing, I love putting a chunk of me out there and it's gratifying every day when you don't boo me off the proverbial stage. Now. I gotta go stir the cranberries. Smile at the relative who makes you crazy and it'll all be over in a few hours. ;)