When I think of Thanksgiving, yes of course I think of Thanksgiving dinner. We are a small family so we end up with lots of leftover food even though we have greatly streamlined side dishes and desserts.

But what I LOVE more about Thanksgiving is the day after. I allow the Christmas spirit, in full force. My family knows that I will be up early. My family knows that I will have my boxes and boxes of Christmas stuff lined up and ready to go. My family knows that our fresh tree will have been delivered and that it will have been named. The name always starts with a “C”.

I thank the tree for being part of our lives. I thank it for leaving its forest. I think of maybe how it should still be there. I think of how we all have a destiny and how we must fulfill it. I think of the beautiful fairytale about a Christmas Tree by Hans Christian Andersen…and after my ritual of thanks, I set off to work.

First: lights on the tree. Lots of lights on the tree. Start at the top. Takes me a couple of hours. Then around eleven-thirty…the next ritual takes place. Cold turkey sandwiches on white bread with mayonnaise, salt & pepper (there are those who put stuffing in their sandwich too…) and I get my beautifully prepared martini as a prize for finishing the lights…thanks Bill.

The entire day is spent going from room to room. Adding touches of Christmas everywhere. At the end of the day, I am exhausted. I am happy. I feel young. I feel the sense of wonder that children seem to have about them. And I am thankful.