Thanksgiving Joys

As a golden dawn breaks against a deep blue night sky a picturesque crescent Moon hovers just above the horizon . . . “tis the season” of Thanksgiving. The maple trees are in full fall regalia. Many have deposited their leaves. This year we have a lot to be thankful for. We have our health, our family, and yes, that includes Missy and Junior – the tabbies.

. . . Its 4:00 am, can’t sleep, too many details including dinner to be prepared. This year - like many before - Lori and I are hosting Thanksgiving dinner for friends and family. Lori is the chef and my self-appointed post is to prepare the house for guests.

This is no small endeavor, the preparations really began about three weekends ago, once the commitment was made. That’s when the repairs really began. A house becomes a home when the family accepts the reality there are always little things that demand repair. At our house these repairs are always neglected until guests are expected.

Handyman - I’m not - for example, the guest bathroom desperately needed a new faucet this year. Sounds simple enough, we have a Home Depot about two-blocks away - you’ve heard the slogan - More Savings. More Doing. Savings maybe, it’s the doing part that befuddles me it seems. What should take about an hour at most, takes me three. You never have the proper tool, the project always presents a multitude of unforeseen challenges, and crawling around in tight cramped quarters is very painful. However, once the job was satisfactorily completed - for me - there is an immense amount of pride.

So, the mother-in-law arrives, after two days of using the new bathroom faucet I had to ask, “Do you like the new faucet?” “I never noticed it,” she replies, with a bewildered look! To save face she immediately begins to grumble about the pitfalls of the old one, that is completely gone. Now, you must understand, there are times she stays with us for weeks at a time, oh well, so much for worrying about the details.

Then, there are the blinds on the picture window - oh brother . . . Yes, this Thanksgiving, just days before, we learned Lori’s brother and his wife would join us for the weekend. Knowing they would sleep on the sofa required cleaning the area behind, around, and above, (including the windows) this section of the house - another major project. Yes, for the handy-man about a four hour job.

Well, it turns out the cats like to chew the draw stings that provides the only way to raise and lower the window blinds. So, I’ll solve the problem before it becomes one. You see, at night its completely dark in the back of the house. Our back yard abuts to a ecological study zone that no-one ever enters. The solution, just trim the draw strings, burn the ends (so they don’t fray), clean everything, and adjust the blinds on the window, revealing sweeping views of the backyard.

We examined the completed project with arms crossed, thrilled with the results, perfection! Completely convinced there would be absolutely no reason to lower the blinds (resulting in the draw strings completely lost in the box and unraveling from the pulleys). We moved on to the next project, the kitchen . . .

Of course, you guessed it - the next morning - the blinds were lowered and the draw strings completely unwound. “The draw strings simply disappeared?” says the sister-in-law.

So, if you’ll excuse me, it looks like another trip to Home Depot and the probability of another three hour repair job.

Yes, the unexpected joy of family and the holidays - enjoy yours!

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