Happy Thanksgiving!

As I write this, I'm in full pre-Thanksgiving freak out.

The holiday's on all the 2010 calendars, so how did it sneak up on me?

I usually host Thanksgiving, but still, I fret. To calm my nerves, I've been making a lot of lists: grocery lists, cooking lists, lists of lists ...

I don't know why I get so worried. In a decade of hosting Thanksgiving dinners, I haven't yet caused a catastrophe that didn't wind up a funny anecdote for future meals.

Granted, sometimes it takes a few years for the stories to transform from tragedy to comedy. Like the year I lit a dozen tapered candles to create a relaxed, glowy atmosphere - and set the curtains on fire. That one took some time.

Why bother hosting if it gives you such fits, you might ask. You'd have a good point.

For all the agitation, I love Thanksgiving. The house full of family and friends, the windows fogged over with savory steam from the kitchen. I love sitting back when the meal's over, satisfied, sleepy and thoroughly thankful.

The good and bad of Thanksgiving are stuck together like two sides of a coin. You can't have the light meat without the dark, I guess.

We get the day off from work to be with people we love, to reflect on our blessings, eat like animals and maybe watch a little football.

But we've got to get there - carve time from busy schedules and jockey for space with umpteen thousand other Thanksgiving Day travelers (Hmm. I think I found another reason I like having dinner at my house).

This year, they say storms might keep some people from their Thanksgiving destinations. Those who fly will find themselves much more intimately acquainted with TSA agents than they might like.

Those traveling by car will do so on some of the most dangerous driving days of the year, on roads clogged with tired, sometimes tipsy drivers.

And when everyone finally gets where they're going, many won't truly be “there” the whole day. Most adults who can be thankful for Gainful Employment this year will check work e-mail at least once tomorrow, according to a recent poll.

In that respect, Thanksgiving's a little like - well, everything else. You just have to choose whether to focus on the good or the bad.

So Happy Thanksgiving. Drive carefully and cooperate with the nice folks at airport security. Put down the BlackBerries and pass the cranberries - work's not going anywhere.

There are still 24 hours to prepare for a relaxing, meaningful holiday - oh, man. Just 24 hours?

I'm sunk.

Comments: (319) 339-3154; jennifer.hemmingsen@sourcemedia.net