Carving Out Time

The days leading up to Thanksgiving evoke images of Puritan women rolling up their sleeves, plucking feathers, and having the same conversations in person that my friends and sisters might have via text:

“Who’s bringing the cornbread?”

“What time is the game?”

“Is it supposed to rain?”

“How early should I get up on Thursday to get this bird done on time?”

For as inconvenient as it must have been to make an entire Thanksgiving dinner from scratch, including the grisly preparations of freshly-dead venison, at least those Puritans didn’t have to go through the chaos of a New England grocery store in the days just before the holiday.

I have been to the grocery store four times in as many days, yet I am not even hosting – just bringing a few things. I want to avoid having to go to the grocery store for anything in the next four days. It would help if I didn’t forget something every time I have gone, thereby giving myself a new errand of having to go.

Having to hit the store before Thanksgiving is akin to the kids missing the bus to school, a repairman showing up an hour early or not at all, or the slow-mo reaction in a movie when the good guy is about to run into a burning building: “Nooooooo!”

So this morning I am shirking my Puritan woman Thanksgiving responsibilities. The corn bread and brownies need to be made, the dog needs his walk, and yet, I am determined to try something new, to carve out some time for myself. I am headed to my first-ever women’s ice hockey practice.

I have no business doing this not only because I can’t even skate backwards. However, it’s important at this time of year for all of us adults to do something to help us recharge our batteries, regain some sanity, and be able to face the next trip to the grocery store with a smile.