Black Friday: What do we really need?

I used to get excited about getting up in the wee hours and slipping (sometimes literally) through the darkness to go "get the deals" on Black Friday. Or I'd set myself up and do a pile of cyber-shopping, happy to know that I'd gotten things for less money, happy ho ho and all that. Not today. I'm over it. I've scaled back my gift-giving; let's be honest, the only person who really needs a bunch of stuff is Holly, and mostly, it's because she's growing like crazy and needs some clothes. I like the four (I make it five) gift rule that says something like "something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read." I add in "something to do" -- we all love a fun project, even if it's a puzzle. And Holly dearly loves art materials and puzzles. We could make it a rule of six, actually, adding in something to eat. I used to love getting a few chocolates or a candy cane in my stocking. Not so much the Brazil nuts, though-- clearly, they are meant for tropical birds, not small children. I suspect they just took up enough space to fill my stocking, right alongside a huge orange (which I did like). 

What do we need, really? Stability. Balance. A break from the sad, crazy, insupportable stuff that is making a huge bolus of existential dread. We need family, friends, warm hugs, fuzzy blankets, and hearty, home-cooked meals. Between the pandemic and it's ugly hangover, coupled with a long year of medical scary stuff in our two homes, I've really dropped a whole lot of the stupid facade. Wordsworth said it best: 

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

What do I want? inner peace for a little bit would be nice. Fewer cobwebs. A stretch of time with fewer unpleasant reality slaps would be welcome. (If someone wants to clean my oven, that would be great, too.)

Yesterday was, for the most part, a pretty relaxed day. There was good food, a slower pace, and so on-- yes, there was also an over-tired toddler interlude that was less than lovely, but she's three. Stuff happens. But I ended the day with a good turkey sandwich and watching programs on FoodTV that pit really talented bakers/food artists against one another in themed competitions. I wouldn't have the foggiest idea how to create a limoncello gelee, but it's fun to watch them create magic out of flour and sugar. 

Today, I will spiff up the house a little. I need to gather the things I need for tomorrow's holiday craft fair in Lisbon-- I'm sharing a booth space with a fellow writer and former student, and I hope I can showcase my little book enough that someone will pre-order a copy. Preferably, several someones. It should be fun, anyhow-- and it there's any hand-knitted hats and mittens, that's on my Christmas shopping list for Holly. 

I hope your day is a quiet one. Shop local. Breathe deeply. Travel safely, if you must go out.

C