Hi blog! It’s been a while. I’ve…um… been busy?
If I’m being honest, the only reason I’m even writing now is that I’m trying to avoid doing what I’m supposed to be doing and I’ve already used up all my usual go-to procrastination devices.
I should be preparing for Thanksgiving. It’s only one week—seven short days!-- from today. And my whole family will be descending upon my house on Tuesday. I should be planning menus and making shopping lists and cleaning out the fridge to make room for four kinds of milk, two kinds of orange juice and umpteen bottles of club soda and seltzer (and googling just what the difference is between the two). A wise hostess would be figuring out who is sleeping where and on what and whether the (clean) sheets in the linen closet need to be washed before they go on the beds.
Instead, I find myself fixated on towels and pillows and worried about whether I have enough of each. Every time I go to Target (which is obscenely frequently), I pick up towels and pillows. What am I going to do with all these dang towels and pillows after everyone leaves?
The Thanksgivings that we spend with my family have, historically, been held at my brother’s house. The bar is set very high. My sister-in-law is a wonderful hostess. A real Martha. She stocks the fridge and pantry ahead of time with things each of us likes. She effortlessly produces meals and copious baked goods practically from thin air. She has gobs of great rag magazines that I usually only get to read at the nail salon. And, exceeding the service of any five star resort, she thoughtfully provides hand-picked toiletries in the bathrooms, tailored to the individual’s needs.
That last one cuts both ways. I know it’s the thought that counts and all of that—don’t get me wrong, I am touched that she takes the time (and spends the money) to make me feel at home. But it is always kind of funny/awkward that the shampoo and conditioner in the shower that I will be using are labeled for use on hair that is DRY/DAMAGED/CHEMICALLY TREATED/FRIZZY/GOOD GOD DO YOU CHECK THE MIRROR EVER?!
I’m sure it comes from a place of love. Seriously. But it has left me in a bit of a pickle. I know that my family has come to expect not to have to BYOShampoo, etc. so, on my latest Target run, I spent a great deal of time in the toiletries section. As I surveyed the shampoo options I called to mind each man, woman and child that was going to be using our facilities and, channeling my sister-in-law, tried to guess what their individual hair care needs and wants might be.
Well. My brother has been somewhat successfully fighting genetics and a receding hairline since forever. Do I get him the men’s shampoo for “Fuller, thicker looking hair” or is that mean? My sister-in-law has been fighting her own battle with hair loss. Do I get her the shampoo for “fragile, breaking, falling hair?” Is there such a thing as passive-aggressive shampoo?
Oof. The towels and pillows are so much easier. Maybe I should go get some more.
