Thanksgiving tremors

Food isn't supposed to be scary or sinful or any other negative word you can think of to convey how afraid of it you can be. But for some, a table full of enticing food can induce a kind of panic normally reserved for emergencies or life-threatening situations.

I'm not sure if so many people really do enjoy the holidays as much as they seem to or if they're really just good at hiding their pain, distrust, horror or "hurry up and get this over with" attitude.

And I also don't know if it's just me who thinks this or if there are others who wonder why on earth Hallmark has been showing Christmas movies non-stop since the day after Halloween. Seriously, you'd have to be a mighty happy, cynic-free, tons of time on your hands kind of person to want to watch so many holiday movies non-stop.

If you have food problems or family issues that are extremely challenging, you're @#$% out of luck in avoiding the kind of holiday cheer that gets so manic it makes you want to vomit at times.

I don't think it would be so bad if the holidays were about genuine things like kindness and love and, hey, even God. But what makes it especially hard is the commercialism and greedy need for all things electronic and the way strangers treat each other in parking lots and the road.

And the food, oh the food. Family issues aside, for some of us the food is the worst part. The weight of it all can put a pressure on your chest the size of an elephant.

Sit Calm, Lessons from Tv

"Just because something needs to be told doesn't always mean it needs to be heard."- Kevin on "How I Met Your Mother"

Simple words, but oh so true! Lately, it seems, when I'm looking for a sign I get it from a tv sitcom, of all places.

Kevin's words from "How I Met Your Mother" remind me of something a friend told me when I was wrestling with desperately wanting to apologize to someone for something from long ago.

"Who is this apology helping more? You or the person you hurt?"

It made me think. I would love nothing more than to make amends for something I did in my past. I truly regret what I did and would never have ever intentionally hurt this person.

But is it really worth it to her, if I risk digging up the painful past and bad memories?

If a confession works better for us than the person we're confessing to, maybe it should be left alone...sometimes closure just has to come from knowing there will never be closure.

And if you're lucky, coming to accept that will help (even if just a little bit) calm the hornet's nest stirring inside you.

So much fun

I wish all 18th century novels were as much fun as this deliciously humorous one. I was feeling kind of down this morning and went over to my bookshelf to see if I could find something to pull me out of myself. And there was Tom Jones, a book I last read twenty years ago, waiting for me.

It's the kind of classic that is fresh and exciting, defying stereotypes (at least stereotypes that a lot of students believe) that classics are boring.

I love the chapter headings, especially this one:

Containing such grave matter that the reader cannot laugh once through the whole chapter, unless peradventure he should laugh at the author.

I wish Henry Fielding had written more; his books really make me laugh! Joseph Andrews and Shamela are two of my other favorite 18th century novels and are both by him. The formality of words from so long ago combined with a timeless sense of wit just floors me!:)

Misery Bear, I'd be friends with you.

Who knew a teddy bear could be so sad and miserable? Have you seen this? It's a little too maudlin for me, but there's something about the bear I like (also, be sure to check out the much funnier "Dawn of The Ted" video) :


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dTHlTu_DC8


I have been watching more of the Misery Bear videos and I really feel for the poor guy. He has over 35,000 likes on Facebook and one of the most touching things about the bear is how he brings out compassion and "Hey, I can relate!" comments.

He's not real, I mean I know that (obviously, right?) But the feelings he brings out in any of us who finds a soft spot for him are surprisingly strong.

Who has not, at one time or another, felt that deep need to connect with another living soul? Ideally, for us humans, that connection would not be with a teddy bear, but there's nothing wrong with a quick hug with your favorite stuffed animal if he or she happens to be nearby!!:)

SPOILER ALERT!

Last night's episode of The Walking Dead left me very unsettled. I see from posts on the Internet Movie Database that some people found it boring (and these same posters also feel that this season is overall boring so far) but I couldn't disagree more.

In the most recent Walking Dead Shane deliberately killed his traveling companion (they were both on a mission to find medical supplies at a high school they had heard was a safe haven) by shooting him, then throwing him to the zombies so his body would serve as a deterrent and give Shane some extra time to get away.

Following that chilling scene, there is another one where Shane is cleaning up in the bathroom of the family who has taken him and his friends in. The running shower in the background has fogged up the mirror and he has just shaved most of his hair off when he starts wiping the mirror with his hands so he can see his reflection.

His eyes are troubled, haunted even and he looks like he could throw up at any time. Clearly, the horrific thing he has done is troubling him very much. The man who plays Shane (Jon Bernthal) is amazing in this moment worthy of an Emmy nod. Hard to believe he's the same guy who played Duncan Carmello on the short-lived sitcom The Class.

Right before Shane shoots Otis (the man who has accompanied him to the high school) he says "I'm sorry" with such sincerity and unease, you know what's coming next can't be good. Still, what does (even if you can possibly justify it with a 'greater good' argument) is one of the most disturbing things I've seen on tv in a while.

The Walking Dead is not winning acclaim for being a show with zombies, even if zombies are currently the it thing. It's getting so much buzz because of the characters, great dialogue and oddly moving emotional moments.