This magical time of year.

There's something about the this time of year, the first snow, the warm baking of fragrant goodies wafting through the house, the wonderful sounds of laughter coming from small children as they play during family get-together's...that is until the first snow turns into the first hour long commute, the fragrant goodies turned black because you forgot to set the timer, the sounds of laughter turn to tears because "she hit me", and the family get-together's turn into long marathons. Of course, none of us have ever experienced any of those things!

Major holidays have long since been my Nemesis. I tend to hurt myself only on days that the banks (and some hospitals, at least in a rural town) are closed. In fourth grade on the 4th of July I ran into a horseshoe pole that just so happened to be freshly cut, then pounded into the ground (rough edges). This incident left a large gash in my right shin. On Thanksgiving one year I was opening a can of cranberries and like an idiot tried to pry the lid off by holding the freshly cut lid between my middle finger and thumb...sliced them to the bone. I broke my arm one year two days before Easter, and let's not get started on the croquet wickets. Most recently, though not a major holiday, I sliced the tip of my thumb off the day before my son's birthday. I guess I get so excited on holidays that I forget my brain.

Now that I'm older...and know my enemy well. I tend to be a little more careful on those special days. I shy away from putting Christmas lights on the roof, I don't light candles, I no longer open cans on major holidays, and I rub a rabbits foot then turn around three times and throw a penny into a wishing well before opening the oven door. Okay, so maybe that last one is a little much, but everything counts right? No one wants to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas in the Emergency Room!

So this year, along with your baking and cooking needs, remember to stock the first aid kit too! You never know when I may be coming to dinner!!!