Hi neighbors. Another Thanksgiving is behind us and hopefully won't end up ON the behinds of some of us! The dinner was good and the leftovers are still around.

I, for one, am very thankful for leftovers. As long as there are leftovers and microwaves, I don't have to actually cook anything. I even enjoy cold turkey sandwiches. I look forward to a few days of living out of the fridge.

This weekend is the great American shopping spree for Christmas gift buyers. I won't be out on the streets unless it's absolutely essential --another reason I'm grateful for leftovers. Christmas can wait for a week I hope. I haven't even gotten my card list ready, much less my gift list. I don't want to think about it too soon. Every year I am faced with the realization that Christmas comes so soon after Thanksgiving. It always seems to sneak up on me.

Probably because I spend so much time and energy thinking about Thanksgiving, that I feel my worries should be over when the leftovers are gone. Not so. No sooner have I finished the last of the eggnog than it's time to bake cookies for Santa.

Why do we have Thanksgiving in November? We have never let any historical reason stand in our way of changing other holidays to suit us. I'd prefer to have Thanksgiving in September. We don't have to have the holidays spread out so there is a month for each one. How about January? People are always glad to have survived Christmas so January would be a great time to be thankful before all the credit charges start coming in the mail.

February has Valentines, but what a better way to show love than to give a pumpkin pie? Oh, ok, put it in a chocolate pie shell …what's the difference? March is a time to be thankful we made it through the hardest part of winter. Of course any more we could have a blizzard in March, and one in April too for that matter. We've had blizzards in November too though so that shouldn't enter into the decision.

May would be a great time to celebrate! Or June, July, August? Hummm … I suppose we have to keep it in November because that's what we're used to, but maybe more near the middle part of November would be better? The more obvious solution would be for me to concentrate less on Thanksgiving and more on Christmas. But that's not going to happen any time soon.

I could start using my online calendar to remind me of how many more days to Christmas. Maybe that would keep me from being so shocked when it looms only four weeks away from Thanksgiving. Actually I don't count the first week, as I need that to recuperate from Thanksgiving, so by the time I check a calendar to see what everyone is getting so excited about, it's only three weeks till Christmas.

I use my online calendar to remember people's birthdays, anniversaries, and club meetings. It's really pretty efficient to have it simply e-mail me a message telling me that something is coming up. It's set up to remind me a couple of days ahead of the event. I've gotten so used to relying on it, I probably wouldn't remember half of the things I should without it.

If any of you readers don't have e-mail access, you are really missing out on a lot of opportunities. I get email every day from my cousins who send me recipes and inspirational messages. You can send and receive photos through the email as well.

You don't know anyone to e-mail, you say? You don't have to know anyone to have a mailbox full of messages every hour. Just this week I've been offered several Rolex watches, a free television, DVD player, prescription package deals from Canada, an online college degree and at least one banking investment offer from Africa.

You can get a "spam blocking program" through your email server though and that keeps most of the con artists away. But back to Christmas sneaking up on me … My neighbor has their yard decorated already. It is pretty and I really enjoy Christmas lights. I suppose as long as I have neighbors who decorate, I will have enough forewarning that Christmas is coming sooner than I think.

Until the next time friends remember; if you're one of the thousands out on the roads this weekend, be safe and drive carefully. There's always more to be thankful for and the onrush of Christmas is one more reason.