How to Stave Off an Anxiety Attack.

The little cat is a good illustration of how I typically feel about this time before a big event.  My stomach is roiling, my heart is pounding, and I’m just not sure how the whole thing is going to go, even though I know perfectly well that it will be fine.  There always seems to be some particular element that gives me the heebie-jeebies (an expression my dear father was fond of using).  This time it’s the shredded chicken for the burritos.  How am I going to get it all cooked?  Will I be able to do that over at the place where we’re meeting?  Will I get the timing right so that the chicken will be all ready on time but not done so far ahead that it’ll dry out?  Etc.

So what’s the solution?  Today I need to nail down all the plans–the shopping list and the schedule. I’ve finally learned that I just can’t fly by the seat of my pants, carrying everything around in my head. I came up with the menu weeks ago, but now I have to implement it (always the hard part).  I’ve already cut out the Mexican potato salad and the coconut cheesecake.  Too much!  I don’t need to kill myself.  So we’ll have the make-your-own burritos, with shredded chicken or beans, cheese, salsa, and sour cream, Southwest-inspired coleslaw, my famous black-bean-corn-and-avocado salad (oops! I’d better get the avocados today), and some kind of cupcakes for dessert.  Someone is bringing watermelon.  The hosts are providing the drinks and paper goods.  This is all about half the work that I usually do.  So, on the one hand, I need to take a deep breath and relax.  On the other hand, I need to take a deep breath and dive in.  I’ll include an update on Monday.