PJs Optional

Our Thanksgiving venue is different this year. After getting over the location change, I started to wonder - Different venue, different dress code?

I can't recall the last time we dressed up for a family dinner that wasn't followed by going to temple. If I had to guess it was somewhere around 2004-ish. To some degree it was a relief to not have to worry about dressing up. No pressure to find just the right top, skirt/dress pants and shoes. Oh, and no hose are involved - WooHoo!

On the other hand, there is something special about dressing up. Treating the gathering as a special occasion - not just another family dinner. The only thing I can compare it to is working in a casual work environment. In theory, it sounds really nice. And, it saves a hell of a lot of time in the morning. However, after awhile it does get old. There is something nice about dressing up, being put together and not looking like you just rolled out of bed and choose the first thing you found that was clean (or at least appeared to be clean). As far as I'm concerned, it feels nice when I look nice.

Sometimes I wonder how we got here. When I was younger dressing up was just part of the holidays. It was a special time that warranted special food and special clothes. Maybe in our fast-paced, easy and comfort world taking the time to look nice for the holidays is just too much to ask. Instead of making that extra effort for these special times, we spend more time caring about menus, guest lists, unnecessary drama and checking our Blackberry's. (And I'm just as guilty as the rest of them so you can send some of that blame right my way . . Well, except for the Blackberry part.) In the end, all I know is that I cherish the memories of dressing up for holiday dinners, such as Thanksgiving, and will do so for years to come. I guess I just find it a little sad that the next generation - like my niece and nephew - won't have the same experience and memories.

As for this year's dress code - "Of course jeans are fine." Actually, PJs have been added as an option as well. Hmmm, the times they really are a changin'!

Until later . . .