I wish I hadn't titled yesterday's entry "Jasmine." Every time I see it, I tear up all over again.

But it will be December soon, and another month will have rolled by, inexorably, as the wheel turns....

We will go to my brother-in-law's house for Thanksgiving dinner, where the obligatory conversations will be held, babies to be admired, older children to be admitted to adult conversations whenever they feel like interjecting some comment, food to be praised, and company to be thankful for.

I'm not feeling very sociable right now, but they are my husband's only remaining close relatives and it's the socially accepted thing to do. I shall endeavor not to be a wet blanket, but to be a facsimile of my normal, charming, lively self. Perhaps by fooling everyone else, I'll fool myself as well.

I'm looking forward to four days off work. Thursday is spoken for and Sunday I'm in charge of the service and the coffee hour afterward and so forth.

That leaves two days to clean and organize the house. I really want to be active and not sit around and mope. Housecleaning may not be glamorous, but it's a good antidote for depression. Cleaning and sorting and putting away always helps me sort out my feelings and organize my thoughts.

What do you do when you're feeling down to help yourself get through it?