Bracing for the holidays

Hi, friends : )
For many of us "recovering" folks, the holidays can be quite a test. Spending time with our biological families, while there are usually some nice things about it, can also bring up old hurts and scars from the past, making the holidays kind of an ordeal.
I know that for me, even having done the Sober Holiday Thing for several years, now, I still find myself anxious and unsure of protocol. We haven't any actively users or drinkers in our little family, now, but not all of us are recovering, either, so the insanity can get pretty silly at times. There are the fears of forgetting a present (ADD, thank you very much), wearing something not approved by Mom, who's bringing someone new to the party, and will we like them or just talk about them ruthlessly after they've gone, to mention just a few of the things tearing around in my mind. Dad used to call it "Freight Train Brain". Perhaps you're familiar with it? It usually reminds me that I could stand some extra meetings right about now.
Anyway, I'm going to go put my facebook status on afk indefinately, so I'll talk to you later. I hope you're able to find a nice quiet spot in the midst of your "celebrations" for when you need to decompress.