Get Set

Auntie didn't attack the crack pie today. I did read the recipe through a few times, parts of it out loud. Yes, yes, to an audience. Shut up.

Your auntie may be old and dotty but I can still tell when I'm talking to myself.

As it turned out, one of my favorite people in the whole wide world happened to be in my neighborhood today. I talked (and talked and talked) about Thanksgiving prep instead of actually doing any of it -- which was still great fun.

That's the thing about this particular holiday and why I enjoy it even more than birthdays or Christmas. It's all about loved-ones and food, everything else is extraneous. No worries about finding that perfect clever gift or figuring out what to do to celebrate. It's just a pile of (hopefully) tasty food shared with people I genuinely want to see.

If you're still at an age when other people decide who you'll spend your holidays with, know that it gets better. It really does. I remember being forced to choke down yucky stuff with people who did nothing but argue and criticize. Been there, survived that. Outlived most of them, distanced from the rest.

When you reach a point where you have the freedom and independence to choose who(m) you consider to be your family, everything falls into place and what used to be an ordeal becomes pure joy.

And if you're really lucky, they'll bring their dog with them. This year, we also get to see the Prince of Bassets.

I said it before, but wheeee!