Happy Thanksgiving!

The cooking marathon has begun. Two pies are in the oven, which already puts me ahead of last year, when Bismarck, the S/O's lab mix, ate an entire uncooked pumpkin pie. We knew it was him because Delphi, my cattle dog, is too arthritic now to hop up on the counter. Also, the vivid splash of uncooked pumpkin across his head kind of gave him away. The rolls are rising, the bread is ready to be torn up for stuffing, the sweet potatoes are ready to be peeled, and miraculously the comically large turkey has been shoved into the fridge with a little room to spare.

Again this year, I'll have made too much food. The blending of traditions necessitates two dressings -- my grandmother's traditional and the S/O's preferred cornbread/sausage/cranberry -- and two different green bean casseroles. I tried one year to get away with just one kind of green bean casserole, but the recriminations I suffered precluded that shortcut.

Having kids flying the coop has also thrown off my planning skills. This year it's just four of us. Kid #1 is going to his fiance's family's, Kid #2 is in Afghanistan, and Kid #3 is in Disneyworld with her boyfriend's family. It's even looking iffy for Kids #4 and #5, because I swear if I hear one more screaming hissy fit about who gets to play LEGO Star Wars, there's going to be bloodshed.

Still, I am thankful. I can look guiltily at the table and remember that we have food to spare. My children are healthy, bright, and relatively well-adjusted. Despite the bumps in the road, I ended up with the one person I love more than anything, and amazingly he puts up with me. (I wouldn't put up with me.)  We are comfortable enough, even thought the bathroom floor needs replacing, the dryer is wheezing suspiciously, and the air conditioning in the spymobile has given out. These are transitory problems, and though sometimes it seems like we're treading water, in the end we'll make do.

So on this Thanksgiving think good thoughts. Be kind, even to those who are not. If you have extra, share. In the end, our kindness and generosity are the best things about us.