Happy Thanksgiving! I’ve had this old episode of The Brady Bunch going through my head all day, where the family dress up as Pilgrims and stuff and act out the first Thanksgiving. Am I insane here? Somebody back me up, please.

You know my favorite part of Thanksgiving? The day afterwards. It was a yearly tradition that my sister and I would go out shopping that morning and battle the crowds with my Mom. We’d always stop at Michael’s Craft Store and pick up some of their plaster Christmas tree ornaments. Then it was back home to paint them. I always tried to do mine perfectly, while my sister (who was the better artist) would always get a little too creative and start painting tributes to our dead dog. (I’m totally serious.) My brother, bless his heart, tried really hard, but he just didn’t have the patience. Eventually we’d get tired and start begging for the Christmas tree. That’s right; we’d put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving. It was a fake tree, but a really nice one. (Nowadays I don’t like real trees so much. They’re always too prickly and sappy and needles get everywhere.) So we’d put it together and then start hanging all the old ornaments, moldy construction paper Santa Clauses from scout meetings and beaded Christmas wreaths. Finally it would be done, and if there was any snow we’d don Dad’s coveralls and haul our sleds up the hill in the backyard. Once we were sufficiently cold and wet, we’d come back inside for leftovers. I can picture it right now. I’m not sure if there ever was one day that we did all those things, but in my mind they all run together anyway. Too bad it takes being really far away to make your appreciate your family, huh?

Big hugs to everybody…