reality of thanksgiving

Various observations of Thanksgiving:

~~The day before the big meal:

~~The day of thanks:

~~The familiar old recipes for the amazing pies:

~~The lovely ingredients for the pies:

~~Wouldn't this have been a great shot if only I'd removed the labels on the apples...

~~Dogs and snow, solid joy

~~Homemade turkey cookies made by Audrey and her mom in the shape of Audrey's hand, yummy, adorable, and very much wanted for eating by Audrey--no potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, cranberry jello, stuffing, turkey, or rolls. Cookies! Just cookies. Really, who could blame her though?

~~Mom's call, during the ten minutes just prior to the meal, whilst making gravy, baking rolls, steaming green beans, filling bowls with potatoes, stuffing, etc.--asking if I had a can of yams she could borrow--no, but you could have fresh sweet potatoes--okay, she'll come pick them up--only to have her call just before the meal to say, nevermind, she went to Smith's and bought a can. Oh, did I mention someone in my kitchen had already peeled and diced three lovely sweet potatoes and put them in a ziploc bag?

~~What kind of pie do you want? What? No razzleberry? What was I thinking?

~~Crashing to the floor of the biggest best pyrex sweet potato pan that ever existed

and don't forget

~~Janey's volunteered blessing on the meal and us all.