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Today is certainly a top-drawer day.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year, but I'm really not sure I can say anything that hasn't already been said by one person or another. I love the turkey. I love the cranberry sauce (before -  the jiggly can-shaped mass; now - the orange zesty homemade kind). I love the Olive-Cheese Balls. Wait, what? You've never had olive-cheese balls? Well, for my family, they're definitely a signature appetizer for any gathering where we all look nice and drink some sort of sparkling wine. I can't remember a party without them. Try them at once! They are wonderful. Trust me.

My sister Sara and our cousin Kheli took the train in from Boston and arrived around six o'clock this morning. I didn't mind picking them up that early, as I've become a chronic early riser. The other day, I woke up completely naturally at 4:30 AM. Nothing makes me feel older than waking up before 5 AM. Well, maybe back pain...

Thanksgiving with my family is always full of traditions. The turkey, for instance, is always cooked by my father on his Weber Grill that he's had for years. It's always delicious, and always a little bit different year after year. An adventure, really. We always get a pumpkin pie, even though no one really eats it. However, I always try one new recipe every Thanksgiving, and it usually includes pumpkin. This year was no exception. I made Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Squares from the October 2006 (*gulp* a little late to the party here) Bon Appetit Magazine.

Today I started a new knitting project as well. Since it's Thanksgiving, I wanted a project that would be (a) easy to pick up and put down, (b) something I could work on without a printed pattern and highlighter, and (c) a single skein project. I decided on the Sockhead Hat by Kelly McClure of bohoknits. Knit in the round with a lot of ribbing, followed by a lot of stockinette, this pattern definitely fit the bill. Since I have a few <cough> random skeins of sock yarn that I haven't really queued in my head yet, I thought this would be a great option. I'm using Malabrigo Sock in the 871 Playa colorway. This project is great for parade watching, telling stories, and everything else we like to sprinkle in between snack breaks on Thanksgiving.

I hope that your Thanksgiving was wonderful as well!