Just popping in quickly to say hello – HELLO! – and that I hope all of my friends are having a fabulous day filled with leftovers and family.  We’re getting ready to decorate our Christmas tree over here, and we have fun hiking plans for this weekend – but first, just a couple of photos of our day.  It was a busy one, and I was the chef, so I didn’t snap too many pictures.

Started the day running the Alexandria Turkey Trot, a five mile race through Del Ray (not our neighborhood, but close enough to walk).  Steve and the kids dropped me off near the starting line at the local middle school, and I cranked up my show tunes and enjoyed a brisk run through the streets.  It was a tough race thanks to the freezing cold weather – literally freezing; it was 30 degrees at the start – weird to run in such a chill when just a month ago I ran the MCM 10K under a heat advisory.  My legs felt strong (thank you, yoga and barre!) but my lungs felt like they were encased in ice and I did a lot of walking as a result.  Still was good to get outside and move before the cooking began, and I even saw a colleague from work, who spotted me on the course and introduced me to his running buddy before they cruised on ahead.  So funny to bump into a friendly face in the middle of a big race.  Those experiences are what makes a hometown, and I spent the next mile or so feeling grateful – a good feeling for Thanksgiving! – to live in a place where there are so many people I care about.

I walked home from the finish line and – after a quick shower – rolled up my sleeves and got right to work along with my sous chef.  Cooking and baking is Peanut’s favorite thing to do, and she was particularly pumped to help me make stuffing.  (Unfortunately, there wasn’t much she could do with the stuffing, since so much of it was done over heat.  But she helped with the artichoke dip, the mashed potatoes, and the dessert – apple tart with spiced pastry cream, which we didn’t eat because everyone was too full.)

While Peanut and I were busy in the kitchen, there was silliness afoot in the living room.

It’s not a holiday until someone is wearing sunglasses in the house, and someone else has a trash can on their head, right?  (We hadn’t even opened the wine yet.)

Some other people tried to stay out of it.

End of the day – by 6:00, I had a big and delicious dinner on the table for the fam – turkey, stuffing (which I hate and will never eat, but the rest of the family said was good), mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole (with marshmallows, thankyouverymuch), roasted brussels sprouts, celebration kale salad, and cranberry sauce.  Is it any wonder no one had room for the tart?

Happy Thanksgiving, again, my friends!  I’m grateful to have so many wonderful people in my life – and if you read my random musings here, that includes you!