Thanksgiving Dinner

Typically my Thanksgivings are joyously overwrought affairs. Whether it's a trip to San Francisco (and the subsequently enduring mystery of who stole the pork bun), a Lynchian tribute, an urban exploration, or a boozy beverage gone horribly awry, I've always found the right activity befitting an attitude of gratefulness and the right people to do it with (see more here). The truth is, I'm an absolute sucker for the holidays. I attribute this mawkish sensibility to the fact that I'm a nostalgic sack of saline most of the time (don't let the sarcasm and general air of terrifying argumentativeness fool you, folks; you'd be missing the point), and what's more, I love my friends and family with my whole heart. So if you combine those two elements along with a dash of weepy music, a pinch of candlelight, and a heap of manipulated emotional affectation, you've got a recipe for disaster. Cue: Your girl LD, awake at 2am, utterly inconsolable because "Auld Lang Syne" just happens to be playing. Throw a puppy into the mix and I might actually die of a emotionally-induced brain aneurism. 

Contradictions, oh they do exist. I'm living proof. 

ANYWAY, my point in all of this (even if I've re-calibrated it a few times since the initial line of this post) is to brag. Brag? Yes. Brag. Because this year's feast was no exception to my storied history of epic Thanksgivings, and the person I'd like to thank for that is my sister Jody. Because homegirl not only planned the whole event (her attention to detail did my heart proud), but she made the ENTIRE MEAL as well. Turkey? Check. Mashed potatoes, gravy, and dressing? Triple check. Aunt Marilyn's sweet bread (as lovingly adopted by my uncle Randy, who is now responsible each year for the recipe) and mom's cranberry relish? Check. Green beans (dad likes those, NO idea why...but I did eat some, so, you know...progress)? Yep. Deviled eggs? A whole PLATE FULL. My heart was filled with joy. She made the whole thing despite the fact that in most cases, it was her first time making any of the individual plates. 15 pounds of tryptophan and natural juices - perfectly executed. Enough mashed potatoes to spackle a brick building - no big deal. Jody was all over it. 

We invited over a few holiday stragglers to our house, and with everyone's help we made another Thanksgiving for the books. Here are a few photos I snapped of the day's events. Stay tuned for more from the rest of the weekend (it only got more epic from there on out).