pumpkin pie, Peter and Cynde's

This has, in retrospect, been a pretty crummy year, what with loathsome developers trashing the fields and woods across the street, my wife suffering a broken hip (still not completely healed), and me being laid low by Lyme Disease and a, so far, lower-level persistent arthritis. Those challenges aside, there are yet reasons to be in a celebratory mood, and when the family gathered at my brother's home for the annual feast, we had plenty of items on our thankful plates, starting with, of course, the fact that we were able to sit down together for a splendid meal. Then, there was that football game—not one on TV, but the one that we, for probably more than half-a-century, go out and play. It was inexpert, to be sure, but we were all there battling, albeit gently. I even managed to channel my inner Tom Brady and throw a few decent passes... a complete surprise, given that I continue to need wrist braces. This was definitely a reason to give abundant thanks.