I have some cheese from my head for you.

Pig Pig didn't die on the first shot.  I didn't want to tell you that.  It's a sad thing and this is the season for happy happy things.  But there you go.  I said it.  And now we're eating him.  Because that's the way things go.  And he tastes really really good.  I have some head cheese here for you.  I've been holding on to it for your visit.  I'm also making some homemade mustard to spread on the homemade rye bread which will hold the head cheese while I serve it to you when you come.  Just give me a days notice.  

Well, since it's the time of year to say our thanks- I thank you Pig Pig.  You have been a nice addition to our breakfast and lunch and dinner table.  We've been frying you and baking you and grilling you and I even rendered down your back fat to make lard.

And then Paul Bunyan made donuts with the lard and fried them in your rendered down fat.

 And we all said "Thank you".

And then we ate one and we all said "Thank you" again.

And then the kids put Nutella on you and brown sugar and a maple glaze and we bowed down in honor of you.

And then Bee got a hold of one of your bones and puked it up at 4 a.m. on our bedroom floor.
Thank you Pig Pig.

No, in all seriousness, the "thank yous" are running rampant all over the internet, especially on Facebook where people are writing what they're thankful for EVERY day from now until, what? I don't know.  They're thankful for coffee, chocolate, etc. etc.  No one ever says that they're thankful for flush toilets or the fact that they can fly through the air while sitting in a padded seat while still able to breath.  But whatever. 

So we hosted our 27th annual friends thanksgiving this year, which is always fun.  We had some 20 hot bodies rolling around and I was sure grateful it was a nice day because the football was thrown and the kids played outside for most of the day.  I think Timmy was the only one who cried.  I stuffed a bird and served flat beer and everyone else brought a side dish and a pie.  E brought a bird too, which was juicier and much better than mine.  Turns out even though my special Convection Roast option on my oven cooks a 20 lb. bird in three hours, it dries the shit out of it.  So we're going low and slow in two years when I host again. 

I put up a branch in a bucket and told people to write what they're thankful for on a piece of paper and then I told them to hang them up.  We got lots of cute responses from the kids:

"My mom and dad."
"My dog and cat."
"plants"


Timmy wrote, "I'm thankful for water, shelter, food, oxygen, and family," which was much nicer than what his sister wrote which was, "EVERYTHING except: my brothers, germs, bad food, bad people, football, bad music, school, baseball, mosquitoes, flies, wasps, and boogers." 


And from the adults:

"The support of fabulous friends, family, and a ever optimistic wife."
"Healthy family and friends, abundance, amazing love all around."
"For snow, friends, family, and pumpkin pie."
"My red-headed children, grey haired husband, cat and dog."
"Snow and Dogs."


And from me, a little cheese from my head:

Thank you love of my life for the time and support I need to heal myself and for making Pig Pig donuts.