Our best holiday is fast approaching

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. We just can't ruin it. Christmas has been almost smothered by the push to shop, shop, shop, which is now a directive from Homeland Security. Halloween has been co-opted by adults who make it about them more than about kids. New Year's can be downright dangerous. But Thanksgiving? No unwanted stuff. No returns. No jammed parking lots. Just friends, family, a house that smells really good. And a meal. Oddly, the only so-so thing about Thanksgiving is the turkey itself. I'm told that store-bought turkeys are freaks of genetic engineering, super-sized breasts and bland. Turkey farmers tell me the wild things are much better. On Thanksgiving, turkey makes a token appearance on my plate, crowded with all those nibblies and sauces. But even bland turkey is improved a day later, captured in bread and mayonnaise, slathered with my sister in law's cranberry sauce made from orange liqueur. Serve with a football game.