I'm writing this rambling blog in the last minutes of a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. I took our favorite holiday recipes, made them as BTD compliant as I could, and enjoyed the feast.

I cheated on pies. My husband likes pecan. My son likes pumpkin. I didn't want to bake two pies, so I bought pies at the store. All week I looked for pie pumpkins. Though I wasn't baking a pie, I wanted pie pumpkins in reserve to cook after the holiday. All the stores seemed to be out. I went shopping late Wednesday to pick up eggs and a few other last minute items. The lines were long, but at last I was out of the store. There on the sidewalk was a huge bin of Colorado pie pumpkins. I picked up several and went back inside to stand in line again.

No one in the family likes giblet gravy, so the dog got his Thanksgiving dinner for breakfast. As I was getting the turkey ready for the oven, I offered him the neck. Poor thing, he couldn't really enjoy his treat because he was so worried that someone would try to steal it from him. He hunkered over it on the patio, growling every time anyone walked past the window. By the time the turkey was done, every morsel of the neck was consumed.

The difference between dressing and stuffing made our meal an hour later than planned. A stuffed turkey needs to cook longer. I was making dressing, so I planned my timetable around roasting an unstuffed turkey. What I didn't take into consideration was that the onion and apple I put into the cavity would have the same effect on the cooking time as stuffing. The turkey was worth waiting for. It was wonderfully moist and tender, thanks to the onion and apple.

When I was a girl, I remember relatives saying, "Southerners eat dressing; Yankees eat stuffing." I have no idea whether those regional differences are still true, but today I made cornbread dressing, which bakes in a separate pan. I used spelt biscuits and cornbread so the dressing was wheat free at least. My husband said that he had never tasted better dressing.

Sweet potato casserole, basil green beans, cranberries (Janey O's recipe with pineapple juice and honey) and a raw vegetable tray rounded out our meal. As we ate, my husband asked us to each name several things that we were thanked God for this year. We were all reminded again that we are very blessed.

I got an e-mail from my sister. She has lived in Europe for many years, but now her son is going to college in America. Her husband was able to schedule a business trip so that he could spend the Thanksgiving with their son. As those two Type Os discussed where they wanted to go for their Thanksgiving dinner, they talked about turkey. But in the end they both decided that what they really wanted was a big steak. It may not be traditional, but it is very Type O.

However and wherever you spent Thanksgiving Day, I hope you took a moment between preparing stuffing and stuffing yourself to remember your blessings and to offer appropriate thanks to the One who gives all good things.