And so it begins...

They're coming! By planes, trains and automobiles! Millions will gather their belongings and be homeward bound. Home. I don't think that any other holiday epitomizes that word quite like Thanksgiving does. The celebration of the harvest, a gathering among family and friends, before a long winters song keeps us inside. Yes, Christmas is bigger, bolder and brighter, but there is just something about the amber hues of Thanksgiving that speaks to me.

And speaking of being spoken too, many readers dressed me down last week about whether or not to encourage guests to bring a dish to Thanksgiving dinner. I just assumed that everyone felt like me. Anything brought is something I don't have to make. I was wrong. Some Thanksgiving host are very territorial when it comes to their kitchens. As one reader told me "it's my party, I'll provide the food." So be it...but not at my house.

Both sisters are bringing food, one, favorites her kids like, and the other, things her family likes. It's all good with me. My daughter in-law is bringing the green bean casserole, and my almost daughter in-law is making an apple pie. My sons and nephew will stand out in the cold and deep fry a spicy turkey, while I stay warmly inside roasting the traditional bird.

My young nieces and nephew will be sampling the candy dishes while waiting for the after dinner treasure hunt to begin. It's a family affair. It's not "my" Thanksgiving, it's just at my house. And when I was looking for a place to live a little over a year ago, the ability to have all of my family on Thanksgiving was always foremost on my mind. Especially since my sons, regardless of how many people are here, demand a sit down dinner...at one continuous table! We somehow make it work.

I have learned to appreciate all of the chaos that goes with observing a day of gratitude. And Lord, there so many things to be thankful for this year. My oldest son and his wife are having a baby in late Spring. And, my youngest son just got engaged. I am grateful to not only love both of the women in their lives, but to like them as well. Good girls, these two. So much to look forward to!

As time goes on, there are a few more aches and pains at the end of a long Thanksgiving day than there were the year before, but for the most part, I'm thankful to be here, standing and able to pull it off. (Although I will admit, my bed at the end of the day feels pretty damn good!)

Each year, the night before Thanksgiving, when the house is quiet and sparkling clean, I light a fire, make some tea and turn off the TV for a few moments. It is in this solitude that I can look past any challenges from the past year, and acknowledge the good in my life. I once read that "You can count your money, you can even count your assets, but until you learn to count your blessings, your not as successful as you think you are." That said, I am a very successful woman.

Photos by GoggleImages