We closed up shop around noon and started baking. The results were not unmixed. For example, my attempt to make turkeys from candy, as I have seen done all over the net, was a dismal failure. This may be the worst candy turkey ever seen.

On the other hand, I was successful with the other things: rum-laced fruitcakes, traditional cheesecakes with fresh cranberry topping, lemon chiffon cupcakes, and pecan tassies.

I decided to make little tiny desserts this year. We have only seven people for Thanksgiving, and I can’t feature baking three pies for that many of us.

I may give up on the turkey on cupcake idea; I think I only decided to do it because we had candy corn left over from Hallowe’en. I have been lured into making weird things simply because I had the ingredients on hand before now.

Speaking of which, I am currently psyching myself up to eat venison chili. There is no reason to be squeamish about deer. I eat chili made with beef all the time, and deer are just as legal and reasonable a thing to eat as cattle. I just never have eaten game and I’m being weird about it.

The hunter who gave it to us is the brother of #1 daughter’s boyfriend. My husband is excited about this chili and helped me make it, throwing extra hot peppers in and exulting over it.

We’ll have hot bread and salad with it, and I think I will also get the family to eat the imperfect examples of the little desserts.

#2 son has arrived, and both the #1s, who live in town, and we’re now just waiting for #2 daughter.

The boys are playing Wii. They’re having a light saber battle. #1 daughter and I made up the beds and scheduled tweets and blog posts for our social media clients. I have my knitting. My husband is out raking leaves in the dark and cold, because he has trouble waiting for people to arrive. I understand that. However, I’ve already begun celebrating.

Thanksgiving is a very nice holiday. We feed people and that’s the entire obligation. No gifts, music, travel — wonderful as all those things are, there’s something restful about a whole day devoted only to hanging out with family and feeling grateful.

I have a lot to be grateful for this year, too.