It's Time for THANKSGIVING, Dang it.

I enjoy Christmastime just as much as the next over-saturated-with-commercialism American. Well, maybe not as much. But I also really enjoy Thanksgiving, to the point that I would call it my favorite holiday. It has been my favorite holiday for several years now.

Long ago, when I was a kid, my mom told me that my Uncle Joe's favorite holiday was Thanksgiving.

"WHY?" I shrieked. "You don't get PRESENTS! I like Christmas and birthdays the best!"

"I think it's because it's less commercialized, piped in my Grandmother.

At the time I didn't know what that meant, nor did I care. Now, I completely agree with it. I love Thanksgiving because, while it comes right before Christmas and is included in the end-of-year clump of holidays,  it's a ton of fun and still low-key enough. This year I'm attending two pre-Thanksgiving dinners with Charleston pals. I've got the perfect excuse to make desserts this weekend. Next week, my family and old friends will get together in Florence, eat food and socialize. What we WON'T do is put up a Christmas tree right after we clear the dishes. We savor the tradition of Thanksgiving separately from Christmas. I like it that way.

That's what's up.