Hi there.  It’s nice to be back.

So Thanksgiving was excellent, thanks for asking.  I started the brining process on Tuesday night when I got home from work, combining the random potpourri of ingredients and setting them to simmer for hours.

Yes, it smelled as amazing as it looks.

Jump forward 48 hours to Thanksgiving day, and Thaddeus arrived out of the oven, albeit slightly earlier than expected.

Wow…  That’s one busy countertop…

But he turned out to be quite tasty, and was unquestionably worth all the effort.

And, more importantly, it was great to be with family for the day, sans the drama that typically accompanies such gatherings.  Jen and I espouse (I PUN!) a sense of hygge in our home, moreso around the holidays, and I’d really like to think that this sense of warmth and acceptance comforts all who enter.

At least I hope so, anyway.

So after dinner we bundled up the little girl and headed to the annual Uptown Lighting at the Hilton Post Oak.  And I’m happy to report that Daphne enjoyed her first bout of fireworks without shedding a single frightened tear.
She was startled by the first explosion, but she instinctively looked to her mother and me for cues as to whether she should be nervous.  And because we were both holding her and smiling, she deduced that there was nothing to be afraid of and started grinning and “OOoooo!”ing at the fireworks with the rest of us.

Yes, it was as adorable as it sounds.

I’ve lots more to share about the 5 days off of work that I got to spend with my wife and daughter, but those posts and pictures will have to come in the days ahead.

For now, it’s just good to be back.

Talk to you tomorrow.

j.s.