Pretending I'm Retired

I made the pie yesterday. It’s a caramel, chocolate pecan pie—a family favorite. I know, pumpkin is the traditional Thanksgiving pie. But here’s the thing about traditions—it’s good to stop and look at them occasionally. To think, why are we doing this? Does this still make sense?  For years, I’ve been in charge of the pies. And for years, I’ve brought the traditional pumpkin pie along with the family favorite. I think it’s the perfectionist in me. If we have the picture-perfect Thanksgiving menu, then we will have the picture-perfect Thanksgiving…right? And every year, the caramel, chocolate pecan pie is gobbled up immediately while the pumpkin pie sits forlornly on the kitchen counter for a week next to the coffee pot. Feeling sorry for it, I cut off tiny slivers to nibble on in the mornings while I wait for the coffee to finish brewing. This year, new tradition—no pumpkin pie. You may be wondering why I’m making a Thanksgiving pie in mid-October. Traditionally, Thanksgiving falls on