That Soft Sizzle

The day before Thanksgiving is almost nicer, for me, than the day of. Why? Because it is the quiet before the storm. The slowing, lulling pull of people heading home, quieting down, starting the pie crusts, sweeping the stairs. It is the moment before the guests arrive, before the windows get too steamed, before the sound of chatter overwhelms the sound of cranberries quietly simmering in a sugar sauce or garlic cloves in hot olive oil.