Not even on Thanksgiving morning do I get to sleep in. I have to get my Big Green Egg up to temperature, smear butter all over a turkey that I’ve had brining all night, shove a few fruits, vegetables, and herbs up its rear end, and get to smoking over some hickory and apple wood.

Regular readers of the site know my wife is an excellent cook. By sundown today we will have gone through 21 pounds of butter, 9 pounds of bacon, and 6 dozen eggs. All of that will go into 4 cakes, 5 pies, and 20 pounds of turkey. This time of year is so busy for me, we house the 15 members of my family and friends. In exchange for them driving over from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, we’ll do all the cooking. Yes, if you are doing the math, we have more pounds of butter than we have people. Welcome to the South!

I’d like to take just a minute, before I tackle the turkey, to tell you all how much I value and am thankful for each of you. So many of you tell me you pray regularly for me and this endeavor we call RedState. I thank you.

I am particularly thankful for my friends who tirelessly provide some of the best insight and commentary from the conservative grassroots here on the front page of RedState. The front page contributors are invaluable and deserve special thanks.

I also am very thankful to the fine folks and Eagle Publishing, Inc., our parent company. And I must absolutely thank my wife, but for whom I would not be able to do any of this.

We also could not do what we do without all of you. Thank you very much for your friendship, readership, support, and prayers. Have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

We’ll return to normal posting schedules on Monday.

God bless you.