My friends and I break out the great bottles (five years and running).

This year it was Adelsheim and Argyle Pinots before the smoked turkey; Casacade Cliffs RSV Barbera (2012) with dinner [Thank God my stuffing tasted better than it looked!]; a 2012 Forgeron Cab to accompany “Pieces of April”.

We all chip in for food prep [but everything I made flopped this year in looks].

And, we all remember our birth family as we appreciate our FOC.

My folks like to play with recipes, my brother and his family bounce around, and I don’t drive nearly six hours.

I sometimes miss the bizarre movies from my college years: Misery, Fargo, Alive.

The epic bottle is the Shallon Blackberry Wine. If you ever get to Astoria, Oregon and the winemaker is still alive it’s more than worth the stop.