Now, I could have chosen a picture of a Thanksgiving Day table laden with turkey and the trimmings and groaning with goodies. But, there was no holiday bird for me, so, instead I am sharing shots of the chubby squirrels at Council Point Park.

Every year around this time, the media makes the big proclamation of how many pounds the average American will gain through the holiday season. Well, who is going to pass up the endless stream of goodies brought into work by co-workers, the extra-rich nog, all the fattening hors d’oeuvres and feasting with the family? It is a non-stop gobblin’ time, starting today.

Which begs the question of whether your New Year’s resolution will involve the perpetual losing weight and being healthy in the new year or remarking to your significant other: “Will you still need me? Will you still feed me? When I’m 64 pounds overweight from all the holiday goodies?”

I did my gobblin’ as well, and I was starving by the time I prepared and ate dinner as I walked 6.2 miles – the equivalent of a 5K walk. I decided my boss, who participated in the annual Turkey Trot earlier today, was not going to one-up me, so I walked a comparable amount of miles that he ran, down at Council Point Park.

Once again it was a scant crowd – one jogger and three walkers besides me. I took bread chunks for the ducks to make their day and extra peanuts to lavish on my furry squirrel buddies. I even got them to pose for me to share in this post. You can see their poundage, some of which I contributed to.

After I returned home and got Buddy up, I started my Thanksgiving Day meal. As I stated in my sloppy joes post last week, I’m not much of a cook, having lived at home for so many years. My mom was a good cook and I really never had the opportunity to make anything for myself until after she passed away. The easier, the better is my motto and Thanksgiving Day didn’t make any difference.

I dragged out my cooking utensils – two pots, two bowls, one kettle, three spoons and a fork. Then I assembled my boxes and bags and went to town. In record time my meal was on the stove and smelling up the house nicely. Yes, I had turkey, diced up from a breast of turkey purchased earlier in the week and dropped into my pot. Yes, I had stuffing from a box. Potatoes – yup, them too, from a bag. Green bean casserole – why sure … in one of the pots with French’s crispy onions sprinkled abundantly. My cranberries were not sauce, but Craisins, mixed into the bean casserole. Pumpkin pie spice Jell-O was spooned then stirred into a large canister of vanilla yogurt. Mmmmmm.

I thought I had to loosen my sweatpants – query: how does one loosen their elastic-waist sweatpants?

I think I should create a cookbook of my simple fare and its preparation – perhaps I’d give David Joachim, the author of “A Man, A Can, A Plan” a run for his money.

Hope your holiday feast was shared with family or friends. Mine was shared with my little pal, Buddy, my canary, so “pass the peas please” or “I’d like a drumstick” or “a little gravy over here” was not in the equation.

There was not a wishbone to break either.

But … it was a simple meal, eaten by a grateful woman who counts her health, home, friends and Buddy amongst her blessings.