It won't be long now.

If I shut my eyes, I can almost smell the fat turkey roasting in the oven and the cranberries bubbling on the stove top. I can almost see steaming rolls, their tops glistening with a soft, almost golden, hue sitting beside a pair of pies — apple and mince (made with homemade, venison mincemeat, of course).

Thanksgiving is here. It is a time for family. It is time for kids and grandkids, augmented by in-laws and nephews, a cousin or two and any strays who turn up and are always welcome.

It is the most American of all the family holiday celebrations, supposedly having its roots in a harvest celebration by the Pilgrims.

It is not a celebration of football, although there will be lots of games on TV, each one demanding we watch and listen to the “analysts” who will carefully explain what we can see for ourselves on the big screen TV. The TV games are supposed to be the big attraction, but they are not. They are merely a vehicle surrounding the dozens of commercials packed into timeouts and other breaks.

Thanksgiving is late this year, but Christmas commercials didn't wait for the holiday. They have been running, it seems, for weeks, trying to entice us to buy lots of stuff we probably don't need. Each year, I tell myself it would be a good idea to buy stock in the companies that make batteries.

Having said that, I still cherish Thanksgiving and marvel at the size and variety of the dishes that grace our tables.

When you really think about it for a moment, our Thanksgiving dinners are fit for kings.

It is a moment to hold hands and give thanks for our good fortune and for our family.

That brings me to the second part of the holiday, the giving part.

Last week, The Weather Channel went into overdrive as powerful storms slammed into the nation's midsection. Halfway around the world, a storm hit the Philippines, killing thousands and wreaking havoc on cities and villages. The Red Cross and other agencies are trying to provide some aid and are raising funds to help the storm victims. They are worthy of our support.

Here at home, while the seacoast scenery looks like paradise, there are lots of school children who qualify for “school lunch” programs. More than a few families depend on local food banks and heating assistance programs, just to make it though the winter. Please help them out if you can.

The good ladies who work at the St. Andrews Thrift Shop and folks who volunteer at other clothing banks, personify the word “giving” as they provide lots of families with sweaters, good warm coats, hats and mittens at a nominal cost or for free.

Some of our good neighbors and organizations have asked our local government to declare Tuesday, Dec. 3 as a Community Day of Giving, a sort of antidote to the kick off of the Christmas shopping rampage. Sounds like a good idea to me.

One year, not so long ago, instead of giving our kids another sweater they didn't need, we made donations to a food bank in their names.

Come to think about it, that might not be a bad idea for this year, too.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.