What makes Thanksgiving special to you? When I ask folks, it can be the food, family and friends, and sometimes simply time off from work.

For me, Thanksgiving and Christmas bring precious memories to life, and they usually are triggered by food and laughter around the table. And so it was today.

A cornbread dressing, giblet gravy, Jeff Davis Pie and overflow family eating around a card table took me back about, oh, 40 years. Mamma moved to Texas from Alabama, and it's anyone's guess as to when the family cornbread dressing recipe came to be. I use the term recipe, but it would be more accurate to say dressing style.

My grandparents lived a simple, earthy life. And the dressing reflects this heritage perfectly. Leftover cornbread, leftover biscuits,  fresh eggs from the hens, onions from the root cellar, milk and basic spices. And the key ingredient - sage. Today, I once again pictured Mamma in her kitchen, with all four burners on her stove topped with a boiling pot. And in the middle of the activity, the uncooked dressing warranted the most fuss. Enough sage? Salt? Onion? Mamma would pour in milk until it "felt right."

You see, our family recipe has no measurements, only a list of ingredients. And so the cooking I remember and now rely upon is tasting, experience and memory.  I add, stir and taste until there's the right texture.

My mother and brother made the dressing for today's meal. And it was perfect, with someone even saying it was "good as Mamma's."

That woman remains so incredibly special, and I miss her dearly. But times like today - Thanksgiving Day - bring her back to life and that dressing is *almost* as good as a hug. Today I closed my eyes, heard her voice, saw her smile and laugh until she dabbed at tears in her eyes, and gave thanks for such beautiful memories.