Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one .

-- Jane Howard

I hope you had as nice a Thanksgiving as I did. My folks came over, and my mother brought the combination mincemeat/pumpkin pie I talked about last week.

It tasted great, although very, very rich, and probably had more calories per slice than a box of sugar cubes.

My parents pretty much doted on their grandson and have probably convinced him that he is much better behaved than his father ever was.

I tried to turn the tables by getting them to describe the Thanksgiving Days of their youth, but that didn't take long.

Apparently Thanksgiving Day in the 1930s and '40s was little more than a large daytime meal before you went back to work on the farm.

We have it much easier these days, and for that I am thankful.

We all enjoyed ourselves so much talking, we even let the little dog off his diet for a day.

He was thankful, too.

SPEAKING OF PIES: Seth Benson , of Millen, Ga., shares a grandmother story.

It seems Granny made such beautiful pies.

"One day I asked, 'How do you get the crimps around the edges so even?'"

"It's a family secret," she said, "so promise not to tell.

"I roll out the dough, then cut a bottom layer and carefully put it in the pie plate. Then I slowly pour the filling, making sure it's not too full. Next I cut a top layer and put it over the filling.

"Finally, I take out my dentures and just run them around the edge of the pie crust. They make the nicest, even impressions you've ever seen."

FINAL THANKS: If you are having trouble being thankful for anything, consider this: After today's runoff vote, we won't have to watch irritating TV political commercials for a while.

SHOCKING NEWS: Wes Whisenant , of Aiken, shares my problems with cold weather static electricity.

He writes: "I have a trick to minimize the static shock. My trick is to hold a key to the door jamb when exiting your car. Hold tight to the key and the whole setup seems to absorb most of the shock. Entering the car is more difficult, unless you want the little scratched spot on the exterior of your door to match the spot on the jamb.

"Feeling your pain."

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Bill Wood says you know you're old when you feel bad in the morning without having any fun the night before.

HOLIDAY TRAVELS: Sandra and Shirley Johnson , of Augusta, got out of town again. They sent postcards from Memphis, Tenn., and Helena, Ark.

TODAY'S JOKE: One Halloween a trick-or-treater came to the door dressed as "Rocky" in boxing gloves and satin shorts. Soon after the woman of the house gave him some goodies, he returned for more.

"Aren't you the same Rocky who left my doorstep several minutes ago?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied, "but now I'm the sequel. I'll be back three more times tonight, too."

Reach Bill Kirby at (706) 823-3344 or bill.kirby@augustachronicle.com.