I couldn't love my dog more. She is sweet as the day is long.

I stick my nose in the soft fur at the side of her face and give her a kiss, while I rub her ears and tell her that she is my good girl. She'd let me do this until next Thanksgiving. And even if I can't oblige that, fussing over her is always on my to-do list.

Fall is her season. She's a golden retriever, but not the light tan preferred by golden lovers at the moment. She is as red as the leaves on the burning bush in the backyard, which is her providence, and she blends so prettily into the fall landscape. She is a feast for the eyes.

Her connection to food, and thus my column, is that she frequently lies on the patio outside my kitchen door, where I can talk to her while I cook. And, of course, she is the households's major scarfer of scraps.

She is also one of the things I am so thankful for in my life. Every year, in the days before Thanksgiving, I contemplate why I should be appreciative, mentally trying things out to see ... am I really thankful for this or that?

Perhaps it's my middle age speaking, but what I came up with this year, heartfelt, is those simple things, like nuzzling the dog.

I add to them my husband's fortitude. My daughter's sense of humor. My oldest son's growing maturity. The burgeoning independence of my youngest son, who has special needs. My generous and kind friends who offer me their counsel and, yes, their food.

On Thanksgiving, I will cook. We'll have the turkey and the mashed potatoes and a pie; I may come up with something creative, or maybe it'll be the same ol' same ol'.

The table will be full, the house, warm, and my family will be content.

The dog will get some scraps.

And I will be grateful.

If you haven't been bludgeoned yet with the Christmas materialistic spirit -- ho, ho, ho -- you'll get it on Friday. Old Forester bourbon's marketers send a recipe for The Black Friday: 1.5 ounces Old Forester Bourbon, 1 ounce ginger ale, 2 ounces cola, squeeze of lime. Garnish with crushed lime, which represents "your money that has been crushed from shopping."

Several local churches are gearing up for their cookie walks/sales. Waverly Presbyterian, 590 S. Braddock Ave., Regent Square, will hold its cookie walk from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 12. This year, the event expands to an artisan's market and you can buy brunch. Cookie boxes are $12 each. Call 412-243-0643.

The Cookie Mall at St. Augustine Hall, 37th and Butler streets, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 5 is among highlights of the 10th Lawrenceville Joy of Cookies tour. The mall is managed by the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville and benefits neighborhood civic groups. The tour takes place from Dec. 3 through 6 (trolley rides on Saturday) at participating merchants along Butler, 43rd, 44th and Hatfield streets, and Penn Avenue. Shop and sample cookies made by Bernadette Ogurchak of Heaven's Scent Pastries. Recipes, too. Details and hours: lawrencevillecorp.com.

Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church, 3319 W. Liberty Ave., Dormont, will hold its cookie sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 12. Cookies made by United Methodist Women and friends sell by the pound and sell out fast. But there's also a tea room and 50 vendors offering Christmas gifts. Call Dave Molter for more info, 412-531-7131.

Holy Trinity Cathedral, 450 Maxwell Drive, Whitehall, puts its Nutroll Factory into gear from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 12. Nut, apricot, poppyseed rolls, $12; lady locks, $7, nut horn cookies, $8, and more. Pre-order by e-mailing htcnutroll@verizon.net or call 412-882-3900.

Also on the 12th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Greenstone United Methodist Church in Avalon holds its Christmas Festival and Cookie Walk (choose a large box for $15 or small box $8). Also available will be "The Cookie Walk Cookbook" and Greenstone's "Classic Cookbook" and other gifts (412-761-3221).

Eat'n Park this year has introduced a Gingerbread Smiley Cookie, the first "flavored" of its iconic smiley.

S.S. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 220 Mansfield Blvd., Carnegie, will hold its 22nd Thanksgiving Day Open House on Thursday. Prayer service at noon, dinner from 1 to 5 p.m., eat-in or take out. All are welcome.

Join Lynne Rossetto Kasper and guests Garrison Keillor, Christopher Kimball and Joshua Wesson live on public radio from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday for The Splendid Table's "Turkey Confidential," an annual "turkey triage" of your at-the-moment dinner questions. On the Web at splendidtable.org/turkey-confidential.

Shalom Pittsburgh will holds its fourth Vodka & Latke from 8 p.m. Dec. 5 until "the dreidel drops" at Shadow Lounge, 5972 Baum Blvd., East Liberty. $7 prepaid by noon Dec. 4; $10 at the door. Call Ann Cloutier, 412-992-5255, e-mail acloutier@ujfpittsburgh.org. Bring a nonperishable food item or toiletry for the Squirrel Hill Food Bank.

EllynAnne Geisel, author of "The Apron Book," designates Wednesday as National Tie One On Day.

No, not that: She means to wrap your homemade goodies, and yourself, in cozy linens and offer good wishes at the holidays. Apronmemories.com.

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