Welcome to this edition of Dimanche (That Means Sunday).

This week was filled with a lot of what I like to call, “Thanksgiving pregaming.” People are excited about the holidays so they start eating and drinking more and working less, which is always a good idea in my book.

I went out to a family-style lunch with some coworkers on Friday to test out food for a holiday party we’re hosting. “Test out food” is really code for shirking our responsibilities, but who can blame us?

The lunch was a success but I got pretty worked up because everyone there was defending pumpkin spice. They even suggested creating a punchbowl for pumpkin spice martinis at the holiday party.

Without getting into the whole debate again, let me just briefly say that I hate pumpkin spice with a fiery burning passion. You can read more about my feelings here.

After I let that go, I managed to enjoy the rest of lunch. We all started talking about our Thanksgiving plans and what food we like to make. Some people are really into the turkey, while other people focus on the desserts.

Wherever your Thanksgiving takes you, I hope it involves lots of good food and entertaining company. The holidays can be as maddening as they are fun, with constant socializing, occasional family drama, and little to no sleep (unless you go into a food coma after dinner).

Still, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year and it’s DEFINITELY my favorite holiday. It gives me an excuse to eat as much as I want for as long as I want…which sounds like something I do already.

Without further ado, here is Dimanche:

I read a good article this week about Paul Cézanne’s studio in southern France. I actually visited his atelier in Aix-en-Provence a few years ago when I was living abroad. I wasn’t as into photography then, so I approached the studio mostly as a tourist. I like this story because the author describes the studio from a photographer’s perspective. It gave me insight into how colors and light can affect composition.

I saw “Lady Bird” yesterday morning and I absolutely loved it. The movie, which marks Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut, is the story of a teenage girl growing up in Sacramento. It focuses a lot on the relationship between the girl and her mother, which is often tempestuous (to say the least). I full out sobbed during one of the final scenes, which consists of a long shot of the mom’s face. I won’t say anymore. You definitely need to go see this movie.

It came out last week that Drake collects Birkin bags for his future wife. Yes, that’s weird. No, I don’t care. I love Drake unconditionally so I give him a hall pass on creepy things like that. Also, Drake seems like an all-around good guy. If you need proof, check out this video of him yelling at a guy who was groping women during one of his sets.

A new bakery just opened in St. Louis and if you’re in/near South City, you should definitely check it out. Knead Bakehouse + Provisions is a small storefront near The Hill, St. Louis’s Italian neighborhood. I stopped by on opening day yesterday and the selection was small but delicious. I’d recommend the spicy cranberry doughnut and a cup of their coffee.

I started watching “A Chef’s Life” on PBS a year ago. I binged watched the first four seasons but the fifth season didn’t air until late October. I completely forgot about it until this week, when I was coming off my “Mind of a Chef” binge and looking for more cooking shows (along with maple syrup, that’s my therapy). For those unfamiliar with the show, it follows the life and cooking of Vivian Howard, a southern chef. Howard grew up in a farm in Eastern North Carolina, left to pursue a cooking career in New York, and then ended up moving back to her hometown to start a restaurant. I admire her spunk and her commitment to local ingredients.

I hope you have a good week! Here’s a song to get you started. It’s by a French rapper named Elohim. I found him by accident and I’m kind of confused, because his artist page lives under the more mainstream artist Elohim’s page on Spotify. They sound nothing alike; Elohim (the woman) is American and Elohim (the man) is ostensibly French. But whatever, they both are great.