The turkey was salted and waiting to star on the Thanksgiving table, the refrigerator was packed with veggies to cook, and the pies were in the able hands of my daughter-in-law, so my husband and I took Wednesday afternoon off for a ritual of another kind— visiting the National Mall. Over the years we've discovered that the very best day for going to museums is the day before Thanksgiving. People are either on the road or home getting ready for the holiday. Even the metro is empty. It was bright and cold, the perfect day to bundle up and hike across the sun-drenched Mall. The East Wing of the National Gallery just reopened in October after a year of repairs, so we decided to start there. It was fascinating to see new paintings and old favorites reinstalled in the galleries, and we were thrilled to discover the new outdoor sculpture terrace at the very top of the building. We had no idea the Capitol was being guarded by a bright blue 15-foot rooster (Katharina Fritsch's "Hahn/Cock"). But it did remind me I had to get home to start the stuffing for my very own 14-pound bird of a different color.