Let's Talk Turkey!

Turkey talk!  Didn't someone already say they bought their turkey for Thanksgiving?  Last night when we went to Aldi, I had every intention of buying a turkey but forgot.  Didn't have it on my list.  My lists are important, my brain is full, like a computer that needs to clear its cookies, LOL.  But, forget the cookies, let's talk turkey! 

When we went to Nashville there was a merchantile store at the top of the hill called Gobbler's Knob.  Didn't see any turkeys though, so why was it called Gobbler's Knob?  If you ever hear a male turkey with puffed up feathers, they make a strange sound....it's like a puff of air from an old putt-putt tractor mixed with a audio of humpth.

My brother Andy, had one he called Tom.  When I first heard that puffphth sound, I didn't know what I was hearing.  Didn't realize that it came from a turkey.  He was a pushy old bird.  He'd come up to see what you were all about, and if he had a notion he'd get aggressive.  You didn't turn your back on ol' Tom.

Wild turkey's inhabit French Lick, Orange County, Indiana.  You can actually spy a wild turkey there; I did, sort of.  Game hunters go there during turkey season.   I read a quote about Orange County, "Great hunting for deer, and morel mushrooms and turkey."  At French Lick we were riding the Scenic Railroad Train when I heard a loud eye-popping sound.  The windows of the old red car's side doors were open.  The train had come to a stop so it could reverse and go back to the station.  So, I could hear plainly through the windows what sounded like a bowling bowl being heaved through piles of autumn leaves.  "What's that?"  I asked the official standing nearby.  With a smile, the conducter tour guide said, "Wild turkey.  They fly through the trees."  I think my eyes got even bigger!

And that's turkey talk.  Unless you'd like to know the deacon of our church was raised on a turkey farm.  He says he got in trouble with his teacher.  She asked the class to color the fingers of their hands' outlines with various colored crayons to make turkeys.  He said, 'But turkeys are white."  

Yep.  We've all gotten in trouble with the teacher when we express our superior knowledge, right?

So, Thanksgiving is over.  The turkey, after filling us each with tryptophan for sleep, now resides in the refrigerator, all bones and no meat.  

He's chilled.  He can't talk.  If he could, he might warn, "Don't trust your online followers when they say they want you over for dinner!  Quit social media!  Be like me, go cold turkey!"  

"I'm So Thankful" Dad Took Us to Many Historical Sites

"I'm So Thankful"

As the last couple of days of November get used up by time, I thought of the theme of the month, thanksgiving.

We were all raised with the notion that Thanksgiving Day began with the Pilgrims and Indians.  We were taught, "38 settlers from the ship Margaret, which landed in Virginia, immediately held a religious celebration, specifically dictated by the group's charter from the London Company. The charter declared, "that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantation in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God."

Well, thanks be to you, dear God.  I appreciate the bounty - my girth declares it so, too, LOL.

Everyone indulges in the seasons harvest with gusto and thanks - turkey (or ham for the dissenting), sweet potatoes (or yam for the persnickety), carrots and corn, fish, pumpkin and squash, and much more.  Ne'er forget the much appreciated follow-up naps.  

I just read that "early settlers hollowed out pumpkins, filled the shells with milk, honey, and spices to make a custard, then roasted the gourds whole in ashes."  That may not be pie, but still sounds good to me, gobble, gobble!

So today, in reflection, for what am I grateful?

My true choice is modern conveniences.  

It started with the television.  Being a sickly child I used the distraction of a television show to pass the time.  My very earliest memory is of crying at the end of a movie where Jesse James and his girlfriend got killed.  Then there was the shock of the black and white sci-fi shows on Saturday, especially Tarantula.  "More terrifying than any horror known to man" it screamed in white words from the black screen.

As Dad took us to many, many historical sites over the years of our youth, I began to appreciate other modern conveniences.

We went to Lincoln's birthplace, and childhood home, of dirt floors.                                   

Gag, choke, wheeze.  Give me laminated hardwoods and a good Swiffer.  

On to the Stephen Foster Story performance and his home where there were fireplaces in every room and heating the beds with warming pans of hot coals.                                             

Shiver my bones, and foggy breath, no thank you!  Electric baseboard heaters clicking away makes my night and day.

A fourth grade tour of Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement showed that they made candles in an outbuilding, and hung meat to cure in a smokehouse.  Conner, a wealthy businessman and landowner, had a huge house and servants, but I prefer Sam Walton, creator of the Wal-Mart selling Yankee Candles, and Tyson meats - his department store!

As me and my siblings aged into teenagers, to Washington D.C. and all its museums we went.  One display was of president's wives dresses.  They had whole lines of tiny buttons down the backside, they required a maid with a handy dandy button puller. 

Unt-uh, Muumuus for mom and sweatpants for me, thank you!

A later trip to Jamestown Settlement, revealed they had poor drinking water and a man died from a ball bearing type bullet wound.  Please, give me a reverse osmosis filtration system!  Come on, let's get sophisticated and use big words!  You can't get more handy than purified bottled water, either!

And one of the final trips was to Florida, Oglethorpe's monument.  We learned Oglethorpe wanted to make life better for convicts and debtors in England, and created a colony in Savannah for them to do so. "Not for self, but for others"  was their motto.   

That's me, I'm part of "others" and I'm thankful to live in the 21th century of ...  ready?  you can hear my answer, can't you?  ... modern conveniences.

Yes.  The clothes washer and dryer rumbling downstairs, the dishwasher singing the end of its cycle, and the electric clock alarming "time to wake up" are all things for which to be thankful, I think.

I think I may want to lay here a bit longer to enjoy last days of November under my electric blanket with my coffee on a warming pad.  

Ah, my pillow top mattress is so cush, another modern convenience, for sure.   I'm so thankful, "zzzzzzzzzzzzz."

I'm Buying My Own Gumballs, TWICE!

  

I'm buying my own gumballs, twice!

Oh, you wanna know what I'm talking about?  Well, let's begin this tale of Miss Lilly and her pennies.

A couple years ago, when Miss Lilly was a new toddler I discovered she liked "money."  That's what she called pennies, or any coins.  When I knew she was coming over I would make a little pile of 6 to 10 or more on the second step.  They were for her to drop into my piggy bank.  Kids can sit on one step, and use the next step up as a table.  It was just a quiet little bonding thing we did.

She toddles over to the step, looks up at me with sweetness in her face, and I placatingly pull down plastic pig.  This is one of our moments.

The piggy bank for pennies is pink clear plastic with 4 slots labeled save, invest, spend, and donate.  There are two more banks, minion banks, those yellow Dispicable Me characters -- one is smaller, Stuart, a one-eyed Minion, the other one is larger, Dave.

In those four Dispicable Me movies, Stuart dreams others are bananas and tries to eat them.  But really he prefers to chill with his ukulele.  Dave, his friend, is accident prone but kind and funny.  The smaller bank is for quarters, the larger one is for nickels and dimes.  They bear a post-it note that says "Feed Me". 

Why?  Because I want to go on vacation and change means financial independence for visiting vending machines, a quick purchase at a flea market, or bargaining for dollars at the cashier's counter.  Everyone wants change these days.  There's a shortage, they say.

Anyway, Jayden and Alayna have discovered this little occurance of piled coins on the step.  They like to join in.  Miss Lilly thinks the "money" is,  "All mine"!  But quickly caves because she really doesn't mind sharing and she likes playing with her cousins.

Then Jayden, the oldest of them all, discovered I had hidden behind John's recliner a gumball machine.  It's as tall as Jayden with black stand and red case around glass orb hoarding green and red gumballs.   Oh, yum, his eyes plead while his tongue licks!

One day he came in all excited, poked his little skinny fingered hand into his pocket, pulled it out, raised it high, two fingers pinching copper, "I have a penny!"  

"Good for you, Jayden, you found a penny."

Well, he wasn't saving it for the banks, he'd come to twist the delivering knob on the my gumball machine for something juicy sweet!  

I'd had the gumball machine a whole year, from when Spencer gave it to me for a Christmas gift.  But they've just recently discovered it.  It's so much fun.

Sometimes when Jayden comes in the first thing he asks me is "Do you have any money?"

Alayna bounces in, sidles up beside him, jumping up and down, "I want one, too, Jayden!  I want one, too, GrammyPam!"  Of course, I cave.  I can't resist a toddler.

Little Jacob who just turned two, isn't allowed pennies.  He ate one at home, the goose.

 

Noelle, has no interest.  She's got other things to do and prefers to mosey with a little pink stroller pushing a baby doll through the hall.

Well, this gumball machine is cornered.  Seriously, it's where two walls meet in the living room, hid behind the blue recliner, like I said, with the couch on the other side.  The kids have to crawl over the couch armrest and fall down into the cavity that makes up that corner.

It's good for 'em.  It quietly uses up their time.  They have to exert energy.  They have to share space with each other.  They have to use their brains and body to figure out how to get out.  

Jayden just hoists himself up and over.  The little ones crawl on the floor between couch and recliner.  But poor Alayna, Sunday when she climbed back there, she couldn't figure out how to get out, "Help!"  And, from the other room you could hear her feet hitting the floor and her body thudding against the recliner.  She'd forgotten how to get out, or in her growth spurt

all things, muscles, tendons, and synopsis, weren't coordinated yet.

But have you noticed?  Have you put it together?  

I buy the gumballs.  Then I buy them again.

"WHOO-HOO, BIRTHDAY CREW! LET'S GO TO NASHVILLE!"

Skeletons everywhere! 

Why were they "Up On The Roof"? 

Because they didn't want to be in the cemetery as part of the "Grateful Dead", ha,ha!

We went to Nashville, Indiana, to Brown County, the chosen destination for my yearly birthday trek.  Brown County's website says, "Unplug from daily life and reconnect with one another as you experience the rustic beauty and artisanal charm -- a place that celebrates its past. Plan your escape today."  And we did.

Whoo-hoo, I've found a new birthday crew!  They want to go back next year, too!

It was hubby and I, Spencer and his girlfriend, Caroline, and Ian and his girlfriend, Nikki.

It was a bit chilly in October.  In front of the Brown County Playhouse, strewn with golden red and orange leaves, a white shirted skeleton sat amongst the supports of a sidewalk billboard.  I guess he was resting his aching bones. 

Skelly and his boney dog greeted us waving an empty "Hello", chuckle.

"My turn," I said, "Let's go to the Holly Jolly shop!" 

"Nikki won't like it," said Ian. "But she does want to go to the leather shop."

"Caroline will love it," said Spencer, "she loves Christmas as much as I do.  That's where I got the idea for the upside down tree, isn't it, Mom?"  And off we went to the Holly Jolly christmas Shop.

"Here Spencer, here's an ornament for your tree." 

He said, "Oh, yah, you're right about that!"

We had our backs to each other, he was admiring an ornament hanging on the shop wall of a teal camper with a red Santa stepping outside its door.  I was looking at a Christmas ornament hanging on the post.  It was a completely studded circle of rhinestones with a large stone on top.  It reminded me of a key ring Calvin gave me for Christmas one year. 

I tucked my hand under the ring and slightly lifted it so it wouldn't come off the nail, but I could still take a photo.

"Spencer.  Here's an engagement ring for your tree."  

 I caught Caroline's eye, she winked, we both laughed.  He still didn't have a clue it was a diamond ring with lots of innuendo.

We turned a corner and one of them spied a nutcracker that sits on his rump with his legs hanging over the shelf, very unusual.  Holly Jolly wasn't as popular as the Men's Toy Shop (guns and accessories) but they still enjoyed it. 

I also think the Leathers Shop was one of the top ten.  This "crew" are all bikers and they love a good biking jacket.

Oh, oh, oh, and The Wild Olive where you can get any flavored oil imaginable, even from around the world like Spain, Itally, and Greece, was a favorite.  I found a nice Christmas gift for our Greek brother-in-law -- Koroneiki extra virgin olive oil.

A hostess in the shop told us about each choice, and even gave verbal recipes to go along with it.  One recipe was easy to remember, and sounded very gourmet.  She claimed she didn't like to stand and cook, but Spencer was intrigued and willing to go home and try it.  

On the sidewalk as we retraced our steps, a "Just Married" couple sat at the entrance of a shop.  They were so skinny.  She dressed in white gown and veil, and he decked out in black and top hat.  Sadly, they were nothing but bones!

As we left, John had to pat the groom on the shoulder.  I don't know if he was saying,  "Bless your cold heart" or "Be sure to always love her -- love every bone in her body" or "You have my sympathies, Bro.  Good bye and have a good day."

It was fun.  It was a great day to remember.  They were all smiles, they had fun, too.  How do I know, because they said so.  They want to go back next year.  Like I said, "Whoo-hoo I've found a new birthday crew!"

STEAM CORNER & COVERED BRIDGE - PART 2

 

Barricaded by split rail fences, the first covered bridge on the road to Parke County Covered Bridge Festival is set back off the road, red, and blocked by the admission's office.

After we asked the tall bald gentleman coming from touring it, "Do you know of a good place to eat?" he answered, "Benjamin's, west, down the hill, in the bottoms" and he laughed, "I'll probably see you there."  And we did.

The hub of the festival, downtown Rockville, was where we met a woman who just wanted to talk.   "By the way, my name is Janie, and that's my husband sitting there in that red SUV sleeping."  Janie recommended the shop behind her as she was telling us about other places.  By the time we parted ways, 40 minutes later, we knew so much about her, I could fill a book! 

We knew her last name, where she lived, who they were suing, her medical history, where they worked, what they're doing in retirement, and oh, by the way, we know the deacons of your church.  You're kidding me!  At one point she did stop to take a breath to ask, "Who are you?"

Then it was, "Oh, and we know your brother, too!" 
"Yes, we know the Pruitts.  And we know Leeman's.  Nice people."

Never in my life, no matter what doctor we saw or what appointments we kept or what grief group we joined, we've NEVER met anyone with Arnold-Chiari Malformation.  But...this lady has it.  She told us so before we told her about Mitch.  At 74 years old, and because of this malformation, she has unpredictable muscle cramps, and shooting pains in her bandaged arm.  Her fingers were bound due to arthritis but she walked with alarcity and talked with gusto!  

A hundred miles from home and we found out she lives 20 miles from us!  It makes you believe, "It is a small world after all."

"Let me tell you about our daughter before you go."  I had to laugh and John had to cut it short.

 
On the corner of Virginia St. a brick building housed everything priced so high that I saw the same things 6 years ago.  First room glassware, second room Christmas, third room furniture, back exit hall a woman sitting for a spell and a cry.  

She had just disassmbled a whole house that's contents would've rivaled all the things she'd just seen.  She bemoaned her throwing money away, and was meloncholy over the memories. Said she'd had all she could take and was just waiting for "the others."

Food sheds at the festival - a plethora of choices -  pork chops, pumpkin butter, apple cider slushies, crullers, rib eye steak sandwiches, and ham and beans.  Not 1, but 4, vats of the ham and beans boiled over open fires for the women's booth.  Probably each was about 25 gallons!  Next morning a gravy bowl breakfast.  "Yum" for DH, but not me, the thought gave me "rumblies in the tumblies".

An under-the-tent booth looked like a man was wearing a fox stole?  NO!  It was a compliant dog named...STELLA!

An old crone manning a cash box at the other breakfast booth yelled, "Can we sell just one biscuit?  How do I do that?"

I could tell you of 3 cops on the corner with a golf cart, a combine going through downtown, and the woman that started up someone else's race car for us and even drove it through the tourist infested streets! 

There was so many encounters with peoples that I can tell you way more than those!

There was the table of raunchy men and women drinking beer and telling porn jokes which needs washed out of my mind!  

At the restaurant, 2 men and 1 woman, and she was so particular with the waitress I'd have been hard put to be as nice to her.  After the food came, she (predictably) sent hers back ... for a shot of heat!

The white jeaned, black cropped haired lady was parked at the end of a hall "Watch your step!"

A broken toothed middle-aged gal said, "The boss is gone.  I can do what I want now."  And she swiveled her head looking out for him!

And we can't forget the tiny toddler girl dressed as a orange pumpkin.  She was tied to mom with a blue harness.  She planted her feet, faced away from mom, "No!" 

I so wanted to take her picture!

Then there was the viking-like woman displaying 18 card tables worth of stuff who'd been going to the Tri-State Gas Engine show for 21 years, our favorite spot every August.

 "I'll see you there next year," she waved good-bye.  

"No doublt we will!"

It's like the guy said on the Oprah Show, who randomly threw a dart at a chart of attendees in the audience, "No matter what seat this lands on, she'll have a story.  Everyone does."

People watching.  They each have a story, and are so interesting!