Turkey Trot, Trot, Trot

Another holiday has come and gone . . . but it was a good one. There’s nothing like Thanksgiving turkey, just nothing like it. Why is eating food so darn enjoyable??

While the folks were here, we rented Over the Hedge one night, and I started thinking about this when we watched the part about how the animals perceive human interactions with food. (“That’s what they exercise on so they can eat more food! Here’s the altar where they worship the food!”) If not at other times, our lives really revolve around food when it comes to holidays. There’s so much of tradition wrapped up in it, too. It’s pretty great if you ask me! But I suppose it can get out of hand! (“You mean you ate that whole thing already?!?!”) New Year’s resolutions, here we come.

DH seasoned the turkey this year and did a killer job. (Thanks, Food Network! Shout out to Sandra Lee! Although, we passed on the cocktails, hehe.) Everything else was just perfect too, including mom’s lovely jello salad and my little sister's green beans. Everyone pitched in, and it was great fun!

I wonder how turkey was chosen as the traditional food. Among many other foods at that famous first meal, turkey could have likely been on the menu for the pilgrims and Indians, I bet. Even today in New England, wild turkeys run around gobbling and stirring up backyard pets. I remember waking up to their strange sounds (I’d never heard a real turkey gobble before). And my poor dog—she would get really razzed by them! I never knew turkeys could run so fast! And she proved that they can, in fact, fly! At least for a second or two. I’m glad we never had to find out what would happen if she ever caught one, though. That dang dog and her hunting instincts.

I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised when I saw a real turkey at how ugly they are. Those birds are uuuuuuugly! I wasn’t expecting a cute little cartoon one to come by and smile at me, but after being inundated with “cute” images of turkeys all this time, it did come as a bit of a shock! I suppose there’s not much of anything that we eat that’s “cute.” My eyes were also opened to the extreme ugliness of sheep lately, as we drove through parts of a rural area. Ugh. Guess I’m not cut out to be an animal farmer!

At any rate, our thanksgiving turned out great, which proves, yet again, that family is the most important ingredient to a successful holiday—even when enclosed in small spaces or under inconvenient circumstances.