Audobon's Wild Turkey Print

Of course now that Thanksgiving is over, there’s still so much going on before we welcome in the new year, as this poem by that great poet Anonymous reminds us.

When I was a young turkey, just new to the coop,
My big brother Mike took me out on the stoop.
Then he sat me down, and he spoke really slow*,
And said there was something I needed to know;

His look and his tone I will always remember,
When he told of the horrors of Black November.
“Come about August, now listen to me,
Each day you’ll get six meals instead of just three.

“And soon you’ll be thick, where once you were thin,
and you’ll grow a big rubbery thing under your chin.
“And then one morning, when you’re warm in your bed,
The farmer’s wife will burst in and hack off your head.

“Then she’ll pluck out your feathers so you’re all bald and pink,
And scoop out all your insides, leave you lying in the sink;
“And then comes the worst part,” he said, not bluffing,
“She’ll spread your cheeks and pack your backside with stuffing.”

Well, the rest of his words were too grim to repeat,
I sat on the stoop like a winged piece of meat,
And decided on the spot that to avoid being cooked,
I’d have to lay low and remain overlooked.

I began a new diet of nuts and granola,
High-roughage salads, juice, and diet cola;
And as they ate pastries, chocolates, and crepes,
I stayed in my room doing Jane Fonda tapes.
I maintained my weight of two pounds and a half,
And tried not to notice when the bigger birds laughed.

But ’twas I who was laughing, deep under my breath,
As they chomped and they chewed, ever closer to death;
And sure enough, when Black November rolled around,
I was the last turkey left in the entire compound.

So now I’m a pet in the farmer’s wife’s lap.
I haven’t a worry, so I eat and I nap.
She held me today, while sewing and humming,
And smiled at me and said, “Now, Christmas is coming . . .”

I hope you had as wonderful a Thanksgiving as we did.

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People tend to look at the holiday season as a continuous celebration and often relax their eating habits. That can cause someone to gain three or four pounds during the season — a setback for those watching their weight.

One key to avoid holiday weight gain is to enjoy Thanksgiving and then the next day, get back to healthy eating and healthy portions. Don’t extend holiday eating from Thanksgiving until New Year’s. Isolate one or two days where you can really splurge on holiday food and maintain healthy eating habits the other days of the season.

To avoid holiday weight gain make healthy choices. Eat white turkey meat, which is lower in fat and calories. Yams and plain sweet potatoes are also healthier options, as is cranberry sauce, though the amount of sugar can be excessive.

Another key is watching the amount of alcohol you consume — especially holiday drinks such as egg nog, which has nearly 300 calories for every four ounces.

At parties, try loading your plate with healthy options such as shrimp, veggies and then a small portion of dessert.

Have a small piece of pie, keeping in mind the crust is the most fattening part, said Thomas.

It’s important not to restrict how much you eat all day in order to eat more at a holiday party.

You will be so hungry when you get to the party, you will eat far more food than you intended. Have a snack before the big dinner. Eat a little bit of everything at the party, but don’t eat too much.

Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is another way to keep you from over-eating.

At holiday parties, bring a healthy dish, such as a vegetable platter, fruit bowl or sparkling wine or apple cider … something you know you can have that is healthy.

Another way to avoid holiday weight gain is by staying active.

One of the major causes of weight gain during the holidays is lack of physical activity. You may be running around doing holiday errands and forget to take time to exercise. After you eat a big meal, don’t lay down for a nap, but instead, go for a walk.

When out shopping and running errands, park the car farther away from the store for the extra steps, and walk a few extra laps around the mall.

If you’re serious about watching your weight during the holidays, also watch the scale. If you notice you are gaining, it might be an incentive to re-examine your eating habits.

Try to keep up your exercise program and increasing your exercise to compensate for the extra calories consumed.

Stick to these simple tips and you won’t gain any extra weight. “In fact, if you eat wisely and add a little more activity into your daily routine you might do the impossible — lose weight over the holidays.

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1.  Stainless Steel Polish. You can polish your stainless steel with a little olive oil rubbed in a circular fashion using a  clean cotton cloth.

2.  Skin  Soother.  Having trouble with rough skin?  Just rub a little olive oil on it and it will go away.

3.  Earache Relief. Warm some olive oil and place 2 or 3 drops in your childs ear to help  relieve an earache.  Use a syringe and only do this for your children who are over 2 years old.  For adults use 6 to 8 drops.

4.  Dry Hair Conditioner. This one might sound a little odd but it does work.  Cover your hair with olive oil and wrap it in a warm towel for 20 minutes.  Wash and rinse after 20 minutes.  You’ll be amazed at the results.

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Hurricane Ike blew through here and did some damage. Usually this area gets lots of rain from hurricanes but this time we got 74 mph winds which I am told is a category 1 hurricane. There were trees down and wires down everywhere with over 700,000 people without electricity. It took a week before everyone had their electric back. We were fortunate to have ours back within four hours, but found out that we are on the same line with the state police post so it never is out long.

Our grandson Joseph turned one on September 24th and we were involved once again in the Pumpkin Show here in Versailles.

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I was able to spend some time with Joseph while Sarah and Michael napped.  After Michael awoke from his nap he and I built a tent in my computer room which he didn’t play in that much but we had fun making it.  It was fun having them for the day and another chance for the boys to get better acquainted with grandma and grandpa.

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I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We’ll be spending the day with my mom and dad, my sister and her family, my daughter and son and their families.

Since we lived so far away for so many years, I don’t remember the last time we were all together for Thanksgiving.  I thank God that we will be together this year.

Have a great day, I know I will.

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