Talking Turkey: An Ode to Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving recipe options today we explore
Perusing food magazines and internet resources galore
To my gourmet-minded hubby I humbly implore
Let’s keep it simple–remember less is really more
And the last time we got carried away we dropped the turkey on the floor

He argues no guest that year headed for the door
In fact, he says, he recollects that for sure
Those people liked the bird so much they clamored for more, more, more, more!

The fiasco that’s become the stuff of legend and lore
Was the year I ordered a free-range jobby, like, two weeks before
But when I went to pick it up at the health-food store
That fourteen pound turkey which I thought I would score
Was only a seven-pounder, and boy did I roar
I’m feeding six people! I need more, more, more more!

With a bird that small our Thanksgiving would have failed
So with much arguing and ado, over the butcher I prevailed
And at least a ten pound turkey I finally nailed
Thus, along with all our side dishes, through the holiday we sailed
Indeed, our sweet potato pie that year was heralded and hailed
So even with that measly little turkey our meal was not derailed

Oh, and while I’ve been distracted by this poem and not looking
Hubby’s been planning what we’ll be cooking
Trust me, a restaurant reservation we need not be booking

Happy Thanksgiving

All Rights Reserved

Whimsical Wednesday – Betty Builds a Better Mousetrap

I always knew my cat Betty was whimsical. But a poet, too? She shocked me yesterday when she tapped out this ditty, her very own Ode to Halloween. She hopes it puts fear into the hearts of rodents everywhere…

Betty Builds a Better Mousetrap

Building a better mousetrap?
I’m your gal!
When mice venture near me
I give them hell

This here’s my costume
I love Halloween
When mice venture near me
I make them scream

Mice don’t scream
Is that what you say?
But when mice venture near me
They do rue the day

My vet is having a costume contest
Six-months’ flea care’s the prize
So my people made me this costume
And I tried it on for size

But I do not need
No costume such as this
Cuz’ when mice venture near me
I go hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss

That’s not the worst of it
For those nasty creatures
Cuz’ when mice venture near me
They learn my other features

That’s claws and teeth
And a quick-stepping bounce
When mice venture near me
I promise I’ll pounce!

Used by permission of the cat.
All further rights Reserved

Have Cat Carrier, Will Travel

The world is Betty’s oyster
She wants to see it all
Mention of a road trip
And she knows she’ll have a ball

Betty is a cat who
Likes to be on the go
Her whiskers get all twitchy
And her tail swishes to and fro

She hops into her cat carrier
And we put her in the car
But she meows to be set free
Before we’ve gotten very far

After poking around the back seat
She’s ready for a nap
The sun shining through the windshield
She settles on passenger’s lap

When the car stops for gas
Betty knows her place
With no prompting from her people
She re-enters her carrier space

At the hotel eventually we arrive
And Betty approves the room
After a brief stop at her litter box
Around and around she zooms

She finds a cozy window sill
Where she presides during the day
She enjoys her new surroundings
While her people go out to play

The road trip over and done with
Her cat carrier tucked away
Betty rests up on her home turf
Ready to travel some other day

Where Ice Cream Comes From

Open house at a Vermont creamery
Where they produce ice cream downright dreamery
Maple, chocolate, and even blueberrery

Dairy farmers have to make ends meet
By staying on their toes and on their feet
No time for sitting on their seat

Cheese-makers, ice cream-makers, goat-milkers and more
All of them working hard to try to be sure
Of paying the bills whatever the future has in store

We saw alpacas, a pig, and a cow, of course
As a way to spend an afternoon, we could have done worse
Than to see where ice cream comes from, right at the source.

Loonatic Shtick

The loons off my dock
My summer they do rock

Big, black, and white
They are such a lovely sight

Magical creatures
With many mystical features

Oh, my goodness! Hark!
Is that them yodeling in the dark?

Haunting is the sound
Dreamy, and mellow, and profound

Another interesting fact?
The chicks ride mommy piggyback

Mom can’t walk around so hot
But skill at flying, swimming, and diving she do got

The nest is made
In the marshes in the shade

And Mom is not alone
Papa Loon spends lots of time at home

He shares duties nesting
While Mamma Loon goes off someplace resting

Come July we will have chicks!
And go ahead, call me a hick

But I cannot wait
For this most exciting date!

Betty the Cat’s Summertime Blues

Off of the edge of our screened-in porch
Betty the cat did see
A chipmunk running to and fro
With energy and glee

The chipmunk ran around the corner
Merrily here and there
Betty sputtered disapproval
Her garden she does not share

Chipmunk hopped upon the trellis
And stuck out his tongue to her
Betty’s tail got big and wide
And trust me she did not purr

But Betty, in truth, was happy too
An indoor cat she is
Watching the critters just out of her reach
Gives her hours of joy and bliss

Chihuahua Dreamin’

Hubby says I’ve gone completely ga-ga
Because I really, really want a chihuahua

Friends warn me they go yippity-yappity
But I’ve never heard even one go zippity-zappity

What simply can’t be variable
I want a dog that’s completely carryable

And a chihuahua’s demeanor seems so happy-go-lucky
Even around great big dogs, they are rather plucky

But Betty the cat insists our house will not hold
Both her and a tail-wagging creature so bold

So alas my chihuahua remains just a wild hope
Until one day still dogless, I won’t be able to cope

Shine On, Super Moon

A late night stroll on Charleston Battery
Curious to see the lunar perigee

Less scientific folks called it a super moon
I hear it won’t happen again anytime soon

Too bad, since it was a downright lovely sight
And a real fun way to spend Saturday night

The winds and waves in Charleston Bay
Were also worth noting, and I must say

Thanks, Man in the Moon, for smiling on us all
The whole city at the waterfront, having a ball

Don’t Be Cross at Spanish Moss

Biking on Jekyll Island one is bound
To see Spanish Moss all around
It’s everywhere, everywhere, from sky to ground

It hangs in high branches and falls out of trees
Sometimes it just swings up there, enjoying the breeze

For some reason palm trees are devoid of the stuff
But live oaks? Let me tell you, they can’t get enough

What’s amazingly terrific?
Spanish Moss is epiphytic
It causes no alarming harm
But only adds disarming charm

Hoppy Easter

A holiday weekend and spring is here
The kid in me wants to stand up and cheer

Friday night was Passover at our neighbors’
We drank the fruit of the vine, reclined, and took a rest from our labors

Elijah stayed away despite a clear invite
Oh well, the rest of us had a real pleasant night

Saturday we gardened and watched the Masters
We shopped and we planned so Easter dinner would not be a disaster

Biscuits and ham and Easter lasagna with artichokes
The table decorated with bunnies–they’re right cute little blokes

Church and cooking and mingling with friends
And now it appears our weekend is at an end.

So happy holiday greetings to you all I do hereby send.