Friday, January 6, 2017

Celebrate the Small Things



Cough, COUGH, COUGH! Aaaah-chooo! AAAAAAh-CHOOO! I hab a code. It took this long (10:15 a.m.) for me to become functional enough to type. Better late than never. So let's get this party started with our fantastic host, Lexa Cain, and her co-hosts, L.G. Keltner and Tonya Drecker.

This week, I would like to celebrate the following:

1. Lotion-infused facial tissues. (See above)

2. Memory loss. 



Now that I've reached a certain age, my short-term memory is kaput. It's frustrating to ask a child what they want for dinner, walk into the kitchen, and have no idea what their answer was. However, when it comes to reading, having no memory is great. I just reread The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman, and loved it, again. Such an incredible book. It might even make my top ten list of books, if I could ever remember to construct one. So good. 

3. Wildlife.

Christmas turkeys.
(They wouldn't be hanging out so close to the house if they knew what was for dinner!)

We spent several days at my parent's house in Asheville, NC over Christmas break and were entertained by a horde of (eleven) wild turkeys. They'd strut around the yard, the boys puffing out their chests and expanding their tail feathers like peacocks. Maybe the warm weather made them think it was spring. The males butted feathery chests, chased each other, and even pecked at their reflections in the windows.


Male turkeys comparing tail feathers. Who's the greatest?

These birds are big. They could easily peck you in the belly button without straining their necks. 

The Turkey Parade

When the sun went down, other critters came out. My mom is like me--unable to resist anything with fur. One evening, not one, not two, but three raccoons stopped by to chow down on leftovers. The trio was joined by a possum, but they didn't want to share. Unfortunately, the pictures we have are too dark. So I'll share this one from Flickr.


Image: yeimaya


Hope you all are having a happy and healthy New Year!


17 comments:

  1. Sorry about the cold.
    You were treated to some wildlife, all right. We have a lot of wild turkeys in this state. And I certainly wouldn't mind living in Asheville, either.

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  2. I luv the pics. Oh, and don't worry about the memory loss. It simply means that you've reached a point where all the good stuff stays and you've set the rest free. LOL My take on things!

    Marilyn @ Onbeceomingawriter.com

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  3. Three excellent celebrations. Yes, aren't those soothing tissues a godsend? Feel better soon.

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  4. Tamara, I hope you feel better soon. Ahh, your folks live in Asheville! Do you live in North Carolina, too? We're in Knoxville and visit Asheville frequently, especially when we go to the Blue Ridge Parkway. :) You asked about the waterfalls on my blog today. It's near Brevard, NC. I can't recall which it is but you can see it easily from the road. Those turkeys are rather big. We see them all the time on the parkway but they are usually a smaller than these. I reckon these turkeys are getting fed somewhere. Maybe, someone was fattening them up for the holidays. lol Take it easy and have a good weekend!

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    1. I've probably visited that waterfall then. I don't live in NC anymore, but way up north in Rochester, NY. I drove the Blue Ridge Parkway to high school, way back when.

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  5. Happy New Year! Love the raccoon pic!

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  6. SO funny that turkeys were so courageous on Christmas. Don't they know what humans have for dinner on Christmas? My cold started on New Years Eve and gradually got worse until it started getting better yesterday. I still feel a little wonky but at least my sinuses are clear!

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  7. Sorry about the cold. Get well soon.

    Forgetting what the kiddos said they wanted for dinner just gives them a chance to change their minds ;)

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  8. I empathise. My household is finally free of the New Year virus that seems to be visiting almost everyone. You may think it strange and naive but it never occured to me that turkeys roam wild - we only have them enclosed in farms here in the UK. Love your pics.

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  9. Bless You ! I do hope your cold is less troublesome today. I love all your pics and am very envious of the furry things - I've never seen a raccoon or a possum, well only in photos.

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  10. Ohhh. Feel better soon. Wishing you a good start to 2017!

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  11. So sad to hear you're under the weather. Hope you feel better soon! The turkeys are wonderful...we have them here, but they're too clever to get close to anyone.
    And I love the idea of forgetting meaning we get to read good books all over again. I have a horrible memory, and that's the first great thing about it I've heard.

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  12. Oh, I'd love to see wild turkeys and raccoons--what a treat! So jealous.

    Hope you're feeling better soon.

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  13. I love seeing wild turkeys. They are making quite the comeback in our area and I often have to stop the car while the herd stroll across. That raccoon picture is perfect. They are the most adorable mischievous creatures we know.

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  14. So sorry you have a cold. I hope you recover soon, and yay for lotion-infused kleenexes for your nose! My short term memory is kaput too. I think it's just that we're so busy our mind is focused on too may things at once. At least you got to re-read your book. Love the "zoo!"

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  15. Does it make me a big wuss that I would probably be terrified if wild turkeys came into my yard? Feel better!

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  16. No fun about the cold... OMG I love the turkeys... how awesome.

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I will do everything in my power to visit commenter's blogs unless I've been abducted by aliens or my children get sick. (If my children get abducted by aliens, I will be very busy, of course, catching up on my sleep.)