Turkey Wisdom

Another Thanksgiving has passed and I am walking somewhat like a turkey as I write this. Once again – way too much food – way too much drink – and way too little sleep. This year I again created my spectacular sweet potatoes – my sweeties as I call them. And while I was peeling those ten million yams (yes, I know there is a difference between yams and sweet potatoes and I do use yams so sue me!!) I somehow managed to flip a potato peel into the air in an acrobatic move that took it over the fridge and down in the mysterious depths on the other side.

Have you ever tried to move a fridge that is bigger than three of you put together? I don’t advise it. I felt like I was in the rhyme with the three little pigs. I huffed and I puffed and I huffed and I puffed some more and eventually I was able to squeeze just enough behind the fridge to grab that wayward peel. So, for those of you who say Thanksgiving doesn’t involve exercise, I beg to differ.

I huffed and puffed the refrigerator back into place and then resumed peeling . . . . and, guess what happened. Yes, you are way ahead of me. Another peel went on an aerial gymnastic trip and this time landed behind the fridge in an even more inaccessible place. At this point I’m thinking the turkeys have it in for me. So there I am crawling on my belly with my arm stretched out as far as I can so I can curve one finger around the coils at the back and get peel number two.

By now I have had more exercise than I’ve done in the gym in at least two months and there are many more potatoes left to go. Who says you gain weight on Thanksgiving?! Clearly I have found the formula for working your way through all the goodies and the gravy. And, as it turns out, dinner was delicious as it always seems to be and so was all the fun with family and friends.

I decided to share some Turkey Wisdom (here’s one: peel potatoes away from the fridge and other hard to reach hiding places!) so I looked in my copy of Ted Andrew’s book Animal Speak. It seems the turkey is called the earth eagle and is associated with spirituality and honoring mother earth. It’s a blessing when you spot a turkey (or, I guess, eat one!).

So in these days following Thanksgiving here in the U.S., may you be blessed with the love of family and friends, with lots of laughter and with moments of grace and light that keep you sustained each day.

And throw out that peeler until next year!!