Sad Ginger People and Turkeys

I still have cleaning to finish so what am I doing? Blogging of course! : )

Someone mentioned our clock that can be seen in the photos. It was our present to one another on our 25th anniversary. A local shop was moving and selling floor models very low. We snagged this one...not a thing really wrong with it save for a scratch here and there. That is what they make scratch cover for right? It was pretty and at a great price. It is probably too big for my room but we love it! I enjoy switching the chimes back and forth between St. Michael's and Westminster. Can't be in London? Pretend!!

Now, before anyone thinks I actually *baked* that house...it was from a kit!! Me? Bake a house?? I am baking challenged!! I can make sugar cookies (That is tomorrow) and peppermint bark and a few easy things but a house? It would have to be condemed! Those poor little ginger people would have no place to live during the holidays and would turn to a life of crime. The ginger jails are already full of ginger people who were evicted from houses I made in the past. It is so sad. I had to be stopped. Really. The little ginger social workers came by with papers. There is a law now.

But do let me tell you the story of my *Gingerbread Turkey*. We were living on base in Virginia. It was 1989 and we had just gotten Danny's referral. I was feeling quite domestic so when a good friend and neighbor suggested that we take a class in baking I lept (Okay, I pulled myself up with great effort) from my chair! That night we attended the class at a the local High School. We were going to make a Thanksgiving Turkey from gingerbread! Uh...a turkey? Okay, I'm game. So she (who was a good cook) and me (a primitive cook at best) both struggled to roll, cut and bake the ginger dough into what resembled a turkey. Well, that part wasn't difficult but fitting it together and making it stick, well, that was an Olympian feat. It's true. It is now considered a medal event in 4 countries.

I took so long making mine *fit* (and hold together) that I did not get too much decortaing done. I brought it home and stayed up until 2 am adding the candy feathers, candy beak, candy feet and other assorted candy turkey accouterments. Feeling a bit proud that I actually finished this creature I sat him in what was to be Danny's room. It was still empty at that point and I sat Mr. Gobbles down on the floor. No one would be in there, the door would be closed. He would be safe. Okay, I can see you shaking your head. THAT was my first mistake. But gee. The only things housed in that bedroom's closet were Bill's uniforms and it was Thanksgiving and he would not be going to work and would not need a uniform...okay. My second mistake was forgetting that Bill had agreed to be at an early morning Thanksgiving Flag raising service on base. Yes, IN UNIFORM. It was dark, he did not turn on the lights and, well, let's just say that Mr. Gobbles didn't look so very handsome on the sole of Bill's foot. It scared Bill to death, scared ME to death when I heard him yell, scared the cat to death when we both yelled, and well, it did not do much for the poor turkey either. So ended the short, sad life of Mr. Gobbles.

I think of him every year on Thanksgiving. I refuse to eat anything made of gingerbread on that day out of respect for our poor, departed Mr. Gobbles. May he rest in peace.

Have a great day and stay well. 3 more days till Christmas!

I love you all...you make my days so happy!