The turkeys are always a delight, whether they're in my yard, in the road, or foraging in a neighbor's yard. The first time I saw one was back in the late '80s, I think, on Ash Swamp Road in Newmarket, NH. 2004 was the first year we had our own "resident" family...mama, papa, and ten chilluns. Every morning at 7 they would walk in front of our house on their way up the hill to our neighbor's field. Then every night at 6 p.m. they would "fly" (turkeys do not so much fly as they do crash thud) down into our trees, each one landing separately and on different branches. (I think they're aiming impaired as well...) With every landing leaves and feathers would go flying. I have quite a collection.

Picked up a few necessities at the grocery store...such as tirimisu cake for tomorrow night. It's Jeri's fault. If she had gone to Toronto instead of coming over to share my port, Stilton, aged Gouda and other interesting cheeses, and paté, I wouldn't have bothered with dessert...or, probably even the brandy alexanders (Tom's and my traditional Christmas morning present opening tipple) I intend to make. When I got to the tree place at the Circle around 1:30...despite the Open sign, it was padlocked and closed. Maybe the guy was taking a lunch break. Whatever. I didn't have time to wait around. So I went over to the hardware store -- all the trees, wreaths, etc. were half off -- but I just got a bunch of boughs. Will find some ribbon and hang it up in front of a window in the living room or at the foot of the stairs. I wasn't planning on actually decorating a tree if I got one anyway. But I might go back tomorrow and buy a 50% off kissing ball...and maybe a bunch of juniper, too.

When I got home I declared it too late and too dark to go down cellar to shut off the water to the laundry room so I can change the filter...(that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). Mañana... (The laundry's not going anyplace and I still have clean underwear...;-) But I got the playlist posted for Saturday's Press Room sea music and seasonal song sing.

This morning while I was air drying my hair, I sorted a pile of papers (and threw out a bunch) in an attempt to beat my bedroom into submission so I can have a handyman come in and fix the bookcase so I can get the books back into that instead of taking up so much floor space. (And maybe my archival binders will fit on the bottom shelf and on the floor behind the TV...I can hope. Memories of enough floor to walk on in the bedroom are fast fading...)

Think I'll go tack up the Christmas cards around the cellar door and put the sympathy cards in a basket. And maybe throw something festive over the box of Tom's medical stuff that I haven't yet found homes for. And then it will be time for dinner.

Linn