The Turkey Initiative

For any house, the kitchen on Walters Road was especially large.  The counter and cabinet space expanded for days—pots, pans and food could hide practically anywhere.  Even in the breakfast nook, a small pantry stood to the right of the large radiator offering more potential space for all of the wanted food.

Like many families in the south, we depended on food stamps to fill our bellies.  Food came and went quickly, and as time went on, food seemed to make less and less of an appearance. By the time I was sixteen, I was the only member in my immediate family with a drivers license and a job. I would often come home from work and find something like the refrigerator door open (our dog could open the door),  and/or a brown drawer or cabinet door missing. The brown linoleum floor was almost always covered with layers of dirt and food.  And, if there was food in the kitchen, it was almost always hidden from sight. Climbing on the counters in search for food was a common event amongst my siblings and I.  The ritual repeated itself everyday: climb on counter, open cabinet, search through cabinet, shut cabinet, climb down, climb on counter, open the next cabinet and repeat.  It was always a great day when Little Debbie Snacks found their way into our hands (oatmeal pies were particularly popular among the family). Some days, those snacks were the only things I ate.  I would eat two or three mini pies of sugary goodness (this always seemed to cause more dissatisfaction than benefit).

On one particular occasion, I stood in the kitchen studying the massive pile of dirty dishes. Bits of old food scattering the counter. It was one of those classic moments—you approach a mess from far away, ready with your fingers bared and realized you’ve bit off more than you can chew. Flies swooped and drooped in a timely motion flying through rotten smell as if to celebrate all of their potential, upcoming meals. My bare feet brushed over the brown, flowered linoleum, as I approached the breakfast nook. I can’t exactly remember why I was standing there. Maybe, I was wondering where I could find food, or maybe I was waiting for my Mom or Stepdad to wander home. 

Time passed just as quickly as any other moment, but the next fifteen minutes rapidly slowed to etch its way into my memory. A dark minivan swayed to-and-fro rolling down our driveway upon the uneven gravel. The ground crunched under the solid weight of the tire pressure--only to be silenced when the van settled into its designated spot. A taller woman with short, blonde hair stepped out of the van. I looked closer—I knew her. It was one of the moms from Pikeville's varsity tennis team.  I practiced with her daughter almost every day during the fall season. But, why in the world was she knocking on the door? What could she possibly want?

I met Jessica’s mom at the door. We did the typical “hello, how are you?” conversation, and somehow she nonchalantly slipped in that she was there to deliver Thanksgiving dinner. I was absolutely speechless. Thoughts flooded my consciousness—I’m not sure I even thanked her properly. I'm not even sure how I reacted. How did she find out? Who told her? She retreated down the concrete stairs, and I followed her to the van.  The van door slid open only to reveal a blinding amount of shopping bags.  Our kitchen table was covered with food—food for not only Thanksgiving but for many weeks to come.  Jessica’s mom left me alone in the kitchen shortly following her delivery. I was left to finish the final stage of unpacking our food. Many people helped to contribute to our family that day, and it was there and then that I vowed I would one day do the same for someone else.

Today, with the help of friends and family, I was able to donate 10 turkeys and 20 boxes of stuffing to the California Homemaker’s Association. My relationship with Thanksgiving and my undeniable love for turkey, of course, contributes to my drive for the ultimate Turkey success. My hope is that those turkeys could put a smile on someones face erasing moments of uneasiness and tiredness. This cause will forever be called “The Turkey initiative,” and I hope to see more for many more years to come.  My goal: to pass on the hope that was once given to me through the gift of a Thanksgiving meal.  I will forever call this idea the Turkey Law. So, with each year brings on “The Turkey Initiative” with the ultimate goal of spreading the Turkey law. 

The Turtle Creek Turtles

So, long story short, I’ve come to Dallas TX to assist my boyfriend’s mother (say that 10 times fast) with her pop-up store on Dragon Street (www.designershowhousesale.com).  For months, the plans continued to change around what was to be done with the show house furniture. Was it all destined to remain in San Francisco?  So, when it was finally decided that Dallas would be the location for her sale, of course, I was on top of the list to come and help (that and I was excited to return to Dallas).

It is now June 18, 2011—the first official day of the sale—and my 11^th day on Turtle Creek. I’ve been to this particular location once before when Ryan (my boyfriend), Toby (our dog), and I drove from Rohnert Park, California to Turtle Creek in Dallas Texas to feed an empty house with furniture.  This particular trip is another story in itself—maybe one of which I will divulge on a different occasion.

As the opening day of the sale approached, I was assigned moving, cleaning and befriending all of our furniture.  Some would argue that I rather became frenemies with all of this outstanding furniture.  Morning after morning, I found myself waking up with bruises and various parts of my body plagued with soreness (I bet this was the case for many others working there as well).  The furniture always found a way to have the last word.  I guess I should have restarted my endeavors with Tony and the P90x before my trip.

After many hard days of work, I took a day and a half (with permission from the boss) to chill out with my boyfriend’s stepsister, Heather.  Heather, too, stood by my side for much of the befriending process of show-house furniture. She found that steaming curtains weren’t as glorious as she would have hoped—I don’t think dry cleaning will be in her future.

Heather has never been to Texas, so we took the time to explore. In between lunch at Celebrity Bakery and walking around in uber expensive stores that would destroy my bank account, Heather’s dad took us on a tour of all the slick neighborhoods in the Highland Park area.  These impressive lots of land were married to even more impressive houses.  I admit: I found these houses to be stunning: but, but, but, I also found myself wondering what could have been done with all the money poured down the throats of these houses.

The semi-thick air added to the 102degree weather as we found stopping points to go and take pictures.  The first stop was dedicated to turtles, but none were found amongst the fat-ass lily pads. Nonetheless, pictures of lily pads were taken. The Turtle Creek Turtles found it too hot to come and play—but the Teddy Bears didn’t.  Large cement teddy bears sat along the far side of the pond welcoming children (or adults—in my case) to wander onto a stranger’s property.  A small sign sat near these bears sharing their birth year—1995. I had no interest in taking pictures of a Jurassic-sized teddy bear—but I did. I even took more than one. I could only imagine what the turtles were thinking.

 

After returning to the car, bathed in my own sweat, we drove to another location where we could climb into a creek and snap some more memories.  Heather’s dad wandered the path for a few short minutes before he climbed the hill to a bridge.  We discovered a drain connected to this shallow creek that housed burnt coffee cups, towels and Keystone light. Heather and Iboth made brief homes for ourselves—not in the storm drain—but on the small path others have trailed before us.

 I was home. I was comfortable. I felt as if I was back in Pikeville, Kentucky.  The trees, overgrown, shadowed the creek timidly as the heat bounced off the limestone creating the perfect nesting grounds for tadpoles. There was an instant comfort in the insect noise echoing through the brush, and even with the scorching heat, I could have sat there for hours. I remembered chasing minnows and crawfish in our pond and I craved to do the same. Playing in water has always brought a calming presence on my soul; but, the Turtle Creek Turtle can hold it’s breath longer, so the heat can be more bearable.

Heather Taking Photo of Rock

My Photo of Rock

Bridge of Retreat

Tadpoles Baking