THE PEOPLE'S TURKEY BOOK REVIEWS To view some Facebook pages, you must be logged into Facebook. Joe Garcia Artist |
Dear People, AAAAAAAnimals |
|
When I'm in the office, I rarely hear ‘big picture’ thinking. I hear about
our numbers this month. I hear about current profit margins. At home, it's
our fuel budget. It's how we're going to finish paying back student loans.
That makes up 2/3 of my day. The other third I spend praying I can forget
about all of it long enough to turn off my brain and sleep. However, once
in a great while it dawns on me that the money I obsess over makes up about
one one-thousandth of what it means to be alive. There is so much more to
life, and yet I confine myself to that tiny crevasse, pacing incessantly
inside of it, unable to see out.
|
|
Shortly after I dove into the story I was transported back to my
childhood, to times when life was simpler and had more suspense
and surprise. It reminded me of the hunting lessons my family
taught me, especially my grandfather, where we stressed the honor
and gift that the animal represented if harvested. I only harvested
a few birds in my life, and certainly never a turkey; however, a few
pheasants and a duck or two graced our family's table during the
holiday season throughout the years.
|
|
I visited the web-page for this book, the gorgeous photographs of bucolic local scenery at Lodi Lake and the Mokelumne River, combined with spiritual poetry and thoughts from some of history's best philosophical thinkers, is wonderful. The story for children, in Tom Kettleman's voice, is charming and inspiring. I hope our community will embrace this unique project. PALS is a fabulous local organization. They certainly deserve our support. Donna Pacini-Christensen and Joe Garcia, thank you for donating this book to such a worthy cause as PALS. |
A turkey personified as a person? Why not? There is an unassailable
message coming from the wild turkey named Tom Kettleman, who I will
just call TK.
|
Donna Pacini-Christensen has gathered an inspired collection of wise
observations on this web-page that Tom Kettleman obviously took to
heart in his day to day life at the intersection of Kettleman Lane
and Lower Sacramento Road.
|
|
|
In America, the traditional Thanksgiving turkey is a product of factory farming and few children are involved in the preparation of the big annual meal. The sources of their food remain a mystery. At the first Thanksgiving, a wild turkey like Tom was hunted locally and the meal was a symbol of nature's bounty to young and old alike. May this story of Tom Kettleman help all of us remember the joy of a successful fall harvest and respect for our natural surroundings. |
|
|
The first section of this short book starts as a delightful read with a
storyline that will engage both children and adults. Tom Kettleman---The
People's Turkey is a story that is a tapestry of hope and living a mindful-life.
Its pages are filled with allegory and metaphor that is meant to be
food-for-thought, for all times - present and future to come. The second
section of this book is filled with fun facts on the history and the habits
of wild turkeys, which I found equally fascinating.
|
|
As I read the story, Tom Kettleman---The People's Turkey, my frown from
hearing of such an unfortunate event literally turned upside-down as I
read on. The ending quote with the photographs on the web-page, "You only
live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." still resonates in my heart.
Mae West was definitely on to something, as was Tom Kettleman.
|
|