T is for.....

Tisha - a very sweet cat who came into my life with my first husband and sadly, ironically, was hit by a car and killed during the death throes of that marriage. She was a Kliban cat, built like a brick with legs and just as heavy. She loved to hike and would often go on walkabouts for days on end. She also had this trick where she'd pretend to be stuck on the neighbor's roofs so that they'd come out and talk with her, trying to coax her down. When they'd finally give up and come to us for help, we'd laugh and tell them if they ignored her, she was completely capable of coming down on her own accord.

trains - I love trains. I used to ride them a lot with my sisters, back and forth on day long trips between parents after they divorced and before plane flight replaced the iron rails. I loved the sound and movement of the trains. I loved the old Black railway workers who took care of three young sisters on their own as if we were their own grandchildren. I loved the scenery wooshing by and the fact that the dining car used real linen tablecloths and real silverware and their ice cream was cut in squares instead of scooped. I loved the opportunity to ride ther rails once more when we used the trains all over the UK this spring.

tea - I love tea. All kinds of tea - black, green, white, herb. I went to a "tea" with a group of women friends about ten years ago and discovered the English way of drinking it with milk. I've had my hot tea with milk and sugar ever since. I general drink my herb teas unsweetened (or with a dash of juice) and my cold black teas with no or little sweetener. The year is divided up in my mind as much by tea as it is by weather - hot tea in the winter, cold tea in the summer, and both in the spring and fall.

Trekkie - yep. I am one of those people. Or rather, I should say I was. I'm not into Star Trek at all anymore. But for many years I could have quoted just about any line from any episode from any of the shows or movies. I've even worn a Star Trek uniform. But my interest dwindled as the most recent show took a nose dive in popularity and I didn't finish watching the last season of Enterprise, nor have I seen the last movie.

Thirtysomething - gawd, I loved this show. It worked out that it aired during my own turbulent, angst riddled 30's. A friend of mine used to joke that I was Hope and she was Nancy. Now I look back and think, good grief, were we really that self absorbed in our 30's, in THE 80's? But at the time, it seemed the show mirrored my life and feelings "to a T".

Trinidad - one of my favorite spots on the Pacific coastline. It's a tiny little town, relatively unharmed by tourism (although not completely) and it harbors one of my favorite beaches and own of my favorite quilt stores. What more could a girl ask for!?

Tolkein - loved the books when I read them around age 13. Loved them when I re-read them, OUTLOUD, to William. Loved Peter Jackson's visual interpretation of the trilogy.

turtles - as a child I loved turtles just as much as I did snakes. I'd often bring home a red-eared turtle or two. I still remember vividly an experience my family had with a giant snapping turtle. It was so strong it used it's neck to push over a giant concrete block to escape, and used it's teeth to snap a broomstick in two. I also remember the feathery soft feel of the rare encounter with leatherback turtles. I owned a couple of tiny turtles for a few years. This was long before anyone worried about them harboring salmonella or whatever it is they are carriers of these days.

Tarot - I collect Tarot decks for the art and beauty of the images and symbolism. I've taken classes and studied on my own so I can use the cards for readings, meditation or spell work. I wouldn't say I'm completely comfortable with my understanding level yet. I have a solid grasp of general interpretations, but I am also aware of how many other layers of meaning the cards hold and I'm much more comfortable and familiar with some cards then I am with others. I tend to do better using them intuitively then by going through books to find out the "official" meanings.

tennis - when I was an older teen, one of my best friends, Steve, use to to pick me up every morning bright and early (I know, "bright and early", not words you would generally associate with moi) and we'd play tennis before the Albuquerque sun became to hot for exercising beneath. We usually followed an hour or two of play with frosty root beer floats. Ah, to have the metabolism of youth once more.

teddy bears - I wasn't a big teddy bear fan as a kid. I had a Pooh Bear. No, my fascination with teddy bears developed about ten years ago when I started setting out the assorted outgrown bears from mine and my children's childhoods under the Yule tree each year. The idea transmogrified and grew until at it's peak, my entire home was awash in teddy bears every December. They've been packed away for the last few years, another tradition that was squelched by enthusiastic and/or evil felines, but I do still put up a small tree filled with tiny teddies.

teenagers - I'm now living with teenager number five. Six, if you count the season we had my niece living with us. More still if you count assorted teenage friends of my children who've spent an inordinate number of hours in my home and to whom I feel parental. At one point I had FOUR teenagers of my own at the same time. It's a wonder I have any sanity left at all, doncha think?

truth - very important to me. Whether it be from my spouse or from my government. Make a mistake and I can forgive you. Make a mistake and then LIE to me about it and.... well, I will probably still forgive you eventually. Maybe. Let's just say a small event has now turned into a HUGE event. Truth is a big thing in my book.

Twain - one of my favorite authors and all around personalities. He was the Al Franken, the Garrison Keillor, of his day. Although it would be more appropriate to reverse the comparisons I suppose as he was certainly a bigger literary figure then a whole stable of tongue -in-cheek writers today.

tequila - basically, the only hard liquor I drink. Not often, mind you. But a couple times a year. Give it to me as a margarita. And a virgin margarita won't work. I like the taste of the tequila. I've experimented, but I like a standard, unflavored margarita best. "Put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up..." If you're not "in the know", that last is a reference to the classic midnight margarita scene in Practical Magic.

tests - I'm one of the perverse people who like tests. They're like a puzzle, a game, a challenge. I like the competition of trying to get the best score. And I like the idea of competing against myself for the pleasure of seeing how well I can do. It helps that I'm good at taking tests generally. So, call me a geek. I can't help that I'm wierd.

theatre - or for those of you who insist on spelling it the American way - theater. I love being in the audience and I loved the short stint I did behind and/or in front of the curtains when I was in high school. If I hadn't have such a drive to move to the country and have a lot of babies, I could see myself being in theatre as a career. I wasn't secure enough at a young age to really give myself full rein in expression at the time, but I think I'd be damn good at it now. Ah well. I still love a good seat. Row E or F center would be nice.

totems - I use the idea of totems a lot. I think knowing what someone's totems are can help you to understand them better - what makes them tick, what's important to them - even if they don't think of themselves as having a totem at all. Same thing applies to ones own totems. I use the term loosely to mean an animal, plant, or symbol that is important to a person and that a person tends to collect, use, or focus on. For example one of my totems is Otter. Otter helps me to remember that play is an important part of life. Raven is also one of my totems - it helps me to understand the darker aspects of life. Both Raven and Otter are curious creatures, also a reflection of me. My son Joe loves gargoyles. They help me to understand his need to be a protector, a "monster". My husband has an affinity for trees. Although he doesn't define this love for trees as a totem, I think of it in that way to remind me of his need for stability and roots, important aspects in his life. Even something like an avid love or obsession with a particular book or movie can be "totem-like". I have a friend who loves all things associated with The Wizard of Oz. Knowing her I understand this movie reflects her ambivalence about the need for adventure vs. home life, something that is very conflicted in her life. All things to do with the Buffyverse have been a source of reflection for me in the last seven years or so as I faced death and chaos in my own life on a very frightening level.

tonsillitis - I used to get tonsillitis a lot as a kid. It's amazing I never ended up with my tonsils taken out. My mom had a very conservative "wait and see" doctor. Fortunately for me it was the right decision and I outgrew my susceptibility to the disease midway through my teen years. I'm happy to still have my tonsils to round out my lymphatic system.

trash/treasure - One man's trash is another man's treaure. I love yard sales, thrift shops, antique stores, auctions, swap meets, even the city dump. I stay away from most of these intriguing sites these days, as I don't need more STUFF in my life, but the excitement of the hunt, the thrill of discovery - it's a heady experience. I'd love to channel the love of old things into my art work and set up and spend time working in collage or assemblage. Another thing on my list of things I want to get around to one of these days.

triskelian/triskele - a three swirl symbol found in many ancient cultures, I am particularly fond of the celtic versions. It has many meanings and it's a handy visual for any or all things that can be divided into three aspects; maid/mother/crone, earth/water/air, birth/life/death... and so on. It's also a neverending repetition, symbolic of reincarnation, the spiral of the seasons. It's a jack-of-all-trades, handy dandy symbol to have around.

type - I can't imagine my life without the ability to type. Or as those young whippersnappers these days call it - keyboarding.

trinket - This is one of those words that sounds like what it is. Isn't it a great word to say? And who can resist a trinket! Or two. Or seven. Or fifty three. I have a number of little jars and bowls all over my house filled with "trinkets."