Brought to you by the letter T...

I stopped by Eros' blog this morning and saw he was doing a meme on the letter S, passed on to him by Snooze. Well, by almost 11:00 p.m., no one had dared to leave a comment, so I figured I would give in and do the next letter. I will not, however, pass it along. I think it just gets silly after a while, kind of like those good luck emails that make the rounds over and over and over and over...

If you want to do it, just follow along the alphabet with the next letter. But I won't be assigning a letter to any commenters, so have no fear.

So... my letter is T. Here are my ten favourite things that start with the letter T:

Tinsel: The old-fashioned thin strips of silvery stuff that we used to hang all over the Christmas trees. I don't think you can even buy it anymore. I am sure it was banned for being environmentally unfriendly, not to mention feline unfriendly as well. I am sure there are many cats running around in kitty heaven who ran out of their nine lives by eating that stuff. But it was gorgeous and made the Christmas tree just perfect. All the lights reflected off the silvery slivers that danced with the slightest air movement of people passing through the room.

Touch: I am very much a touchy-feely kinda girl. I touch people I am fond of when I talk to them, I hug family and close friends when we meet, my pets all revel in the petting, scratching and caressing that happens when they snuggle with me. And with a lover, I want to be close; to feel connected through touch, through tactile sensation. Of all types, be it a hug, a kiss, just sitting close, a caress, making love, sleeping snuggled together.... it is all good.

Turtles: These creatures are so cool! I have had three red-eared sliders, all at the same time, and I was in my 30's. The biggest one was named Zenobia. I got her first and she was actually quite tame. I could feed her with my fingers and she never nipped me. The other two would grab fingertips along with food, so I had to resort to toothpicks to feed them things like grapes. When Zenobia became ill and I have to have her put down, I actually kept her in the freezer, trying to find a taxidermist who would stuff her for me, but no such luck, so I eventually buried her in the back yard. I also had a snapping turtle in the 1980's. His name was Chuckie (not after the doll in the movie...) and he grew very large. He and my orange tabby cat would battle it out through the glass of the aquarium on an almost daily basis. It was amazing to see how fast he could snap his head out - you could not follow it with your eyes at all. And we fed him live goldfish. He would hunt them down, you would see a blur and then there would only be half a fish in front of him. He ended up being given to a zoo.

Thunder: The booming and cracking of thunder excites me. Along with the flash of lightning, the sound of thunder is awesome! I love prairie thunderstorms, especially if I have a covered porch to sit on and enjoy the show! I've had dishes rattle in the cupboards from the crashing of thunder... and dogs try to climb into my skin, they were so terrified! And yes, Thunder, my horse, also.... Okay, that doesn't sound right. The horse is not afraid of thunder, that's just his name... He could care less about the noise.

Tools: Okay, this one may seem strange for a woman, but I like tools. Hand tools and power tools. I actually have a well-equipped toolbox and know how to use all the tools I own. What can I say? I hung around my dad a lot when I was a kid, and obviously some of it stuck with me. I have actually pulled the starter out of an old Datsun 510, taken it apart, replaced the brushes, reassembled it, reinstalled it... and it worked!

Tabby: This is my favourite kind of markings on a cat. I love striped cats, especially orange tabbies. I've had many tabbies over the years and just love how unique looking each one is. Like fingerprints, no two are the same.

Trails: For hiking, for horseback riding... nothing beats heading out on a trail, with a companion and your dog, for a trundle through nature, whether it is on a trail in a city park, or out in the Canadian Shield, it is wonderful. The plants and trees, birds and wildlife, and other hikers/riders that you meet along the way. I find it very peaceful.

Talking: Nothing beats communication. Nothing. There is idle banter, serious debate, exchange of information, noisy chatter, lover's whispers, children's natter. All to communicate how and what we feel, think, want, need. All important and all too often neglected.

Trips: Whether it be a road trip with a girlfriend for the day, a three week excursion taking in the sights along the way, flying to a tropical destination or a never-before explored foreign country, trips are stupendous! If I could afford it, I would travel several times a year. I have a very long list of place I would like to go and things I would like to see and do.

Tack: As in horse equipment. For some reason, people who own horses also own way too much tack. I have one horse and I have multiples of almost everything: saddle pads, blankets, halters, bridles, bits, you name it. Granted, at one time, I did have multiple horses too, but while they have dwindled down to the one, the tack collection did not do the same. Go figure.

So there you have ten things beginning with T, from me.