Turtle Soup..

Well, some of the old timers or backwoods folk still fondly refer to it as "Cooter Soup", either way...it's turtle in a stew pot...and I nearly had me some, but it got away!

Hehe! My stepdaughter, Elyssa, had a slumber party over the weekend and invited 6 of her friends to the farm. Darin tossed some burgers and sweet corn on the grill for them, while I made up 3 of my famous homemade chocolate meringue pies, per request from the birthday girl.

After the pies were chilling in the fridge and Darin was finishing up the grilling, I was picking up a few things from the living room and noticed one of our teen guests had brought over a large stuffed turtle. It was sitting ontop of a pile of duffel bags and pillows. I smiled to myslef, as it was sweet to see a cherished toy tagging along with its owner, as all of these girls are 14, nearing 15. But then....something devious...something WICKED...something absolutely terrifyingly BRILLIANT stirred deep within me...and I couldn't control it!!

Like a cat stalking prey, I peeked out the windows to see where the girls were....ah....very good! They were all gabbing and bouncing happily on the trampoline outside, perfectly lost in conversation and gossip. I didn't have much time, I had to move quickly!

I SNATCHED up the turtle and off to the master bedroom I went, my stomach giddy with evilness!! I grabbed some paper and a pen from the nightstand and started scribbling out...A RANSOM NOTE! I was a TURTLENAPPER! I created six other little "lead" notes that followed the ransom note, and before I knew it, I held in my hand a stuffed turtle and clues for a scavenger hunt.

I snuck downstairs and hid the turtle in a secret place in the house, then went outside and strategically placed the notes all around the farm, then lastly, I hung up the ransom note above the fireplace...below it being the scene of the turtle napping.

I went outside to join the girls who were now eating, unaware there was a case of disappearance about to arise.

Darin needed help putting the tent up, and once that was up, I called out to the girls go to get their things and set up their sleeping bags and blankets before nightfall. It was already getting a bit dark.

They all ran in and grabbed their belongings and came back out to the tent, but Annie hadn't noticed her turtle missing yet. I stayed calm but aware, didn't want to act suspicious.

Then, moments later..."I need to back go in and get my turtle, who will go with me?"

I wanted to rub my hands together in a sinister fashion, but I couldn't...hehe! I subtly smiled and snorted in evil anticipation. My husband, knowing what I had done, quietly shook his head in awe and disbelief of the dark humor that could come out of me.

Two girls ran in the house, then came back out. "I can't find my turtle! Has anyone seen him?"

Ahhh...sweet relief, the trap was finally being stepped in!

"Why don't some of you go inside and help her look, okay?" I suggested. One or two others offered to help, and off they went. I followed after to lend a hand...muhahhaaha!

Annie was getting concerned, looking all around for the turtle, trying to stay calm but wanting to freak all at the same time. She even asked baby Sam if he had taken it! They weren't seeing the ransom note, so I did have to sort of "help" in that area. I grimly handed it to one of them and they read it out loud:

"If you ever want to see your precious turtle again, You'd better hurry! Time is running out, go and ask the goats, I think they might know something!"

LOL!! They caught on quickly what was happening, and dashed outside to the goat pen. They looked all around, even asked the goats, they said nothing. Took them awhile, but they finally found note #2 hanging by the haystack just outside the goat pen.

"What were you thinking?! Goats can't talk! But maybe horses can! I hear Licorice the pony has magical powers."

Three of the girls darted out towards Licorice's corral, picking up two more curious and giggling girls on the way out there. They snapped up the 3rd ransom note off of the corral panel which read:

"Time is running out, maybe the chickens have seen something?"

They flew to the coop (no pun intended) and Elyssa led the way inside the henhouse, finding note #4 in a nestbox.

"No turtle here, go to where things are grown to find your next clue"

They quickly ran to the garden, where I had stuck note #5 underneath a tomato plant.

"I think your turtle needed a bath and a blowdry, maybe you'll find him getting his nails trimmed"

Elyssa knew to go the groom shop next, and that's where they found note #6 taped inside the bathtub!

"Your turtle was here, but now he's gone. maybe he doesn't like you? Maybe he wants to run away from you! I bet he's waiting for the postman right now!"

Obviously, they ran to the mailbox where note #7 was:
"Ooooh he's not here!! Lucky you, he'd be in Singapore by now! You know they EAT turtles in Singapore? Infact, they eat turtles right here in Missouri! You'd better hurry if you want to find your turtle in time...he's probably being cooked right now!"

The girls first ran to the back of the house to look under the grill, but faces were worried when they realized the grill was still too hot, then a lightbulb went off in their heads and they headed for the kicthen. I think they looked in the oven first, but finally looked on the stove and lifted the lid from the cast iron stewpot...and out popped a squishy stuffed turtle, just in the nick of time!

Annie was relieved, and the she came out of the house hugging her darling turtle yet smiling at the fun that was had. OoOoooh I loved every second of it.

Things should never be left unattended...ya just never know what could happen, especially on this farm!

They had a fun rest of the night, chatting in the tent while listening to the distant sounds of coyotes and owls. Although a pop up thunderstorm at 1 am sent them dragging their blankets back in the house. The last few remaining soldiers fell asleep by 4am, and at 9 am I was stepping over them while annoyingly banging a spoon against a metal pot and kicking them through sleeping bags to get up and eat my breakfast...a huge spread of homemade biscuits and gravy, bacon, fried eggs and scrambled eggs...accompanied by hefty slices of chocolate meringue pie!

Sadly, there was no turtle soup on the menu. Drat! I was SO close!

MUHAHAHA!