When a bunch of ladies get together around Thanksgiving time, the talk almost always turns to turkeys. And, so it was Wednesday at the November Female Factor gathering.

Dianna Lee captivated her audience with stories about turkey disasters. She settled back in a chair, opened a book and began to read. But really, Diana? Are you sure these are ‘their’ stories?”

Lee had the ladies alternately smiling and laughing out loud at the Thanksgiving travesties.

One lady cleaned her turkey with Ivory Soap and it came foaming out of the oven. As another was draining potatoes over the toilet, the spuds plopped into the water. She washed those taters off and served them to her guests. “Who would know?”

The story that brought the house down was told in great detail. The ladies laughed out loud at the thought of the cook shaving the feathers off a turkey with her husband’s Norelco electric razor.

There were other stories about stinking skunks and shirts on fire and balancing spoons on noses but the “meat” of the program came from Kimmon Williams with the National Turkey Federation.

A live video chat with Williams allowed the ladies to ask questions about turkey preparation and preservation.

Williams said the defrosting of a turkey is best done in the refrigerator. An overnight bath in brine water will help the turkey retain its moisture.

When frying a turkey, the grease temperature should be between 350 and 400 degrees F. The most common mistake in cooking a turkey is overcooking.

Most Southerners with a little age on them would probably scoff at Williams’ advice on how long to leave the turkey on the table after dinner is done.

The sooner in the cooler the better, Williams said.

Three or four days is the length of the life of a Thanksgiving turkey in the refrigerator, she said. And, three or four months in the freezer is as long as a turkey should be kept waiting.

The moral of the Thanksgiving Female Factor program was, when invited over for Thanksgiving dinner, go!