Thanksgiving Thoughts

Memory is the treasure of all things and their guardian.

Cicero

The old wooden bridge over the mill race . The picture was taken many years ago probably by Uncle Dick Simpson.

Grandma and Grandpa Oliver Hoke's family farmhouse. Again, it's an old picture, probably taken by Uncle Dick

This pictures was taken by my sis , Molly, in 1968 or there abouts,

looking from 421 west waverly towards the old red barn at farm.

I've posted these pictures to go along with this lovely old song that came
floating through my mind last night as I was lying awake in bed, thinking about Thanksgiving.

"Over the River and Through the Woods"

Over the river and through the woods,
To grandmother's house we go;
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh,
Through the white and drifted snow, O!
Over the river and through the woods,
Oh how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes, and bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and through the woods,
To have a first-rate play;
Oh hear the bells ring, 'Ting-a-ling-ling!'
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day, Hey!
Over the river and through the woods,
Trot fast my dapple gray!
Spring over the ground, like a hunting hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day, Hey!

Over the river and through the woods,
And straight through the barnyard gate,
We seem to go extremely slow.
It is so hard to wait!
Over the river and through the woods,
Now grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!"

I don't know if anyone besides me remembers this song. I sure hope so!

My folks use to sing it when we were kids. Of course I couldn't remember all the words, so I went looking for them.

Today, if someone were to write a song about Thanksgiving it would be more like:

"Over the river and mountains high,

To grandmother's house we fly"

But the song I remember was written by Lydia Maria Child in the year 1844 to celebrate her childhood memories of visiting her grandfather's house. It originally appeared as a poem, in Flowers for Children, Volume 2.

Lydia Maria Child was a novelist, journalist, and teacher, and wrote exstensively about the need to eliminate slavery. (I learned all this and much more that I'm not going to post, while looking for the complete lyrics to the song.)

I'm just curious to know if it's still remembered and sung?

It has such a lilting , pretty melodie and fun words.

Well, I'll stop for today and continue another time.

I do have wonderful memories though of Thanksgiving, those of my childhood and those we celebrated here in Morocco with our own family. Even if it is not a holiday in Morocco, we always made it a very important one in our home, we've always had so much to be thankful for.