It's Thanksgiving Day, 2008. Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of mine, second only to Christmas. It has so many good memories associated with it that it is also inspires nostalgia.
When I was growing up in Pittsburgh Pennslyvania, we always celebrated Thanksgiving at our house. As there were already twelve of us, and if you threw in two grandmothers, a few aunts and uncles, and twenty or so cousins it was quite a tribe participating.
We always watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television, followed by a football game or two. As there were only three channels from which to choose, there wasn't much opportunity to watch anything else.
And since it was Pittsburgh, there was plenty of beer and wine consumed by the adults. This added to the general aura of revelry and levity. And that invariably led to music.
I remember that everyone, adult and child alike, sang like there was no tomorrow! We sang classic tunes, and show tunes, and Christmas carols, and even rock and roll! We had a piano and a few guitars and we had a grand time together!
So when the four or us sit at the Thanksgiving today, I will reminisce about the noisy Thanksgivings of my childhood. What I wouldn't give for one more refrain!
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It was always noisey at our Thanksgiving also. My uncle used to sing and we would all join in. I miss those days. Have a happy Thanksgiving.
Sounds like a lot of fun! It may not be as noisy these days but you have the memories for a lifetime.
Richard - what terrific memories. My favorite memories were of putting the Christmas lights up on the house, my dad would "supervise" from the ground while I scrambled on ladders and the roof to get them just right. He used to add a string of lights each year. Happy Thanksgiving my friend.
Now that you mention it, most of our holidays get loud! Here in WI, the beverages flow too! Have a wonderful, noisy day!!
Sounds lot like my family farm get togethers. Only I haven't picked my guitar in almost 20 years.
Have a great Thanksgiving my friend!
Richard,
We didn't have such large gatherings, but the memories are there just the same. Mostly I remember snow on the Thanksgivings of my youth. Have a great and happy day. :)
Steve
Memories...I'm watching to Macy's Parade now! Then it's off to my Aunt's house for a family gathering of 15 or so. I do miss the old days with the house filled with everyone, and the 'Kids Table' for the cuginos! Happy Thanksgiving!
Tami...
I think we did a lot of things differently because there were no video games or computers! lol Have a great Thanksgiving!
Mel...
And they are all good ones. Don't work too hard today and ASK for help for crying out loud. I remember that my mother always looked very tired. Have a great day!
Big Mike...
Of course he did! He wanted to pump you up! lol Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
WHat wonderful memories. Wow, we have never broken out into song, maybe we should...There's probably a reason we keep our Thanksgiving to just conversation w/out singing ;0. KM
Bill...
Pick it up, dust it off, and sing away! Have a great Thanksgiving in the cold north land!
Steve...
I forget ...where were you raised? Have a great holiday!
Laura...
We had so many kids tables that it didn't matter! lol Have a great day, my friend!
Kristin J...
Do you think that the beverages has anything to do with the singing! lol Have a great Thanksgiving
Kristin M...
You must add enough beverage to mute the sounds! lol and have a great day Ms. business owner!
And that is the way Thanksgiving SHOULD be! I have a small family but have always wanted a big, noisy family that sang! Oh, how fun! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
I believe the Macy's Day Parade is a staple in every person's thanksgiving day!
Richard,
My son, husband and I are alone today....everyone else is in Atlanta....I expected quiet but I think my 21 year old and his puppies are running a circus in my house today already....Have a great Turkey Day.....
Richard: The Thanksgivings of my youth were fun when we used to get the entire family together. We had eight kids all around the same ages (within six years). Those days were the best. I'll be spending Thanksgiving with some of the same cousins, but our relationship has changed over the years. We all have grown and gone our different directions and there is a distance there now that you can't see or touch. The relationships with the Aunts and Uncles never changes though.
Rich, your post brought back many fond memories for me as a child, I grew up in New Jersey and we had a large family as well. The smell of roasted turkey and turnips still bring me back to a simpler time in life. My Uncle had an old upright piano that everyone would gather round and sing. My wife and I have carried on the tradition but now it's with our family and grand children. No piano though. Have a great day. Rich, Charlotte NC
Cristal...
It will alwways be that way to me, and I wish a great Thanksgiving day to you are yours!
Jer...
I think so too! I know that you have a special little someone to be thankful for this year!
Julie...
And the same to you, I wish you every happiness! Now, does Thanksgiving on the Georgia coast always include shrimp?
I love Thanksgiving. I have one particular memory of the Thanksgiving of 1992. The year of the tornado at my house, no power and friends and family arrived with Thanksgiving. I have never shed so many tears. I have never been so thankful for what I have.
What a nice story! Shared family memories are always great around the holidays. :)
My husband is from McKeesport so I know the family tradition...:)
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!
Chris Ann...
You can't go back to those special times, but you can make them special for someone else! I think that's the most important thing to remember. Have a great Thanksgiving my friend!
Rich F...
Weren't those the best of times? BTW, here in the south when we say "turnips" we mean turnip greens. We don't eat the "roots" here! Now, that is different from Pittsburgh! Have a fabulous Turkey day!
Richard, enjoy the day, quieter yes, but no less special. I'll have about 12 for dinner and then some others for dessert. Catch up with you tomorrow. xxoo
Richard, thanks for sharing your personal memories. Like many of your posts, I am nudged to remember my own.
Thanks again
Bo
Richard, it sounds like my typical Thanksgiving, but this year, I am taking a break. And Christmas will be quiet as well as we await the birth of our new Granddaugther.
But in years past, we had 12 at the table, going forward, there will be more as the children have their children. Next year, no less than 17 will sit at my table.
We usually drag out the pictures from years ago and laugh at the swimsuits of Aunts and Uncles long gone who was having the time of their lives at Jones Beach.
Memories....best thing we can have and they are free.
Tammy...
We had a tornado here too, but not at Thanksgiving! I am quite sure that is one that you will never forget! Have a great holiday!
Sally...
Have you been to McKeesport? Pittsburgh is a GREAT Christmas town! They really do it up! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Aloha.
Susan...
I have everything in the oven now! We'll be eating shortly. Have a WONDERFUL day, and get some help!
Bo...
I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving today, my friend!
Nancy...
Sounds like your best memories lie ahead! Now that is exciting. I hope that you have a great Turkey Day!
Yes, I too remember the Thanksgivings when I was a kid. Very noisy days and alot of fun. Just like you, everyone would come to our house, never enough room but always plenty of food. The worst part was when the day was over. Good times.
Richard - I love the noise of Thanksgiving! Family laughing, talking over each other, the parades and football games, the Turkey-bowl football in the street, seems the only time it is quiet is when dinner is served. Man it gets serious in our family when it's time to eat. LOL~ Have a great Thanksgiving my friend, and thank you for all the inspiration and motivation you bring to this community. Have a blessed day! :-)
Richard, the large gatherings you had sound like ones we had in my childhood. Each year is different. Enjoy them all whatever form they are.
Scott...
I would love to be able to recapture that kind of magic, but my family is far away so I must rely on my memory! Have a great day!
Brad...
We were playing a Turkey-bowl game on Thanksgiving, and the play called was for my uncle to pick up my cousin, and place him of the roof of a parked car! The pass was thrown to him, and completed for a touchdown! Great times indeed! And thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate them!
Gary...
I just stuffed myself! That part feels EXACTLY the same as it used to! lol
Its 3pm - everyone's piling in ... and oh the noise ........ and only 3 people came so far!! 12 to go (at least). Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. We truly have SO much to be grateful for.
Hi Richard. Have a turkey leg for me!:)
Happy Thanksgiving,
Ken
Richard - Your memories of Thanksgiving as a child are so much like mine. I especially remember the music and singing we did together and how much I long for times like that again. Thank you so much for sharing this today! (hugs) Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Thanks for the wonderful post, Richard! It may be think back to Thanksgivings of my youth surrounded by grandparents, cousins and all whom I don't see enough of anymore...
Richard,
It seems like the older I get the more the memories mean to me. Thank you my friend for sharing some of your memories.
I hope that you have had a wreat day with family and friends and memories! Happy Thanksgiving
Steve...
Have a great time with all of your loved ones! THX
Ken...
OK, but I'm pretty full! Hope that you had a great day!
Donna...
I wonder if everyone really had that much more fun back then, or if was just the magic of being a child? Nah, it was better!!! lol I hope that you had a great day.
Oh, Richard...I so understand. There were just four of us this year, too, as it turned out. It was pleasant, but not nearly as much fun as when there are just more folks around. More jokes, more music, more noise, accidents and incidents. Sure sounds like your family had great fun together! Hope you had a great day!
Kris...
I guess we all grow apart, that's a little sad, isn't it?
Don...
And I hope that you had the same! I am so full I hurt, but I have no one to blame but myself!
Suzanne...
It was a great day ... except for the three "business" phone calls. Don't these people have a life.
Me too, Richard, me too.
Richard, I hope you had a wonderful albeit quite Thanksgiving! It sounds like you have some wonderful memories.
We actually had our Thanksgiving last week when our son was home for his 3 weeks of R & R from Iraq. I had a nice time at a friends though.
Richard, It's been a busy day and I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Any size gathering of family and friends is something to be cherished.
Richard, Gosh, as I remember it, Thanks Giving was quite a noisy time around my house too. Like you, I have many good memories of family and friends from my time as a youth too...
~ Michael.
Richard,
I grew up and went to school in Illinois. Then we made a career move to Florida. :)
Steve
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, take care.