… to Grandmother’s house we go. The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh, thru the white and drifted snow, oh!

Come the beginning of November the words in the song learned in the second grade begin to play in my head. The vision of a family snuggly bundled in a sleigh being pulled through a snow-covered forest smiling, laughing as the wind bites their noses and the anticipation of going to Grandmother’s house was very festive and exciting.

I never had the pleasure of going to Grandmother’s house since she lived in Italy and that was definitely too far to go. The people I knew who went to Grandmother’s house had to go next door two doors down the street or chances are grandmother and grandfather lived in your house or your family lived in theirs.

Since we could not go to Grandmother’s house many of our Thanksgiving dinners were celebrated in my Uncle Phil and Aunt Phillipina’s home with all the cousins, and the cousins’ grandparents, aunts and uncles. The house was always filled with adult conversions, laughter, the smell of food cooking and children underfoot and sometimes getting into mischief.

I loved going to my Uncle’s house because it gave me the opportunity to play and visit with my cousin Sadie. We are 15 days apart and have been attached ever since. I remember the Thanksgiving when we were eight years old I couldn’t wait to see my cousin because I had a surprise to give her.

Before leaving home Mama forewarned me that the surprise had to wait until after dinner. As soon as we got to Uncle’s Phil’s house I sought my cousin and told her of the surprise. So as not to be seen by the other children we nonchalantly went upstairs to her bedroom. When we were sure no one was lurking about I pulled the surprise out of my pocket. There nestled in my hand were two Chunky chocolate bars.

Sadie was as excited as I as she reached out for the Chunky that was shaped like a miniature pyramid, minus the point, filled with raisins and nuts. Oh, how we longed to pull off the silver wrapper and savor every morsel of that delicious chunky bar. Remembering Mama’s words I passed them on, “We can’t eat the candy until after dinner.”

Disappointed was on my cousin’s face and in my stomach there was a yearning for the chocolate rather than any of the food that would be on the dinner table. Sadie had a plan. “Let’s put the Chunky bars in the top drawer as soon as dinner is over we’ll come back to get them.”

We descended the stairs with a look of innocence and grace while sauntering through the living room, dining room and kitchen to find it completely empty of adults. Sitting on the kitchen table was the big bird with a large gapping cavity waiting to be stuffed.

We were in the pantry when we heard the voices and laughter of my cousins Ky and Phillip. There they stood in the middle of the kitchen with our Chunky bars in hand, unwrapped ready to devour them when the voice of Aunt Phil was heard. “What are you children doing in the kitchen”? The boys panicked. Rather than putting the chunky bars in their mouths they threw them into the cavity of the turkey.

Several hours later the family sat down to dinner. A beautiful brown, plump cooked turkey was placed on the table. What a picture! Just like the one in the Norman Rockwell painting.

Following grace, Uncle Phil began to carve the turkey.

“Wait”, says Grandma Spano, “I have to taste the stuffing.” Placing a heaping tablespoon in her mouth she grimaced and cried out, “This stuffing tastes like chocolate!”

I looked at my cousin Sadie, she looked at me. Keep calm was the signal we sent each other. I looked at my cousins Ky and Phillip their faces had turned ashen. Grandma Spano was on her feet, “My stuffing is ruined! Who did this to my stuffing?”

A deafening silence fell around the table. Grandma glancing from face to face may have also seen two pale faces and suggested that Ky and Phillip taste the stuffing. Placing a heaping portion on their plates they were instructed to eat. As the stuffing was about to enter into the mouths of two miserable boys, the grownups burst into laughter. They laughed so hard tears were streaming down a few faces as the boys looked about and realized that the joke was on them.

The wonderful thing about memories is that you may relive and enjoy them at any time and then tuck them away for the future or just let them rest in your heart forever.

“Over the river and thru the woods, oh, how the wind does blow! It stings the toes, and bites the nose, as over the ground we go.

Happy Thanksgiving. Count your blessings.

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