My 50th Thanksgiving

Good morning dear ones,

It's my 50th Thanksgiving this morning, and I'm enjoying the morning's quietness before the cooking and visiting start.

The wind is roaring outside, which is common on the point by the lake. The robins have been extremely vocal the past few days. Either they don't know they are supposed to be migrating or they are calling themselves together in preparation for said migration. We've had such a mild autumn that it might have confused our traveling friends, shrinking daylight hours notwithstanding. 
The apple, crabapple and tupelo trees are heavily laden with fruit, more so than I have seen in years. If this wind doesn't blow them all away, we'll have a lot of happy waxwings in the spring. The apples this year have been very tasty. If you get a chance to have some Vermont apples, enjoy them. There's been a lot of pink in the Macintoshes, something Tom very much enjoys. His grandmother used to make pink applesauce.
I missed the Leonid showers last week, but my friend the moon has been lovely, peeking through my bedroom window in the wee hours.

I came across a sweet little video from Ted talks. I'm enclosing the link so Mom and Dad may listen to it. I am grateful for so much from my family, music being one particular gift that we were able to share. Mom and Dad, thank you for investing all that cash, time, transportation and everyone's ear drums so that I could play the violin. It's one of the treasures you gave to me that I have been able to give to others. 
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-playing-an-instrument-benefits-your-brain-anita-collins

I think of David and Paul with their horns, Jon's singing, Naomi's guitar and folk songs. There were Priscilla and Elizabeth with piano and guitar. 
No one could play Franz Liszt like Priscilla! No one would dare. Move over, Victor Borge!
The sound of singing was always around us, from lullabies to Muzak, to Mom's rich whistling, to the 8+ hour drives to VT and NJ. 
I remember David's 8 track and the little class ring marks that were on the left side of his steering wheel from his tapping along when he drove. In fact, every time I'm at a stop light and am playing my air drums, I remember the delightful click of his ring rapping out treble beats to the Beach Boys and an occasional Jethro Tull.
Always a fan of predators, Naomi's "Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night" ever filled me with joy. When Naomi opened her guitar case, I always knew I was in for a treat.
Jon brought back crazy camp songs that would make a mom blush. We managed to get away with singing "Salvation Army." I even made up my own verses. Each time we saw him on stage was way-y-y cool to me.
No one could sing/talk Gloria Gaynor like Paul. I still haven't seen "Rocky Horror," but if I did, I'd already know the words to most of the songs.
Elizabeth, my favorite piano duet has always been Also Sprach Zarathustra. You made my limited keyboard talent sound AWESOME.
Mary and David gave me my first radio! I remember the first song I heard on it was Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are." Stephanie loved Lovin' Spoonful and then I grew to love them, too!

There will never be another voice like Mom's. 
Never. 
And Dad? What can I say. You put up with my Pink Floyd and all the rest when I discovered FM radio. I remember also that you had the coolest taste in music, from Spike Jones to the Beatles to Harry Chapin and all the hymns and history that went with EVERYTHING.

I send you all great fondness, love and gratitude. 
Happy Thanksgiving!
me