I still am annoyed by “stuck in the car time”… more than 50 years after leaving my parents’ home. But nowadays, I do it to myself, in order to keep the marital peace. And I still can’t get away with reading in the car…
We usually went to the grandparents for Thanksgiving, even though “stuck in the car” time was a full 10 hours. So, yeah, Wednesday’s needed to be off or we were truant.
Thank goddess I don’t have to do that any more. My mother’s parents were bigoted, alcoholic fundagelicals and my aunts had converted to catholicism with all of its attendant bigotries in order to marry their boyfriends. But, one Thanksgiving I was able to convince a cousin not to come out at a big family gathering but do it in a series of little one on ones. Took her a bit longer but had fewer repercussions. But usually they were not good times.
It’s not like holiday travel is anything new. That Thanksgiving song “Over the River and Through the Woods” has been around since 1844. Oh, you thought it was a Christmas song? Wrongo. Knew it was a Thanksgiving song all along? Don’t get too smug. Somewhere buried in the lyrics — and I do mean buried, as there are 12 verses — is the line “Hurrah for Christmas Day,” which, lest the Christmas-song crowd feel vindicated anew, originally WAS “Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day,” which butchers the meter so bad that I’d have changed it to “Hurrah for Labor Day” if I had to. If, after all that, you’re convinced you had it right, tighten your grip on the reins. We’re not done.
The original version had the sleighful going to Grandfather’s house, not Grandmother’s which is a bit paternalistic but at least it doesn’t bollix up the meter.
And if you thought the title was “Over the River and Through the Woods,” you’ve set off the buzzer again. The phrase is “Over the River and Through the Wood,” singular, and even that’s not the title of the original, nor is the song the original form. It debuted simply as a poem, by Lydia Maria Child, published in the academic journal “Flowers for Children, Volume 2.” And while some will insist that “Flowers …” was a collection of children’s poems, consider that the original title was “The New-England Boy’s Song about Thanksgiving Day” and just try to imagine a title that dry in anything BUT an academic journal.
mddshubby2005 almost 5 years ago
“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” John Lennon
Concretionist almost 5 years ago
I still am annoyed by “stuck in the car time”… more than 50 years after leaving my parents’ home. But nowadays, I do it to myself, in order to keep the marital peace. And I still can’t get away with reading in the car…
Ceeg22 Premium Member almost 5 years ago
Poor thing, stuck in the car, watching movies or playing video games …
asrialfeeple almost 5 years ago
Better get your fresh air now.
Ignatz Premium Member almost 5 years ago
Yes, play in the street. You’re a kid, right?
Seed_drill almost 5 years ago
We usually went to the grandparents for Thanksgiving, even though “stuck in the car” time was a full 10 hours. So, yeah, Wednesday’s needed to be off or we were truant.
Teto85 Premium Member almost 5 years ago
Thank goddess I don’t have to do that any more. My mother’s parents were bigoted, alcoholic fundagelicals and my aunts had converted to catholicism with all of its attendant bigotries in order to marry their boyfriends. But, one Thanksgiving I was able to convince a cousin not to come out at a big family gathering but do it in a series of little one on ones. Took her a bit longer but had fewer repercussions. But usually they were not good times.
Cactus-Pete almost 5 years ago
Doesn’t like to read? Doesn’t play an instrument?
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] almost 5 years ago
Blog PostsFrazz19 hrs ·
It’s not like holiday travel is anything new. That Thanksgiving song “Over the River and Through the Woods” has been around since 1844. Oh, you thought it was a Christmas song? Wrongo. Knew it was a Thanksgiving song all along? Don’t get too smug. Somewhere buried in the lyrics — and I do mean buried, as there are 12 verses — is the line “Hurrah for Christmas Day,” which, lest the Christmas-song crowd feel vindicated anew, originally WAS “Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day,” which butchers the meter so bad that I’d have changed it to “Hurrah for Labor Day” if I had to. If, after all that, you’re convinced you had it right, tighten your grip on the reins. We’re not done.
The original version had the sleighful going to Grandfather’s house, not Grandmother’s which is a bit paternalistic but at least it doesn’t bollix up the meter.
And if you thought the title was “Over the River and Through the Woods,” you’ve set off the buzzer again. The phrase is “Over the River and Through the Wood,” singular, and even that’s not the title of the original, nor is the song the original form. It debuted simply as a poem, by Lydia Maria Child, published in the academic journal “Flowers for Children, Volume 2.” And while some will insist that “Flowers …” was a collection of children’s poems, consider that the original title was “The New-England Boy’s Song about Thanksgiving Day” and just try to imagine a title that dry in anything BUT an academic journal.
I hope this helps.