For me, Thanksgiving recalls all the things in life that I respond to most strongly and for which I am truly thankful. There is the simple beauty of the earth and the harvest time. There is the satisfaction that comes from the working of the crops. And there is the tradition of the day itself: the return to my family homes in the green hills of Maryland and Virginia, the delicious food, and the sharing of holiday rituals. For as long as I can remember, my grandparents had a farm near Freeland, Maryland, Although I don't visit it often now, it was once the center of my life. I was five years old when I spent my first Thanksgiving at the farm. I remember the meal: the huge roast turkey, the red cranberry sauce, the wonderful mounds of just-whipped potatoes, and our family favorite pies – pumpkin and apple, fragrant with spices. That evening we gathered in the parlor and sang. "singing for our supper," we called it. To this day we sing for our supper in the Scott household on Thanksgiving. We always sing our favorite, "We Gather Together."