a friendly giant and a tune...

I was humming a tune this morning...somehow this little tune popped into my mind...and it brought back memories...of a young lass...a tv...and a friendly giant.

The Friendly Giant debuted on radio in 1953 in Madison, Wisconsin. Homme, Rusty the Rooster and Jerome the Giraffe, characters on the program, moved to Canada in 1958. The show became a staple of CBC programming for more than 25 years.

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"One little chair for one of you..."

It introduced generations of children to books and music. Homme was the creator, writer and star of the show.

The show started the same way every day, with Friendly opening the drawbridge and reaching down with a gigantic hand to arrange, "One little chair for one of you, and a bigger chair for two more to curl up in, and for someone who likes to rock, a rocking chair in the middle."

Then, he invited viewers to, "Look up. . . look waayyy up." There he stood, joined by his friends Rusty and Jerome, and they would set about singing chatting and reading stories to young viewers during the 15 minute show.

Homme was awarded the Order of Canada in 1998. He was too ill to travel to Ottawa to receive the award, so Romeo LeBlanc, then governor-general, made a special visit to his home in Grafton, Ontario, to present the medal. The giant was a gentle man...

So...as a little lass...I would look up...waaaay up to see the giant...and listen to the song...that filled my mind today...with visions of another time...and a land very far away...

oh...and the tune???



so look up...look waaaaay up...

Love,
The Lass