The anual "Day Old mashed potatos & Gravy feast begins... Gig Style
I may have posted about this last year, but this year at the Giga Den, we are having our Annual Xmas "Day Old Mashed Potato's & Gravy" dinner a day later than normal. This is something my wife started about 10 years ago which was not a particularly good time for me, that was the year I began to suddenly loose my hearing so my mood was not very Xmas like. However we pressed on and ended up with about a dozen friends of my daughters scattered around our home eating a Xmas Dinner. These were kids she had known in school who had not known a traditional Family Xmas Dinner - broken homes, social assistance families, even a couple of street kids she had befriended. None of us are sure who or where the idea started it just sort of came together that year and has become an anual event, today we are expecting 28 (I am sure there will be 35 by the time we finish there are always a few extra late arrivals). We did our normal family Gifting and Xmas day was quiet now today all hell breaks loose, the Turkey is almost done, - this year the big bird "Butch" had to be cooked in a seperate electric roaster, 28 lbs and he just fit...lol I have been up since 5:00 AM peeling spuds, drying bread, making stuffing, and preparing the rest of the trimmings. The house smells like a feast in progress, and soon this place will be a zoo... and everyone will be fighting for a place to sit, squat, or just park their butt, talk about musical chairs, you have never played the game until you try to do it without music and with a full plate of food in your hand...lol
Most of these kids thought little about Xmas or a feast and have been here every year since the beginning, we will have our first 2nd generation guest this year, a young man who became a full time guest for 2 years with us is now a proud papa and will be bringing his new arrival for the "Family" to see.
The nicest thing about this for us (and I believe everyone who attends) is this is not some grand planned event, it just happened one Xmas and it has become a new tradition for this "Partridge Family" one I know my kids will continue when my wife and I are no longer able to, it's simple but it feels great and is loads of fun.
Hope everyone has a happy Ho...Ho... Holiday Season...
I may have posted about this last year, but this year at the Giga Den, we are having our Annual Xmas "Day Old Mashed Potato's & Gravy" dinner a day later than normal. This is something my wife started about 10 years ago which was not a particularly good time for me, that was the year I began to suddenly loose my hearing so my mood was not very Xmas like. However we pressed on and ended up with about a dozen friends of my daughters scattered around our home eating a Xmas Dinner. These were kids she had known in school who had not known a traditional Family Xmas Dinner - broken homes, social assistance families, even a couple of street kids she had befriended. None of us are sure who or where the idea started it just sort of came together that year and has become an anual event, today we are expecting 28 (I am sure there will be 35 by the time we finish there are always a few extra late arrivals). We did our normal family Gifting and Xmas day was quiet now today all hell breaks loose, the Turkey is almost done, - this year the big bird "Butch" had to be cooked in a seperate electric roaster, 28 lbs and he just fit...lol I have been up since 5:00 AM peeling spuds, drying bread, making stuffing, and preparing the rest of the trimmings. The house smells like a feast in progress, and soon this place will be a zoo... and everyone will be fighting for a place to sit, squat, or just park their butt, talk about musical chairs, you have never played the game until you try to do it without music and with a full plate of food in your hand...lol
Most of these kids thought little about Xmas or a feast and have been here every year since the beginning, we will have our first 2nd generation guest this year, a young man who became a full time guest for 2 years with us is now a proud papa and will be bringing his new arrival for the "Family" to see.
The nicest thing about this for us (and I believe everyone who attends) is this is not some grand planned event, it just happened one Xmas and it has become a new tradition for this "Partridge Family" one I know my kids will continue when my wife and I are no longer able to, it's simple but it feels great and is loads of fun.
Hope everyone has a happy Ho...Ho... Holiday Season...
