We went out for dinner last night and it was blissful. A new team has moved into place in running the hall and they are really making some fine changes. This event was a lasagna and salad main course (and bring some dessert) and it was themed as thanks the workers for plugging through two big dinners – 250 people and up, and that is a lot of potatoes to peel. Not to mention a lot of plates to clean. Some years ago we used to have a Christmas dinner for the hall workers; my recollection is that we sent out for Chinese food, but I am not sure of that. What I am sure of is that Mike, who is both chair and chief cook, with one helper, made the lasagna for 30 or so of us. And had some left over. As JG and I exited, I could hear him saying, plaintively, that everyone should take some home lest he end up eating it all week. Anyway, I got to hang out with the whole gang without the angst, if that makes sense. And I made brownies for my dessert contribution; maple free.
It is just about time to dig out the Christmas cards and list and boxes of wrapping and tablecloths and all that. Looks as if the Festive Dinner is going to be here, as the best logistics choice. I would be really worrying except that I do have a fine, fine daughter planning to be here over the holiday; I have every intention that she will be the one hauling the turkey in and out of the oven. And if anyone wants ham as well as turkey, that person can go over to the cabin and clean and turn on the stove and lug the meat back and forth. I might exert myself so far as to put cutlery on the table and supervise the gravy. Whom am I kidding? I will be decorating and wrapping and, the daughter being a fine negotiator, making aspic. And buying chocolate. But I am thankful that I have raised two excellent cooks. And acquired a third in the ED’s man, who turns in and cleans the carcass every year.
Speaking of men, mine is, I think, out in the kitchen planning to make chocolate chip cookies. He has taken an interest in baking lately and has the chocolate chip recipe nailed. The oatmeal raisin recipe is coming, but molasses and ginger cookies did not work out as he had planned on his first attempt. Gosh, I guess there will have to be more tries. Tsk. Actually, tsk it is. Not only the goose is getting fat. I really need to lose some weight and this cookie kick is not helping because I have no willpower and keep helping myself which is not helping …. . I need to stop. The snacking and the sentence. Wait till Grammarly sees that one.
I will add some pictures of Chris’s beautifully decorated party tables when she posts them. The hall has not looked so good for years; she even has the bulletin boards tamed. And we have all new and much lighter tables for the dinners. But the kitchen floor is still to renovate and that is going to be Horrible. I will report, if I survive.
Fellow writing nuts, this you will not believe. Grammarly corrected “Whom” to “Who”. And it wants ‘renovate’ in the passive voice. Hmm. That is fair.
The dinner sounds lovely.
ReplyDeleteI laughed reading about the cookies your husband is making. I make muffins for my husband and he eats one a day. Sometimes he catches a baking bug and makes some recipes resulting in delicious cookies. If I am lucky, the grandkids take most of them home. I’d rather that than have them sat on my hips. The cookies, not the kids.
It's been along time since a kid sat on my hip, but If there was one now, it would be a cushioned ride. Sigh.
DeleteI don't know about Grammarly, but I know that Word grammar check back in the olden days, hated the passive voice. That seems like quite the community that you have going out there.
ReplyDeleteIt was almost moribund during Covid, but we are back up and running now. Good people. Good food. You should come to a dinner sometime.
DeleteAll writing teachers warn against the dreaded passive voice.
ReplyDeleteAs far as using Who vs. Whom in a question, you used it correctly, but I find it clumsy. Actually, I am ready for Whom to be tossed upon the dustbin, joining other archaic words like thee, thou, prithee, and forsooth. Who is perfectly fine.
But I love those archaic words and expressions. And if we are going to use the object form for the third person singular in that construction, and I would, then 'whom' is what I want. I am archaic. As well as arthritic, autocratic and just plain cranky.
DeleteIs this a college? I'm interested in your references to hall and directors. It sounds very good.
ReplyDeleteNo, it is our local 'community hall', a building that the township owns and we run. There is a big meeting room, a small meeting room and a kitchen, and I am on a citizens' committee that raises money for running expenses, heat, light, telephone, internet, and for anything needed inside the building, like a new toilet or frig or whatever. We put on events, big ones like a dinner at the start of hunting season, and small ones like weekly euchre games, charging a small fee.
DeleteIt is a good tool to check if your work is well put together. Happy new month
ReplyDeleteI saw you post on Kay's blog. I am a retired teacher, gramma, and live in Lanark County! We are practically twins!
ReplyDelete