American Legion Christmas celebration

I mentioned recently in my column about our Christmas party at the American Legion Hall, post 153 in Pittsville. Well it was a huge success. I also mentioned that Gayle Baum catered the meal.

The Swiss steak was so tender you could cut it with a fork. The mashed potatoes were "real" and not "box" potatoes. When we arrived at the Legion that night for the party, Gayle and her helper had the tables all set up with festive decorations on three big long tables. In the center of two tables were lovely red poinsettias and on the third table was a lovely Rosemary plant. Gayle said the plants were for door prizes, so we had prizes galore.

After the meal and the drawing for the door prizes, Betty led us in singing Christmas songs and carols. I could remember singing all of the songs and carols from the first grade on through high school. I could remember the words to almost every song.

And then memories began flooding over me. The Christmas pageants, the Christmas programs at school as well as at Church. Handels Messiah which everyone participated in from junior high on through high school This was performed at Memorial Hall and directed by Carl Clinesmith. The Chorus was all local students from junior high and high school but the soloists were brought in and possibly hired. By the time we reached High School we knew all of the songs by heart.

After the performance we were all really in the Christmas spirit ... It just wasn't Christmas until Handel's Messiah was performed. If I remember, all of the girls wore black skirts and white long sleeved blouses. It was very moving and I shall always remember it with awe.

I went to another Christmas party this week. At church we have a group of ladies which is called "Joyful Hearts" and meet once a month with a light pot luck supper and then we usually play games and visit. This year it was decided to go to Sandy's Café in Pittsville for supper. Reservations were made for 14 gals. We got there at 6 p.m. and visited 'til they closed at 7 p.m. and then we had our own private party.

What a feast, the meat entrees were sirloin tips over noodles and oven fried chicken. The tips were the best I have ever eaten. It was served family style, beginning with a huge tossed salad and then all of the rest of the food was set on the table, bowls of peas, mashed potatoes and gravy, platters of chicken, rolls and dessert. We even had choices!! Either apple pie (homemade) or cheese cake, with a choice of topping -- either blueberries or cherry. (I opted for cheese cake and blueberry topping). It was to die for.

It is a good thing that Christmas comes but once a year, or we would gain so much weight we would just waddle around.