"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one. "
~John Lennon


Thursday, November 24, 2011

Sharing A Meal And Giving Thanks






The senior center in this little town is a lovely building built on a plot of land donated by a senior husband and wife. Because the people living in this town hold seniors in respect, the entire town came together to put together funds and materials necessary to build a place for seniors to congregate.

After living in this town a year, I felt drawn to investigate the possibility of activities I would be interested in joining. There are bridge tournaments as well as pitch. I don't play those card games and don't think I will be one of the "cardies". There are evenings of Bingo and mornings of Yoga. Board games are played occasionally. There are Weight Watchers meeting in a side room on Tuesday mornings. Cribbage, Pinochle, Dice games, and much more. There are blood pressure checks by a traveling nurse,  and speakers from outside brought in,  or children from the town's schools perform or sing. Sounds like a big family, doesn't it?

Lunches are prepared in a state of the art kitchen at the center of the building by the director. The lunch program is sponsored by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. The goal is to ensure the seniors in this town have at least one hot meal each week day at a low cost.

Because I do not eat any foods with wheat, I scan the monthly menus and let the director know which days the meals fit my food plan. When she dishes up my plate, she gives me two vegetable portions, if I choose, when something on the menu contains wheat. She is helpful in substituting non-wheat items for me, so for instance on a day she makes tuna casserole, she will make a Polish sausage or hamburger pattie or salisbury steak for me. She is the one who dishes out the portions of food and she knows each one and or different needs. She reads labels and makes sure I do not get any wheat. The gravy mix she uses has wheat in it, so she does not put gravy on my plate. 

The Thanksgiving Dinner at the senior center was the traditional fare. Turkey, potatoes/gravy, dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberries, rolls and margarine, milk. I did not eat dressing, rolls,  or pie.  If the desserts are made with wheat such as cobblers and pies, she will provide fruit for me. Sometimes the portions are large and I don't want the second veggie or fruit.

After the delicious meals, it is a treat to walk into the house and see the kitchen clean and shining, no dishes to wash. No discord, no stress, no mess.

I hope every one of my blogging friends who celebrate Thanksgiving in the US has a warm and loving day. Whether you are one person or a full room, we can all be united and give each other strength and joy across the universe. No matter what is going on in your life or my life, we have so much to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving.

10 comments:

Anne H said...

Happy happy Thanksgiving to you -
And yours!
There is sooo much to be thankful for.
I count Blogging as one of those things.
Who knew it could be so rewarding and bring so many people together?
Happy Thanksgiving!

Ms. A said...

A town that respects seniors... I need to move there.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rock Chef said...

What a great place and the food looks wonderful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

R. J. said...

The senior center in your area sounds like a great place to visit, especially with such an efficient director. The various types of senior accommodations in different parts of the country is always a source of conversation among my friends. I'm learning tips for when we look into that lifestyle. Happy Holidays.

terri said...

The senior center sounds like a wonderful place that provides a great sense of family and community.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hilary said...

It sounds like a wonderful place for friendships to flourish and tummies to be sated. And I would be up for a game of Cribbage.

I hope you have a beautiful Thanksgiving, Cici. I'm grateful for your bloggie presence. Hugs to you.

DJan said...

We have a wonderful Senior Center here in Bellingham, too, with many of the same activities you have there. There is a group of pinochle players that have started a closed group, as it is what they call "cutthroat" pinochle. And there are games for others to enjoy, too. It's the place that started my hikes, as we are all members and meet there once a month.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, CiCi. I was able to sign up on Reader to get your posts, I didn't realize there were any options other than "follow." Thanks for the tip!

Brian Miller said...

nice...sounds like you stumbled on quite the treasure there...i thought of you today and hope you are having a good thanksgiving cici

Cheryl said...

What a wonderful place to live in. Neighbor looking out for neighbor...wished everywhere was like this. Quiet day here as my husband worked at the hospital and my children were with their significant others. Its all ok.

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

I am still searching for a place that has what yours does. What a lovely place to spend time together.