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.