Unusual Holidays

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Snow Storm Almost Ruined Christmas Celebration: Holiday menu was spaghetti and meatballs with fried chicken, and leftover birthday cake for dessert. Brian Orr

 Snow Storm Almost Ruined Christmas Celebration 

One year, several months before Christmas, my husband and I made plans with some friends to have Christmas dinner at a wonderful restaurant famous for its delicious food and enjoyable Christmas music. We made the reservations in advance, and we were all looking forward to a fun-filled Christmas celebration. 

When we got up on Christmas morning, the windows were partly frosted over, but we could still see outside. What we saw were knee-high snow drifts in our yard and even higher snowdrifts in the lane from our house to the road. And the thermometer read 17 below zero. Suddenly our Christmas plans didn’t look very promising. 

My husband and I talked and decided even though we would have to cancel our restaurant reservations, we could still have a good time and celebrate Christmas if we could just manage to get our friends to our house. Luckily, my husband had driven a big gravel truck home from work the night before, and even better, the truck was equipped with chains on the tires. So, he went to pick up our friends and bring them to our house. 

Since we were planning on dining out, I didn’t have a turkey or any of the fixings, so preparing Christmas dinner from scratch was a challenge. Thank goodness we had frozen chicken and ground beef in the freezer. So, instead of a traditional Christmas dinner, we had spaghetti and meatballs with fried chicken. For dessert, I served leftover birthday cake. 

It was a wonderful day, and one we’ve always remembered. 

Alma - Monrovia, Indiana 

Holidays Spent with Strangers Who Became Family 

There is a marvelous place in Kansas City, Missouri, called Hope Lodge, where my son, Steve, and I spent four consecutive holidays – Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day. 

Hope Lodge is located in the historic Quality Hill district and is a haven for cancer patients and their families. Lodging is free, as it is funded through donations to the American Cancer Society. Strangers with similar health problems soon become friends and even family. Hope Lodge is a home away from home, with access to kitchens, laundry rooms, computers, game rooms, a fitness room, and a large movie room complete with a selection of videos.