All About the Hat?

Six weeks down, forty-six left to make a difference.

This past weekend, we held our Christmas Party for the Residents of our Senior Living Community.  As with most things, we wanted to try it a bit different although we kept some improvements from the past that have worked very nicely.

For many years, this party was held as a fancy dinner, often with a social hour first, then dinner, then a singalong, then Santa came with the presents for our residents.  The Grand Officers would act as Santa's Elves and deliver the presents from Santa to wherever the residents were sitting.  Now the first year we did this, each Grand Officer was given three names and we delivered those three presents.  But that was tough because the appointive Grand Officers don't know the Residents on sight.  For some of them, this party is the first time that they have ever been to our Home, unless they came down for a Fiesta or Festival some earlier year.  So that was a little awkward.

A few years back, we went to what I call the shotgun style approach to present delivery.  That involves lining up the Grand Family and having the person in the front of the line take the next present to the next person.  Because we call out the name of the Resident and they wave, delivery is easier.  Of course, there are more of them than there are of us, so when you've delivered your present, you go to the back of the line and come around again.  It works much better, so we like that part a lot and did it that way.

Our big change was actually in the timing of the meal.  While the big fancy dinner was very tasty, the late night and big meal at the end of the day were harder on our Residents.  I was told that usually, the big meal of the day is usually lunch, with dinner being smaller and usually just quiet time or bed afterwards.  So a couple of year's back, they tried moving the holiday meal to an afternoon tea, around 3:00 pm or so.  I love tea, so that was great for me, but since it was really an extra mealtime, the food was primarily sweets, sort of a late dessert after lunch.  It was very nice, but still cut in on the schedule a bit.

So this year, we decided to go with the tea idea, but have it be a full high tea in place of lunch instead of an extra meal.  Little did I know that the event coordinator was going to call me and ask me what all my favorite tea foods were.  My diet was DOOMED!!!  But we had the most amazing variety of foods and it was delicious, even if my clothes don't like me any more.  We had hot and cold appetizers including the most scrumptious meatballs in pastry with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.  Then we had plates of tea sandwiches.  You wouldn't think you could get full on these teeny little quarter sized sandwiches, but when you eat five of them, that is more than a regular sandwich in size.  Then we had dessert plates with mini cheesecakes and other yummies!  It is really amazing how full you can get when every individual bit you eat is no more than one or two bites.

After we had our lunch, we went and had our traditional sing a long, featuring winter songs this year, then we handed out presents and then the Worthy Grand Patron and I were invited to stand on either side of Santa's chair for pictures with the Residents.  Apparently this is a traditional thing because some of the Residents want to sit in Santa's lap and get their picture taken with him and us.  So we did that before heading out to our next meeting.

Now there has been some weird ideas about me and Christmas and this stuff.  Somebody thought they ought to change the name of the event to Holiday party instead of Christmas party, but since all of the current residents happen to be Christian and the party is for them, it really is a Christmas party and I have no problem thinking of it that way or calling it that.  Of course, I do have the most delightful hat, a black and white elf hat with Bah Humbug sewn across the front of the white faux fur edge, to wear for this.  It was a gift last year that I have gotten great use from and will use again in the future.  But that's all in good fun too.

Then there was one member at the party who was trying very hard to convince me that Santa was really okay for Jewish people, which is a little silly.  And I don't know why she was bothering.  Santa is not for me personally, but the pictures weren't about me, they were for the Residents and if that is what the Worthy Grand Matron does at this party for the Residents, then that is what she does.  So I posed for some Santa pictures.  Why would I be bent out of shape about that?

It's not like they were asking me to pose in a creche scene or something.  Okay, I admit it, THAT I would not have been able to do, tradition or no tradition, and I would have gotten the Worthy Grand Patron's wife to stand in for me.  But one bullet dodged there and smooth sailing the rest of the day. :-)

I don't get offended if people wish me Merry Christmas either.  They mean well and very few of them actually ascribe any religious meaning to the phrase anyway.  And the things I know about so many Christmas traditions and where they come from might shock the socks off them. :-)  Go Oak King!  Down with Loki!  Dancing around decorated trees outside and naked in the snow - are you nuts?!?

So with so many things that do matter, getting all wound up about something that doesn't matter, like someone saying Merry Christmas, seems out of whack to me.  Of course, as long as I have my hat, I can always just say Bah Humbug with a smile. :-)

Next weekend, I am in Chico and Richmond.