10,000  for Turkey

(Note:  This is a re-write of an article I wrote 25 years ago about a Thanksgiving that was a bit unusual for me and my co-workers.  I hope you enjoy the updated version and Happy Thanksgiving!)

    How would you entertain 10,000 people for Thanksgiving dinner?  What do you serve that many people in a few hours?  Where do you hold the meal?  While most families spend Thanksgiving attending parades, watching football games and offering thanks – for families, friends, health and other blessings, there are thousands of folks in every community who are less fortunate. 

    Being part of a military family has always struck a personal chord for my husband and me on Thanksgiving.  Over the years, we have opened our home to many military trainees at both Ft. Sam Houston Medical Training Center and Lackland Air Force Base Training Center.  These young military members were away from home, but were able to enjoy a home-cooked meal and relax with us.  But in 1988, my office at the Electronic Security Command (ESC), now Air Intelligence Agency (AIA), jointly decided to volunteer on a much larger scale.  The result was serving turkey to more than 10,000 of our fellow San Antonio community members.

    The annual Thanksgiving Dinner is served to senior citizens and needy members of the San Antonio Community.  The dinner, in its 34^th year, is now called the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner, in honor of its founder,  and this year will serve over 25,000 people on Thanksgiving Day.  The purpose of the event is to provide a nourishing meal and companionship for citizens 55 and older. 

    Mr. Jimenez knew what it was like to grow up hungry and needy.  He became a successful businessman and owned a large food products company.  This  was his way of paying back his community and his country for the opportunity to succeed in life.  Food was donated by the Jimenez family and many civic and military organizations.  Mr. Jimenez, in the white outfit greeted some of the guests for the day at the San Antonio Convention Center which was decorated for the big dinner.    

                            

    A few military “youngsters” benefited from a transportation miscue.  The local bus system provided free rides to the dinner as well as to the downtown USO dinner.  Some of the uniformed personnel, unknowingly, hopped on the bus for the Jimenez dinner attendees.  When they arrived at the convention center, each attendee was escorted into the large dining hall and promptly served a complete turkey dinner.  One of the airmen exclaimed, “This is the largest USO dancehall I’ve ever seen”!

    The idea to organize a group to volunteer for this occasion was a joint effort with one of my best friends, Linda (Cabellero) Usborne, Logistics Division, ESC, while I worked in the Acquisition Assistance and Policy Office.  I solicited the support of my husband, Jay, Deputy Commandant of Troops, Defense Language Institute/English Language Center, Lackland AFB.  Linda contacted the ESC Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Office which donated t-shirts with the ESC command logo.  We proudly wore the bright yellow shirts which brought us even closer as a group.  Our group was small, but energetic and we had a fun time together.

           (From L to R: MAJ Jay Johnson, Linda Usborne, LtCOL Gary Andrews, Derek Andrews, Linda Andrews, Karen Johnson,  TSgt Adolph Ramirez)

    A week prior to the meal, hundreds of volunteers began the monumental preparation of the food.  Skilled chefs directed groups to sift 500 pounds of flour, crack 3,600 eggs, cook 810 gallons of yams, roast 700 pounds of pork trimmings, cook 200 pounds of giblets, bake 1,500 pumpkin pies, ready 10,000 cans of cranberry sauce and roast 550 turkeys, each weighing 30 pounds!  This year’s menu will include 9400 pounds of turkey, 6250 pounds of stuffing, 650 pounds of gravy, 4688 pounds of yams, 4688 pounds of cranberry, 25,000 dinner rolls, and 3000 pumpkin pies! 

    The festivities began around 11am that morning, although all volunteers arrived much earlier to receive instructions.  The National Anthem was played and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all.  The San Antonio mayor greeted everyone and mariachi bands played lively music while laughter and noisy chatter permeated the hall.  The local telephone company offered free long distance to anyone wishing to make a call to loved ones.

    Assembly lines were utilized throughout every procedure to make the entire process as smooth as possible.  The volunteers (like our group), seated the guests, served the food, cleared their places, and always provided 2nds or 3rds!  All of us waiting on tables wore yellow armbands so the guests could identify us in case they required assistance. 

    After our shift was over, we were offered a meal, but my heart was already too full of pride to eat.  The day had provided a “full feeling” of helping others and having fun in the process. 

 

    Time and time again as Thanksgiving Day arrives and I give thanks, I think back to that particular day, of the camaraderie and the true spirit of giving in our community.   I also wonder if I can add dining facility experience to my resume?  After all, I do have 10,000 references!  Happy Thanksgiving! 

  

 

The Most “Wonderfall”  Time of the Year……

     Fall, to me, is the most wonderful time of the year, even edging out Christmas.  You see, I absolutely love to decorate for the fall season.  Years ago, it was difficult to purchase autumnal type décor, finding mostly Halloween type decorations with ghosts, spider webs, candy corn, or plastic pumpkins.  Today craft and decorating shops are filled with dinnerware, wreaths and garlands with twinkling lights on timers, pumpkins with toile exterior designs, even ornaments for a holiday tree.  And that’s where my passion for fall really begins…..

     When the calendar reflects the end of August, my “fall tree” resurrects and takes its place in the foyer of our home.  About 3 ½ feet in height, it sits on an antique Singer sewing machine commanding a regal view of the foyer, great room (living room), dining room, bar and entrance to the kitchen area.  The tree (another blog to follow soon) remains during the entire fall season with beautiful tiny amber lights that shower the rooms with that autumn glow in the evening long after the other lights have been turned off.  Wreaths are another decorating item that I enjoy using inside as their twinkling lights continue blinking, spreading that warm fall glow.

        I don’t feel guilty about enjoying other hobbies during the shorter days of fall because that means longer nights to get comfortable in my favorite chair, read my favorite novel while covered in a cozy fleece throw or quilt.  Long summer days made me feel as if I should be doing something productive, like a house project or running errands.  Not fall – I can enjoy, and relax!

    Growing up on the East Coast, specifically Pennsylvania, I recall the crisp mornings walking to school which was a few blocks away and kicking the colorful leaves, sniffing their pungent odor.  Later, someone in the neighborhood would burn them in their yard incinerators.  As a member of the high school marching band, we would march for several hours after school, and I would always have a crisp apple stuffed in my jacket to enjoy on breaks.  Any apple that was crunchy was perfect!

    Since moving to Texas, I’ve noticed that folks don’t decorate for fall very much.   Our nine months of warmer weather tends to negatively influence the “fall time”!  When I visit PA which I try to do each fall, my younger sister and I take a day and visit the many roadside farmer’s stands or Amish greenhouses where they sell not only beautiful plants but baked goods.  I’m in Heaven!  I so miss having such places to visit here.  The plums and dark sages of the chrysanthemums that fill the huge baskets; the glorious reds and oranges that outshine any strawberry or orange you can imagine.  Ah, what good memories! 

    And then there are the fall smells – cinnamon, maple syrup, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and chocolate chip cookies! 

    So I try to emulate my fall memories in my Texas home by decorating as much as possible with ceramic  and real pumpkins, gourds, pictures with fall sentiments, candles with fall scents, twinkling garlands on the mantel and wreaths on the French doors.  Outside the front door are more welcoming items.

     Fall is the longest decorating season for me since it includes both Halloween and Thanksgiving.  I try to make fall last as long as possible.  If I could, I’d leave my fall decorations up all year!

    Time and time again as the harvest moon lights up the autumn sky, and an owl hoots in the yard, I reflect on all the falls that are gone and wait with anticipation for the falls that are yet to come. 

    

  

The Slab Party – Silver Anniversary!

    I can hardly believe that in a few short weeks we will have lived in our home for 25 years.  We decided to build our “dream home” or retirement home when Jay received his final military assignment and returned to San Antonio, Texas in 1986.  We love San Antonio and decided to build our retirement home at that time, rather than wait until we actually retired in our 50s or 60s.  Who knew what would happen before we reached that age and why not enjoy life while we could?

    A local real estate agent, the father of a former co-worker in Falls Church, VA was contacted.  On several weekends, we met with the agent and he drove us around the outskirts of San Antonio, more in the “country” looking at properties where we could build.  The first property that we looked at was the one that we eventually purchased.  Isn’t that just like a woman?  You need to buy a dress - you search the mall and find the perfect dress, but you go to six more stores and try on numerous dresses, only to go back and buy the first one you tried on?  That’s exactly what we did.

    Throughout the entire building process, from clearing the property, to the house-warming party, we snapped hundreds of photos.  While reviewing some of the photos from the house album, I came across several of the “slab” or foundation photos and it reminded me of our “slab” party.  What a fun time we had!

    We decided that since the weather was still cooperative, the slab was smooth and flat, perfect for lawn chairs, card tables and chairs, we would hold a slab party.   We had never heard of one before, so we created one.  Inviting friends from work, and friends we had met here or knew from living here before we were assigned to Germany, everyone was asked to bring their favorite dish.  Some folks brought chips and dips, potato salad, pickles, olives, and all sorts of desserts.  Several of the guests brought portable gas grills, so we had toasted rolls with hamburgers and hot dogs and all of the condiments.  Because we had electrical power, one of our friends brought a portable CD/radio, so we played music as loud as we wanted, as there was no one to hear it but us!  A few deer or a fox or two may have been disturbed, but they were probably more upset that we disturbed their path across the property. 

    The highlight of the party was our time capsule.  Each guest was asked to bring an item that reflected something of the day.  Remember, this was November 1987, before PCs, iPhones, iPads, etc.  The items were often humorous and the guest had to explain why it should be included in the time capsule.  Some of the items included: a church key (bottle opener); light bulb; razorblade; newspaper of the day; Playgirl magazine with Burt Reynolds (centerfold); a floppy disk; a credit card for a now closed video store; wooden clothespin; and an AAA battery.  There were many more items that I can’t recall now, but we also included an empty bottle of champagne from the “slab” toast.   And there were many more bottles of champagne, but we only needed one for the time capsule. 

    I wrote a letter “To Whomever Finds This Time Capsule” and placed it in the time capsule so that the contents of the capsule could be explained and why the items were hidden and when. 

     I asked one of the plumbers to stash the time capsule behind my sunken tub in the master bath.  No one would ever find it unless there was a leakage problem or the next owner remodeled the bathroom.  The plumber took the capsule with some trepidation and agreed to put it behind the tub wall that day.

    However, when my husband returned that evening, he was surprised that the plumber returned the capsule to him stating that “your wife may be having an affair”.  Jay was shocked and couldn’t understand why the plumber would think that.  He handed the capsule to Jay and said, “She asked me to bury this behind the tub wall where no one would find it.  I thought you should know.”  (Remember, it contained an empty champagne bottle among other things)!  Jay laughed and said, “No, it’s perfectly fine.  We had a party and this was our time capsule to be buried somewhere in the house.  My wife isn’t having an affair.  We just wanted to hide these items for posterity.”  The plumber still looked at Jay a bit skeptically.  Of course that meant we had to find another location to hide the time capsule…..

    We did find an alternate location, but didn’t ask anyone to hide it for us this time.  It’s still hidden and probably will be until we leave this house.  Jay also “marked” our slab with the words “Jay and Karen Johnson, November 18, 1987” on the garage portion of the slab.  It’s nice to see the inscription, time and time again, as we enter the garage to think about the fun slab party and then the funny mix-up with the time capsule.  Whoever finds the capsule and the letter of explanation are certainly going to enjoy uncovering some antique items and have a good laugh! 

   

The Inauguration That Wasn’t (Outside)

    In the early 80s, my parents worked for the local and county Republican party for their candidate of choice, Congressman Richard Schweiker (and then later Senator Schweiker), of Pennsylvania’s 13^th District.  To show his thanks for their hard work on his behalf, Mom and Dad were invited to President Ronald Reagan’s 2^nd Inaugural Parade and also to a cocktail party after the parade hosted by Congressman Schweiker in the Sam Rayburn House Office Building.

    Jay and I were living in Fairfax, VA. Jay was active duty military and I was working for the Federal government.  Both of us had Inauguration Monday off as a holiday, so we were delighted to hear that my parents were coming for the weekend of inaugural events and that we would get to attend the parade – a true highlight of any Presidential Inaugural weekend.  And to be invited to a congressional cocktail party was something we never dreamed would happen.   Wow – who would we see?  Would we get to take any photos with famous people?

    And then the ultimate question: what to wear?!  Well, the forecast that weekend was sunny, but frigid.   An arctic air mass moved across the United States, setting records across the country, as far south as Florida.  As I said, it was sunny, but cold! 

    We had to dress for the cocktail party as well as the parade which meant layers.  I decided on a white wool suit,  with a black turtleneck, white leggings and black boots.  Oh, and a white hat!  Boy, did I think I looked sharp – an expression used in those days.  My husband had also layered with vest and a  corduroy jacket.  To top off my suit I was wearing a midi-length coat, while my Mom wore a full-length fur, a gift from my Dad years ago.  She finally had the opportunity to wear it for a very special occasion.  Both of us were warm – until we got out of the car. 

                                            

    You have to understand that I am NOT a hat person, but it was so cold that I had to wear something for protection.  And to mess up my hair was a sacrifice, and I knew that I wouldn’t be taking the hat off, so I agreed to wear one.   

    We had parked the car and were enroute to the cocktail party as we knew that the outdoor inaugural parade had been cancelled and moved indoors.  Due to limited seating, we were unable to attend the inaugural, so we headed to the Rayburn House Office Building.  I turned to snap a photo of my Dad and caught the local police in their winter gear.  Their caps were over their ears and they had snow boots on (see photo below).  But the best part was to come.

    Dad was rather distinguished looking and had always wanted a career in broadcasting.  He didn’t realize his dream of radio, but he did make his mark in the high school band and state band announcing fields, master of ceremonies at WWII Army Reunions, and other events.  For 25 years, he was the “voice” of the Golden Ram Marching Band at Spring-Ford Senior High School in Royersford, PA.  So when a passerby stopped him and asked him if he was “such and such anchor person” and could they have his autograph.  Dad never blinked.  He signed his own name and thanked them!  The people went away happy that they got his autograph!  Here is Dad on the corner of Independence and M Streets, Washington, DC.

                                                                            

    After this photo, we attended the cocktail party which was interesting and of course, with lots of politicians we recognized and most we didn’t.   Of course, we didn’t have cell phones to take quick photos like we have today, and the security was not as intense. Somewhere we have photos with Congressman Schweiker;  I know Mom has them in her albums.  Just to be in that city, during that time was truly amazing.   But time and time again, as Inauguration Day rolls around every four years, I pull out this photo of my Dad and see him near our great Capitol and wonder who has his autograph?

Organizing in the New Year

    At the beginning of each new year, I, like many of my friends, make resolutions, set goals, and sift through a tower of collected papers needing to be filed or shredded.  What is important, what must be saved and what needs to be discarded?  That is the difficult part.

   Last week, we “un-decorated”.  The tree is now packed up and boxed, the ornaments gently wrapped in tissue paper and placed in boxes or returned to their original containers, any wreath or garland that had a battery has been removed, boxed and stored, linens have been cleaned and folded.  The house looks so bland, so dull after all the beautiful colors of the holidays.  At 6pm I was anticipating the wreaths and mantle garlands to turn on automatically and brighten the room with their colorful glow.  But, alas, they are gone until the end of this year.  The candles are still around the house and will remain there as we enjoy the scents from season to season. 

    The hard part was deciding which decorations had finally reached their life expectancy, which ones didn’t fit in with our current “décor” and interest.  Only a few things were tossed, including some artificial holly that was used to brighten an antique aluminum milk box on the front porch.  After several years in the space above the garage where it was warm and also cold, the holly seems to have become brittle with age, and fell apart as I removed it from the porch.  Well done, holly!  You served your purpose and looked lovely next to the sled and skates and will be missed.

    And of course, since I’m the key decorator, it’s hard to put boxes and treasures away exactly as they were the year before.  Maybe I should have taken a photo so that I can replicate it next year?  No, because I’ll find something new and may decide to donate something I can’t use.  This year was a huge donation year and that felt good.  I had a huge bag of decorations, lights, gift bags, holiday cards, tags, dishes, linens, that I donated to an assisted living home nearby.  Some of the residents are unable to get out and I thought this way they would be able to use the holiday items that I could not. 

     And so, the lists have begun.  The Christmas list of items I need for next year;  those items that I don’t.  It helps to have this posted inside the cupboard where the decorations are stored, so that I can’t forget it so easily.  When the snowman cookie jars were returned to their kitchen cupboards and some stored  in the mudroom cabinets above the freezer, I wrote on slips of paper and taped those inside the cabinets to remind me where the other items were.  Now you must realize that this is not a usual place for me to look for any item, so unless I write the contents on another list, I won’t remember!  

    The only drawback I see for next year is that I abbreviated some words, you know how you do that.  My husband can’t read the grocery list as I make up my own abbreviations for our normal food items.  I’ll need another list for words:  i.e., LR – is that living room or laundry room?  Does that mean the left side or the right side?  Oh, this is getting a bit much…..

    Christmas newsletters from every year that we have been married are in a chronologic order in a folder.  Special photos that family and friends sent are included in a folder separated by year dividers.  I even have lists of who sent us cards/photos/newsletters each year on a spreadsheet and can quickly update each year.  There’s also a list of gifts given and received and whether I remembered to send a thank you note. 

    As the seasons change,  I’ll review the lists that are posted in locations at eye level in the house, especially those with the autumn and Christmas décor, and begin to make a  list of things to look for when I am out shopping.  The only problem is that I can’t ever seem to find the list!  Somehow the list gets either swallowed by my purse or hidden in one of the crevices in my wallet where a receipt should have been.  When I get to the store, I can’t find the list! 

    As a planner/programmer for the federal government for many years, my life was a plethora of budgets, spreadsheets, plans, policies, all necessary to run my designated programs.  I was used to work suspenses, data worksheets, reports, and all kinds of computer outputs.

     Now that I’m retired, I’ve taken those computer and organizational skills and adapted them to our lifestyle.  There is a computer list of every doctor appointment, miles, the date, for whom, the reason, all for tax purposes.  The volunteer hours sheet for various organizations.  There is constant updating friends' and family addresses/emails/phones as folks move, retire, and adding their children to their family phone plans.  I have a birthday list, which I keep on the computer, as well as a books read, books want to read list.  By now you can see that I’m the caretaker of the family records, important or miscellaneous.   

    Hmmm, I know I’m organized, but maybe I’m carrying it just a bit too far.  Maybe I should just buy what I want when I see it, be surprised when I open the cupboards and cabinets and “find” items that I haven’t seen in years?  Maybe I should just buy a paperback that looks interesting whether it’s on my “to read” list or not? But that’s not really me.  Time and time again, I’d rather look at a list, even if I can’t find it right now…..oh, wait, where did I put my purse?!