For months we had been planning a "misfit" Christmas, a Christmas dinner for anyone who found themselves alone for Christmas.
We had a plan... make a meal... invited people.... enjoy... It was simple.
The plan worked well! We had people respond! People were coming! Other people wanted to provide food, desserts, anything else we needed. The response was incredible! Local eateries on our Beloved Ottawa street asked us to pick up food, a lovely woman pulled up in our driveway with a HUGE box of squares and made me tear up with her generosity. We picked up chairs and a coffee urn from a local funeral home... really... amazing people live all over our city!
It is now February and when people ask where we live or inquire info about us in conversation we have found it easier to just say "We are the people who had Christmas for anyone alone" they then know exactly who we are :)
We plan to do this again and again. A tradition my husband grew up knowing as normal.
When he was growing up his Dad's best friend and this man's wife held open houses on Christmas day. There was food... TONS of food, holiday decor and he remembers LOT'S of people coming and going. We have spent many of our Christmas evenings at their home for dessert since we have been married. This year we decided to start our own revolving door Christmas, to open our home to those alone and it is all thanks to them! They will tell you they have done nothing to inspire this... but they did!
We also had very special helper's this year who made our little gathering possible! In November I was re-united with my biological mother and met my "little" sister. So it was only natural to have them over for Christmas! We had a great time getting to know each other and showing them a piece of our amazing neighbourhood.
We have so many thing's planned for 2017! Our neighbour's have been invited for monthly potluck's, we host an unschooling group at our home who will be providing a FOOD IS FREE garden for our neighbours, I am hosting a coffee hour for our newest resident's and our local resident's to get to know each other. My husband says there is so much more brewing in this brain of mine and he is right! CANNOT wait to see what unfolds!
We had a plan... make a meal... invited people.... enjoy... It was simple.
The plan worked well! We had people respond! People were coming! Other people wanted to provide food, desserts, anything else we needed. The response was incredible! Local eateries on our Beloved Ottawa street asked us to pick up food, a lovely woman pulled up in our driveway with a HUGE box of squares and made me tear up with her generosity. We picked up chairs and a coffee urn from a local funeral home... really... amazing people live all over our city!
It is now February and when people ask where we live or inquire info about us in conversation we have found it easier to just say "We are the people who had Christmas for anyone alone" they then know exactly who we are :)
We plan to do this again and again. A tradition my husband grew up knowing as normal.
When he was growing up his Dad's best friend and this man's wife held open houses on Christmas day. There was food... TONS of food, holiday decor and he remembers LOT'S of people coming and going. We have spent many of our Christmas evenings at their home for dessert since we have been married. This year we decided to start our own revolving door Christmas, to open our home to those alone and it is all thanks to them! They will tell you they have done nothing to inspire this... but they did!
We also had very special helper's this year who made our little gathering possible! In November I was re-united with my biological mother and met my "little" sister. So it was only natural to have them over for Christmas! We had a great time getting to know each other and showing them a piece of our amazing neighbourhood.
We have so many thing's planned for 2017! Our neighbour's have been invited for monthly potluck's, we host an unschooling group at our home who will be providing a FOOD IS FREE garden for our neighbours, I am hosting a coffee hour for our newest resident's and our local resident's to get to know each other. My husband says there is so much more brewing in this brain of mine and he is right! CANNOT wait to see what unfolds!
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