Guess who's coming to dinner...


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Anyone generously hosting STRANGERS at next month's Thanksgiving dinner.

 

For the sake of discussion I am removing finances as an issue ( there is zero requirement the meal needs to be elaborate or expensive)

 

There are lots of reasons not to do so.

Who is opening their home in spite of the reasons not to do that?  And what is motivating you to do so?

 

von

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/16/2017 at 1:21 PM, VonNoble said:

Anyone generously hosting STRANGERS at next month's Thanksgiving dinner.

 

For the sake of discussion I am removing finances as an issue ( there is zero requirement the meal needs to be elaborate or expensive)

 

There are lots of reasons not to do so.

Who is opening their home in spite of the reasons not to do that?  And what is motivating you to do so?

 

von

 

That depends on whether or not, I can loudly proclaim "I pooped today!" right in the middle of dinner. If I'm allowed to do this, it will be a full house, and I'll need to get me one of those "take-a-number" machines....

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On 10/31/2017 at 11:45 AM, cuchulain said:

I don't even want to host my in laws...I can't even imagine hosting strangers.  How does that work, even?  Maybe I am in too rural an area to grasp it.

 

THAT REALLY made me laugh.....thanks so much for that.....I suspect your in-laws and mine are related.   (shhh!) I will deny saying that if asked.   :cheers:

von

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It is proven to me over and over that my parents did not adhere always to traditional ways of doing things.  This is another one of those traditions.  I checked with all my siblings (but the one in Puerto Rico who we cannot contact yet) and sure enough - like me - they are opening their homes to strangers.    Our mom and dad did it every year.  

 

One year it was political refugees....one year some young service men my father just "brought home" .....homeless people ....senior citizens....my dad had a knack for finding large groups of people with no place else to go.   And it was a riot of fun for us kids every year.   We never knew what we would have to eat (you might get turkey, mac & cheese, PB&J, whatever - we never cared.   It was fascinating to hear the stories.   I always looked forward to it.  We all did.  And apparently still do.  

 

This year we will cram our house full of university students stuck at the university over the holiday....and have also invited a group home around the corner.   We haven't met the folks yet - but we will be fun to make their acquaintance over pumpkin pie.    

 

My parents were constantly broke (they had more kids than they could "afford" to be sure.....) but that never stopped them from throwing open the cupboards and using up anything in there to feed people.   Somehow we always had enough.   I was sort of pleased all the siblings (we are NOT alike in many ways)... but in this one thing - it is just family tradition   My one sister said she is loading up on bologna and hotdogs to make sure she can keep food on the buffet line she forms in her dining room.    And HER three kids - who are all now married with children - are ALSO bringing strangers into their homes for the day.   It is nice to see what my folks started.   We have dumped a ton of their traditions but I rather like this one survived. 

von 

 

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9 hours ago, VonNoble said:

It is proven to me over and over that my parents did not adhere always to traditional ways of doing things.  This is another one of those traditions.  I checked with all my siblings (but the one in Puerto Rico who we cannot contact yet) and sure enough - like me - they are opening their homes to strangers.    Our mom and dad did it every year.  

 

One year it was political refugees....one year some young service men my father just "brought home" .....homeless people ....senior citizens....my dad had a knack for finding large groups of people with no place else to go.   And it was a riot of fun for us kids every year.   We never knew what we would have to eat (you might get turkey, mac & cheese, PB&J, whatever - we never cared.   It was fascinating to hear the stories.   I always looked forward to it.  We all did.  And apparently still do.  

 

This year we will cram our house full of university students stuck at the university over the holiday....and have also invited a group home around the corner.   We haven't met the folks yet - but we will be fun to make their acquaintance over pumpkin pie.    

 

My parents were constantly broke (they had more kids than they could "afford" to be sure.....) but that never stopped them from throwing open the cupboards and using up anything in there to feed people.   Somehow we always had enough.   I was sort of pleased all the siblings (we are NOT alike in many ways)... but in this one thing - it is just family tradition   My one sister said she is loading up on bologna and hotdogs to make sure she can keep food on the buffet line she forms in her dining room.    And HER three kids - who are all now married with children - are ALSO bringing strangers into their homes for the day.   It is nice to see what my folks started.   We have dumped a ton of their traditions but I rather like this one survived. 

von 

 

I can fully respect and appreciate that tradition, I just don't know that I have the courage to do such a thing.  It is very Socratic, that is, living as a citizen of the world, and treating everyone as your brother(or sister).  I applaud.

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19 minutes ago, cuchulain said:

I can fully respect and appreciate that tradition, I just don't know that I have the courage to do such a thing.  It is very Socratic, that is, living as a citizen of the world, and treating everyone as your brother(or sister).  I applaud.

There is no reason for others to chose this system :rolleyes:  we just grew up with it.    Only as I age -  do I continuously see our childhood was not not normal:D which is neither good or bad.

 

We just never knew another way of things.  We did not live near any family so they just invited in a family-of-the day sort of thing.  Most of my siblings live too far away to see one another much any more so the adopt strangers tradition just stayed in play.

 

von

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On 11/2/2017 at 12:48 PM, mark 45 said:

we invite people to come,if they wish.this year we will have a couple of"new"guests.yes we know all of them,but they are free to invite someone else(just let us know so we can set up an extra plate.)

Same basic idea.....and good for you....

 

I suspect MANY people welcome extras into their home often unexpectedly....a kid shows up with a friend unexpectedly or....surprise everyone this is my finance ......or whatever....that is the same general train of thought.    All of which is a bravo moment in my view.   Highly social people seem to find a way to gather.   

Less social people might wait to be asked.    

 

My mother used to laugh and say my father NEVER knew a stranger.  Everyone was instantly his friend.  That might be so. 

He was a good man and a great dad.  If he ever had an enemy I never knew about it.   (other than me during my rebellious teenage years) ;)

von 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Since my far-flung family will not be together.... we always try and have one thing we ALL do....a “theme” item for lack of a better word... we photograph “ our” family of the day (whoever is gathered at our various homes) and send it to the other siblings to have a together moment of sorts.   THIS YEAR....we will each be including a Thank You Puerto Rico poster.... as the kindness of the citizens there saved our eldest brother ( who resides there as a permanent resident).....

 

Bt happenstance in enlisting any help possible for news.... all of us siblings...independent of one another.... visited with transplant Puerto Rican’s (all of whom did what they could to help us)......in my case a couple young people at a nearby military base and three university students stuck in the dorms over the holidays....you better believe we are inviting them to our homes.... i’m Thinking our annual photo this year might feature a flag or two from Puerto Rico :russian:

von

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