Story by Sarah Hawthorne
Photos by Nancy Rubin and Pat Carvalho
On Thanksgiving Day Ashby Village came together as a community to celebrate the holiday in a special way. Arriving guests were escorted to tables draped in white linen table cloths and found their names on place cards beside beautiful china settings. The tables were arranged in a way that everyone could see everyone else (just like a big family dinner!).
And the food! No casual buffet here! Guests sat comfortably in their chairs, and were served "Downton Abbey" style all the traditional foods of the holiday, from turkey, to many kinds of salad, to potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, to multiple vegetables. The meal was topped off with plenty of desserts, including healthy fresh fruit or decadent pumpkin and gluten-free pecan pie.
When it was time to eat, members and volunteers chatted and laughed together - a rare opportunity to relax and just enjoy each other's company with nothing else going on. Folks creatively answered the question: "Share a favorite memory from your childhood". Many memories, from nostalgic to humorous, were shared.
Several members enthusiastically commented "This is EXACTLY why I joined Ashby Village! This feels like a real community!"