Christmas Dinner '12

One of the amazing things about Valle Del Oro is their holiday uber pot luck dinners. Yesterday Gramma, Becca and I headed over to the huge ballroom for Christmas dinner. Our favorite outside decoration is the inflatable Santa RV. That door closes then opens as Santa pops out.

The outside trees and bushes are seriously decorated for the season

Here is how it they organize it. Several weeks ago the park residents are invited to the patio to sign up. You are assigned a table number and certain items to contribute to your table's pot luck. This time we were to bring salad and rolls for a dozen. Last night our table number was 12. One of the reasons for the sign up is so the kitchen staff can purchase and prepare adequate servings of the main course.

Below you see Becca seated at 12B. Behind her is the serving table for Tables 12 A& B. Table 12 A is behind the serving table. The residents brought all manner of covered dishes and salads. VDO prepared ham for the hundreds of us you see in the bg.

There is a timetable, sort of. Place settings can't be put out before noon. (But we have discovered that if you don't get over there by 11, all of the best spots are taken).  Social hour begins at 3--bring your own beverage. Dinner begins at 4. Well, at 4 the MC begins the program with some jokes, some applauding the kitchen staff and volunteers. Then a prayer is offered, which we really appreciate. About 4:20 the wagons of ham stream out of the kitchen area and leave a large pan of sliced ham at the head of each serving table. Then the Host and Hostess of the table give instructions for filing around the serving table. Remarkably a 1000 folks have filled their plates and have taken their seats by 4:40.

The ham was delicious. The covered dishes are prepared and brought by couples from around the US and Canada. I wish they had little labels saying what they were. Some were obvious. Some not so much. At the dessert table I was able to ask a lady about an interesting dish. It was a Butterscotch Tort. Pretty good.

Gramma, Becca and I were full and happy. We rode our bikes and scooter home. VDO had provided a well planned,  fun and satisfying Christmas dinner.