'Tis the Christmas season and just when you thought the family gatherings in South Carolina couldn't get any more interesting, along comes this year's celebration.
In the good old days, it was potlucks with grandmommy's and Aunt Dora's homemade cookin (complete with all the cut pies you could eat). Then it moved to meat-and-three restaurants or K&W-type cafeterias. But this year completely takes the cake (or pie)...
It all started over Thanksgiving, when we held our family gathering at my grandmother's assisted living center in Greenville. We had a nice private room reserved for our group, complete with table service. Lunch was, shall I say, a bit on the salty side (and I love salt, so it was really, really salty), but it was definitely eatable. Eatable? Is that a new word? Definitely edible. Would I have preferred the K&W cafeteria? Probably yes, but again, the point is to visit with my grandmother. The homemade delicious meal comes the next day when my mom cooks back in Charlotte.
But, apparently, others in the family (one of my uncles to be exact), declared that we would no longer eat at the assisted living place. So, the hunt was on for a new location. Keep in mind that we are actually looking for a place in Greenville, which I think of as a fairly big city (as opposed to where my grandmother lived before, which was in Williamston, a very small town). I thought - this should not be difficult.
A week or two passes and my mom receives the new location for the Christmas Eve extravaganza - "K&W," I thought? I had also heard mention of a steakhouse, or maybe a Quincy's (are those around anymore?) or even a Denny's. Let's not be picky - anything mainstream should do just fine.
The verdict is returned and we're to go to a restaurant in Anderson County. For those of you who don't know South Carolina geography - this is the next county over from Greenville, this is not in the city of Greenville, and quite a long ride for my grandmother (the point of it all was to go somewhere close to where she lives). To start with the football analogies (hey, getting into the spirit of bowl season) -- fumble!
So, my mom decided that she would offer up some alternatives that she found in Greenville. When she emailed this suggestion to her brother, this did not go over well. First, he and his wife pulled the old stalling technique. That's where you wait to respond for about seven days, making it harder to change the plans because now there is a time crunch. (We'll equate this to taking a TV time out).
Then, they followed up with the best play of the game. A perfectly mastered plan, like a successful on-side kick run back for a touchdown. They decided that the best option was to stay at the assisted living facility, but since the food wasn't up to snuff and no one wanted to eat there - everyone would bring their own food. Score!
A potluck - so you say? Christmas is just the perfect time for sharing. Gets you into that holiday mood, feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Listening to children join hands and sing; all is right with the world.
Insert record scratch. Ooooh no...this one is "for each his or her own." We were instructed that everyone would be responsible for bringing their own food. The assisted living facility would provide drinks, but we had to bring cups. My dad has a brilliant idea: we'll have a tailgate.
I must admit that it was a a bit on the awkward side, seeing what everyone pulled out of their coolers and containers. Our family, masters of the tailgate - had a perfect meal of fried chicken from Price's Chicken Coop, southern slaw, bean and corn salad from the Laurel Market, and to top it off, banana pudding from Southern Barbecue in Spartanburg. A very delicious meal indeed.
My grandmother was definitely enjoying the tailgate theme - she managed to get samples of all the desserts at the table, so she was very happy! It was another great family visit and it seemed as though both teams won. We'll always be able to talk about the Christmas Eve tailgate, but I definitely don't anticipate it will ever happen again. My mom's already scouting new locations for next year and I think she'll be team captain for this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment