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Active Adult Living Del Webb Communities

Community Dinners: We Are Family

Today is Thanksgiving and we went to dinner at the clubhouse of our Active Adult Community.

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COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER – THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23th – 1:00PM
For those of us at Deaton Creek that are unable to be with family for the Holiday, we will once again have our very own Deaton Creek Family Dinner! For $6.00 per person VDC will supply all the Turkey. The rest of all the traditional fixin’s will come from all of you who attend, Pot-Luck style! When you get your ticket for this event, let us know what you plan to bring. (Mashed Potatoes? Veggies? Dressing? Gravy? Rolls? Pumpkin Pie? Salad? Etc…) that way, we will know all the traditional (and some untraditional) goodies are all available for a real Thanksgiving FEAST! Nobody should ever spend the Holidays alone, please encourage the friends and neighbors you know, that will not be with family, to attend this annual event. PLEASE,

PLEASE, PLEASE make enough food for 10-15, or more, people for the potluck. This will ensure a terrific Thanksgiving Feast! If you are UNABLE to make anything to bring, please still attend! If you need any assistance at all, including transportation, please let us know. We will get you here and home safely. Let’s start putting together an amazing menu! If you want to decorate your table and bring your own dishes and silverware please be sure to let the front desk know. Residents only, up to 4 tickets, per household. If you are a single person you may bring one guest with you. You can start decorating your table any time after 4PM on Wednesday, Nov. 22nd.

Friends Are Family

We sat at table 16 not knowing who we would be sitting with.  I could have looked at the table assignment sheet when purchasing our tickets to see would be at our table, but I thought it would be nice to meet new people. We have been here two years now, but we still run into plenty of folks who we just have never met or who recently moved it.

At our table we dined with Brian and Anne, who we have have met before.  Brian used to be in charge of the Creative Writers Group which I attended for a while and Anne is in another club which I am a member.  It was nice seeing them. They come to the clubhouse for Thanksgiving every other year, rotating a visit with family the other year.

To my right was Sharon and Howard who just moved to our community two months ago. This community has been sold out for a year now, so they bought a resale.  They are New Yorkers coming from a 15 year stay in Florida to be near their son which lives in the metro area. Sharon was very excited about living here and we exchanged information about clubs and activities. They wanted to come meet some more people in their new community  and not to have to hit the road.

I spoke with several friends while there. Larry, our friend now for several years going all the way back to when we met them at the Shag Dance Club at Neimos in Norcross was there.  Larry administers “Larry’s Pickleball Group” which I belong to. His wife Dorothy was not feeling well today, so Larry came down by himself, but took Dorothy a plate back home.

I said hi to Henry, and to Dave, and met Betty’s son. It was pleasurable and relaxing to be among friends, old and new. It’s like being part of a big family.

Enough Food

The turkey was provided and everyone brought a salad, side or dessert. I must say it was quite tasty. They invited us back for seconds but the first time was enough, because we still had to hit the dessert table. We even got a plate to go.

Thanksgiving community dinner
Thanksgiving community dinner

At two o’clock I was like, I’m stuffed and I never want to eat again. At 5:30pm, I’m like let’s heat up our plates.

Well at least after super tonight, that was it for the Thanksgiving leftovers, which is fine with me.

In the two  years we have been here, we have also been to a Valentine Dinner and a Christmas Dinner at the clubhouse as well. There are parties for other holidays as well.

Having community dinners is a real benefit of living in a 55+ Retirement Community. There is really no need to worry about where to go for Holiday dinners, there is always a place here for you. It’s nice to be so close to home and not have to get in traffic. Preparing a side or two takes a little time but nothing like preparing a full Thanksgiving dinner.  All in all, not a bad deal.

 

 

By Robert Fowler

Robert Fowler is President of Retirement Media Inc. and publisher of 55CommunityGuide.com. Robert and his wife Mary Ann live at Village at Deaton Creek, a Del Webb Community in North Georgia. Robert has visited many 55+ Active Adult Communities and blogs about Active Adult Community Living.

One reply on “Community Dinners: We Are Family”

Thanks for Robert to write such a good article on the opportunity to have holiday dinners with neighbor friends and neighbors. 55+ Communities do provide a ready support network that is really hard to develop on your own. Any over 55 person not near family could benefit.

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