Chiroman8

Dear Jerry,

Thank you for taking me back to another time and place, and thanks for the memories. I wish I would have known you came from a small family because you would have been invited to my wife's home for the holidays, we would have just taken out one more card table !
Also we lived in northern New Jersey so you weren't that far away from us .As a side note, my wife & I went to our home in NH one year (just the two of us) but it didn't seem like Thanksgiving without the rest of our crew!
Hope you have an a great holiday wherever you are.
Pax

PS
I now work with homeless people where I live now. What a God given gift to do that type of work and the rewards are tremendous to say the least !!

BrianFlaherty Loc: Wilseyville, CA

During the 30 years, I was married, we often went to Chicago for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. . .And, a number of times we ate The Big Meal at one of my brothers-in- law's school cafeteria. Brother Michael was a Christian Brother; and, Principal of a high school. . .And, we had access to his school for the festivities: the cafeteria (and, kitchen); the gym for the obligatory basketball (and, touch football) games [Indoors; if the weather prohibited. . And, outdoors if weather permitted].
There were so many tables in the cafeteria that "kids' tables" and "grown-up tables" were never an issue! <smile>

And, the school was a NECESSITY to accommodate the several hundred members of my wife's Irish/Slovak/American, Catholic extended family! [For me, it was especially fun and exciting (Like something out of a Hollywood script) because my parents were "single" children with no siblings. . .Hence, I brought no aunts, uncles or cousins to our personal family gatherings!]

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

Jerry, when you were at the big folks table, were you ever told to "be quiet for awhile and let others have a chance to talk"? I hope you and your son have a wonderful meal.

HOHIMER

Yes I sat at a kids table at all family functions growing up. We had large families. My Mother was one of 14. My Father one of 8 and I was one of 8 (4 boys and 4 girls). Thanksgiving and Christmas was a wonderful time for us. At some meals there would be 45 total mouths to feed...all related to each other. One table could not hold all of us. The food, brought by each family (pot-luck style), was placed on a group of tables and we lined up to pass by and select what we wanted to eat. Second passes were permitted and welcome. After selecting your food you then went to the adult or kids tables, based on your age. We had to rent the tables and chairs to have enough.

cyan Loc: Northern NJ

Well, I sat at the kids table (in the '50s). Actually, if I sat at the 'adults table', it probably wouldn't have been so interesting.

Bret P Loc: California

Yup, always had kid's table at big family gatherings and weddings.
Usually a folding card table and sometimes in another room.