Ramona
By JESSICA GILBERT
Ramona correspondent
(785) 965-2621
Thanksgiving time always generates lots of news as people have guests at their home or take to the road to visit family.
My mother's home is the gathering place for our family these days because our guest houses were rented and Mom's house has the biggest dining room. The day before Thanksgiving I had the perfect day — leisurely cooking new recipes in my little kitchen, while my favorite jazz music played, and there wasn't a deadline or commitment in sight, except cooking.
We started out simple — just pumpkin pie for dessert. But then I saw this amazing recipe in a new cookbook my cousin Becky gave me — a buttery pie crust piled with apples, cranberries, raisins, and nuts. Oh my, I had to try that recipe. And then I found another magazine recipe for pumpkin pecan pie. Oh yes! I had to make that one. And then Pat found a chocolate pie recipe she just had to try. And finally I saw a gorgeous picture of baked apples, individually wrapped in pastry. "Let's do that too!" my sister and I enthused.
We had so many desserts that we had to dedicate one table to just sweets. And when I saw them all displayed around a centerpiece of candles, I pronounced, "Oh yes! It looks good! And I think we have enough for 40 people
We made lots of toasts around the Thanksgiving table this year. The first was a toast to longevity because gathered around our table were my mother's sister, Anna, who recently turned 100, my mom who will be 90 this weekend, and her sister Frieda, who makes me promise never to print her age. Our neighbor, Tony Meyer, was at the table too, and in a couple of months he'll be 95.
Next we toasted "young love" because we're watching the younger generation (in their 20s) fall in love and get hitched. A family wedding was happening two days after Thanksgiving. We'd invited my cousins, Becky and Ken Peoples and their family to Thanksgiving because they've been immersed in wedding planning for several months since their middle son, Kyle, was getting married on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. "Don't think about cooking," we said. "We'll do all that."
A year ago the wedding couple, Brooke and Kyle, asked me to be their wedding coordinator, which meant that I was in Wichita once a week for several weeks as all the details were put in place. It was a delightful weekly ritual because after wedding errands were done, my cousin, Becky, and I would go out to eat and just have fun together.
All the planning and work culminated in a weekend of events — from rehearsal to reception. And Sunday morning I sat in Ken and Becky's hotel room and reminisced on the best parts of the celebration. I loved the chocolate mustaches everyone was wearing because they were really enjoying the chocolate fountain that was a focal point of the reception. Ken relished playing for his son's wedding dance — he brought his band, The Nightwatchmen, to perform during the reception. "I thought I was going to lose it when I saw all three of my sons all dressed in tuxedos and looking so handsome," admitted Becky, who was equipped with Kleenex but never had to use it.
Becky, who's stance in life as mother of three sons, has been "Be prepared," wasn't one to sit on the sidelines and watch the wedding unfold. She had snacks. She knows what her sons like to eat, plus there were five of their friends — all trapped in a dressing room for two hours before the wedding began. Becky knew they'd need to eat!
And of course, Becky brought her sewing kit so she was prepared for emergencies. I figured she was secretly gratified when three of the guys lost buttons just getting their shirts on. At one point I found Becky in the church lobby, sitting beside my mother, sewing on mom's skirt hem. "My hem just suddenly fell out, so Becky's fixing it," said my amazed mother.
For me one of the funniest moments of the wedding came at the rehearsal dinner when everyone was invited to walk through the buffet and the groom and his brothers and friends (who had been at one table together obviously enjoying male camaraderie) rushed up to the food, as though they were ravished 10-year-olds who'd just spent all their energy on a game of tag football. Food was all that was on their minds!
They began piling their plates high with fried chicken and mashed potatoes, and when I saw the groom he was at the head of the line, with all his buddies behind him.
"So where's your bride?" I teased. I saw this look on the groom's face, the look of recognition that a shift had taken place, and he was still getting used to the feel of it. But for one last moment, girlfriends, fiancés, and brides took a back seat to food!
Food is the theme for Thanksgiving time. I asked Frances Buxman if they did anything other than eat on Thanksgiving Day and she laughed and said, "That was enough for me! There were 28 of us and everyone was here except my son, Scott, and one granddaughter from Arkansas."
I thought Frances would be the winner of "Who had the most folks at their table" contest that I secretly hold every Thanksgiving. But I talked with Orvell Brunner and she reported 28 at their table, so this year it looks like a tie between the Buxmans and the Brunners.
Usually Warren and Paula Fike win the competition with somewhere around 50 people, but this year they had their Thanksgiving celebration the first weekend of November.
"It was the beginning of hunting season and so we got together here at the house. I forgot to count," she said with a chuckle.
The Brunner family gathered at Tracy and Yvonne's place for Thanksgiving this year. "Oh, she had one long table where we all sat and we even had cloth napkins — we don't usually have that. It was really nice," enthused Orvell.
If there was a Thanksgiving miracle, I figured this would qualify, because I happened to see Yvonne a few days before Thanksgiving and she was waiting to get the countertops for her kitchen cupboards in their new home. Alas, without countertops, where would she prepare Thanksgiving dinner for nearly 30?
But the countertops arrived, the dinner was remarkable, and several days later, Yvonne's mother-in-law was still enjoying the elegance of linen napkins.
Marlene and Reign Anduss went to Hesston to their daughter Marsha's home. "There were 27 people there, with seven grandkids and nine great-grandkids," said Marlene.
Two of the Andusses great-grandchildren were born recently on Nov. 15 within hours of each other, and both were girls. "We got to be at both births," said Marlene. "The first one weighed 5.9 pounds and was born at 12:07 p.m. in Newton. Then we rushed to Wichita and were there when the second baby arrived at 4 p.m., weighing 8.9 pounds."
This Thanksgiving celebration was quite an occasion for the Anduss family. "We celebrated three birthdays and had three baby showers along with Thanksgiving dinner," said Marlene. "At one point we laid all the new grandbabies on the couch next to each other — the largest was the grandson born last month and the smallest was our little 'preemie' weighing 5.9."
At Fred and Marguerite Utech's house there were about 30 on Saturday following Thanksgiving. All three of their children were there — Jeannetta Hanschu of Ramona and Marlon and Garland and families — everybody but one grandson from Oregon.
"Our grandson, Jeff Braden, Jennifer's husband, brought the turkeys this year," said Marguerite. "They were smoked and tasted wonderful."
Al and Darlene Sondergard spent the holiday with Kay and family in Hope and all the family was there. The count was 22.
Other special news is a new great grandbaby born Nov. 26 at Fort Riley to the Sondergards' granddaughter, Mary. Proud parents are Chad and Mary Evans. Chad is serving in Iraq and will be home for Christmas to see his new daughter. "The baby has the most unusual name — Ryleigh," said Grandma Darlene.
Jeannie Goza (formerly Jeannie Weber) celebrated Thanksgiving in Missouri with her daughter Amber and family. Amber graduated from basic training Nov. 17.
"We cooked Thanksgiving dinner in the hotel room," said Jeannie. "I cooked a turkey ahead of time and other family members made Mississippi mud cake, homemade candy, and chicken and noodles. In basic training Amber didn't get food like that! Folks in the hotel smelled the scent of turkey and joked about when dinner was going to be served."
Jeannie was extremely proud of her daughter's accomplishments at Ft. Leonardwood. "Amber got to lead the soldiers in the Soldier's Creed and she received the Commanding General's Award for overall performance in boot camp," said Jeannie.
Also attending the ceremony was Amber's husband, Fito Lopez Herrera, and their young son, Michael, from Emporia. Amber's father, Ronald Ricketts also was present, along with other family members.
"The graduation was awesome and very high-spirited," said Jeannie. "I wanted to cry because my little girl was all grown up and has really made something of herself. Out of 113 privates, Amber was one of five who received special recognition. And Amber received the highest award!"
Betty and Harold Ohm had Thanksgiving a week early when Brenda and Steve Heuton were in Ramona. "Then they went to Carroll, Iowa, for Thanksgiving where they used to live. Steve's step-mom lives there and they have lots of friends there, too."
The Heutons' two sons joined their parents in Iowa, but didn't tell their folks that they were secretly planning a 30th wedding anniversary party for them on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Betty drove to Kansas City Nov. 18 and traveled with her daughter Jackie, and husband, Brad, to Iowa. Daughter, JoAnn and family came down from Milwaukee, too. "JoAnn came home with me on Sunday and she's here until Dec. 9," said Betty. "It's so wonderful to have her here. She's going to help me put up Christmas decorations."
Harold stayed at home because of his health issues. Virginia and Brian Lewis, and their young son, Brandon, stayed at the Ohms' to take care of Harold so Betty could go to the family celebration.
"Oh, everything looked so pretty when we drove into town Sunday night," said Betty. "The town trees are just beautiful." Betty was commenting on the decorating done Sunday afternoon on the big town tree and neighboring buildings.
The city council agreed to meet Sunday to decorate Main Street. Art Stroda cut down a dozen small trees to surround the large "town tree" that we always decorate. Rather than run the trees down Main Street, as we've done previously, we circled the large town tree and made one big presentation. While city maintenance man Don Matkins, drove the city tractor, Jayme Brunner and Derek Summers jumped in the bucket and put lights and bows on the big tree. Art directed from the ground. Angel Harold and I wrapped packages to go around the tree. Mayor Wick and Tooltime Tim were replacing bulbs and getting the toy train to twinkle again before it was placed under the tree.
Jeannie Goza made everything bright when she put music out on Main Street to bring the Christmas spirit to life. "I have hot chocolate, cookies, coffee, and punch," she announced when the decorating team arrived.
Jeannie also gathered some of the town kid together, and with the help of Jennifer Staatz, they decorated pine cones to hang on the small trees.
Art Stroda started a week ago repairing the stars that hang on the city light poles and we stood in childlike awe when night drew near and the stars and the trees all began to twinkle in the darkness.
The afternoon was one of those idyllic moments — the kind you read about in stories or dream about when you think of the holidays — where everyone worked together and brought their Christmas spirit, their talents, their resources together and made magic.
And that's the news from Ramona where it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and a traffic jam is two parked cars and a dog in the road.
