As is the custom at the New Horizons Club, the annual Robbie Burns Celebration was planned and everyone was looking forward to it. It had been an extremely cold week, and when the seniors arrived they found a very cold hall. The furnace wasn't working and help would not be available for a few days, at least.
Usually the hall is set up with tables, and everyone is comfortable seated for a meal of soup and haggis. The soup was made, and it was either come up with some alternate ways of doing things, or throw the soup out. I did hear that phrase used, but I'm sure someone would have managed to save it from such a fate.
The community centre is very old, and happens to have two distinct parts. It turned out that while the furnace wasn't heating the side we normally use, there was at least electrical heat on the other side. A decision was made to set the chairs up in there, row upon row. There was no room for tables.
There was a piper, as usual, and this year we had a couple of little girls from the Andrea Goral School of Highland Dancing perform for us. I'm not sure anyone beyond the first row was able to see anything, but the members gave them a good round of applause anyway. The haggis was piped in and addressed in grand style, by John Sullivan then carted off again to be cut up and served.
The soup found it's way into mugs this year, as that was a much safer way to eat it without tables, and sitting elbow to elbow. The haggis and a bun were put into the soup bowls and served as a second course. Following that we had cake and then tea or coffee. Then Coral Lindsay filled us all in on the life and times of Robbie Burns. Apparently he was prolific in more ways than one.
While the day didn't turn out quite as planned, it still was an enjoyable one.
Usually the hall is set up with tables, and everyone is comfortable seated for a meal of soup and haggis. The soup was made, and it was either come up with some alternate ways of doing things, or throw the soup out. I did hear that phrase used, but I'm sure someone would have managed to save it from such a fate.
The community centre is very old, and happens to have two distinct parts. It turned out that while the furnace wasn't heating the side we normally use, there was at least electrical heat on the other side. A decision was made to set the chairs up in there, row upon row. There was no room for tables.
The soup found it's way into mugs this year, as that was a much safer way to eat it without tables, and sitting elbow to elbow. The haggis and a bun were put into the soup bowls and served as a second course. Following that we had cake and then tea or coffee. Then Coral Lindsay filled us all in on the life and times of Robbie Burns. Apparently he was prolific in more ways than one.
While the day didn't turn out quite as planned, it still was an enjoyable one.
Hooray for Canadian resourcefulness!
ReplyDelete