In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Sally Dvorak, Resident
In December 1961, I was living in Bermuda with my new husband, Michael. It was our first Christmas together; my first away from England and my family. I was determined to make the day not only extra special, but also different. Michael and I shared an interest in the planning, preparation, and cooking of food. We planned and prepared a typical English Christmas dinner of roast turkey and all the accompaniments, together with making a Christmas cake, complete with marzipan and royal icing on the top, plum pudding and individual mince pies with hard sauce. By late Christmas Eve, all our carefully prepared dishes were ready in the refrigerator or on the sole counter top of our tiny kitchen. Our plan was to attend church in the morning, take a walk on the beach in the afternoon and eat dinner in the cool of the evening. Imagine our horror on Christmas morning when we entered the kitchen and saw thousands of ants streaming across the ceiling, running down the walls, on the floor and under the foil with which we had covered our lovingly prepared food. We had forgotten Bermuda’s golden rule — never leave food out or the ants will invite all their friends to a party at your expense.Church was forgotten as we cleaned the entire kitchen and brushed the wriggling ants off the food. Hoping to salvage the rest of the day, we were readying to go to Horseshoe Bay for an afternoon walk in the warm sunshine when a great friend from our college days surprised us with a visit. As we sat on the lawn, with its magnificent view over the Great Sound enjoying afternoon tea, our guest remarked on the moistness of the Christmas cake. We hoped the moistness wasn’t due to stray ants! Every Christmas morning for the thirty-three years that we shared, Michael and I laughed about our first Christmas together.
We learned that even the most well-intended plans often go awry.
Man proposes. God disposes. Thy will be done.
