First, let's get the business piece of the newsletter out of the way. We are offering $30 gift cards for $25, this holiday season. There are no gimmicks like the large chains who are offering a free $5 gift card that must be redeemed in January. Our $30 card can be redeemed whenever you wish. To order by phone, call 445-5700 on or before December 17th to guarantee you receive your card before Christmas.

We will be using the US Postal service to mail these out and they will be contained in an envelope and card holder suitable to re gift. You can also pick  them up at the Dine-ah during our normal business hours and up until 5 pm on Christmas eve. Please note, the Dine-ah will close at 2 pm for meals on December 24th but will remain open until 5 pm for gift card purchases.

I encourage all of you to buy one or two if you would like to support a Maine locally owned business who has put their heart and soul into providing high quality home cooked meals in a pleasant and warm atmosphere.

This past Monday afternoon we all got a chance to meet Devi Brooklyn Lahkia for the first time in person. She is all, as cute as, she looks in the pictures! But I must share with you, she did not like the car seat and the ride back from the airport. Once free to move and wiggle, she went right back to the calm, smiley faced, energetic little ball of love, as we all know her. It was funny because Leslie said she'd calm right down once we started moving, until she realized that the ride in my Suburban on US roads was quite different, than the ride in her Alto on the rural roads of India.

We went out to eat in Portland and Devi was an angel the whole time. We all had a nice visit at Steve and Priscilla's house before we headed back to Palermo. Leslie and Devi will be coming up Thursday (today) and will be visiting for a couple of days. I have cleared my schedule but actually it says "LESLIE" on the 5th and 6th. Hopefully, we can sit around the fire at camp and just get to know one another, just a little bit better. This will be a break that I need so much and maybe Leslie can get a little rest also. If you find me responding to my emails it will be because they are both sleeping and I will be trying to keep caught up on my work.    

          Devi getting to know Bumpa Norm and Leslie's other Dad, Grampie Steve!
           (sorry ladies, did not have any photos of the grandmothers at this time)   

Thanksgiving at the Elvin camp went as smooth as smooth could be. Teresa did the lions share of the cooking and my mother in law Sandra and Teresa's sister Rhonda chipped in once they arrived. Us men did what we do best, watching football, until the call for dinner came! I did my part by washing all the dishes as my mother in law Sandra did the drying and the other ladies put the dishes away.  As I have said in the past, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because it seems we still celebrate the true meaning of what the holiday stands for, giving thanks.

Thanksgiving morning, Derek, Kyle and I headed to the Dine-ah at 4:30 am to cook 15 turkeys for the community Thanksgiving dinner held at the Red Barn later that afternoon. A little later that morning, we were joined by Mary Nickerson, one of my adult staff members at the China Dine-ah Too this past summer, and between the four of us we cut, carved and hand picked the 15 birds in time enough to be on the road by 9 am with approximately 125 pounds of pure freshly cooked turkey meat. We placed the turkey meat on platters and in coolers and delivered them to the Red Barn ready to serve. Although I left at noontime to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, the day went off without a hitch. Approximately 175 meals were delivered and another several hundred meals were served right at the restaurant. It is also my understanding that approximately 75 volunteers were involved. Great job Red Barn, Laura, Peter, Alicia and all the volunteers.