Chili night at Uncle Herbie's farm

After visits with Great Aunt Jo and the local cemetery's we headed over to my Great Uncle Herbie's farm. Uncle Herbie passed away a few years ago but his children continue a tradition started years ago in which the entire family comes over to the farm and has a chili dinner every Sunday night. These dinners can have 20 to 30 or more people in attendance every week. Extended family members (like ourselves) are invited to join as well. Missing a chili night is unexceptable for the imediate family! Everyone brings an empty mayo jar with them and they take leftover chili home with them for Monday's lunch. Since there are only seating for 10 people everyone has to rotate and eat whereever there happen's to be a place to stand or sit. Mattie was very excited when it was her turn to sit at the "magic table" as the littles ones like to call the cutting board that pulls out of the counter. It was really great to see some of my cousins that I haven't seen in years as well as my Aunt Helen. Before we ate, Cousin Herbie took Mattie and I out to see all the sheep, geese, cows and chickens. It was so fun out by the sheep having Herbie call the sheep in to us. "Here Sheepy, sheepy!". All the sheep know his voice and they came running up to all of us. Soon were were surounded by 20 or more sheep all baaaing and looking for a free meal! What fun. A big thank you to all our Beaver Dam cousins who made us fell... well, part of the family! I hope we get a chance to make another visit some day soon.







Mattie at "The Magic Table":



Notice all the empty mayo jars on the counter?