The great Potato Salad Adventure, 2006

The great Potato Salad Adventure went very smoothly today.  Somewhere between 50 and 60 gallons were made.  And we were done with everything, including the cleaning up, by 2:15.  For the uninformed, it is a yearly ritual that the Yoder families participate in.  The potato salad is for the Central Christian School Festival that is always held on the third Saturday of May.  If you want more information, you need to go to
The Roblog
(And you will find out all you need to know and maybe a little bit more!)
 It was a splendid day, but wowser!  Am I tired tonight.  I didn’t feel it too much until I got home, but I have a feeling that I wasn’t the only one!

Aunt Gladys with part of the pile of potatoes before anyone else really got started.
Favorite saying:  “I wonder if we have as many potatoes this year as we did the other years”
(WE DID, Aunt Gladys, WE DID!!!)

This is our youngest cousin on the Yoder side of the family, Naomi.  She was there from the beginning until maybe five minutes before the last dish was dried.  She brought delectable garden tea, and we drank volumes of it.  She went home to make 15 pie crusts for Strawberry pies, some regular pies and to mix up the batter for the funnel cakes.  Ah, Naomi-girl.  I am sincerely hoping that the fact that you have your youth on your side is helpful to you tonight, but I don’t envy you one bit. I am hoping that someone comes to help you! 
In the background is Uncle Jesse with Son in law, Maynard.  Uncle Jesse did the work of two men today, running and fetching and unloading and loading, taking the lunch order to the sub shop, then going back to get it when it was ready, filling in wherever a helping hand was needed.  He didn’t frown or fuss (too much) and when he prayed at lunch time, I could hear my Daddy’s voice.  Thank you, Uncle Jesse!!! It was good to have you there.

This is “THE POTATO SALAD CREW, 2006”
Front row, left to right is Shirley, Aunt Gladys, Mama, Me. 
Back row is Andrea, Naomi, Sarah, Alma, Rachel and Deborah.
~~And of course, there are those who don’t begin to know who belongs to whom.  So, Shirley and Naomi are Aunt Gladys’s daughters, and Andrea is Shirley’s only daughter (with six older brothers!) and Naomi has only sons.  (Five of them, in fact.).  Alma and Sarah are my sisters, and their daughters couldn’t make it today.  Rachel and Deborah are mine and Certain Man’s daughters.  Eldest Daughter is still in Florida, and couldn’t be here, though she dearly loves to participate in these things. We usually have a few others who help out who weren’t able to be there, and YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.  (In case you didn’t know, we missed you.)

This is another view of the crew, with a slight change.  Shirley has her eyes open, and that is good. And if you are wondering about the look on Sarah’s face and the holding up of the hand, well, She just had carpel tunnel surgery and we had to keep her under control today.  She still did more than she should have.  We needed to document the bandage for posterity. 

I have dragged my daughters to this event for over a decade now, I think.  And they have gone from grudging presence to not wanting to miss it.  Youngest Daughter actually took a free day from school today so she could help.  Middle Daughter, shown here, is helping me to shred potatoes.  We needed every hand we had today, and I am so thankful for Andrea, Deborah and Rachel and the help they gave us.
A bunch of old ladies~making potato salad like there IS a tomorrow.
Festival, Festival, here it comes!