Day 209

12/10/22

Tonight was a special night in our neighborhood! It was the 23rd Annual Christian Hill Progressive Dinner! This event started back in 1999 and has been going strong for all these years. During the pandemic, we shifted to a Secret Santa format, but we still kept the spirit of the event in our hearts.

Christian Hill is one of the areas in Anoka where, historically, most of the churches were built. Over the years, many of the congregations built new buildings in other areas of town, but the name remains today.

Growing up in the house on the corner, I have seen so many changes on Christian Hill, but the heart of our neighborhood still beats strongly!

There is usually a theme each year to guide the party as we go from house to house eating amazing foods along the way. One year, we chose the decades. The first house had a "soup kitchen" where we arrived to find huge barrels of wood burning brightly in the front yard of the home. We gathered around the fires and were brought soup in tin cans with bread to dip into the warm liquid. Before we left, there was even a small display of fireworks! (I do remember a police car driving slowly by, stopping, staring and driving off. We must have looked pretty harmless!)

The next house that year was a speak easy. They had fashioned the front door with a sliding peep hole. When you knocked, a small opening would appear and you were observed with a pair of eyes. When asked the password, we took a guess and were allowed entrance. The entire house was decorated in the style of the 1920's with a menu to match! What a night!

As we gathered at the four homes on the dinner tour tonight, I was constantly asked how the goldens were doing. One new neighbor recognized me from my walks by her house while another newer resident compared stories about her own golden mix. Dogs were a topic of discussion throughout the evening. Of course, the people on Christian Hill all seem to be dog-lovers!

At the last house each year, after dessert, a toast is offered and all of us lift a glass to the blessings of the year behind us and the hopes for the year ahead. It is a very special moment.

Though I have seen the residents change during my Progressive Dinner participation (I have lived on the hill longer than ANYONE!), the essence of the people and the close bonds remain. We never forget those who have moved to new places and they fill our hearts with warm memories on this special night.

Through heartache, joys, sickness, celebrations and everyday life, this band of amazing individuals forms a bond of trust and support. How lucky I am to be one of the diners at this yearly event. My smile continues to remain on my face even when we have all walked back to our homes. I love my neighborhood!