that was the count at last year’s
dinner, the biggest attendance ever,
Cindy Simpson says. Like the Pilgrims
once crammed aboard the Mayflower,
the couple uses every inch of space
to seat everyone at tables and chairs,
which they borrow from their church,
St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian
on Market Street. In good weather, the
Simpsons seat guests outside on the deck,
but during inclement weather, the
home’s three unfinished garages seat up
to 80 people.
“There’s so many moving parts to this
operation but there’s one master conductor
here and that’s Cindy,” says Tom Simpson.
“It’s so chaotic, but it all comes together in
the end,” Cindy says, laughing. She plans the
dinner with leaders of the ISO — from buying
the food to who’s sitting where. “I love doing
this, it’s one of the highlights of my year,” adds
Cindy, who used to work as a human resource
specialist for the Fairfax County, Virginia,
school system.
“Some don’t believe it’s an actual sit-down din-ner.
With so many people, everyone assumes it’s a
buffet,” Cindy Simpson says. But the Simpsons are
determined to make their home and the feast as
hospitable as possible, so foreign students can take
home the good feelings that Americans associate
with a shared, home-cooked Thanksgiving meal.
With help from students and neighbors, they cook
five 21-pound turkeys, 80 pounds of potatoes and
untold amounts of green beans
for the old-fashioned American
favorite, green bean casserole.
Of course, there’s stuffing,
cranberry sauce, homemade
bread and an entire table given
over to Thanksgiving desserts like
pumpkin pie, pecan pie, cakes,
cookies and even more sweets,
all made by students, faculty and
friends.
“People are coming and going
throughout the day, bringing food,
helping to cook. It gets crazy and
some say I’m crazy to do it,” Cindy
says. “But I can’t stop smiling the
whole day and evening. Everyone’s
just so joyful and happy.”
22
WBM
november 2013
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