The Story Behind Christmas in the Kitchen
This very unique and wonderful show, that makes a difference in so many children’s lives, actually started as a dream, and I do mean a dream – as in, while I was sleeping.
One morning in early summer of 2005, I woke up and chuckled – because I realized that I had been dreaming the band was back onstage at the Sheldon Concert Hall, (where we had just recently had an album release show) but this was very different – because my actual kitchen table was there on stage with us, and there were people sitting around it, casually having a cup of tea! There was a plate of cookies, and they were talking to each other, very much enjoying the music, and sometimes getting up and dancing.
These were audience members, and they were coming and going, while we played! I quickly realized that this reminded me of a ‘kitchen party’ as they are called, back home in Nova Scotia, Canada, where I am from. Then I remembered- wait… there was a Christmas tree somewhere in that dream, and I think those were my iced shortbread cookies, that I make every Christmas, that were on that plate… so this was a Christmas kitchen party on stage at the Sheldon! Ha! – I was tickled that I would dream that… and THEN I realized – wait, this is a great idea, and we should actually do that!
I then called Dale Benz at the Sheldon, he was the operations manager at the time, and he was intrigued with the whole idea of it, and gave me a December date! It seemed natural to name it Christmas in the Kitchen, and I was SO excited about the possibilities of this show! (yeah, no kidding! Little did I know, all it would become!) I was having to explain to our friends and followers what a kitchen party was, and told them they were going to love it. Don’t worry, just come, and they did for the most part!
Dale did share with me that the Sheldon had a couple of phone calls asking if Christmas in the Kitchen was a cooking show of some sort? The band had a good laugh on that one. I remember fellow bandmate – Randy Getz walked out on stage, that first year, in a chef’s hat, and holding a rubber chicken by the neck, just for a laugh. And he got it. Haha.
Okay – back to the planning. I knew we needed a Santa, being a Christmas show and somehow I decided he should be a Scottish piper! Santa jacket and hat on top, and kilt on the bottom – I loved the idea! I asked my good friend Matt Pantaleoni, who was the leader of the Caledonia Pipe and Drum Band, and he agreed to try it! God bless him for that! He was our very first Santa Clause! My sweet brother-in-law Bob Laws (no longer with us) owned a Santa suit, and I knew he would lend it to me – which he did, and we still use it to this day! (thank you Bob! You are still bringing joy and helping children!) We’re so grateful that Dan Jackson has stepped into Santa’s boots and has carried on with the tradition – even bringing along his Scottish elves!
We wanted the show to do some good in the community so we settled on a toy drive. Patrons of the show could bring a toy. And I thought..Santa is bringing toys, he is coming to PICK UP the toys that we collect! I arranged for Toys for Tots to send a Marine officer to the show that night, to pick up the toys donated and they did! We donated four or five bags of toys, I believe. Not bad for the first year.
I can’t end this history lesson without talking about the all-important Tea. And that would be hot tea, (Nova Scotians don’t really drink iced tea!) So I had to figure out how to serve folks tea while the show was going on. I had a thermos, so I made some tea before the show and set the thermos on the table. After it was gone, they would just drink water. Even the next couple of years to follow, the tea was often used up, or it was cold. It just wasn’t a good situation to be inviting people on stage for a cup of tea – when you couldn’t deliver that.
And then…like the tea angel she is… into my life steps the wonderful Kateri Meyers from Travelling Tea in Maplewood! She told me… “You need me!” and she was right, I truly did! Kateri saved the day with her wonderful Scottish Breakfast Tea from her tea shop, that she brews backstage throughout the show and is brought out fresh in lovely teapots, to my kitchen table. For the most part, it has been served by my sister-in-law, Claudia Laws, who is a wonderful hostess, and makes everyone feel welcome as they come up to the table. My Scottish Shortbread cookies are there to enjoy, and Claudia makes them too, along with other kinds of cookies too. Kateri brews Red Berries tea for iced tea as well, which the kids love. She donates her time, brings her teapots and kettles and turns the backstage kitchen into a tea shop in no time flat! Thank you Kateri!!
Another special piece of furniture you might find in a Nova Scotia kitchen is a rocking chair, so we decided to have that too – and folks can sit in it, and be served tea and cookies – sitting right there beside the band, and watch the musicians and see the show up close! (Thanks to Jim and Holly Campbell who bring us their rocking chair every year!) The rocking chair is now a part of the silent auction, and it can be your seat for the whole second half of the show!
Keep in mind, that first year, my daughters, Holly and Ashby, who danced at the first show, were only 8 and 6 years old. Ashby doesn’t remember a Christmas without the Christmas show. It’s become an important part of our family’s Christmas, and we hope it becomes a part of yours too. Many families tell us just that, and it makes us very happy!
