Years ago, when Grandma was still alive (she died in 1993), we would all gather at her house on those cold winter weekends during hunting season.  The men (or boys as she called them....the "Great White Hunters to others) would gather early in the morning in the barnyard and map out where everyone was going to be hunting that day, so that there were no "suprises"!!!

When it was a decent hour in the morning (no I don't consider 5 am a decent hour! LMSO), the ladies of the family would gather at Grandma's house with soups, sandwiches, and lots of baked goods and extra coffee pots and crockpots and prepare the hunters luncheon.  My oh my, we had pies, cookies, cakes, and lots of candies for the men, and of course, us kids would jump in and grab a bite too of course

There was a set time for everyone to meet back at Grandma's farm house for lunch.  As the hunters piled into the house to warm up and get some nourishment, the ladies of the family were the waitresses.  The kids and womenfolk would eat before or after the hunters.  Coffee pots were passed around and everyone had a second piece of pie because sittting in a deerstand and tracking deer was a hard job!!!

After they ate, and left for their second hunting session of the day, the women would clean up, and retire to the living room for some good conversation and crafting.  Some women sewed items by hand, crocheted or knit, or did embroidiery while the kids played.

Around sunset, the woman would gather in the kitchen again to make sure everything was set for another round of hungry hunters.  Mostly the same foods were served, but there was always a backup plan of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and storebought cookies and treats just in case they ate too much for lunch.  This rarely happened since the women fixed many soups and sandwiches for the whole day.  One year there were 4 extra hunters who ate with ours, and we were glad to have the back up sandwiches, etc.

After eating, the men would retire to the living room to share hunting stories (they were the best stories too....like the year my brother shot a dear and forgot his tag in the truck about 100 yards away.  A conservation agent just "happened" along about that time, checking people for lisences and tags, and gave my brother a fine for not having the ticket on him.  LOL  Poor guy.  Oh well, taught him a lesson didn't it) while the women cleaned up, put things away, and packed up leftovers, the kids, etc.  Everyone went home tired, and ready to do it again the following day.

I miss those times.  Grandma died, and the old farmhouse is inhabitible and falling in now.  It is weird how people say, so and so was the one who held the family together.  I used to think they were crazy, but in this case, it is true.  Grandma certainly held the family together.  It just isn't the same without her.  The boys are still gathering in the barnlot to talk before hunting starts, and they still have their deer stands in the same trees, but they meet elsewhere now to eat lunch and supper.  It might be good food and conversation, but many of the men are gone now, and several of the ladies are too, replaced by the next generation of hunters.