When I was growing up, Christmas dinner was usually at my Aunt Jean's house in Hamilton, Ohio, where six of the seven Drake children and their families assembled. There were my mother, my Aunts Jean, Ruth, Dorothy, and my Uncles Paul and Bob. My mother's sister Lois lived miles away near Columbus, Ohio. I was the oldest of ther grandchildren, but I was consigned until I left for college at the children's table with my brothers and cousins.
Around 1970 or 1971, my mother hosted the Christmas dinner, and I invited two graduate assistants and their spouses to join us. To my surprise, and God knows what inspiration, Pam and Paul Hollenbeck and Joe and Linda Haggard had all gone to the theatre's costume dept. and arrived in costume. I was quite surprised at this turn of events, but I thought it was very funny. It was really funny watching my tight-assed Aunt Jean try to act nonplussed over the situation.
