The Size of the Community Table

Being married to a chef and having grown up around talented bakers and cooks in my family, seeing special meals and treats bring people together through the years, it took a while to decide on a topic to write this piece about. Ultimately, a recent event that my husband and I became a part of in the community where our church is located was the winning subject.

A few years ago my husband and his friend, who also happens to Pastor the church we attend in Dresden, Ohio, had the idea to hold a community Hog Roast Memorial Day weekend. Once it was mentioned to a local meat company, they offered up a hog and the ball was rolling!

The invitation was sent to the entire community on behalf of the church for all to come and bring a chair and a side dish or dessert to share. The Village permitted the event by the Muskingum River and the concrete block pit was built.

In the wee hours of the morning on Memorial Day that year, several volunteers showed up to start a fire and spend time together waiting for it to get to temperature. The hog was seasoned with a blend of spices dubbed “The Revival Blend.”

People brought chairs and sat around the hog pit to keep each other company and enjoy the smells of the fire and roasting hog. More and more people began to show up, music was played, and the large tables in the shelter were filled with casseroles, crockpots, fruit, chips, salads, cakes, cookies and so much more.

When the hog was ready to be served the people began lining up and waiting for their plates to be filled. More food than was needed, everyone had full stomachs and full hearts.

Children were playing, people were visiting and making friends, brought together by an idea, a hog, and a caring community. Sometimes a table isn’t necessarily present but the idea of gathering and sharing a meal means just as much without one!

Nealia Ludwig writes about herself, “I am a kitchen designer by trade as well as a small businesswoman. My husband and I share a spice blend business and I have a small vintage shop on Etsy. We are empty nesters, except for our 2 hound rescues. We love our old home, living in a small town, and meeting people through our small businesses.”

You take a look at her spice blend business, Ludwig’s Kitchen, on Instagram, Facebook, and website. Nealia’s vintage shop, Hudson Avenue Home, can be found on Etsy and Instagram.

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