A Dinner Date to Remember

While we have enjoyed having a number of our students to our home for tea times or meals, it has not been all one-sided. We have also had the privilege of visiting several of their homes too! One memorable evening was dinner out at the home of Attila Bruckner. This 40-year old environmental designer and avid birdwatcher has been one of the regulars to our English classes and to the Bible study times too. He is a well educated man with an extensive library, and early on began loaning Ron books about birds from around the world and books about Hungarian history too. Of course these were books written in English!

Then several weeks ago he came to class with a written invitation asking us to come to their home for dinner. Of course we were happy to accept and were so delighted with the evening that unfolded for us. Though we had never met Attila's wife or any of his three children, we had heard about them and were eager to get to know more about this unique Hungarian family.

When we arrived at the gate of Attila's 85 year-old house, he met us and ushered us into the dining room where all three children were lined up to meet and greet us. Their English was limited, but the smiles and gestures quickly spoke a very warm welcome from Mate (14), Anna (13) and Lilla (9). Attila's wife , Szusa (an art and math teacher) was there to greet us and to beckon us to the table, all ready and carefully prepared for us with white tablecloth, pink place cards with our names (made by Lilla) and a delicious meal laid out for us! The girls had helped their mother with the salad and it was a work of art; also there was crispy baked chicken and a creamy broccoli/cauliflower side dish. For dessert we had my Apple Crisp and several Hungarian sweets also. All was very tastey, and the wine too!

Speaking of wine, they had inquired ahead if we would have some wine and if so, what kind would we prefer?  Thus the dinner began with toasts all around and then a grace said by the entire family in Hungarian followed by Ron's prayer in English. In every way they included us and made us feel so at home with them.

After supper the girls were eager to take us out and show us their two pet rabbits; then Mate gave us a complete house tour showing us each room of their humble home with its high, 10 ft. ceilings. Following the house tour we sat with Attila and the rest and watched a video of Mate's school choral group. He had some solo parts in this choir and obviously is a young man with an amazing voice. We could tell his family was proud of him and justly so!

Before we left we thanked them for a delightful evening and then followed up with an e-mail note and photos taken while with them. We mentioned that we'd like to have them come our way sometime before we leave so already have Saturday, December first reserved for a dinner date here at our house with Attila, Szusa and children. So keep posted and there will be more to come. For now we'll share a few photos from that heart-warming evening visit at their home just a week ago.