By KALEY LYON

klyon@dailynews.net

LA CROSSE -- Mary Leidig hasn't even had a full month to recover after serving Thanksgiving dinner to nearly 130 Rush County residents.

But ready or not, Christmas is here, and Leidig shows no signs of stopping.

In fact, she's busy this week preparing for the county's annual Christmas Day dinner, which will be a complementary dine-in or carry-out meal for locals.

"I have about a week in there," Leidig said with a chuckle.

The sit-down dinner will be from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 25 at St. Michael's Parish Hall, 10 and Lincoln, in La Crosse.

The menu includes turkey and dressing, potatoes and gravy, green beans, salad, homemade bread and pumpkin pie.

And for those who would rather have dinner brought to them, Leidig and other volunteers will be making county-wide delivery runs that day.

These orders, however, need to be made in advance.

Take-out plates also will be available for those who stop in Christmas day but prefer their orders to go.

The free dinner is a service that Leidig, with the backing of Rush County businesses and volunteers, long has provided.

"Nothing would happen if it wasn't for the sponsors in the first place, and the people who donate their time," Leidig said. "And if people weren't willing to let us give them Christmas or Thanksgiving (dinner) we wouldn't be doing this."

And while cooking Thanksgiving dinner for hundreds of people is no small task, Christmas dinner is expected to draw an even bigger crowd.

Leidig finished her shopping earlier this week, and expects to be at the church cooking well into the evening today.

Leidig and the other volunteers just want to spread holiday cheer, and make sure Rush County residents will have the option of a hot Christmas meal, she said.

And the gratitude and smiling faces of the people who are provided with their traditional holiday favorites brings with it a large dose of Christmas cheer, Leidig said.

"I just expect it to be a good day," she said.

For a free carry-out dinner to be delivered in Rush County, call the county Extension office at (785) 222-2710 or Mary Leidig at (785) 355-2306.