TDP - Tom's Dinner

This was one of nearly 100 corned beef and cabbage (and red potatoes and carrots) dinners that were served at the dinner the Masons gave for Tom. The Brothers cooked and cooked their hearts out, filling pressure cookers and huge pots good Irish food.

We were surprised and happy to see the gals from our Reiki group show up - how good to see them, since we haven't been able to participate in the Reiki group and hadn't seen them in months. And several of the guys from from the Country Club showed up - that's Glen, one of Tom's co-workers, in Tom's bowler hat.

Tom's Mason brothers worked hard in the kitchen, and several of the wives showed up with many different homemade desserts. (Me too - I brought a Black Forest German Chocolate cake, all gooey and messy and deliciously sinful - it was my excuse for making something I shouldn't be eating but could justify under "special circumstances." LOL).

Chef Mike Chamberlin was cooking in the red apron, also handing out dinners. He did a fabulous job with the traditional menu, and then preparing and cooking this feast. Even when the pressure cooker exploded on him a couple hours before the first arrivals, he took it in stride - and spent more than an hour cleaning up just about every surface from floor to ceiling within 10 feet of the stove. Amazing how much territory an exploding pressure cooker can mess up!

We had a great time - many of our friends, neighbors, and Tom's co-workers and clients showed up. He talked and talked and talked with them until he was hoarse. He made it through the entire dinner - no small feat since he was only six days past his last chemo - but once he was home, his pillow was definitely calling. He made a land speed record of car-to-bed in under 2 minutes!

Gigantic Thank You's go to:

• Harding's Market of Schoolcraft, for donating the cabbage and potatoes
• Town and Country Grocery of Kalamazoo, for offering the corned beef at cost
• Ed's Breads, of Portage, for selling the rolls at cost
• Meijer's, for donating $40 worth of butter
  

Attending the dinner took the wind out of his sails for a few days, but he's feeling better now. Thank you Brothers of Anchor Lodge #22 - you not only gave us a superb dinner, but you brought us together with so many of our friends, some we haven't seen in a long, long time. With grateful hearts, we salute you!