Girl's Lunch and Honoring Veterans

Yesterday we hosted a birthday lunch to celebrate my younger sister's big day.  Our honorary sister Shirley was with us.  Dayle made homemade beef stew, Shirley brought broccoli salad and we had rosemary artisan bread.  It was delish!

I set the table with my Jadeite dishes.  We tried a different method of making the stew.  He used the Instant Pot to cook the meat quicker and it turned out so tender - and cooked the veggies in beef broth on the stove.  He added the beef in with the cooked veg, I sprinkled in some Worcestershire, gave it a stir and boom.. perfect for a cold fall day.

After lunch we retired to the living room to visit and watch Denise open her gifts.  I surprised her with a pottery mug to match the soup bowls she bought when she visited us at the beach.  Shirley gave her a cookbook and a little bowl.  A wonderful visit.

I had to show you the glass dome cake stand cover I found on FB Marketplace for just $5.  They go for 10 times that so it was worth a trip to the countryside of Vancouver, WA to pick it up.  After we got that we had lunch at Sonic drive-in, then a trip to Costco to stock up and a stop at Fred Meyer to load up a grocery order.  Whew!

Now I want to take this time honor all our service men and women on Veterans Day.  They risked their lives for their country so that we could live free and safe.  

My Dad Wallace (Wally) served in the Marines, he went in on the first wave of Iwo Jima during WWII fighting against the Japanese after they bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

Here is a frame of medals my dad earned during his time in the service.

I am proud of my husband Dayle for serving in the US Army during the Viet Nam war. He was shot on May 3, 1968 while flying above the jungle near Khe Sanh, it shattered his femur, his leg actually flew up into his face and the inside of the cabin was covered in blood.  He miraculously set the copter down after he flew out of the area where he was shot.  Another copter came in behind him and rescued him and two crewmen, a door gunner and observer.  He was seen by the Air Force medical team and they did what they could and then he was flown out to a hospital ship and was worked on by Navy doctors who saved his leg.  Then he was flown to Da Nang and put on an aircraft to go to Japan where additional surgeries were performed and then because of overcrowding they sent him to back to the US and ended up in Madigan Hospital near Tacoma WA where he was in traction for 5 or 6 months.

Here is a photo of Dayle from his flight school days.

Here is a frame of Dayle's medals, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, The Air Medal, Purple Heart and others.

That's it for today.  Thank you to all of you who have left supportive comments on my blog posts this week.  It's been a stressful time here and it's not over yet.  I won't feel really safe and confidant until the inauguration.  Two more months to get through.  Wish us luck that things will smooth out for all.  

((hugs)), Teresa :-)