Tonight was the convention banquet, and if you have been to as many convention banquets that I’ve had, they’re nothing to write home about. Tonight, though, was a tour de force by the local church ladies, and at the time, I savored every morsel but forgot to take pictures. Luckily, one of the convention-goers (and composer of this morning’s communion liturgy), Kenneth DeJong, was good enough to share his photos with me.

The first course was a salad of spring mix greens, baby spinach, cravings, mandarin oranges and toasted pecans, tossed in a sweet-sour vinaigrette.

The entrée was a soy-glazed salmon fillet, orzo with peas and mint, sweet potato rounds with lemon cilantro chutney, and spring vegetable.

And the dessert was chocolate mousse, short bread lemon bar and cappuccino white chocolate truffle.

After the meal, the kitchen ladies were persuaded to take a bow, and everyone gave them a long and well-deserved standing ovation!

Our after-dinner speaker, The Rev. Phil Brandt, was a dyed-in-the-wool Garrison Keillor storyteller, who regaled us with “Tales of a P.K. (Preacher’s Kid),” with much laughter as well as poignant and heartwarming stories of life in small town America, where the church and its activities were central to family life.