The Ladies' Luncheon (or how I ended up being one of the "youngest" women in a large room):

Stained glass window in the main staircase

Today was spent in Indianapolis at the Ladies' Luncheon at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Scottish Rite is a branch of Free Masonry, for those who are unfamiliar with the organization. The cathedral in Indianapolis, Indiana is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building also has numerous stained glass windows throughout the building.

On to the lunch: Today's menu was

Spinach Salad with toasted Almonds, Eggs and sliced Red Onions with a Sherry Vinaigrette

Calypso Roasted Pork Loin with Sweet Rum and Lime Sauce

White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Julienne of Carrots, Red Peppers, Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Jicama sauteed in light Soy Sauce

Key Lime Moussse Parfait with Dark Chocolate Shavings

The caterer does a wonderful job and on this day only the salad disappointed. Perhaps it was because my plate was lacking in dressing, resulting in mostly dry and tasteless spinach leaves, or it could have been that the salad simply needed another bold flavor (crumbled Feta Cheese or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese) to complement the dish?

The guest speaker, whom I had the pleasure to sit with and introduce, was a gentleman from the USS Indianapolis Museum. He is a veteran who realized after 9-11 that he needed to do something to honor all veterans and to make sure that the ship and all of its crew (both those who lost their lives and those who miraculously survived) are never forgotten.

For years the survivors of the USS Indianapolis had fought to restore their former captain's honor and to have his court-martial overturned, but incredibly, the captain was finally exonerated due to the tireless efforts of a then-12 year old boy. A history project for school finally righted a wrong.

As an added perk, my husband took the day off work so he could travel with me. The fact that he also wanted to hear the speaker didn't hurt. Our three hours total on the road were spent in enjoyable conversation and he had lunch with some friends of his while I was eating my own.

Above the original main doors

I would heartily recommend that anyone passing through Indianapolis would consider stopping and and taking a tour of this beautiful building. Call ahead to make sure free tours are available that day and you won't be disappointed.

Scale model of the Cathedral on display

One of the numerous stained glass windows in the South Lounge