The meal did turn out well. It was a very pleasant get together and Dad seemed to really appreciate it. I asked him to mash the potatoes. He was always the one to do it in the past. He had a nice smile when he was doing it.

I'm basically obsessed with cucumber tomato salad. I serve some form of it at least a few times per week, because I love it and it's easy and quick. The rendition I made today was also easy. I simply added fresh yellow and orange bell pepper chunks for extra color. Usually I make my cucumber tomato salad (and always onion) with mayo and either tarragon or some other herb plus salt/pepper. When I add bell peppers, I usually use an herb (basil, oregano, parsley) vinaigrette with evoo and red wine vinegar. I didn't add feta cheese, but if I did, it would be a Czech Šopský salát, which is really based on one from Balkan regions further south (former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania). Kalamata olives are good in that, too.