DISJOINTED SUNDAY?

     It began unusually when I had trouble finding the street to the back door of the shelter. I was taking deviled eggs and two bags of apples, so I wanted easy access to the kitchen. When I did park by the back door, Slick was there, cleaning off the porch. His eyes homed right in on the platter of eggs, "So it's you!"

      "It is. It surely is."

      He carried all the heavy stuff up the stairs and inside for me. He pointed out a shady spot behind the building where I could park, but I chose the shade of an old oak tree out front.

      Joey was skinning chicken at the meat sink, as he often is, and I was working on 37 sack lunches. I had the 74 sandwiches about half done when Joey noticed that we were out of 50-gallon trash bags and sandwich bags! We searched our brains for a solution—who could go? In the end, only I could go, and there is no grocery store "in town."

      Naturally, the route I chose took me past a huge church that was just letting out... but eventually I got our bag needs met and returned to the kitchen. My sandwiches were right where I left them—no magic genie, no fairies, nothing.

      Joey let the pre-release folks into the dining room 10 minutes early today, catching me completely by surprise. I was not ready to help him; I had not cut up the apples I'd taken, and I was a bit miffed to see all those people coming in early! It took a few minutes, but I caught up. The eggs and apples went over very well.

      Joey made a huge pan of mac 'n cheese in the oven. It had texture, the way I remember it from long ago. I wanted some! I didn't get any...

      Anna called. Joey said, "Miss Joy, your relief is on the way!" That was especially good news because he'd told me he needed 30 PBJs and I wasn't even finished with the 37 sack lunches. So I got to leave shortly after noon, and Anna finished the lunches and the PBJs.

      Joey's report on school was as disjointed as everything else. He remembered most of  the six words he'd been tested on last week, but he forgot to bring in his new list. He said he had to work really hard on the first list; I've no idea how his test came out. Slick wasn't very encouraging. Said he was almost finished with his GED when he was sent to the pre-release program. Said it had taken him nearly 2 years. Thought he might have to start over...

      Got thankful?