WARM FUZZIES

       What an unusual morning! Joey had a big pre-fab bag of frozen vegetable soup ready to heat, and plans for sandwiches. Of course, I had to make 50 sandwiches for the 25 sack lunches, but those came together quickly, and while Joey wanted me to make more of same to serve with the soup, I suggested opening some tubs of chicken salad I'd seen in the cooler.

       We fried a few pounds of ground beef to add to the soup, and it was very good—and it ran low. So I dumped in a can of refried beans, a can of chili with beans, a can of tomato sauce, and two cans of other soups from the mystery box. We didn't hear any complaints.

       It was nice and cool in the kitchen today. Our fix-it man had come by, but not before Miss Lillian went home sick for several days suffering from dehydration (we presume because of the heat). Joey missed his week's vacation, school, drama class, and just putzing around. And he's miffed with himself for "feeling selfish!" I told him it was normal to feel cheated, but that he was doing all the right things—being there where he was needed.

     So… you won't like this… but the you-know-what is not yet installed. I am told that the fix-it man suffered the loss of a dear friend recently and is just not up to snuff yet. If Joey can put his vacation and classes on the back burner, the least I can do is let the handyman grieve.

       Babies! We had three babies today. One is on the tit, but the other two are still zooming in like weeks past, chowing down on whatever is available. I'm getting better at planning for them. Today, they had little bowls of soup, chipped up turkey, cheese (seconds!), milk, crackers—oh, I need to take them some fruit. Aw!

       Their mom has lost her beleaguered look. She's really pretty with rest and nourishment, and I told her so. What a precious family.

       The "vegetarians" are still there. I was feeling awfully, horribly angry at this young woman whose small children aren't allowed any meat. I was feeling even angrier that I had prepared a meatless soup for them (no easy task when depending on the mystery box), and that they just took a seat at the back of the dining room, as if they were waiting for someone to take their orders.

       But I couldn't just leave the kids out there, wondering if food was in the offing or not, so I got Joey to tell them their soup was at the counter (I was just too mad to do it). Later, still stewing over the lack of calcium in the children's diet, I went out and asked them if they wanted some milk or cheese. One child looked furtively at Mom, then said, "I can have dairy!" glancing again at Mom. And permission was granted. Then the other child said, "I'll have some too!"

       So I gave them lots of cheese and told Joey to give those young'uns cheese at every meal.

       Our pre-release lost two of their small group last week—drugs, booze, a taser… a taser? The five remaining were more talkative today. Do you suppose they knew all along that their comrades were playing with fire? That would put a pall on things.

       We had two new families today that stood out in the group of homeless. One was a married couple and child; the other was an older couple (maybe 55 or more). I would not have picked either out of a crowd as needing to find housing and food at a shelter. They are surely prime examples of why the rest of us should never get too comfortable.

       One took today off, but a really sweet lady filled in for him. She isn't happy about the can opener situation either, so naturally I liked her right off. And the social worker from upstairs dropped by for soup and a sandwich before I left. Last year, I thought that man was shy or quiet, but you know—he's neither, and he's a lot of fun.

       Another fellow brought a sense of humor to the kitchen today—a strapping, handsome, 40-something who's SO missing a front tooth! When he smiles, the gap is the first thing you see. So in he strode, and up to the counter for lunch—grinning as usual. "Hey," I carped, "cheer down!"

       I knew he'd get it—and he did.

       We have another "Mr. Wilson," the 400-hundred pounder—bless him.

       It was 2-1/2 hours before I left, and I hadn't taken a THING for pain—nothing. In fact, I didn't hear a peep out of the pain until I'd walked out the door.