Y'ALL COME ON INSIDE THE HOUSE!

       It was a brisk 17°F when I set out this morning. I noted with dismay that my car did not warm up within a mile… or five. The engine was fine, the heater was doing its job, but there simply wasn't enough heat for that frozen car and me.
       One lone fellow sucked on a cigarette on the homeless side of the parking area. You know, the pre-release folks and the homeless have separate areas for smoking. I just saw the little sign a few weeks back. Inside, folks packed the little foyer, antsy for good weather and the freedom of outdoors. Gate Keeper let me in.
       Joey and I had planned Caesar salad, homemade bread (mine), cream of tomato soup, and canned fruit. No fried foods today. It was fun imagining how delighted our picky eaters would be with their healthy lunch. I put my whole heart into making it. For the salad, Joey provided bags of salad lettuce, boiled eggs, deli turkey & ham, cheese, and tomatoes. I brought the black olives. Joey opened some canned fruit and put it out as self-serve. One of the pre-release came to help, pealing eggs and slicing up 4 boules of bread for me. The salads were prepared in larger bowls that I found at the grocery store (a pack of 48). We had two left over, so I know we served 46 lunches today.
       The salads were pretty with meat triangles, tomato wedges, halved boiled eggs, and cheese chunks with black olives on top. Eternally Angry Pre-release Woman began by telling Joey, "I don't eat that kind of lettuce." He chided her and sent her away. Apparently they have a good-humored understanding. Later, when I peeped around the corner, she was chowing down on that salad.
       The homemade boule was snubbed right and left, "I don't eat bread."
       "But it's homemade!" we told them. Didn't matter. A bunch of the pre-release don't eat bread. Now the homeless do eat bread (most of them), and the bread got some nice reviews. Who could resist a fat chunk of fresh boule with a hot bowl of creamy tomato soup? Not many!
       Angel came to lunch. He didn't smile today, but I got a chance to speak to him and offer him "anything extra" he might want. Nope. He was fine with what he had; he just looked a bit lost. Then he rounded up the trash and took it out.
       The beautiful young man (with jerky movements/wasted and lost) is still there. He's looking much healthier. He's still throwing back a bunch of coffee, but I figure that's getting him through. He's made a reputation for himself with Joey—"He spills stuff, Miss Joy," so just give him one thing at the time—all said good-naturedly and taken the same way. He does still have a bit of tremor.
       Gate keeper appeared but once in the kitchen, and we would have chewed the fat, but I didn't stop hustling for 3 solid hours. Good meals take time and effort. The leftover meals that Joey put out (in case we ran short) were plates with a hot dog and bun, pork 'n beans, and tiny piles of lettuce. I couldn't help but notice no KNIVES were needed for that prep.
      Took my own knives today—had tomatoes, eggs, meats, cheeses, and bread to cut up. Took my own cutting board too.
       Cream of tomato soup can be made with other than canned Campbell's tomato soup. We only had a few cans of Campbell's, so Joey opened a half dozen cans of tomato paste. After we mixed a gallon of milk with all of that, a little salt, and a few herbs, it was delicious! FYI.
       Mr. Huggy was nowhere to be seen. I meant to ask about him, but forgot. We have no children there now (thank God), and the house is full. Next week: chicken salad (from a container), vegetable soup, and I forget… but nothing fried!
       When I left, the foyer was packed with residents (and some Sunday visitors). Cigarette stench was everywhere, and my pre-release kitchen helper was getting his meds from Gate Keeper—huge bottles of huge pills. He's such a cute young man—why does he have to be so medicated, and why is his life so hard?
       Stay warm!