BONJOUR!

       Sorry about last week—I had a cold, and I just stayed in bed.

       On Monday, my friend GG from France came to spend 10 days with us. GG and I are typesetting her dissertation—it's about the art that was spawned from the events of 911. We've been working very hard all week! Today, we took a "break" and went to the shelter to prepare and serve lunch.

       The Gate Keeper and Joey were so thrilled to meet a Frenchwoman… typical men that they are. GG and I quickly donned aprons and I demonstrated the use of the hand-washing sink… and gloves. She's a natural and picked up quickly on our routine.

       To my dismay, we needed to make two dozen sack lunches, but it's not so bad with help. For lunch, Joey said we were having "the usual." STILL there were no fresh vegetables to sauté (a box of squash aside), but Joey had gleaned a huge bag of soups for me—probably 15 cans of ready-to-eat soups, mostly pasta and chicken. I added two cans of refried beans to give the concoction body.

       With that, we were to prepare canned fruit and tossed salad. Yes, I took my knives!

       Joey baked two huge pans of biscuits.

       GG and I prepared a tuna salad for a person who must have gluten-free foods.

       It was one of the busiest Sundays I can remember there—or I am becoming so old that the work just feels hard. We prepared 23 plates for the pre-release, but only about 16 showed up. Eternally Angry Pre-release Woman wanted a tomato, and Joey gave her one. I offered to cut it up for her. Later, she smiled at me. Joey says, "She's coming around, Miss Joy."

       The two pre-release guys who have become favorites seek me out with many "Miss Joys!" I have no clue why they do that, but I like them too.

       Our Angel said his week hadn't been one of his best, but he smiled. His hair is growing long and his health appears improved. As always, he's just spit-spot clean.

       The shaky kid… well, I just didn't have time to look for him. We do have two children (adolescents) who will probably be with us for several months. I gave them baggies with cheese sticks, gum and candies. They were quiet. Their faces were expressionless. Perhaps we can become friends in time.

       GG enjoyed her experience at the shelter. They do not have the same sort of shelters in France, but she thinks she would like to find some volunteer work with the homeless in her town, when her schooling slows down. She has a lot to tell the folks back home!

       I gotta go. We're still on the dissertation trail—no rest for the weary.

      Oh, and the fresh veggies I've been asking for: there is a large box of yellow squash in the walk-in fridge—they won't last until next week. Joey didn't tell me about them until lunch was over, or I would have prepared them today. Because a knife and a peeler would be required to prepare them, I feel certain those wonderful squash will be in the trash soon. What a pity.