It's raining again… tell me
about it. But the balm of late spring is in the air, and the rain is light—even
pleasant. Two gentlemen were at the
ready to open the door for me this morning! Sweet.
Our 9-year-old and her
gargantuan father were in the foyer, and he was reminding her to be careful and
not fall, having wet shoes from being outside. I noted how much he loves her.
Several of us folks went
inside when Cutie Gatekeeper unlocked the door. The child skipped gaily behind
me, calling out with a big smile and a "Hey!" She knows the Sunday
Lady with Toys when she sees me! And I do love to see her smile.
Dean and his wife had arrived
just minutes before and had a dark pall hanging over them about the dinner
plans. It seems that Miss Lillian had left instructions for them to cook four
big turkeys for dinner. The birds were thawed, but Dean was in no mood to cook them, cool them, and carve
them, all in one afternoon. First, he decided to cook them today, and serve
them tomorrow. Then he decided to make pre-fab meatloaf and gravy for dinner.
After that, he settled down considerably, and the rest of the morning went
cheerfully.
I took two quiche shells that
were going to waste in my freezer. Dean deep-fried a dozen slices of very fine
bacon for me, and I showed his wife how to make quiche. She loves it, but has
never known how to make it. I got a container (at home that would have been a
small mixing bowl), added 6 eggs, a large handful of grated cheddar cheese,
about 1/2 cup sour cream, and 6 slices of crumbled bacon. I whipped it all
together and poured it into a pie shell. Dean's wife was amazed and delighted.
I made two of those and put them in the oven.
Dean put some leftover hotdogs
and BBQ sandwiches in the warming oven, and I made two trips to the pantry for
soup makings. I filled the soup pot higher than ever. Not a DROP of soup was
left when lunch was over. The quiche was all gone, and we went through more
than a tub of that prefab killer chicken salad with the super-high cholesterol.
During a lull, Dean's wife
looked out the back window and remarked, as once before, "Seems like the
Lord always picks Sunday to make it cold and rainy." I'm guessing she
didn't notice that it's not really cold, but our residents noticed. They were
outside in abundance and just as jolly as they could be. I told Dean that Joey
had said you know they like the food if they're laughing. Lots of laughter
today.
We have a new child, and I was
prepared for his gorgeous 10-year-old self. I doubt if Norman Rockwell ever
drew more beautiful children than the two we have there now. After giving the
little girl her choice of a Beanie bear or a ballet bunny and some candies, I
went to the boy's table. He had no clue what I wanted, so he was guarded.
When I handed him a baggie with crayons and gum,
then a new ballpoint pen, he remained guiet, but he was focused on the Beanie
bear I still had in my hand. I told him he could have it, but that I thought it
might be more of a girl thing… and he sat very still, taking it all in.
Then I said, "However, I
do have a nice snake that you might
like," pulling a long, curled Beanie snake out of my apron pocket and
wiggling it enticingly.
Speaking of satisfying, the
little man with the crutch is walking on his own this week. Dean and I both
saved extra soup for him. We did not
save extra for Mr. Big. When Mr. Big approached Dean for extra chicken salad,
he made a long speech about having missed breakfast, yada, yada, yada. Dean was
miffed. "You wouldn't believe
how much that man can eat, and he makes up excuses to ask for more!" Yes,
I know.
So the man took the extra
chicken salad, got himself some bread from the counter, and made four
sandwiches—all of this after more
than one lunch serving. And we have three
people that same size! I want so badly to remind the man how much he loves his
child, and that she won't have a father in a few short years—at the rate he is
killing himself. But I cannot.
Leslie (our transgen) was not
there today, and I missed her awfully, but Dean is going to see her this
afternoon, so my hellos will be delivered in person, and maybe next week she
will come back. She's been working 60-hour weeks at her real job.
A man came in the back door
around noon with several very large sacks of bakery bread—all kinds of
breads—boules, cheese loaves, rolls of all shapes and sizes, dark wheat loaves,
and olive loaves. His church had something to do with the donation, and he'll
be back next week…
So, that's about it. I went prepared
with heat-rub on my back, an elastic back brace, and half a pain pill in my
bra. It's all good.
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