SPRING'S FIRST SUNDAY

     It's a beautiful day here, and we had the back kitchen door open. Doug made his well-loved potato soup, and we served corn dogs on the side. For dinner he had grilled chicken strips with red and green peppers floating in brown gravy to serve over rice. There were peas on the side and a roll. We made up 40 plates.
     The lunch crowd was smaller than on cold days. The little boy came in, and I gave him a model race car kit. He had that thing put together and dripping glue in about 30 minutes. Then he asked Doug for some paint, and Doug said he'd bring some tomorrow.
     Buddy was keeping the gate, but his stomach was upset, so Doug told him to stay up front in the office. During lunch, Buddy let in two young men who don't live there, and they came boldly into the dining room wearing large backpacks and looking for a soda. I'm guessing Buddy will get more than one tongue lashing for that faux pas.
     Fancy Lady was there, of course. Apparently, she truly hasn't another thing in this world to do.
     Kevin came to the back door after lunch and asked for Doug. I offered him coffee, but he wanted Doug to get it for him... he wanted a bottled coffee drink that I didn't know about. He also wanted a sack lunch. I had opportunity to gauge his walking issues, and he appears to have cerebral palsy affecting his legs from the knees down. His rock collection was artistically displayed on a metal machine on the stair landing. When he left us, he resumed rock collecting in the nearby yard. Maybe I'll find him some pretty pebbles…
     The kids from the hotel staff across the street came for soup. Doug and I got more lessons on hotel housekeeping. Glad I'm not volunteering with anything like that! The girl in the group spotted some Valentine's candy in boxes under our prep table. Her eyes lit up as she pointed and said, "Valentine's candy!" I picked up a large heart-shaped gift box and a handful of little heart-shaped chocolates and asked her which would she like. The gift box, of course. For her today had a touch of Christmas—I don't know which of us enjoyed it more.
     During the hustle of lunch and dinner prep, we made a dozen lunch sacks, a dozen breakfast sacks and 25 PBJ sacks.
     I'm campaigning with the shelter to recycle. I've met with resistance, but am slowly breaking them down. Doug has even come around and begun recycling 12-pack soda boxes. As for plastic bags (bread wrappers, etc.), I bring them home to drop at the grocery store later, and today I scored a milk jug! It's a start. Heretofore, ALL of those things have gone straight into the landfill.
     Lanyard Guy started cooking this week, which will give Doug two days off, but first Doug has to train him, and it hasn't gone well. It's looking like some folks are gifted with gate keeping and some with kitchen duties, but seldom both. Doug was amazed to note Lanyard Guy taking 40 minutes to open a can of beans and put them in a pot. This is going to be an interesting unfold. See you on Friday—God willing.