Made Custard

Here is a photo of my mom and dad many many years ago. I wasn't even born yet. It shows them making food. One of my parent's love languages was food. No matter how broke we were my mom did her very best to feed the herd the best way possible. No wonder I tend to munch when I am stressed or feeling lonely.

In honor of my mother I made custard this morning like she used to make on cold winter mornings for breakfast. She didn't just make custard, she made "floating island" which is warm soupy custard with little meringue mountains floating on top of each bowl. Personally I've never tried making custard so it was an adventure. My adventure turned out pretty well. I had warm custard for breakfast, cool custard for lunch, frozen custard for dinner, and more frozen custard as a snack in the evening. Mmmmm, custard is a good thing.

My newly clean kitchen and living room are so comfortable. I love my apartment when it is clean. Someone can now come to the door unexpectedly and I will not die of shame.

I've been getting to bed at a more reasonable hour the past week or so. This means I wake up before evening...like a normal person. My hours are still a bit sporadic, but small steps are good too.

Before I go to sleep I do a few easy crossword puzzles. This is new for me since I had a seriously difficult time reading as a kid. My spelling ability is still quite sad. My hope is that these crossword puzzles will develop those parts of my brain that didn't get enough exercise as a kid. They say our brains stop developing by the time we are 25...though I think I can shake things up well into my 60s or beyond. Hey, why not? I've seen stroke victims learn new skills even in old age, can't be that much different for the rest of us. I need all the brains I can get.

I am grateful I had a clean stove and counter top this morning to make custard. I am grateful my custard turned out well. I am grateful I didn't need to share my sofa this evening with a pile of books and papers, much more comfortable without such things. I am grateful for God's amazing love.
GratefulJoy

I'm quite happy today

This photo is of two of my friends during a "Patty Party" where we made masks out of paper bags (just for fun). It was at my friend Patty's house and her parties are alwasy wonderful and unique. We play like we are little kids again rather than middle age and above women.

Today was so very comfortable.
Yesterday I made some major progress in cleaning my household messes. I can now see my whole kitchen floor and my counter tops are clear. I recently bought a nice new kitchen trash can (stainless steel) to help motivate me to get on the cleaning. It does seem to have helped.

The apartment downstairs from me has just rented to a new family. This is slightly frightening since the walls and floors are thin. I can hear all coughs and snoring and footsteps in the unit below me. They can hear me too...every foot step. Then, if a smoker moves in it can become life threatening. The smoke comes right through the floor and fills up my place (if anyone does smoke down there). And, what if new neighbors are bothered by the noise my birds make?

New neighbors moved into the unit about 2 weeks ago. At first I was upset because they have loads of little kids. It sounded like a preschool down there.

I went to meet them this week face to face and introduced them to my bird named Daffy. The couple and their little kids are so sweet. Now when I hear little kid shouting and stompy foot steps I am not irritated, I just think of those sweet smiling little faces. Fortunate for me that when the husband smokes he does so outdoors only (whew!).
Today the 5 year old from downstairs came to my door with a batch of cookies as an Easter gift from the downstairs neighbors. My heart is still smiling.

I received some phone calls from friends who have been thinking of me. I really am blessed more than my fair share in good friends.

Also, one of my sisters sent me a facebook message that she had been reading my blog. That was shocking since I didn't tell any of my family that I have a blog. And, she has been reading it and noticed that I didn't blog all last week. I am grateful to know that my sister cares enough about me to read my blog.

It wasn't hard to find joy today. I'm quite happy without any effort.
Thank you God for the lovely weather and all the blessings that are mine right now.
GratefulJoy

They liked my soup

This photo is of a baby Plumheaded parrot and a baby Painted Conure parrot.
It was the first time either had played in a bowl of water.
After their splash they stopped to cuddle.

Last night I brought homemade clam chowder to my bird club meeting.
I've made this recipe several dozen times without fail.
This time I multiplied the recepie by 6...the results were very different
than expected. How ten pound of peeled, diced potatoes can vanish in the soup overnight is a mystery.

The homemade bread to eat with my soup didn't happen. I ended up driving to Smart and Final on my way to the meeting to buy cresants and sourdough bread. I picked up some tiny cookies to square things off.

During my (late) drive to my bird club the huge crock in my car's back seat took a bounce and I now have chunks of clam, peas, bacon bits, and soup all over the seat and floor. Fortunately my second container of soup had not spilled and we had it for our refreshment at the meeting.

I was so tired after staying up all night trying to peel potatoes and sautee veggies and get it together...then it didn't turn out to be the delectible thing I'd expected. My yeast didn't rise so I couldn't make bread, nor had the time. Then I spilled all over the car and was late to the meeting. I was shaken by my failures.

Our bird club president, Rusty, helped me carry things from my car to the refreshment table inside the bingo hall room where we meet. He was so kind and nonjudgmental. Rusty's attitude was beyond good. I began to weep when he told me never to worry about the food or anything else I was anxious about. I had to excuse myself and hide outside behind a beam to sob. Then I was over it and ready for the evening.

My club pals seemed to relish that soup. One club member told me she had 4 big bowls full! Even though it wasn't chunky it was indeed tasty. When I see my food being genuinely enjoyed it helps my heart be glad.

GratefulJoy
I am thankful for the end result even though it was a difficult process.

Out from Blog-Fog

This is a photo of a baby (full sized) Pacific Parrotlet in my kitchen.
I raised him and sold him a few years ago. This photo is funny to me; sort of like 'where's waldo' with a tiny bird in the middle of a pile of junk.

One thing that amazes me is that there are some folks actually reading this blog!
That was unexpected and wonderful. If anyone reading wants to make comments on the blog site, it is possible but you would need to first sign in. I know several people said they had become my "followers" but they didn't appear as such on the site. I think this is because they either chose to remain hidden or because they didn't sign in. Ok any way you want to do it.

I was in a blog-fog most of the weekend and earlier this week. No posts.
In fact, my email was too full to take any new emails and I needed to delete some old ones before new email could arrive. How odd that a few years ago I thought I would never have need of a home computer. Now a PC is almost necessary to use the toilet.

My happy comment tonight (early a.m.) is that my cranberry colors are coming together in my bead project. I've been beading like mad here. Not yet finished but making attractive progress on this overdue necklace thing. I only hope I don't wreck it before I finish it...which has happened on several other bead weaving projects.

I need to have my apartment all tidy by the third week of March.
God needs to help me with this since a simple shower or load of dishes cause me to need a nap.

One of my prayers for this year is a radically improved financial position.
I believe in miracles. I've had many miracles in the past and wait eagerly for another or so in my life. May June be the turning point that gets me out of poverty and into self-sufficiency again. And by "self-sufficiency" I really mean "God is providing for me without any government housing help and I can live on my income rather than rely on credit".

I am grateful for this apartment which has housed me safely and comfortably since June of 1994. I am grateful for my old car that has been getting me around since that same year. Now I am ready for my own house and a newer car.

GratefulJoy