Food. Food, Food, Food, Food, Food

I seem to be on a writing-about-food kick. 
Okay. Let's be honest. It is and has always been apparent that I am obsessed with food and confuse it with love. For others and for myself. What better way to show self-love than to feed oneself in a thoughtful and loving manner.
Okay. Probably a lot of things. 
But I have never, ever been one of those people who, if they only have themselves to fix food for, choose just to have a bowl of cereal for supper. I don't really like cereal so that may not be a good example but you know what I mean. 
So. Reining it in here, those buns at the top of the page are hamburger buns that I made yesterday for the sloppy joes I also made. The buns were very good and the new yeast has been a game changer for me. Things rise! And when was the last time you had sloppy joes? Eighth grade, maybe? Did your school cafeteria serve them? Did you like them? Were you happy on sloppy joe day? 
I liked them okay but there was just...something...about them that seemed a little off. I have no idea what that was. But I'd been thinking about them for awhile and last night I made my own which is so easy to do. I used ground venison rather than beef and besides that there are onions, peppers, ketchup (don't puke, please), Worcestershire sauce, and some spices. 

They were so good. There was also a lovingly prepared salad to go with them so I didn't feel terribly bad about serving them. Just a little bad.

But then, I started my day by meeting Liz at Waffle House. We've been talking about doing this for a very long time and we finally got around to it. 
We sat at that table for probably two hours. We talked and talked and talked and yes, we had Waffle House breakfast. After we'd been there for a good long time and the plates had been cleared, Liz said, "If I order a waffle, will you eat half of it?" 
"I'll taste it," I said. And so she ordered a pecan waffle and it was quickly delivered to the table by Mama Kim (same server we had last time I was at the Waffle House with Glen) and let me tell you something- that waffle was delicious.
And here's a shocking fact- I had never once had a waffle at the Waffle House. 
"You have just ruined my life," I said to Liz as I took a second bite. And then a third. 
We also discovered today that they serve biscuits at the Waffle House. 
What?! I came home and told Glen. He said the same thing. "What?!"

So now we know. But I got raisin toast with apple butter because that's what I eat at Waffle House. 

Liz and I talked so long that this is what the place looked like when we left. 

Practically empty!
When we remarked on this while paying the bill, the cook who took our money explained that January is a slow month for them. Not only have people spent all of their extra income on Christmas, but the resolutions they've made for New Years generally prohibit the sort of food that Waffle House serves. 
"It's okay," he said. "They'll be back. And we will welcome them."

All right. There is a giant bag of life-sustaining cookies on the kitchen island and a camo duffel bag on the guest room bed. You know what that means. Yes. Mr. Moon is going off again to hunt. And fish. This time to Louisiana. He's leaving tomorrow morning and will be back on Monday so this is a short get-away for him. 
He's excited, of course, and we've been extra sweet to each other lately so he goes with a light heart. And cookies. Here's what he and Maurice looked like last night. 

She knows he's leaving because of the duffel bag so she was getting her dad-love last night. 

After I got back from the Waffle House, he and I went to the Wharf, which is yet another restaurant because he had things to do in town and was starving and we wanted to spend some time together. 
"You're probably not hungry, are you?" he asked me. 
"Well, I actually finished eating about three hours ago so I could eat a little something." And we both got very nice salads with shrimp on them and NOT FRIED SHRIMP EITHER!

And then, on to Moon Plaza so he could check on the rats and tomorrow is the Grand Opening of Oak Tree Treasures, the resale store benefiting the hospice, and I finally met the woman who is in charge. What a nice lady and by golly, she was ON IT! So were the other volunteers who were there, getting things ready for tomorrow. 
And guess what? She let me buy the shoes I'd wanted before the official opening and I was so happy. 

I don't think I've told you about my new overalls which you see in that picture. Yes, they are from Duluth Trading Company. Yes, I love them. Yes, I feel like a toddler in a play suit in them. No. I do not care. Everywhere I wear them people say, "I love your overalls!" 

"Me too!" I say. 

They have beautiful things at Oak Tree Treasures. As a commenter posted before, it shouldn't be called a "thrift store" but a "resale store" and that is the truth. No real mind-blowing bargains lurking there but very, very nice things at very reasonable prices. 

After that we went and saw Lily at the Publix liquor store and I got two wonderful hugs from my girl. So it's been a sweet day and I could not be more grateful for it. 

For those of you not fortunate enough to live in the south (hahahahahahahahahaHA!) that is a collard green. Look at the life force in that huge leaf. I should have put in a banana for scale. It is much bigger than a banana and far from the biggest collard green in the garden. To finish up on the food subject (for tonight, at least), I will tell you that I am cooking a pot of greens, collards and other types, for our supper. 
With some other stuff.

Thanks for being here, y'all. I appreciate each and every one of you. 

Love...Ms. Moon