Out on the back deck this morning. I can’t get enough of the sound of the birds, especially the mockingbird in our neighbors’ yard that seems intent on setting some new record for Most Continuous Song Performed at Dawn. The sun just broke through the clouds and it’s got a warm humid bite to it. Should be a warm one today. The air feels soft and damp and smells so, so good. Not much of a breeze stirring… oh, wait, here it comes now. I got up at around 6:30 just happy to still be here on the face of the earth, to be able to see the clouds scud across the sky, to see the sun rise, to be able to just park my butt in a chair and enjoy my coffee. This is bliss. I’m thankful for every minute I’m given.❤️🙏🏻

I may go with Rory and Leyna when they do the HEB run later this morning but I’m still on the fence about it. I know it would be safer for me to stay home but dammit, I actually MISS going to the market! I miss going down the international aisle, and the produce department. *SIGH* If I do go, I’ll gird up in one of the N95 masks that our Chinese friend Miao sent us. I may get hassled for wearing it but I do actually have a good excuse. Oh, speaking of getting hassled – Leyna walked down to the park yesterday with her cloth mask and was jeered at a couple of times by passers-by. Her Instagram post regarding the event was incendiary. Yes, there was some raw language but I so admire her fighting spirit. I only wish I had been encouraged to express myself a little more boldly when I was her age. When I was a kid, it was still all about girls being meek, sweet and nice. Speaking your mind or arguing your opinion was definitely NOT encouraged. Ugh… My girls may sometimes be a handful but I want them to always feel that they can disagree or argue their point. I’ve tried my best to stoke their fires without smothering them (or getting myself burned!).

I ended up not going to the market. I just don’t want to take too many chances with my health right now. Rory and Leyna tackled the task mid-morning and we now have a ridiculously full fridge. Rory’s back out picking up lunch from Chipotle. I’ve a feeling the traffic in town is nightmarish due to the holiday weekend. The park yesterday was packed and there were more cars on the road than I’d seen in a while. All the tubing places in town are open as well so it seems like “business as usual” once again. Except it isn’t.

Wow. Just…WOW. I put together the marinade for the chicken adobo recipe I’m trying out tonight and the flavor is SPECTACULAR. The meat will marinate for about three hours and then I’ll sear it, pour the sauce over it and let it thicken and serve it with chopped cilantro, green onion and lots of rice. Ooooooh, this is gonna be GOOOOOOD! I’ll have to give a full report to my Filipina lady friends at the hospital.

Yep, the meal definitely lived up to the hype. So, so good. It took a while to thicken the sauce but dang… it was worth every minute at the stove!