text: I write this with a downcast keyboard.
  I have failed my January Meal Plan. I cheated. I strayed. And I failed.
  But not completely. And, looking at making lemonade out of these lemons… now I have that much more in my freezer to get us through the month of February. So, you know… there’s that.
  In a nutshell, my Meal Plan was waylaid by a broken furnace, leftovers at Mom’s, and a funeral. With all of these happenings I had little need to keep up with my Meal Plan.
  Twice more I found myself at a local drive-thru, but I made better choices than I used to. For instance, instead of a full meal, I ordered the cheaper cheeseburger and instead of a soda I took an iced tea or smoothie. I needed something warm to offset the chill in the air.
  I did make my Slow Cooker Turkey Chili on the 16th and that’s held us for a few days. There’s even some left, still, for February’s freezer selection.
  In the midst of a colder house and little motivation, we opted for the ease of one of our “extra” meals. My favorite stand-by, La Choy Chow Mein.
  And a few days later on the 22nd, I brought home a treat: a DiGiorno’s self-rising frozen pizza. Hey. It was the last episode of my beloved FLASHPOINT. I needed something special for the occasion. I also came home that evening to a very sick Dot.
  What with the cold house (again) and the inclement weather and the back-and-forth of staying intermittently at Mom’s house… my poor Dot ended up with a virus. The good news is that while she was down for the count, it was a short count. 24 hours later she was ready for the world again.
  A new furnace has been ordered, which conversely adds to my stress level because… well, did you know furnace units are expensive? Like I wasn’t having enough problems with the budget… At least I’ll be warm in my worries. But because in SoCal, furnace units either go on the roof or on the side of the house it can’t be installed until the current round of winter rains stop. Which should be in another 2 or 3 days.
  In the meantime, have I mentioned how I love living so close to my Mom? Yup. We’ve invaded her home, her kitchen, her life.
  She has the most amazing tea shelf. Today’s all about the chamomile.
  So if you’ll excuse me now… I have some popcorn to eat and a movie to watch. Oh, and some new recipes to write.
  And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!