@audreybits, thank you for your lovely comments. So glad you like Gandi, he is my favorite as well (but don't tell the other guys). Gandi and I bonded immediately when we first saw each other. I had never had a Macaw companion before, and apparently he felt a kindred spirit in me.
As far as the preserving, it is a labor of love, as you said, but it can also be addictive. I can't imagine my life without food preservation in it. It certainly makes meal preparation so much easier. Cheers!