I thought I’d start the morning out with something Celtic and energetic—not sure about you guys, but I need it. Plus, I love Slainte and really like Heath’s fiddle playing and his bagpipes. These guys are having a great time playing and that’s always a joy to hear.
This
past weekend I actually only worked a half day on Saturday and off on Sunday. It’s
been a good long while since I had almost a whole weekend off. I was planning
to go see Jurassic World but Dan decided he’d rather see it next weekend.
Quality time off, what do I do? Write? Well I do have some clamoring characters
but I told them they’d just have to wait (although I did spend some time
writing in my notebook while sitting outside). When you spend as much time in front of a
computer as I do, the last thing you want to do is sit in front of one and so
writing was out. I couldn’t face my office or my computer another minute.
I exercised my creative spirit in other ways.
I worked in my garden, admired my tomatoes, planted some more blueberries,
counted my healthy strawberries—about half are doing fine and I’m looking
forward to eating lots of them soon. I also worried about my eight new fruit
trees—they’re not responding from bare root. I’m giving them another week and
then if they still aren’t responding, me and the nursery staff is going to have
words.
My
creative spirit also wanted to play baker. I haven’t done a lot of baking with
yeast in several years. I used to make my bread and rolls. Between having had
MRSA and then the shoulder reconstruction, I got out of the habit of that kind
of baking. For one, it takes quite a bit
of time and physical effort. I had a hankering for yeasty cinnamon rolls. The
recipe I have used for years produces some yummy cinnamon rolls and I used to
know it by heart. I had to dig it out so I could proceed. Sheesh.
The
first batch…well…let’s just say they weren’t great. Personally, I think they’d
have made great hockey pucks although the horses thought they were great.
Second batch were good but still not great. Part of it was adjusting for my new
stove (relatively new—2 years old so the proofing of the dough was different as
was this oven’s temps). The other part of the problem is when working yeast
dough it takes practice. I don’t use a bread machine and then there is
remembering temperatures for liquids so you don’t kill the yeast or being too
rough with the dough so it becomes tough. Use the skill or lose it. It all
comes back, well most of it, especially the second time around. Third batch
will be a charm—just as soon as I buy more yeast.So, how was your weekend? See any good movies? Read any good books?
Did you let your creative spirit out to play? How did that work out for you?
