the road is full of curves

The travels last week went well.  We went a few different routes so there were new things to see.

And 70 mile an hour plus winds with snow.  We spent the night in Evanston, WY because the snow was coming down, the winds were blowing, and temperatures were falling.  We could have kept driving because Utah has better road maintenance then Wyoming but it was nice to stop.  There was about 8 inches of snow on the car when we left in the morning.  Koda Bear was thrilled!

Up at the Great Grandparents there were days of clear.

And days of rain.  I have the feeling that I will be going up at least once a year to help with pruning and garden clean up soon.  There may be a need in the future and I find gardening brings peace.  Even when I am just the muscle.

But the road is full of curves.  Koda Bear is back with me and my Beloved.  My plans have all changed.  Like I was going to go to California this weekend.  I am not going to have the energy.  Or the time.  I will work on my shop and the garden when it is not flooded.  The Bear and I will work on maths.  I will get back to the state park I was supposed to stay at though even without the trade show.  The pictures are lovely.  Just a road full of curves.

At my parents, I did have to make bread.  I have not made bread with all purpose white flour and commercial yeast in a long time.  That was an experience.  The flavour was not as developed as I would have liked but, again, the making of the bread brings peace.  The loaf was mostly gone by the end of the night.  My brother gave me crap about the crust being too dark.  But the bread disappeared!

I know could go on diatribe about the nutritional density of grocery store bought bread.  But I will not.  I do think I will need to plan five loaves of bread for each cross country trip or bring my levain so I can bake good bread on the road.  I am going to be looking for local millers and growers soon though.  I feel like I am back in the 60's or 70's and reading a Diet for a Small Planet.  Oh well . . .

Christmas continued

Because we are taking the bear back, I am trying to finish some Christmas stocking stuffers that I have not gotten done yet.  Yes, this is my life.  I all but decided that I need to start working a little bit each week on Christmas for the year instead of the month.  It may be more successful.  Even after I finish this bit, there is one last piece I wish to finish.  Then, I will start again.

This whole month has been this way for me.  I find that I feel like I am a crazy person for all I do.  Instead of picking up mustard from the store, I ferment my own.  Instead of buying what, I make what.  But then, I "sit" myself down (actually, I am usually working on something) and think about my actions.  Think about where my life is, where I wished my life to be long ago, and where it is going.  

There is very little I would wish to change.  I always wanted to life off grid, making everything for myself.  I wanted to live in southeast Alaska.  When I am telling myself I am a crazy person, I admit to myself that within the parameters that my life is currently, I am living the life I wanted.  I think part of it is that I am already missing Koda bear.  Who is really not so small anymore.  I am getting as many hugs and whale kisses as I can so I can store up.

went camping

Out of the blue, I decided I needed to go camping.  What is nice about the Texas winter, is that you can decided which warmer winter week you wish to go.  The week before the temperatures were below freezing but during the week we went camping the temperatures were in the 70's and 80's.  

The campground was quiet which was nice.  Many of the trails were closed which was poor timing but I needed to be outside.  The sunrises and sunsets were gorgeous.  The birds were very loud.  It is a place where migratory birds come so watching the birds was fun but I would not call myself a bird watcher.  It is like watching the deer.  Just cool.

I was hoping to come back rested but I came back more tired then I left.  But being outside was lovely.  I learned Koda Bear really likes cheese tacos.  Quesadillas to the rest of us.  But cheese tacos are an easy camp food.  Good for me.  There were bean and cheese tacos and salmon and cheese tacos too.  I think that particular small bear could eat tacos everyday.  Not a hardship!

St. Lucy Day buns

I have been wishing to try St. Lucy Day buns since I have seen them pictured in multiple places.

I decided why not in this season where I am busy doing so much.  I tried a recipe out of the tome.

Shaping was a bit interesting just because I had not tried it before.  But the buns turned out beautifully.

The crumb was just lovely.  And the colour!  The flavour of cardamom and saffron was lovely.

There was just one tiny littly problem.  I found out the hard way I appear to be sensitive to saffron.  I have eaten everything in these buns before but the saffron.  I have ended up covered in a rash.  I still have the rash even though I stopped eating these buns when I truly realized what was going on.  I itch.  And I sighed.  Lovely buns.  Just not for me.

Oh well.

so much quilting!

Two more quilts down.  They just need to be bound.  One really needs to be done by Saturday but I just do not think that will happen with how today went.  Today was all about errands and none of the tasks that were on the list were finished.  Except for dinner.  That got made.

But this quilt got laid out this weekend.  And sewn together.  The basting happened.  I was hoping for all of that and more.

The more would have been more then three lines of quilting done but that did not happen.  Koda Bear picked out the backing for this quilt at Ragfinery.  It is an orange polartecish fabric.  It is very soft but it does not move easily across my sewing machine.  I am going to get a work out making this quilt.  

When Koda Bear got back from his Dad's, he walked into my sewing room.  He is my helper.  The smile on his face tried to break it when he saw that his quilt was being quilted.  I think this one is going to be a win.  Now if there was a few more hours and a bit more energy between now and Christmas day, everything might get finished.  I am at the point of not worrying.  

Baking will happen tomorrow.  Hopefully some quilting.  Maybe pajamas cut out.  Too much.  Oh well.