Who else is soaked to their bones? We’ve been in the middle of a spring nor’easter and the rain has been out of this world. And so chilly – our high temps have been in the mid-50s for the last few days. It would be lovely if we were wrapping up a long, hot summer instead of a desolate, frigid winter. But I’m going to try to soak up the coolness because I’d much rather be cold than hot and true summer will arrive at some point.
The heating element in our oven broke in early March. That’s happened to this oven 3 or 4 times since we bought it about 8 years ago. I have no idea why it happens so often and it’s annoying, but Matthew has gotten pretty good at fixing it. Except this time, there was a little something else wrong with it and Matthew hasn’t been at his best, so it took a while to get it fixed. But now it’s ready to go and I was able to wake up my sourdough starter. This is what I woke up to on Thursday morning! It’s thrilling, isn’t it?
I spent yesterday afternoon stretching and folding bread dough, left it in the fridge overnight, and then put it on a heating pad for 4 hours this morning. And now the dough is shaped and in the freezer for a bit to make it easier to score when I’m ready to bake.
It feels good to be able to bake again! It’s especially exciting since it’s so chilly in the house right now.
I have done almost no knitting this week and have done very little reading — and that has me feeling frustrated. My notebook is full of little chastisements about how I “should” be using my time, which isn’t helpful at all. So I’m trying to take deep breaths and remind myself that this is just a temporary pause; it won’t last forever. But May is shaping up to be a very strange month for me! And I have to admit that I’m worried about my daily reading goal and am relieved to have had a 3000 page buffer (that’s almost all eaten up!) by the end of March. But writing this reminds me that it’s possible to return to my previous reading pace and rebuild that buffer, so not all is lost.
And now we’re heading into a long weekend, which will likely not leave me with much of an opportunity for reading or knitting either. But I’m determined to be optimistic and surrender to whatever comes my way. Wish me luck!
I hope you’re able to find some time for the things you need this weekend. Take good care!
The Cozy Burrow 
You will get back to your usual routine, or some satisfying version of it. Casey is asleep at my feet right now as I work, which is such a gift. AND your caption for Dawsey’s photo was SO accurate…LOL. The sun will come out, you’ll knit, and read, and breathe and even garden…but just maybe not today (or next week). Be easy on yourself…I bet Daesey thinks you and your family are pretty cool!
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…oops, Dawsey!
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I think you’ve got the right idea, Katie—focus on “what is” instead of “what isn’t.”
Stay cozy and enjoy that bread!
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It’s been pretty rainy here too and also a bit cooler the last couple of days. It’s almost felt like Fall. And it’s way too early for me to start longing for Fall! LOL But I couldn’t help but feel that a bit. 🙂 Dawsey is absolutely adorable!
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We have had a wet and windy month here but I see hints that sunnier days are coming. I love that you have a new walking companion
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It has been nice to have this bit of cool weather because it is perfect for turning the oven on! I made bread this week and two pizza meals! (and I am with you on preferring this to the heat! My garden does too… my alliums are savoring these days and my poppies are too!)
Have a fantastic long weekend… including darling Dawsey!
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The past couple of days have been really wet and cold here, to the point where I’ve felt like it’s November — I even turned the heat back on! I’m sure you share the feeling that it would be easier to take without having to walk a dog frequently. But this too shall pass, just like the puppy stage we’re in. I’m glad that you’ve recognized that you need to stop “shoulding” yourself. Right now is all about doing what you can.
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I’ve been reminding myself that “life happens” and that it’s okay if you don’t get everything done that you had hoped. For example, my garden bed doesn’t look like what I was envisioning this winter. Life happened and I did not have the time to devote to it this spring. But that’s okay! I hope your weekend is a good mix of fun and necessary things. And enjoy your bread!
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