Drawing
Can I confess something? I deeply dislike drawing. I avoid it at all costs and groan inwardly when someone asks me to draw anything other than a house plan. And I’m totally cool with that—there are plenty of other ways to be creative.
But that’s probably why I’m so fascinated that a child of mine loves to draw so much and is so good at it. I love how Lexie can picture something in her mind and then get her hand to put it down on paper, or in this case, computerized drawing tablet. Even that amazes me: You draw on a metal thingy and images show up on the computer screen!
Lexie is so nonchalant about the entire miraculous process. But maybe one day she’ll have a child who can, I don’t know, juggle or something and she’ll understand how I feel.
Meanwhile, I will continue to be fascinated and amused (why the fake glasses? do they make her feel more artistic?) and happy when she sits next to me at the table, drawing away.
(She’s a little obsessed with Castiel. Here he is again.)
Short Fiction: Transitions
Before I write
I empty the dishwasher
I make the bed
I start the wash
I fold some clothes
I make the coffee
I feed the dog
I feed the fish
I feed the kids
I load the dishes
I sweep the floor
I check for messages
I answer a few
I pay a bill
I fill out a form
I lift some weights
I take a shower
I pluck my brows
I clean out a drawer
I call a friend
I call my husband
I call the plumber
I water the plants
I bake some bread
I play some chords
I get the mail
And wonder when
I’ll ever start
to write.
Grandma Charlotte’s Best-Ever Irish Soda Bread
Oh, this bread. I made a loaf this morning and when it came out of the oven I stood at the stove with my Butter Bell in hand, cutting off warm slices and slathering them with butter.
The bread is so easy to make—I just throw everything into the standing mixer and then knead the dough into shape. The last step before you put the bread in the oven is to cut a cross into the dome of the dough. Irish legend says that’s to “let the devil out.” Grandma Charlotte was mostly Dutch and German, so she may have had more practical reasons for the cross—like allowing the dough to cook more evenly—but she did have some Irish in her and married an Irishman, so who knows? And, anyway, it can’t hurt!
Don’t worry about saving any bread for later—it tastes best fresh out of the oven and doesn’t keep as well as yeasted breads.
Grandma Charlotte’s Irish Soda Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. caraway seeds (I’m not a big fan, so I just sprinkle some on top)
Cut in 4 Tbsp. butter
In a separate bowl, beat together 1 egg and 1 1/2 cups buttermilk.
Add to dough and mix until the dough holds together. Turn out on a floured board and gently knead into a ball. Flatten slightly so bread is about 3 inches tall and cut an X in the top. Beat 1 egg and brush over the top to improve browning.
Wet a baking sheet with water and place bread on the sheet. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom. Remove the bread from the oven and serve as soon as you can! With lots of soft butter. (If you’re not eating the bread right away, place the baking sheet on the counter and cover with a damp cloth to cool.)
The Saturday Morning Book Club + Reading List
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Last week we had a great conversation about “comforting clothes.” Well. On the third Saturday of every month I get to go to book club, which is like slipping into the most comfortably well-worn sweater you can imagine.
No one remembers exactly when our first meeting was, but we do know it was at least twelve years ago. Twelve years! That’s a long time for a group to get together in this busy era, so I asked these book-loving kindred spirits why they think our club has stayed the course. Here’s what they said:
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