Bread

A wonderful thing happens weekly at our house. The smell of freshly baked bread. Yuuummmm, there is nothing like it in the world. My wonderful husband agrees, although usually defers to his inferior store bought bread. He can't help it, he was raised on Wonderbread. He will line up for a piece of just out of the oven bread. Unfortunately for him, I usually bake on my days off. I love having the kids around while I'm in the process. They pull up the kitchen stool and peer into the bowl to make sure the yeast is "happy, happy". Mooommmm! It's happy! Which means they get to help measure ingredients into the KitchenAid mixer and watch it zoom around. Moooommmmm! It's clinging to the bread dough hook! Moooommmmm! Is it time to knead? Yes, they love to knead the bread. They share my joy in the rythmic thunk! squash, fold, squash, fold, thunk! I think they secretly love being able to THROW the dough down on the granite (really, it likes being treated that way) almost as much as the squash, fold, squash, fold...

Dawn's MultiGrain Honey Bread
1/3 cup honey
2 packages of yeast
4 cups warm water (100 - 110)
2 cups Kashi 5 grain cereal
1 cup oats
1 cup All Bran cereal
3 cups whole wheat flour
7 cups +/- all purpose flour
4 tsp. sea salt

Dissolve honey, water and yeast - let stand 5 minutes to proof (happy, happy).
Add oats, Kashi + All Bran cereal, let stand 2 - 3 minutes. Start mixer. Add whole wheat flour and 6 cups of all purpose flour. Stir, adding remaining cup of flour a little bit at at ime to prevent sticking to the side of the bowl (dough will feel sticky by hand).

Cover and let rise until doubled (more happy stuff) - 45 minutes.
Puch down and shape into loaves. Cover, let rise 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes. Loaves will be lightly browned and hollow when tapped. Remove from oven. Remove from pans within 5 minutes.

Or stop by on Friday afternoons :o)

Waving goodbye

I'm not quite sure how it started. Perhaps when they were tiny babies learning how to wave. In any event, the tradition continues. On the days that I work, the kids insist on waking up before their father leaves at 6am. The day just isn't right if they don't get their kisses and hugs from Dad. As part of this early morning routine, they also wave goodbye. Usually with the help of Diesel, who always seems to be a part of the action. I think it's a great thing.

Fall Fishing

Fall Fishing.
Not usually as good as spring fishing. The fish aren't quite as hungry as they were in the spring and summer. The water is getting cooler, and their metabolism's are slowing down. If you take time to enjoy the scenery (which is more than half of what fishing is all about) it's not so bad if you don't catch anything. Afterall, a bad day fishing is better than a day at (work, school, soccer games).

Rainy Camping Days

Fishing in a puddle pond. Suggested gear: rain boots. rain coat. fishing pole with bobber (no hooks please). Add a good imagination. Mix together for lots of rainy day camping fun.

Running and karma

Fate. Destiny. Loosely translated, Karma is what happens to you in life. I like to think I can guide my karma. Overcome hurdles. Get myself going in a better direction. At my current stage of life, my focus is more physical than spiritual. My big eye-opening, oh-shit moment came as my 39th birthday quickly approached. I had lost 25 pounds in the last 3 years, but was starting to jiggle again. And I could either celebrate 40 in another year and watch myself go further down hill, or get my act in gear and kick 40 in it's ass. I chose the latter. I joined the gym. I take classes like "extreme fitness", "power sculpt" and one hour spin classes. And... I love it. I also run. Not the one mile runs that helped me lose the 25 pounds. 5k (3.2 miles) runs that make me celebrate 39.

Here's my run this morning. Strap on my running shoes, my running bra, a pair of capris and my iPod. Walk downstairs to the treadmill. Set the treadmill for speed 3 (20 minute mile) to walk and warm up. Flip on iPod. Scroll to songs -> Playlists -> running tunes and hit play. "Rubberband Man" comes on for my warmup. Funky. That describes the first 3 minutes of warm up. Getting your mind set. Then comes a remix of "Sugar Sugar". The treadmill goes up to a jogging speed 5 (12 minute mile). The next 3/4 miles are the hardest. My first thought is oh crap. Robin Benfatti (now married with a different last name) taught my Power Sculpt on Friday. We used to swim together in high school. Robin is now the fitness director at the gym. Robin kicked my ass on Friday. Literally. It was burning. That's what I feel now in my warm up jog. My ass. My ankles. My shins. "Sugar Sugar" ends and a remix of "Born to Be Alive" comes on and helps me finish my first mile. My lungs have adjusted to the fact that they are going to work today. My legs are warming up, the blood is pumping, I'm starting to think I can have a good run today. Another remix... "Should I Stay or Should I Go" kicks my run upto a speed of 5.5, just under a 11 minute mile. I love my remixes. I love iTunes and my iPod. A remix of "Long Train Running" comes on at 1.25 miles. They say the runners high kicks in right about now, and I believe it. I feel better than I did at 20 years old. I turn my treadmill up to a speed of 6.2 (9.8 minute mile) and settle in for the next mile with a few more thumping remixes... all around 160 beats per minute. At this point, it's all about the music. As my spin instructor would say - let the music guide your cadence. My feet pound the treadmill deck to the beat. I feel so good that at 2.5 miles I slow down, lower my heart rate, grab the dog and head out into my neighborhood. I run the whole 'hood. Hills and all. Today, I have looked at 40 and kicked it the ass.

Can you change your Karma? No. Can you change the things around you and direct your Karma? I like to think so.

Princess Pine

Princess Pine. bot: Lycopodium Obscurum. Princess Pine is a member of a plant family called club mosses. Not a "tree" by any means, but a moss that resembles one. It can be found on the floor of moist, nutrient-rich hardwood forests. It is also the nickname we gave our daughter when she was very young.

Why, you ask, would anyone nickname their daughter after a moss? It represents everything we truly love. It's is delicate and beautiful. It is found hidden at the bottom of trees, deep in the forest. If you weren't looking closely for it, you would easily trample it. The woods... a place where our family would rather be. Hmmm.... sit at the soccer fields today? Or hike in the woods? Our answer would, of course, be - take a hike. However, it is also fun to watch your five year old strap on his "magic" goalie gloves and stop a charging herd of other 5 year olds and 1 soccer ball.

The forest (or woods, we use them interchangeably) mean so much. It's peaceful. A place to catch a glimpse of all things wild. I always feel much closer to God deep in the woods than sitting on some man-made bench in a man-made church. It makes you appreciate everything in this world. Just like the incredible miracle of the creation of children, the creation of trees is amazing as well. One tiny little acorn, should it survive squirrels, bears and such, manages to grow into a giant, towering tree. That will eventually harbor those that tried to eat it in seed form.

Why, you ask, would anyone nickname their daughter after a moss? My daughter is beautiful. Delicate. Uncommon. When we call her Princess Pine she just smiles. As if she knows everything wonderful that is behind that name.

Tee-pee's

It all started with a discussion on my Mom's Board. Does anyone have any ideas for a playdate? A few ideas were tossed around, and a web site was posted. There, under neighborhood playdates, was the perfect idea. Stick tee-pees. So we gathered up the nieghborhood kids on a Friday afternoon after school. I will admit, it was a little slow to start. Mike went with them into the woods hunting for sticks. They charged out with Mike carrying a giant bundle. He showed them how to put one together (with twine at the top to help them stay) and off they went. The big kids worked together as a team and had their sticks assembled within a few minutes. They really never quite got the hang of draping the sheet around the tee-pee. Their preferred method was hanging it over the top. If they were Indians, they would have smoked themselves right out of their home!

The late afternoon quickly became chilly, and attention focused on hot dogs, chips, warm apple cider and a small bon fire. Marshmallows appears, with a hunt for smaller sticks. My children both appeared with multi-branched sticks. The kind that would be perfect for a snowman's arms. And in quick order, they plopped on and roasted multiple marshmallows at one time. I will give them credit for that one! The evening ended too quickly around 6:00 to allow for boy scout meetings, and cheerleading at a football game (thankfully, nothing for my kids!). Building stick tee-pee's was a great success. So was spending time with the neighbors.

Projects, projects

For some reason, it's become difficult to leave things alone around our house. I'm sure it all started very innocently when we bought our house 11 years ago. Something like hey, this bathroom really needs a new medicine cabinet. Over the years our confidence (and skills) have grown. Hey, we really need to do something about our kitchen became a reality 3 years ago. Walls ripped down to studs, walls even moved! Beautiful new hickory cabinets hung with the help of my Dad, tile floors and backsplash, even granite countertops! I love making bread, it's such a pleasure to knead the dough on granite. Our most amitious project was new siding the year after the kitchen. We decided, innocently enough, hey - if the siding is off, we might as well replace these old, crappy builder-grade windows too. So, side by side we ripped off siding, ripped off black wafer board, ripped out old windows, inserted new Pella windows and added new (and proper) plywood. The funny thing was that we finished one side in a weekend and thought, oh my god, we have 3 more sides left!!!! Yes, that was one heck of a project. I also have a beautiful bay window in my dining room thanks to that project.

The latest project is pretty modest. Rip apart the tool shed. Why not leave it as it is you ask? Well, the double doors open right into a wall. To get the garden tractor in and out, you need to drive it up (and back it down) onto a pair of ramps. So, off came half of the walls of the shed. While in there, I thought hey, it would really look brighter with a coat of primer paint. Perhaps I should stop thinking. The walls were painted first, to which everyone agreed it did look a lot brighter. And suddenly the ceiling looked a LOT darker. Hmmm. Off to the paint store for another can of primer. I have just finished the ceiling. I still have to paint the one exterior wall that is still bard-red with primer. And THEN I still have to re-paint everything with the paint I picked up that would turn the shed into the same color as the house..... I must have adult ADD because I am mentally done with painting, but know I still have quite a few hours out there to finish.

1st week of school

New backpacks: check. Shiny white new sneakers (for Dylan): check. Knee high black boots (with HEELS!): check. Loads of school supplies: check. That can only mean one thing... the fist day of school is here!

I put my baby on the school bus this year. While inconvenient as a working Mom, I was happy it is a half day program. Dylan was thrilled to ride the bus to "al-a-pine" with his big sister Morgan. For the first time that I can remember, Morgan didn't show that she was nervous. Must have been the boots! I didn't read Dylan right after he got home, and didn't realize until a GIANT melt-down at dinner that he was exhausted from his first day. I sent nap time bedding with him to the preschool center so he could have quiet time on the second day. The third morning he was in tears because he decided he didn't like Kindergarten or "al-a-pine". I suspect it's because he was reprimanded for playing too rough with a neighborhood boy who has never been exposed to pre-school. I had a few Moms over for coffee that 3rd morning, and was relieved to hear that ALL of her kids, from her Kindergartener to her middle school child had tears that morning. Yes, the first week of school is hard.

Maine

After reasonably recovering from our 11 hour trip home (thoughtfully broken into 2 days), I have time to think about what I like so much in Maine. My parents house, it's goregeous. Still a work in progress, but amazing. Giant windows overlooking the ever-changing bay. Who could get tired of that view? The gardens. Again, amazing. My Mom's hard work and talent (of course, made possible with help from my Dad too) really shows. There is a saying they use to describe Maine- The way life should be. I agree. You should be able to hang laundry, walk a few feet to pick blueberries, then eat them while watching the bay. While sitting on my Dad's amazing creation from wood - a bench, table, even the cabinetry inside the house. Yes, now that my parents are free of children, they have been able to do amazing things. Which is how life should be. What don't I like about Maine? Hmmmmm..... the sheer overwhelming scope of poverty. It's so in your face almost everywhere you look. The bugs. Oh my gosh, it must be the reason why Maine is still so rugged and rural. The short summer season. Yet, the short summer season only seems to multiply the number of gardens you see. Yes, there are so many people with flower gardens. Not the maincured grass and shrub lawns from New Jersey. Wild, beautiful gardens peeking out of wild, unclipped bushes. Climbing out of windowboxes. As if people truly relish the summer and celebrate with flowers. Yes, the way life should be.

August

I'm not really sure what August ever did to me, but I really don't like August. Sure, there are some good things happening in August like my brother's birthday, my parent's anniversary, and typically a vacation. My garden is pretty happy, with tomatoes coming in and cucumbers galore. But... I guess it's just that September is looming. All of a sudden, the kids are tired of swimming. The baskets of flowers in the pool even seem... leggy and spent. The thing I dislike the most about August is the shrinking amount of sunlight. In July the sun would greet me in the morning when my alarm clock went off at 4:50, and it bid me good night around 9pm. Now when I wake up, I have to turn the lights on outside to let the dogs out. It's dark around 8:00, just when I would like to have quiet time in the garden. I can't sit out on the back patio in my springey chair and chat on the phone.

I guess it isn't all bad... after all, September is around the corner. My jeans will be out of the drawer soon (and fitting much better after months at the gym). Sweaters will emerge from the cedar chest, and best of all... time for boots!!!

Dogs

Dogs really are a mans best friend. They bring laughter when you need it, and will do anything to protect their families. I love my Diesel. Not only does he run like a gazelle, he's now the neighborhood super pest control hero. Not too long ago, he beat a squirrel from a neighbor's living room to the tree. Deftly, he picked it up in his mouth mid-chase. With two simple, quick flips side to side, he killed it and flopped it on the ground as if to say "so, what was the problem here?". My neighbors happily rewarded him with a GIANT box of GIANT sized dog biscuits. With a measly squirrel under his belt, Diesel was up to the next challenge. Little did we realize the next challenge would be bigger than him! We let him outside after eating breakfast at 5:15 (did I mention we are early risers?) and he started barking and barking. Very unusual for "D" to do that. So Mike heads out in his boxer briefs and a flashlight to see what's up. What's up was a 250 pound bear in the next door neighbor's driveway happily munching on garbage! Mike gave him one "go get it" command and off went the 100 lb. gazelle. I think he picked up so much speed, expecting the bear to run like the squirrel. Only the bear was engrossed in the garbage, head almost buried in the can. Diesel ended up body slamming the bear! He chased the bear all the way down the street, into the cul de sac and then the woods as if to say enough! You were much too close to my family! Yes, we are proud of you D-man. And we need to re-focus you from bears to the gopher hole up by the compost pile!

My Birthday Pajamas

It was my birthday yesterday. I keep telling everyone I'm celebrating my 38th birthday and laugh. I don't know why I'm having a hard time acknowledging 39. I guess it's just too close to 40. Why do we have to focus so much on numbers? I feel so much better about myself that I did 4 years ago! My gift from Mike was a pair of pajamas. REALLY NICE pajamas. Yes, the expensive kind. I think everyone should have at least one pair. It makes you feel special when the day is over. Who cares that there is dust on your china cabinet, or toys scattered everywhere when you have your special pj's on. It's really hard to notice the piles of laundry waiting to be folded when they are on. Yes, they are that nice. Better than the old t-shirt that is like a worn friend. That's saved for the dead of winter when you want comfort. It's not hard to understand why flannel was created. Winter. Cozy. Blankets. Nope, this is another season. Summer. Hot. Sultry. A bra is almost too hot for these mid July heatwave nights. I put on my special pair of pajamas last night and sat outside on the patio in the faint breeze and thought.... well, I guess 39 isn't so bad after all.

Wildflowers

Take time to stop and smell the flowers. I've heard it so many times. Sometimes it seems like such a cliche when you have young kids and an active life. But then I think... why would you spend all this time growing plants from little seeds in the middle of the winter. Why would you spend all this time nurturing those seedlings, carefully planting them after they have hardened-off, weeding around them if you don't actually pick them and enjoy them? Well, a recent dinner with friends made me stop cleaning the house, grab a vase and a pair of cutters and head out into the garden. I was instantly relaxed by the calm outside (it was near dusk) and the beauty of my hard work. I try to think of Erma Bombeck who would say something along the lines of don't let dust keep you from having friends over. And she is right. All that time cleaning the house, they breezed through, we had pizza on the back patio, and then let the kids swim. And the "dessert" was cookies and brownies packed in a backpack and brought to an outdoor concert. A perfect July evening - all the way down to the beautiful vase of wildflowers.

The dog and the buck

An almost nightly occurance has been noted at my house. My dog Diesel is a beautiful, long, powerful Rottweiler, Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. He is 90 pounds of long, lean muscle. He can leap walls that are over 7 feet tall effortlessly. When he runs with me, he trots along happy to be free of his yard and out smelling the good stuff. I am in awe of his raw power and form. The last few nights just at dusk, Diesel has been begging to go outside. Thanks to the miracle of electric fencing, I open the door and let him out. To my amazement, he's been settling down on the pile of dirt near our half-completed stone wall, watching. Watching the neighbor's lawn through the split rail fence. Waiting. And just at dusk, along comes a 4 or 5 point buck. He knows Diesel is there. It's a game between them. The buck pretends nothing is amiss and forages under the crab apple tree where bunnies gathered earlier. Diesel, who tires quickly of this game, lets out a deep, rumbling bark to say "I'm here!" I marvel at the similarities in their hind quarters. They check eachother and inevitably, Diesel barks again. I think to say I want to join you, but I'm going to get beeped at and shocked if I do. Diesel now barks until the buck lets out a grunting noise and bounds away, effortlesly leaping the bushes and headed into the fields. I would love to see them run together, but know it would have a less-than story book ending. So, I enjoy these nightly meetings and think, yes, this is summer.

July 4th - cousin's week

The much anticipated and planned week at the Jersey shore with the cousins from Denver (and Grandma and Grandpa!). We found a campground in North Cape May that also rented out cabins, and Mike found extra bikes for the boys (because while you can fly out bike helmets, it's really hard to fly out your bikes). It was wonderful to see the kids eat breakfast at the picnic table, hop on their bikes and tour the campground! It brought back so many memories of camping when I was young. It was also a relief to have them be old enough to be able to do that! Mike would take them in the morning to go frogging at the pond, I was on duty in the afternoon at the pool. They LOVED the ocean, if it wasn't so cold I think they would still be in there! Oh, and the boardwalk. What fun to be a kid out late at night in the salt air, riding all the rides they could want, eating pizza, french fries with vinegar and cotton candy. We hopped the tram car back home at 10:15, just missing the Friday night fireworks at 10:30. Had we thought a bit more, we could have watched them from the parking lot, but the kids were just done and ready for their beds. The weather couldn't have been better, and it makes me want to go back again!