gift | Thinking Through My Lens

There’s something special about bread. Maybe it’s the yeast–or sourdough starter–that requires careful handling, favorable temperatures, and loving care. And then there is the satisfying mouth feel: the bite, the chew, the need to take the time to ruminate a bit so that when it lands in your belly you’ve spent some time getting to know it. Did I mention the smell? A savory scent that reminds you that this is a food of substance, it will hold you over for a while.

COVID seems to have brought the art of bread baking back to our home kitchens. Not only did people have more time for the complexities of bread baking (and starter making), but when the world felt shaky and threatening, maybe we needed the comforts that only bread can provide. I tried to get my personal chef (AKA my husband) on the sourdough bandwagon. I followed sourdough bakers on social media (including a number of friends) and gifted him with a sourdough bread cookbook, but it hasn’t taken…yet. (I do see him moving in that direction though…maybe one day soon he’ll take the leap. I know he will be amazing once he commits!)

A gift of bread feels like love in a loaf. It represents time, effort, and thoughtfulness, especially when it comes from someone’s home and hands. Being gifted a loaf of homemade sourdough bread on Friday at the end of parent-conference week felt like winning the lottery. Delivered into my hands by the hands of my young student made it even more special…and I could immediately smell that special aroma that only the best sourdough has. A perfect way to end the week. (Thank you Vanessa)

Is there ever a good time to work on your house?

For some reason we seem to get motivated sometime around Christmas to do major home renovation. Last year a plumbing issue initiated some major work shortly after Christmas. And this year we had planned to replace the floor in our living/dining room so that it would be done before Thanksgiving. But given our hectic schedules, we are deep in the midst of it right now…a week before Christmas.

This weekend was spent tearing out carpet and throwing away draperies that had seen better days.

The emptiness of the room creates a cavernous echo that magnifies every sound in the house. And the cats are not quite sure what to make of it. They did spend a good portion of time on Saturday in supervision mode…making themselves comfortable in the midst of pulled up carpet.

I’m amazed at the difference paint makes on a space! It feels fresh and clean, ready for the new floor that will be laid tomorrow.

So we may or may not get a Christmas tree up and decorated this year…and somehow that feels okay. There is something about the process of clearing out, reevaluating what we need and want to keep, and donating usable goods to someone else that is satisfying.

The neighbors are curious. They’re wondering if we are planning to move since that often happens when people do major work on their homes. But this work is a gift to ourselves…updating and improving our home to make our living environment more comfortable and welcoming.

It sure takes a lot of work and discomfort to make things better. I can’t wait til the end of the week when we have a freshly painted room with a new floor and new window coverings. There’s no furniture…guess we’ll have to stand to admire our freshly transformed living room.