Saving eggshells for my calcium-hungry tomatoes.

I made another loaf of sourdough, which felt a little like taking a step back, since I hadn't made one in a while and I could already tell I had lost the feel for it a bit. I used the same flour, same hydration, and it was like working with the slime monster from the Goosebumps books (remember that one?). It turned out with a good crumb and tasted great (we polished it off in about 2 days), but it was just a nightmare to handle.

(That mark on Tenny's forehead is from pulling the iron off of a high shelf and onto his head - ouch!)

The weather continues to be hilarious. It snowed last week, and then we were promptly outside playing in the yard a few days later. As the season marches on the list of tasks swells with it, and there are days I barely touch my computer, but to perhaps do some garden research, certainly not lingering long enough to leisurely write for this space. There is plenty to do, but I'm mostly busy because I haven't been doing this whole thing (as in, mother of two, baker, gardener, home-owner) long enough to be adept and organized in all the various aspects (and also maybe because we were at church 6 times in 5 days for Holy Week). I end up feeling a bit like a chicken running around with its head cut off. Not a great feeling for even a selective-perfectionist. Alan always tells me I can't be perfect at everything, and especially not right away. Ha! Okay, okay. . . I know he's right. Anyways, I really respect the skills of homemakers of yesteryear who managed to accomplish all of these things, and with far fewer time-saving devices. I envy the wisdom that was no doubt passed down to them directly, for it has in many ways been lost, and the isolated rediscovering of these skills is difficult. I'm thankful for the wealth of information that the internet provides, but hungry for more personal ways of gaining knowledge; sometimes you want just one person that you trust and know well to tell you how they do it, rather than a million strangers offering a million ways.

I hope you all had a Blessed Easter. Our's was full of good worship, family time, and food. For Easter dessert I made a Hoosier Mama strawberry pie with a cheaters lattice crust. Once again, her crust instructions didn't fail me: pure perfection.

Eggs from Violet (thanks Violet!)

And now I must be off - Tenny has a little stomach thing and the pitiful little guy needs tending to. Hopefully your week has started off (and continues) with less puke than mine!

It's been warm! We've had a good handful of days now when it's warm enough for bare baby skin and trike riding (that's a butterfly mask that Indy got at her cousin's superhero birthday party, by the way), and I've been able to get out in the yard to clean things up and prepare the raised beds. I have one bed all clear of weeds and loosened up and planted with sugar snap peas (by the trellis), spinach and carrots. You can very faintly see the garlic shoots in the far end of the bed. Already I can tell the squirrels are going to give me a run for my money. Daily I am throwing on my shoes and running out into the yard yelling like a madwoman because they will not stop digging up the sprouting peas! Come on! I ordered fox pee. I'm serious. I did.

Porch days have begun again. The prospect of sitting on the porch, wrapped in a blanket, steaming cup of coffee in hand with that cool camping morning air pushing through the screens draws me out of bed and down the stairs in the morning. It's irresistible. It's much harder to get up on the cold and grey mornings. Today it is snowing, so I slept in until Tenny woke up and I'm writing this post in the office instead of digging in the dirt. I also received a rejection letter for a poetry submission and realized I somehow mixed up the dates (and subsequently missed) an event for a friend that was this past weekend, so it's kind of one of those occasional groaning, forehead rubbing days. I'll recover, just give me a moment. And a margarita. And another 70 degree day, maybe. There, see? I ate an ice cream bar and I'm already feeling better. Now I just need that fox pee to come in the mail and I'll be golden.