ALL IN A DAY IN RURAL NE MISSOURI:

Morning comes early to this country woman even if I am retired.  My body and my mind and my dogs get me up usually by six o'clock or a little before.  And you never know what I am getting into right away in the morning wee hours.

This morning it was baguettes.  I did my starter last night and it is good to let it rise for at least 14 hours.  I use the wonderful King Arthur recipe and it makes 3 wonderful baguettes.

I then, at 6:00 mixed the starter and other ingredients with my wonderful Kitchen Aide mixer with dough hook, which certainly helps with the kneading process.  Then putting it in a butter bowl (not greased but buttered as I love butter), I place it in my nice LG oven with its "Proof" setting for breads and it will stay in there for 3 hours.  So you see where this is going...lots of hours to making three small loaves of breads but oh so worth it.  

My son stopped for a visit after he checked his traps for the morning and we visited, and as he was ready to leave, I pulled my dough out of the oven to put it into loaves.  He stayed and watched as he likes to recall helping me make bread when he was young, he is now 48, but he also bakes breads from time to time.  I butter the counter top and divide my dough and roll it into long loaves and place them on my buttered three loaf baguette pan from King Arthur Flour.  My son, Brook, comments that he needs to try making bread and kneading it to shape in butter instead of flour which gets everywhere.  

Now the loaves have to rise another 1.5 hours before baking.  While they are rising I cut out an apron and a pair of pajamas.  My yorkie grabs on of the pattern pieces and runs with it.  I do not chase but let him bring it back and he does with a few holes and tears.  I was able to selvage it, the pocket piece, but I have sewn enough years that I could have replaced the piece myself if need be.  This is why I believe I do not get too upset with little Hemingway.  He is my lovely friend and so playful and I enjoy every moment of him.  A pocket, well, I could even go without it if need be.

It is good to be retired and good to be relaxed and good to live in my country setting.  Oh, and all of this is done before I even got dressed, still in my pjs and long yoga cardigan which I use as a light weight robe.  It looks nicer also.  

Now that sewing items are put up until another day to sew, and I have bread out of the oven and have sliced four nice chunks for my lunch..with butter...and some to share with my dogs, Hemingway, Vincent, and Mr. Molesley, while I also sip some lovely hot tea from Paris  which I seeped in my dear friend Hilly's old tea pot she friended to me...I think....it is 1:00 now.  I think I will get on the computer a bit .  Why get dressed now.

I admit I even go outside with my dogs and walk around off and on during the day in my pjs because I have fields and woods around my house.  My dogs don't mind.  You see, I really did need another pair of nice pjs.  I must sew them this week.