Stress & Relaxation

One Week ago…

Spring is quietly asserting itself in Seattle

Yesterday...

I will own up to a lack of patience, mostly with myself. Yesterday was one of those days fraught with impatience, frustration and plain old cranial over load. I explored social media, something anyone engaged in e-commerce must seriously consider. Unfortunately my lack of patience makes me jump to the middle of “the book” (yes, I peek at the end sometimes – mostly with instruction manuals). Memories of yesterday’s marathon introduction to social networking still give me a shudder but I came out on the other side and there were some serious side-benefits.

Own a bread machine? We do. I say “we” but it’s really only me that ever uses it, I believe it's the one machine Shad finds to be intimidating. (www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/breadmakers/bbcc_x20.html).
The bread loaf that emerged from the oven yesterday was truly yummy. Putting the ingredients together also relaxed me immensely; the Internet and all the complexities I was subjecting myself to disappeared for a brief time.


1 & ½ cups of filtered water

2 Tablespoons Organic Sugar

1 Teaspoon Fine SeaSalt

1 Tablespoon Dry Rosemary

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

¼ Cup SA CO Cultured Buttermilk
(www.sacofoods.com/culteredbuttermilkblend.html)

4 Cups Organic White Bread Flour

1 ½ Teaspoons Active Yeast (granules)

Preheat oven to 350 F w/pizza stone

(www.williams-sonoma.com/products/baking-and-pizza-stone/?pkey=x%7c4%7c1%7c%7c4%7cpizza%20stone%7c%7c0&cm_src=oldlink)

Ingredients are listed in the order they are added to the bread machine, Yeast always goes on the very top (keep it dry) into a little well in the flour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and form into a long loaf. Slide loaf into the 350 F preheated oven and onto the pizza stone. About 29 minutes later have peanut butter standing by…

So. I managed to spin up a personal Facebook page. Check. I also promptly "lost" the Facebook business page I began populating. Check. Signed up for a Twitter account. Check. Opened and completely lost comprehension of an "aggregator" and contemplated which media sharing site I'm going to utilize. Check, check & check. But the joy of community? Well that came in the form of advice, from a Facebook friend. A really good friend.

Unplug. Do. Art.

Check.