Flying Solo

I've become obsessed with making fresh bread so that I always have a loaf in the house.  I love the smell of it baking, and absolutely adore my one piece in the morning with butter.  I just made a loaf of raisin bread (shown above), so my home smells delicious.  And I am alone.

And you know what?  I enjoy it.

When I first got divorced there was that fear of being alone, without my sons.  How would I fill my time if my kids weren't here?  Seven years later, I am content in so many ways with the hours that I have when I fly solo.

Baking bread seems to be a very solitary activity.  It's not like cookies, where you can ask a child to help you decorate, throw in the sugar and chocolate chips.  This morning I was given a lesson from Breadman in using sourdough starter, but it's up to me to make that final loaf.  Right now I have the dough rising.  I will have so much bread!  Yippie!  My afternoon was spent with Pandora loudly playing, Courtney Love and Nirvana in the background.  My coffee cup was never empty.  My hands were covered in flour.  My kitchen sink is filled with dishes.  But I am so happy.  Oh yes.

(sourdough starter.  Doesn't it look yummy?  hehehehehe)

In the midst of the baking and rising of bread.  I did some Postcrossing.  For those of you not familiar with my addiction, it's the sending and receiving of postcards through Postcrossing.com.  I'm very active in the forum, trading pinup girls, fairies, foxes, and Alice In Wonderland cards.  I make envelopes for those who wish to have their cards protected in the mail.  I cover the cards and envelopes in washi tape, one of my other addictions.

(Only five you say?  Ha!  I have a huge box full!!!)

I texted with friends.  I drank more coffee.  But above all I enjoyed my ME time.

Of course I enjoy being with other people.  I cherish my time with friends and family.  But my time spent alone recharges me for the moments that I spend with them.  I enrich myself when I'm doing the individual things that I really can't do with them.  Want to send out postcards together?  Wouldn't really work.  Hey - want to mess around with washi tape?  That sounds kinky.  Eeek!  Washi tape kinky?  I don't think I want to go to that planet.  My point is that I'm a better person when I get to dance around the kitchen, pretending I'm a grunge singer, immersing my hands in wet dough, and slamming down my tenth (!) cup of coffee.  Would I do that with someone else present?  Of course I would.  But it's downright fun to do it on my own.

My sourdough loaf is in need of shaping.  Kidlet A & B return in an hour.  Life will get back to laundry folding, scheduling appointments, and the making of dinners for three.  Time to get ready to teach some teens some grunge.