Day 29 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Tomorrow is the last day. I’ve had a full day baking bread and doing laundry. Baking bread always seems like a simple thing when I start out in the morning. You add, mix, let it sit, knead, yada yada. The steps and stages add up before you can get the loaves in the oven. By the time I’m finished everything, I felt like I’ve washed everything twice over. The loaves are chilling on the rack. I have yet to bag them and take them down to the freezer. I am feeling a little fatigued. Do I have it in me to talk about what where I’m heading after this challenge?
Since I don’t have a business to promote, I will take a rest from my daily tapping. I’ve had a good run this November. I’ve missed 2 or 3 days. It’s good to be flexible and not to be obsessive. When the going gets tough, it is ok to step off. There is no point in forcing. This is not a race. I am learning a bunch of stuff this month and that is one of them. We have a wealth of knowledge among the group. Mary Elizabeth O’Tool’s posts on minimalism gave me a push to get started. Florence Callender’s posts on dyslexia are a great help and encouragement. I’m working better at slowing down and concentrating. So I will probably be back on my keyboard in January.
December is a good month to slow the pace and hunker down. I am looking forward to joining in Susannah Conways’s December Reflection on Instagram. It’s right up my alley, posting a photo/day to a word prompt. It’s how a see things – words and pictures. It’s a wonderful way of easing into the holidays. It’s probably not a popular thing to say but I don’t do Christmas. It doesn’t work for me anymore. Not that it did before but now I’ve dropped the facade. I don’t miss the rushing around looking for perfect gifts Christmas Eve. And I am not so sure about the meaning and spirit of Christmas. Shouldn’t it be like that all year long – the kindness, generosity, celebrations, family time, friendships, goodwill to all men..?
In January I’m taking an in person watercolour art class. That will give me something to write about. I hope I won’t get too frustrated listening to directions and taking steps on how to’s. Mostly I’ve been winging it. Sometimes I don’t even use a palette. I took a quilt class a long time ago. The instructor was very fussy. You had to cut, sew and iron precisely. I found it quite stressful and had to do some yoga before I went. But I did end up with a beautiful sampler quilt. I’m hoping I’ll paint some beautiful watercolours. I think the class goes into February. By then the days will be getting longer. The greenhouse will be warming up. I’ll be starting seedlings and maybe planting. I won’t be lacking for things to do. I’m also hoping for lots of snow so we can cross country ski all winter long into March.
onethousandandtwo 
Your dog looks super cute wearing the Santa hat!
I hear you. The pressure and the materialism around the Holidays is insane. Kindness and generosity should in fact be a genuine, year-round thing.
How did your bread turn out? Don’t you just love the smell of freshly baked bread?
Thanks, Tamara. That’s my Sheba in heaven. My bread is a no fail. Well, it did just once.😃 but it was good this time.
Your bread posts continue to inspire me but I am yet to bake bread (at least like the ones you have).. I have tried breadsticks a couple of times and banana bread often but that is it.. maybe this month..
And I am going to check out that December reflections challenge .. I missed a few days as well during the UBC but the point is , like you said, to do what we can.. and as always, your posts have a special magic
Thank you. You are very kind and generous with your comments.
Oh wow, I can smell your fresh baked bread. I think we are kindred spirits when it comes to Christmas as I don’t go all out. I don’t think I am even decorating this year and then I get grief from one of my sisters. Oh well, I say. I am a fairly new artist and when I take a class I go into it with ease and grace. My art is very intuitive and don’t do structure.
Thank you, Cindy. Sometimes it’s not easy not doing the Christmas thing. But I haven’t for a while now. I’m thinking of celebrating Advent – preparing for the new year. I have to think about what that means.
I may do Christmas alone (with Pearl) this year. I scheduled myself for work which is a perfect excuse to bow out! I will celebrate the return of the light, though!