Before I retired I had visions of myself sitting at my desk writing the next great novel. I do a lot of sitting at my desk but mostly researching things other than writing. Okay, I do some of that, too. Last Spring my obsession was Barn Quilts. In case you don’t know what that is and to save you from Googling it: A barn quilt is a large, hand painted wooden block displayed on the side of a barn; the painting usually depicts a quilt pattern. Standard size is 8 x 8 but mine are 1 x 1 so they can be displayed on a wooden fence, shed or indoors.
First I wanted to know how people came up with the patterns; I studied that. Then I created my own pattern. The process was fun and engaged my long, lost math skills. Since I loved it so much I decided that I should buy small cans of outdoor paint in the primary colors – red, blue, yellow, white and black. That cost a pretty penny but I could mix my own shades. And mixing colors is fun!
Painting them was the easiest part but time consuming because first the block needed 3 coats of white primer. Then the colors needed at least 3 coats as well. So, generally, while waiting for colors to dry I was prepping the next one with primer and drawing the pattern. This kept me very busy until travel season came. I put it away.
While visiting family and friends in California my second obsession was seeded into my brain but I had to wait until I got home. Sourdough Bread! Oh, how I fretted over that starter. As soon as I created it the weather changed from hot to very cold. One week passed then two. On the third week after daily feedings and tons of research my starter responded. Now it is a rock star, reacting to feedings within an hour or two. My third loaf was pretty good and we brought it over to some friends for a dinner they were preparing. It was a hit.
My sixth loaf is the best, to date. I’m still tweaking the crust; I want it to be a little softer. All my sourdough bread research boiled down to one thing – pay attention to the texture and pliability of the dough. I also needed to watch it while it cooks to get the right crust. I made some delicious pull-apart buns for Thanksgiving using my sourdough starter instead of yeast. Last night we had sourdough pizza that was very good. No more buying Publix pizza dough or their sourdough loaves; I’ve got that covered.
I need to get back to writing; I have several unfinished short stories. But first I think I’ll research homemade Calzone!
