A day off

On Fridays, I typically get a "day off" from the store and take the opportunity to get in a good run (or very long walk). Today I just wasn't feeling up to one of those...just wasn't feeling 100%, so putting on my running shoes and heading out wasn't something that was really appealing to me.

But, since there was a little crispness to the air, I had an itching to make home made bread...honey challah to be exact. My fingers were aching to do some kneading and I was craving some of that nice, fluffy sweet egg bread.

So, down stairs to the kitchen I went to collect the ingredients: eggs, honey, water, flour, oil, poppy seeds and yeast. Since I was in the mood for this activity, everything seemed to go smoothly...the yeast/water/honey mixture seem to bubble...the flour mixed in well and the kneaded dough was smooooooth...

Here is my kneaded ball of dough...ready to rest & rise for a couple of hours.

Once kneaded, the ball of dough got to rest and rise for a couple of hours until it was double its size. Then, I took that big boy and punched it down and kneaded a little more before dividing it up into 6 smaller balls. These balls were rolled out into long "snakes". I grouped 3 "snakes" together and braided them...creating 2 loves of braided honey challah.

A braided loaf with a egg white wash and a sprinkle of poppy seeds

Each loaf was brushed with an egg white wash and sprinkled with poppy seeds. Into a 325 degree oven they went for an hour or so until...

they were golden brown and the crust was crispy & sweet. YUM! And my house smells so good. Wish that I could add the smell of home made bread to my post!

Homemade bread, grilled beef ribs and fresh green beans...the perfect family dinner!

And to end my "day off" I even got in a few X's on LHN Monthly Sampler-March - finished the green grassy hill and got a start on on of the 4 leaf clovers.

Well, I did manage to get in a short walk. Bruno, our 11-year old puppy needed to get out and see if there were any new smells around the neighborhood.

When we got back, he was pooped...that is kind of how I have felt all day.

Well...until next time, take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often

Lisa

Monday...again...already?

Yikes, it was just Wednesday, the day of my last post when I was going to finish the Family Sampler DMC #420 border. Oh, well...that didn't happen because DH was kind enough to take Robert down to practice and I got to stay home where I got an opportunity to do a little spin on my bike and nap the rest of the evening until he got home :)

The rest of the weekend, starting with Friday because that is my day off from my job, seems to be a blur filled with a nice long run of 14.8 miles on Friday morning, working up at Store #2 on Saturday, and a long Sunday. Sunday started out with a 4:15am wake up call that I had to meet (lately my 4:15am exercise "wake up" alarms get shut off) because Matthew had to get up & eat breakfast before DH took him to his 6:30am hockey practice. Once they left, I plopped on the couch and watched the 9/11 Memorial services until 7:15am, when I left for Store #1 to help our employee make 13 arrangements for the driver to get out the door by 11am. Once the store's kitchen was cleaned up, I said "good-bye" to our employee who was scheduled to close the store that evening and drove down to the hockey rink for Robert's game (yes, while I was working in the store, DH had come home with Matthew from his practice and then got Robert, who had an afternoon game down at the rink). After the game, I made a quick run to the grocery store before coming home and grilling some burgers and hot links for the kids...DH and I snacked ourselves silly and didn't have much room for dinner. Crazy weekend, huh?

However, among all the running around and craziness, I do have time for R&R...time to hang out with my boys and the dog...

Matthew and Bruno

Let me tell you a little story about Bruno. Above you see Matthew and Bruno in our little backyard, enjoying a nice petting session in the grass. However, Bruno, until recently, was not allowed to run freely in our backyard. We have a little indoor-outdoor on the side of our house where Bruno "lived". This has been the set up since we moved to California 8 years ago...when Bruno was in his "teenage" years and loved to chew and destroy everything: trees, walls, fences, flowers, lawn chairs, etc. However, due to some young kids across the street who loved to come over and knock on his gate (more of a pounding, along with some ear piercing screaming), Bruno was feeling vulnerable and started jumping over the gate that separated him from the backyard. Long-story-short...after several weeks of his jumping over the game, while trying to set up ways to stop him, we finally gave up and opened the gate for him to have roaming rights to the backyard. He still finds comfort and shelter in his indoor/outdoor area, but we always know when the kids are outside playing for he is curled up on the patio near the backyard door.

I don't think that they or their babysitters did anything to harm Bruno, I just think that the high pitched kid yelling as well as their little motorized cars finally got the best of him and he needed to get away...far away from them. So now, in the back yard he finds comfort when they are out. And we are all enjoying the ability to go out in the back yard and sit & pet him.

Well, it is that time when I need to sign off and get the day started. Hope all is well with you! Until next time...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

A clean dog, a visit to the eye doctor and a soon to be 14 year old

Today was my day off from work and it was pretty relaxing. Although I get a few things done. First up, was to take Bruno to the groomers. He is an outdoor dog. Our house has a nice set up, for Bruno has an indoor place inside our garage where he sleeps and eats and then there is a door to the backyard where he does his...."thing". We take him out for walks/runs, but haven't let him into the house since we moved here because he is a big dog and has a tendency to chew things. But, as the vet always says when we visit, "My, Bruno, you are a happy dog aren't you?" And I think he is. Next week he gets to see the vet to get his yearly check up and rabies shot.

Yesterday, Robert (older son) and I went to get our eyes checked by the eye doctor. I do this once a year, as I am very near-sighted and my eyes seem to continue to get worse (but I did find out that they haven't changed in the last year, which is a good thing!). However, we found out that Robert was slightly near-sighted so it was time to get him glasses, which he will only have to wear to see the whiteboard (remember when it was a blackboard or referred to as the chalkboard?). Poor kid, I guess he got my "eye genes", for when I was in 8th grade my eyes started to change and I got my first pair of glasses. After his exam, he tried on several designs of glasses and settled on a pair that he like and feels that he will be able to put on in school without feeling to embarrassed (I took a photo with my camera in the store...I think he looks "smart" in those, don't you).

And speaking of Robert, his birthday is Monday...and he will turn 14. Fourteen years old...OMG! It is hard to believe that I will be a mother of a 14 year old. I am sure that I will post a memory of the day he was born as I always get sappy on the birthdays of my sons!

On the stitching side of my life, I did take some time to stitch on a L*K exchange today, but don't have anything that I am able to show you...I am sorry, but know that you will understand.

Well...time to get the boys ready for bed. Tomorrow Matthew (younger son) had a hockey game in the early afternoon. So I bid you "good-night" and remember...Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often! Lisa