Face Masks, Gardening and Breads

Well, everything I wanted to be has come upon me in an opportunity like never before, hooray... I should really make a Corona-list of things I want to learn and do before the end of quarantine.

Bentley is thinking about his Corona bucket list. Side note: he is the best co-worker ever. If only all co-workers napped and purred....and at least his laziness is cute to watch.

The short list. Learn more Latin, learn about my neighborhood birds and....try making real bread.

Latin for more prayers in Latin. My little rosary really wanted to be with the blossoms for a bit.

Oh give me a home, where the cardinal roam, where the deer and the squirrels play. Where seldom is heard a virus-related word and social distance is practiced all day.

Facemasks, gardening and making new breads are areas I have occasionally thought of delving into but usually something mundane, such as two daily hours in DC traffic for work, has taken that time. Here I am, here we are, with the gift of time! Let's unravel what we always wanted to be, while indoors. These opportunities and what we do with them will also one day end up on the pages of college textbooks, "Women in Culture and Creativity" will showcase our talents and ability to create something out of something it should never have been. We should choose carefully to not do stupid things like creating homemade hand-gliders out of old blue-jeans that will take us to the ER when not really necessary. (Although you might take better flight if you try Hefty garbage bags...)

 In 1990, when I was 8, my dad was in Iraq and asked me over the phone what I would like. I replied a horse or camel (he could pick), a sister and a dress. He brought me a full burka. It was the softest silk and I instantly fell in love with it. I spent hours in dress up being a queen in my burka. Ever since then I have been awaiting the opportunity to wear something similar in public.

Two/three days ago the CDC announced they recommended facemasks. Say, no more to stop my wildly beating heart! It was the opportunity I was waiting for. I pranced about the house (yes, pranced) getting supplies together. While I am not sure where I would wear a face mask, I am sure someone else, like a nurse, might need one. I have decided to oar my part of the boat in the sea and storm to help sisters and brothers who will need facemasks.

Sewing them like sausage links!

Using hair ties for the elastic for the ears.

On the topic of gardening, I could literally kick myself for not starting a solid vegetable garden sooner. Maybe it was the mosquitoes that stopped me, or the idea of pulling weeds, but more than likely it was the fear of bunnies. In 1999 I was 17 years old and in love with my backyard. I planted my first garden and spoke daily words of encouragement to it. Low and behold one early summer morning a fluffy bunny hopped over the fence, wiggled his little nose, opened his mouth and swallowed a tomato. It tasted delicious. He smiled with glee and proceeded to welcome his entire family to the Grand Old Buffet. A string quartet of bunnies played, "My Way" by Frank Sinatra. As the morning sun filtered into my room I thought "Today I will pick my first tomatoes!" Alas, the bunnies wiped their whiskers and promptly went home for a long nap to digest the jalapeno peppers that were a bit on the spicy side. My garden had been totally violated. We cried together while my golden retriever panted nonchalantly next to me. Ever since then, I have never replanted a vegetable garden. However, if the virus is upon us and will infect the economy and everything else, perhaps it would be prudent to carefully start constructing another garden.

Why couldn't they call this something else a little less like a burp?

Adding water and starting my veggie garden.

Germinated seeds in 2 days!

Lastly, breads. Have you ever had a relationship with fast acting yeast and flour? I tried on more than one occasion but we didn't have the right chemistry. Nevertheless, I have had success with baking powder and have been churning out delicious breakfast breads to feed us for the week. Last week we had pumpkin bread, and while I was cleaning out the freezer I found frozen bananas and blueberries! On today's menu, I present to you: banana chocolate-chip walnut bread with lemon zest. I used oat flour by Bob's Mills and it is super light and fluffy. I am a fan and will be using it again.

In conclusion, I will be contemplating what else to add to my corona-list. Cataloging our home books with the Dewey decimal system might be on that list. Or searching for long lost socks where the orphan pair is really good and worth keeping. Etc. Etc.