A Special Day

Yesterday was a special day.  A day long awaited.  My hubby actually hung a sign on the shop saying in bold red letters...  RETIRED !  I thought I would never see it !  Oh, He will not be sitting on the porch in a rocking chair!  For one reason, the porch has a stone floor and doesn't do much for a rocking chair!  HAHA.  He will always be busy doing or fixing something as long as he is able to get up in the morning.  BUT, also hope we will have some time now to do some of the little things we have talked about but just never seemed to find the time to do.

It was a double good day yesterday as our wonderful son in-law also retired and today is an even better day as Paul and Angel are packing up the U Haul as I write this and by supper time they should be back HOME in VT for good!!   No rocking chair for Paul either as he is planning to have a small Tax Preparation business and work out of their home.

I am spending today cleaning out some cupboards and am about to tackle the desk!  Now that could take awhile so will have to get to that after lunch.  Cousin Judy posted a wonderful recipe on Face Book the other day and I think I'll share it with you.  I just took this nice crispy, easiest ever loaf of bread out of the oven and after it cooled a bit, had a slice.  It really is good and SO simple.  Probably best served warm and same day but won't know that till tomorrow.

Crusty Bread

3 C. unbleached all purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 C. water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add Water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours, overnight is great.  Heat oven to 450 degrees and put a cast iron pot with a cover in the oven. While the oven heats,  pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set for about 30 minutes..  Remove the hot pot from the oven and drop the rounded dough in.  Cover with hot lid and return to the oven for 30 minutes.  After the 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.  Makes a lovely crispy crusted, tender inside loaf !

While cleaning out the desk, down the road comes the returning Vermonters!  Horns tooting and just SO happy to be home again.  Four cars in all,  Colleen driving a pickup, Angel in her car, Gary driving the U Haul and Paul in his car.  Then the work begins as we all pitched in and had them unloaded in no time.  A lot of things had been brought up ahead of time and taken care of.  Now Dad and I are home and they are still busy sorting and settling.  Moving is never an easy thing.  We did stop to sit in the breeze way and have some appetizers and a good visit.  God is GOOD!

Maybe the rainy days are over, as it hasn't rained at all today.  The air is cooler now and a great time to take a walk around the back yard, check out the flowers and the garden. Very wet gardens for a lot of folks.  Our soil is well drained so my garden is pretty happy with all the watering.  Pole beans are beginning to climb but the tomatoes are really slow taking off this year.

I'll leave you with a little snippet from Henry VanDyke's

A Home Song

'Every house where love abides,

And friendship is a guest,

Is surely home, and home- sweet -home,

For there the heart can rest.'

I hope you have peaceful thoughts, a restful night and sweet dreams.  Come by again soon!