Writing, Sunrises, Bread, and Friendship

It has been a few days since I last journaled. That doesn't really mean anything beyond it being a relatively full week. Funny thing is, I don't have a whole lot to talk about tonight. I'm mostly writing just to remain in the habit of it.

Last year, I learned small, sustainable changes lead to new habits. From time to time, those habits need a break. So long as I get back to them on a consistent basis, they'll remain habits. If a habit falls to the wayside, well, that's okay too. But writing will not be one of those...hehehe

Writing has been a soul soother this year. It satisfies a hunger to express. It is far easier than painting or most other forms of artistic expression. Those other things have their place and will continue to be a part of who I am. But writing flows like a stream in the desert.

I'm having a good week. I almost wrote really good week. I decided to drop the really simply because there have been and will be better weeks. But to declare this week good still means so much. It means I'm happy. And anyone who truly knows me, me being happy is a really good thing. Not because I make other people miserable when I'm not happy...hehehe In fact, I tend to make others happy even when I'm not. But rather, because happiness has eluded me for so many years.

I just finished baking bread! What?!? That's right, I made bread tonight! It is a hatch green chili cheddar loaf. It's the first time I've made this version. I've baked bread before. But I use to be super lazy when it came to such things. One of the small, sustainable changes I wanted to make this year was to start making my own things beyond the typical recipes I already make. In this case, I wanted to make bread...hehehe

Although it is easier just to buy bread from my bakery, it is still pretty easy to do it myself. I am unlikely to try something like sourdough anytime soon. But for now, these simple loafs will suffice. If I can turn this change into a habit, then I'll explore more advanced breads. I really think the next stage of my health journey is making more from scratch. When I can source my own ingredients, I know more about what is actually in my food, you know? One of the next breads I want to try is one my friend Archie told me about. It's a kneadless bread recipe he shared with me that looks pretty straight forward.

Not everyone is in my position. Not everyone lives alone and can take the extra time to care for what goes into their bodies. That is sad really. But I also feel like it is that way because priorities get out of wack. I'm not judging. I'm actually speaking from experience. I have always had time for the things I need or want to do. I just had my priorities mixed up. We all have 24 hours each day except the day we are born and the day we die. All of the other days have 24 hours. We always make time for the things we want to do. It's just that sometimes, what we want isn't always what is best for us.

Now that I live alone, I have found it easier to adjust my thinking to focus on what is best versus what I want in the moment. But I do so one small, sustainable change at a time. Today, it was baking bread...HAHAHA The other days this week, it has been taking the time to actually enjoy the sunrise!

For the past few years, I have taken countless sunrise photos in my complex. But it wasn't until this week that I actually stopped and let the sunrise envelop me in its warm embrace. And today, I took a walk around the pond afterward. Will this small, sustainable change make it to the habit stage? I hope it does. Doing this after my prayer and Bible time has been an excellent transition into my work day. This will change as the sun rises earlier. So I may need to adjust my morning routine to compensate if I plan to continue experiencing the sunrise on pleasant weather days...hehehe

With this being my birth month, I get emails from restaurants offering me free stuff if I come in and buy a regular entree. One of them was Olive Garden and they offered me a free dessert with the purchase of an adult entree. Today, I decided I would take them up on their offer and had lunch there. For my entree, I went with the salmon and broccoli. I added a side of spaghetti because I also wanted a little pasta...hehehe Instead of a salad, I went with a bowl of their minestrone. And, of course, breadsticks...LOL

For the dessert I settled in on tiramisu; which is actually why I wanted to go there in the first place. I absolute love tiramisu...in it's various forms.

The bread turned out fantastic! It is a little spicy from the hatch green chili. The cheddar adds a nice savory texture and flavor. Overall, a very successful bake. I'm looking forward to enjoy it over the next few days!

This weekend is looking to be a great one. There are so many things to look forward to. It will be a nice way to end this happy week and begin a new one! Perhaps I'll have a great deal to talk about throughout and at the conclusion of the weekend...hehehe

Oh! Chérie received her copy of the devotional we'll be doing. I don't recall if I've mentioned we will be doing a devotional. We will discuss it on our Zoom call tomorrow. I can't wait to see her again. She has been such a blessing. I cannot thank God enough for her. And I cannot thank her enough! She has been talking about friendship quite a bit lately. I appreciate our friendship just as much as she does.

She wrote a poem about our friendship. I printed it out and I plan to find a way to frame and display it. I also printed out a photo of her to include with the poem. It is something a cherish quite a bit.

I'm looking forward to how God makes us grow. We can plant the seeds and water it. But He is the one who makes it grow. I'm beyond grateful for what He is doing in our lives; both separately and in our friendship. Thank you, Chérie, for being a true friend.