Last Saturday I was feeling really, really, really, really blue and frustrated. Did I mention I felt really, really, really blue and frustrated? Really, I was. You see, I was feeling overwhelmed by my final project for my Patternmaking by Draping Winter Session course. I knew the course would be intense, but I had absolutely no idea how intense and time consuming it was going to be. It seemed like everything in my life was put on hold while I struggled to complete the course while holding onto some of my sanity. A teeny-tiny bit of sanity would suffice. Needless to say, I was grateful for a well-stocked freezer because we took advantage of it almost every night.
Part of that time consumption was my own fault. Being the over achiever that I am, I had to taken a simple final project and turn it into something much more complicated. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late to start over.
So there I was sewing my final project on Saturday, exhausted and wanting to sleep, and trying to stop the tears so that I could see what I was doing. The bright spot in my day was that I knew I’d have two new loaves of homemade bread by the end of it.
And then it happened. I went to check on how the bread was doing and discovered that it was flowing over the pan. I had waited too long. In that moment, I felt like the doughy goo oozing down the side and onto the counter was a metaphor for my life and I just crumbled into the nearest kitchen chair.
But I have the DNA of women who faced greater difficulties than exhaustion from taking a class and bread that had turned into a doughy mess. And I called upon my pioneering ancestors and managed to pull myself together and salvage the bread before getting back to work on my project.
Over dinner, I was sharing the story of the overflowing bread dough with My Honey. He had a different take on the metaphor. He said that the overflowing bread showed that I was embracing life and stretching my boundaries beyond my comfort zone and that things don’t always go perfectly in the process.
Yet another example of why I love that man.
Oatmeal Bread (Adapted for bread machine kneading and rising from Your Share by Betty Crocker, 1943)
Combine the following ingredients:
2 cups rolled oatmeal (old fashioned) 2 cups boiling water 2 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp olive oilStir until smooth then cool until lukewarm (about 1 hour).
Combine in order directed by your bread machine the following ingredients:
oatmeal mixture from above (I treated it like a liquid) 3/4 cup warm water 1/3 cup dark brown sugar 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 2 cups bread flour 2 1/4 tsp. bread machine/rapid rise yeast
I finished my “Ode to Dior” project Tuesday morning. I presented it to the class after lunch on Tuesday. The final examination for the course this morning and I could hardly wait to write to you all again. I’ve missed you!
Oh yes! I’m a great one for biting off more than I can chew. I can so relate! For instance, instead of sticking with projects that I can complete easily, I will tackle something difficult (like a whole quilt instead of a potholder, like an afghan with an intricate pattern I can’t memorize, like a tailored jacket instead of a robe). Then I struggle to finish whatever it is and the gratification for a job well done is elusive. But yes, things have a way of turning out well, don’t they? And if we don’t stretch ourselves, we don’t learn.
Oh — and then on one of your busiest days your bread ran over. It was just a symbol of blessedness, but you didn’t see it that way initially. I can relate to how that felt, too. “I can’t do anything right!” I would have wailed.
But enough about all this. You must tell about your beautiful “Ode to Dior” project. I love it! Did you make it for yourself? Was the class a success for you? Would you do it again?
Love My Honey’s take on the bread overflowing. This has happened to me many times – taking on too much – not the bread actually overflowing the pan. Well, now that I say that – it has happened once or twice. When life gets to be overwhelming, I usually take a walk, or take some deep breaths, but usually I just pray. I remind myself what’s important in life: home, family, faith and try not to dwell on the immediate issues or problems that I’m facing. By the way, LOVE the outfit. It’s Fab!!!!!