Blasted.

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After the last post I spun out and crashed.  Could not stay awake.  I am just waking back up.  I don't feel bad, didn't then.  Like a plane losing it's wings, only one way to go.  Sleep was good. Woke with wet lungs.  Perhaps I haven't been taking medicine as regularly as I though.  Massages will help.  The two together would be better.  I can tell a masseuse can hurt with her hands, just as I could heal.  Not as likely, it's just to have what it takes for one, you can see to the other.

Whatever is happening with youtube, thus google, is bad.  Expect getting shut down, erased, at any moment.  It won't stop with them.  They are doing all sorts of things.  They are either in serious trouble, and flailing like a wounded beast, or they have been assured globalists are running the show, so they have no legal fears.  I think they are being set up to be left to the mob.  Get ready for the largest tech inversion in history.  Not just in America.  Though, as with global temp drops, you won't hear about it from elsewhere.  Governments are realizing they are also on the tech chopping block.  Not good with nuances, but governments are amazingly splendid at clay-fisted brutality.  Tech will lose.  Heck, you aren't being told how cold it is really getting.  I have heard from people in my old home it has hit into -65.  Not even rarely, at least several times.  I have been watching, never reported.  You are being told direct lies.

Ah, some changes.  I have a pushcart of metal, stainless.  While clean, functional, and such, it seemed rather industrial, sterile.  So I went with a more homey cart.  It just couldn't handle use.  With the wheels locked, I tried to roll it.  The rear wheels broke out, one of them breaking itself.  Okay, yeah, steel doesn't do that.  So, back to industrial.

I ordered two more, if that may be an extra.  I am thinking about dumping the microwave.  I am honestly not convinced they are truly food safe.  Perhaps for limited things, like softening or melting butter?   For now, I suppose, it stays.  I also purchased inexpensive cutting boards to bring the kitchen tools and appliances up to the rim.  I will have a cart for the stand mixer, dehydrator and food processor, then the microwave and grain mill, with room below for accessories and mason jars.  No other surfaces with access to plugs and height allowances.  Bleh.

Bit by bit I am figuring out how to make my world work as I wish it.  From tools, appliances, facilitation devices, to skills and some health leeway.  Even massages and pedicures are solely aimed at increased function.  Pleasure is so overrated.  If pleasure?  The only things that please, cause ease, are sleeping and resting.  Everything else actually hurts, to some level or other.  That isn't... what is sought either.  It is function, a fullness of life, obtaining what is as right and good as possible.  Ease is what is left behind, pain the price.  Worth it, I do believe.

I won't get to much.  A batch of sourdough pancakes, then dishes.  That'll be it.  Maybe back to bed.  Later.

Tough to get down.

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The massage woke everything up.  Not a bad thing.  Actually I think that is the point.  However, when done near bedtime that means settling in to sleep takes much longer.  I think it was 2:00 or 3:00 before I could sleep and 11:00 when I woke... all give or take thirty.  And waking with serious phlegm.  Whoever spelled that word out got it right.  I knew the masseuse loosened some of that.  I knew I didn't remove it all last night.  Actually I am sure it's still not all gone.  It may take days.

I slept like a baby.  I don't remember sleeping, if it isn't a total time and space void either.  Good sleep can't be beat.  Now with daily work this week I have generally been sleeping better.  This just tops that by a head and shoulders.  I keep dreaming of the Vatican, waking to or with a question.  How cold has it gotten at the Vatican?  I don't know if I am asking or if it is God.  I didn't want to write it, but...  Persistence pays off. Now maybe the silly thing will leave me be.  Every or every other day for... weeks.  Since before it snowed there, which I foresaw... just didn't know it was rare so didn't note.  Oh, did you hear?  Seven feet of snow in Cali.  *grins*  Probably not.  They are hiding all sorts of things from you, if things snowflakes don't want to hear anyway.

Today?  I had planned work, travel, this, and that.  I don't think... I mean, I will be trimming that back, toning that down.  Dishes, boxes, surfaces, the table, and sweeping?  Max.  While the massage didn't cause an immediate crash, it lead to a slow burn which eventualized into a shallow dive as my body... amends.  All good, that really is how it should work.  I may, in time, recover more quickly.  Today just gets to be a slow wonderful day.  With phlegm.  ;p

Roast beef, with cabbage and rutabaga later.  Well, and boiling a dozen eggs.  Plus a glass of kefir.  A strange world I abide.  One I didn't anticipate.  Kefir?  Even cabbage!

Later.

A perfect end to a pretty good week.

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As it goes, which is first isn't as important as it once was.  It seems once I learned to tolerate messages they no longer put me down.  Interesting and good to know.  I've set up my next appointments.  The feet will take some work.  Lots of dry skin.  I'll put in extra effort to wear socks at all times, change twice a day, and slather something on at least once.  When it warms I can go without socks part of the day.

I am a nudist!  Well, of the feet.  In winter that is just too hard on them.  Socks and at least house shoes, if I'd really like to go without.  I do plan, for the next, probably, three months, to hit them both twice a month...  Unless the feet come through.  But the messages, I really am hoping they help with the bp.  The thing is to keep appointments. At some point I may want to have the pedicure on it's own day, so as to have three, sort of, messages a month.  While I suspect the messages will do the most for bp, just human contact will have some solid impact.

A grand experiment.  I took a light standard message this time and at least next time.  At some point I may have her try deep muscle.  Quite a thing, if I am just doing it for bp there is no reason I can't enjoy the experiences.

I also made it to the store.  Picking up what was at a good price or was needed.  I pulled beef out to thaw, to go with cabbage and rutabaga.  I'm not messing with sauerkraut until the kitchen is topped off.  I have to cook some food though.  I have been, mostly , keeping up on dishes.  Not today.  I had to let else slide or I wouldn't have made it.  Was so surprised they had an opening.  Crazy.  Had to take it, and do what it took to make it there.

Wow.  What a day.  What a week.  If not bedtime, good night anyway.

This that and more.

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Milk!  I love that stuff.  Cream too.  I'm paid up for another week, but wanted to pay the rest of the month and some other.  Couldn't find my checks.  Well, until two minutes after opportunity.  However I realized my checks weren't what I wanted, though they needed a revision.  I meant to pay, no sweat.  They took the hit though, so.  New ones ordered.

Which reminded me... massage and pedicure.  This time I called one better bet at a time.  The first rang to a hangup.  Okay.  Next.  I left a query message.  Got the call back while reordering my checks.  I don't do phone drama.  I just let it go to message and called back when finished.

I figured, even if they offered both services, getting them on the same day, back to back, would be a real trial.  Hour only, but the prices are good.  No guy masseuse however.  Not negotiable.  Anyway, waiting, waiting...  Today, massage, then pedi after?  Seriously?  SURE!  Not sure I'm up to it, would rather pedi first... will try to arrange it my way from now on, massages can toast me.  Still, heck yeah.

Dang kids.  Twice a month until feet are better, bp comes down, then maybe each once a month to see if that is enough.  A shower, see about dropping a check off on my way.  Monday, or tomorrow, medicine and car wash.  Ugh.  I'll keep at it.  Oh, and I'll set an doctor appointment for the first of next month.  Almost getting places.  Good day.

A rough morning.

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Not the worst, by a longshot.  I've been doing much, then I couldn't cool down then sleep until nearing midnight.  I woke at about 8:30, with some help from my furry little... friends?  If they want to be.  They were restless, furtive, relentless natives this morning.  Perhaps they aren't quite used to one canned food meal a day yet.  All good.  I opened the bedroom door at 7:30 and let them do their work.  Some days they are less motivated, this not being among them.

What's that?

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I thought I would get some of if done.  Nope.  All of it, and then some.  Finished dishes and laundry, dried folded, put up save a few items and the dehydrator rounds which I'll let air dry overnight.  Too much fiddly to try to dry those otherwise.  The sunflower seeds were done, which really surprised me.  The oven, at a higher temp, simply couldn't do it.  Those are jarred.  The bottles were finished, plus their flip tops were added, loosely.  Oh, and a sourdough was fed extra for use in the morning.  The others were stirred.  More, if I forget as I get ready for bed.  Well, a good bit of blogging.

Ugh.  Need to cool down.  Then crash... in a reasonably well made bed.

Yeah? I'm getting there.

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Just bits and pieces.  Lunch was good.  Nothing fancy.  I'll finish laundry, stir the sourdoughs feeding one of them for pancakes in the morning, and checking the sunflower seeds.  Oh, and scrubbing the dehydrator trays and either setting them to another soak or rinsing and drying them.  Yeah, if Ikeep at it I really will get caught up.

No nap.  I guess that's cool.  I like what I am doing with the place.  Hmm, might as well sort the stuff in the drying rack, and hit the few dishes for the day.  A clean start does present more opportunity in the morning.

A nap?

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I have been considering that since 8:30.  But, then, I'd think of something to do.  Grind winter white wheat, get the dehydrator working for when the sunflower seeds were ready.  Perfect timing, as the seeds, which hadn't sprouted yet this morning, were sprouted after the machine was set up.  Some of the screens needed cleaned but there were enough clean ones for the seeds.  No salt.  That might help them dry but I like them without well enough.  The seeds went in.  The dirty screens finally are getting a soak.  They need the big tub I had been using for regular dishes due to their size, within the shower/tub.  Problem has been that either the tub was full of other dishes or I was burned out on dishes.

By the way, with the dehydrator back in action, and carts ordered for the extra devices so cord use isn't a problem, I will get back to dehydrating everything from jerky, to fruits and veggies, and on into nuts and berries.  Not vast quantities, only fresh when I can get them, as extra reserve... and another hobby.  The thing I am learning with sourdough is... labels.  Label everything.  Some of it needs dates.  Just do it.  Plus, now I can sprout wheat as well.

Uhrm?  Right.  MORE CANNING JARS!  In all sizes.  Probably need to look for gallon jars.  You can't ever have enough glass or pottery when you start on groady(ish) growy things, especially with canning on the horizon.  Bah!  And I need to wash more of the jars I have, and find a place to store them.  Ah!  Under the new carts when they arrive.  Up to quarts anyway.  Half and gallon can be sorted to the tall wire shelf.  Bleh.

Then to laundry.  Two loads should be finished with one last one on the way.  I just don't have enough else to make a load.  Had to grab kitchen towels, as is, to push the last load over the line.  I've been doing small tasks dotted through the morning, much more, and some of that is more than it seems.  Still, all good.  Perhaps a nap after lunch?  Not terribly hungry if it's not best to wait.  Might take a rhino.  Hmm, I bet they make into excellent fried rinds.  A little tobasco and golden.  It even provides it's own fat!  Fuck yeah I think with my stomach.

Yeah, best eat first.  A pillow or cat might end up gone missing otherwise.  Later.

There is that.

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When did I wake?  I know I looked.  Memory refuses to serve.  I will, considering the givens, call it 6:00 or before by no more than fifteen.  The bed was made, roughly if immediately.  It sure seemed cold this morning.  Wool socks as soon as a pair could be found.  Then to the kitchen.  Sunflower seeds were rinsed, well to clear, drained, then set to dry.  Sourdoughs were fed.  I had to grind more wheat, more spelt soon.  Everything was washed or cleaned along the way.  Amazing how much mess just a few simple chores can produce, if that may just be me, my very nature?

Dratted thing is I did all of that before properly waking.  Which means... I have no clue what to do next.  I even cleaned the litter boxes.  Hmm?  Yeah.  Still so tired.  I could see about the laundry, and start another load.  I am not sure I am ready for breakfast.  Still, there is the egg casserole.  It came out just so.  All I need.  Perhaps a toss of sprouts.  Just for crunch.

Done and done.  Is it nap time?  Bah!  It's not even 7:00 yet.  As I rest I will ponder.  Not quite ready to hit the kitchen.  Later.
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Ah-ha!  Not for now, maybe not today, but soon.  No, not in English, but with more than sufficient sub-... super-titles.  The holdoff?  Beside gravity and my butt?  Walnuts.  I want half the thing to be nutty.

Wanted something more.

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I really wanted to cook or bake something.  Brownies, some sort of treat.  I only keep cocoa powders on hand... both types and a blend.  I went looking for a recipe which matched my ingredients.  You can make chocolate using fats and powder, technically.  I haven't done it, so really wanted to see it done in with the rest.  Not lazy, just not interested in experimenting, not tonight.  No go.  So be it.

I did finish most of the rest of the dishes and bottles.  A cooling rack was overlooked.  No, just... no.  All growy stuff has been worked.  I am down to sunflower seeds and sourdough.  I'll be using sourdoughs down, before long, then cutting that to a feeding a week unless it is to go into production again.  Now to keep up the other work and clean the joint back up.

The machine, as usual, didn't spin out the liquid.  I parted everything and ran it as anew load.  That worked.  It is drying but I won't bother with another load.  I keep reviewing soap making.  One thing to note is that all the equipment used becomes for soap only.  You want to go cheap, but not so cheap the equipment fails.  Looking things over.  Window shopping is easy these days, perhaps too easy.

Bedtime is closing in.  Good night.

Dishes and more dishes.

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Dishes after those.  I got the first group, then made an spinach, onion, mushroom cheese, sausage, and egg casserole.  Sauteing mushrooms and onions, probably spinach next time.  I am getting much better at it, if it isn't difficult and I didn't start out bad.  It's more gauging amounts, pitching in for the extra steps such as sauteing, and having the timing down better.  Oh, and I have learned to add volume to the eggs.

By the time it was done the dishes from the cooking were done.  That's the way to go if you have to go that way.  Paper plates to.  Plastic utensils don't work well, and disposable cups.  I so much prefer glass.  Still, I'll check next time I go shopping.  Maybe half that way?  Maybe.  More if I am down?  Something.

The sunflower seeds weren't sprouted last time I checked.  I won't be worrying about sourdough tonight, now, if seeing how long it takes to hit their high, most expanded, would be good.  That and a glass of kefir, milk kefir, after this post.  Ah, and the washer messed up.  It left everything soaking. I ran it on a wring and spin load, didn't seem to work last time.  Annoying.  If it worked I'll put another load through as well.  That'll be it for laundry, if more in the kitchen would be good.  Later.

Not as planned.

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Even so, I'll take it.  Hoping for more.

I ended up doing normal morning stuff first then getting bedding changed, the bed made, and laundry started.  While I haven't started in on the dishes, I set them to soak then drained and refreshed the soak... tomato and meat require more soap than one soak offers, to my demands.  Clean isn't greasy.

My hands have improved.  Rubber gloves, talcum powder, and aloe vera lotion for the initial stages.  It's both the heat, the water, chemicals, and then the cold.  Oh, I went from Gold Bond to generic baby powder.  I went from paying $6 to $10 a bottle to $20 or less for 48 bottles, same amount per.  I can handle the baby smell.  I use the stuff on my feet, along with foot spray.  My feet don't smell funny anymore, or itch or burn.  My routine works.

Hmm?  I don't know.  I am hoping to reduce boxes and hit the kitchen.  After a break, if I can.  I am happy with where things are, in the day and along the list.  If I didn't do more, so long as I didn't add to the mess, I'd be good.  But, as we all know... deceiving.  I plan on making a mess, sourdough pancakes.  More, doing more isn't, for some of us, a choice.  Either I can or I cannot.  If I can, it isn't that I am compelled, it is that I simply will do it.  No real choice.

Ugh.  I think I hit a wall.  I'll probably get better or nap.  Hmm, food might help.  Later.

It must be colder.

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The faucet of melt has been stoppered.  No puddles or dark areas.  Worth the trade for sunshine, at least for us cave dwellers.  Up rather late, but to bed late.  Is my day slipping or was that a fluke?  I am tagging that as an outlier.  To attempt to craft it so I will need to attend work earlier, if possible.  Don't you love advice you know but can't follow?  Worse when you are your own adviser.

I've hit the growy things.  I still don't understand why my sourdough smells like bubblegum?  Yes.  Both Doom and what is now being called Spawn of Doom, since I am not sure these things have sexes or parents in the old way... or if you are falsely sure of evolution (because they told you? really? how much other settled science do you believe?) the new way, smell very sweet.  The Neighbor Mrs.'s sourdough smells as I would expect.  I have used mine, to exceptional effect.  So it does work.  And other than sugar added at it's creation, inception..?, I haven't added anything but flour and water.

Oh, on that note?  I honestly am doubting if it matters which wheat is used in the feeding of sourdough.  At least for leavening.  Perhaps it will have an effect on carbs, glutton level and type.  As I indicated, my sourdoughs smell the same.  The flour used doesn't change anything.

Oh, the bed and laundry, plus feeding... not that.  I had been feeding the girls canned food twice a day.  A gift for having run out for about a week.  What happens if I feed them twice a day for two long is they start vomitting... a lot.  So, as a treat for a day to a week, then back to once a day.  On feast days, celebrations, holidays, they eat extra too.  If they have more feast days than I do.  I don't, can't always, feast on such occasions.  Anyway.

Oh, I set up a hot soapy soak for the dishes.  I'll look around for a smaller bottle scrubber.  I may not have one for these types of bottles, if hot water could do, for now.  I'd really like a brush that would go to the bottom and get the sides.  I have looked, haven't found, yet... to my knowledge.  It's difficult to gauge things on amazon.

The bed shortly, laundry, then the kitchen.  Later.

More than expected.

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Most of the dishes.  I didn't get to the bottles and missed some pots and pans.  Ran two loads through two fresh water pans... I use mini tubs in the sinks.  Prevents overflow and has other purposes.  Then I set up sunflower seeds just for an overnight soak, then changed out the kefir water, this time adding sugar to the second ferment jars.  Not in bottles, just in mason jars for now.  Also stirred the sourdoughs.  Yeah.

Took too long to start, then I just didn't have much to put in.  All good.  The sink is clear, tea is going, the grow stuff has been tended, and other things.  I should be ready to hit it again tomorrow.  Ugh, need to change bedding.  Should be easy if I can hit it before I really wake, and just throw that in with other laundry.  We'll see.

I might really tear into the kitchen tomorrow.  I would really like to get back to cooking and baking, it's a strong incentive.  Hmm, I wonder about sourdough pancakes or waffles.  Probably an overnight thing and I am finished for the night.  Soon.  Einkorn is on the way, twenty pounds.  Yeah.

Not bad for being mostly dead.  Not great or even good.  Just not bad with the givens.

Back to it? Maybe.

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So many things piled up.  I couldn't just do them.  Appointments, paperwork, approvals, rescheduling, over and over.  I miss much of the mail.  So many fake trees to try to see the forest through.  If too I am simply too tired to see straight enough to make sense of the nonsense so don't bother trying.  Still, I'll keep at it.  One more appointment and things should be clear.  For a while.

I am still tired.  But I want to get to things.  If I can catch up on dishes, set up all the grow carp, and take care of boxes tonight, I'd be really happy.  I won't do any more cooking, the experimental type, until the kitchen is completely up to specs.  That will take a few days.  The bathroom as well, if that will be easy.  With the bathroom not doubling as the kitchen sink, the toilet is the hardest work, and that is easy.  If I can do the list tonight I'll be well on my way.

Two things, it is hoped, will also be arranged tonight.  I have learned several things about my food hobbies.  First, to get kefir water to fizz, a second ferment, [adding sugar], is what is required.  Most hide that step, adding sugar.  I have flip top bottles in for that, if, of course, they have to be washed first.  The other thing is soaking sunflower seeds to begin sprouting those correctly.  This time probably a day, perhaps dehydrating them tomorrow evening... if they sprout.  The first batch is okay, just a bit waterlogged.  They just wouldn't dry, if they are tasty.

Life might be a bit too much.  My system may be a bit anemic.  No one seems to want to play nice or fair, if honestly it... trust me, it works out.  I try not to get too grumpy.

Paperwork.

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Lots of it.  Refinancing to a flat interest rate.  But there were problems.  For one, taxes.  I am exempt.  They were built in.  Second, insurance.  I thought I was paying that myself.  I know I was.  Turns out they stealth took it over.  Not cool.  Working on it.  Amazing how everybody knew everything but me.  Handling other people's money, one way or another, always goes south.  Which is why bankers and insurers sneak it in.  I'll get that fixed.  Even if it doesn't cost me, there are a lot of problems with such actions.

I asked the notary if anyone really knows what is in the paperwork.  Her eyes glazed over and she just went back to work.  Paperwork isn't my forte.  Keeping track of changes isn't either.  To be fair they flood my post box with junk mail so the chances of missing something important are high.  I probably get fifteen pieces of mail from them a month, or more.  Most months all pieces are junk.  Random mailings sent by quota workers.  I actually received eight calls to confirm today's appointment, which I ignored because I confirmed with the notary herself Friday.  Pests.

I did check on one potential problem which turned out to not be an issue.  I made two calls, one uselessly, the other to a named mob:p  Just to clear that issue and give a call back number for other issues pending.  This stuff could make the head explode!

Hungry.  Spaghetti and meat sauce?  Sure, carbs.  But I have learned to cook just portions, not whole batches.  Yeah, it makes a difference.  I have enough bread to make garlic bread.  Yeah, doubling carbs but shush.  I am seriously hungry.

Later.

Another dark day.

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Fresh snow, which brightens the world a few notches.  Not enough snow to plow.  I normally wouldn't bother with this spit of snow, especially since I am going nowhere.  I have a business visitor and perhaps packages arriving.  I try to make sure folk can get in without fuss or worry.  Even if I could hate someone, I wouldn't want to see them hurt.  While, therefore no less or more strangers or friends.  If we go to war?  I won't make any attempt to hurt anyone, as a general rule.  If I do my job, no one in my sights, will feel much or for long.  I aim to please.  So, I'll get out with shovel and salt.

Actually down a bit after 22:00, awake at a bit after 8:00.  Pulling out of bed was difficult.  Pain this morning, if the real impediment to rising is the cold and dark.  Oh, I best straighten a bit in the front room.  Doesn't need much, nor is there time to do it all. Boxes, a quick sweep, chairs arranged, little things.

Snow first, then a shower, and finally the front room.  After the dailies.  Later.
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Not enough snow (or left) to scoop.  Enough to potentially hide ice.  The fix?  An obvious strong sprinkling of salt.  That will, it is hoped, allay fears of the unknown.  What can be done has been done.

As to sunflower seed sprouting?  They... won't green.  Okay.  So, after a bit of foolishness, if no help from the Internet was forthcoming, I pulled my head out of my ask me later, then formulated the solution set.  Sprout until they just sprout, drain, spreed on a cookie sheet, salt or not, then dry out (dehydrator would work).  Rather tasty with or without salt.  Good simply, in salads, or other recipes.

The rest of my dailies, mostly, are done.  Now for a shower and the front room, and painkillers.

Just about time.

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Bedtime.  For having done so little I am tired.  I needed rest, and took it.

Souffles, soon, again.  Just to hammer them home.  Bread again sometime in the next few days.  Perhaps custard?  Sure thinking about it.  Souffle is too delicate to gift, but custard can handle transport.  Plus it helps while learning one of the lines of sauces in French cooking.  Yeah, still on about that, and getting back to it.  If you know sauces you can sell shoeleather dinners at a healthy profit.  Just a note about the reason.  One of them.

A day of resting.

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Just because?  No.  I did too much while too tired.  I didn't break anything, if everything was stretched.  All good.  It does a body good.  Even the dead should dance from time to time.  The bread, and other mild efforts, haven't been a problem.  Actually those have helped.  Good food should help in recovery.

Bread.

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I wasn't expecting much.  I was using a no-knead minimalist blend of recipes.  I was using, if home ground and spelt, a whole grain flour.  Then I was using an untried leavening substance.  With all the givens I was expecting a sour brick, especially with such a long ferment.  Well, and so many seem to end with bricks of bread, a common noob whine.

I though about letting it cool longer.  Meh.  I like it a little warm.  I had forgotten to put butter out last night, but remembered this morning, as the loaf was being deposited.  That worked just right.  I sliced an end piece and one interior piece, buttered them, then let them work together for a bit.  Finally, it was time.

Okay.  I think I could learn to like that.  Sour?  No, actually sweet.  Mildly sweet, like sweeter squash?  I think so.  It didn't rise much, didn't seem to rise by appearances, and yet?  It tasted, texture-wise, more like... cake?  Really?  Really.  I... am almost speechless.  It is far more than I would have expected, more so for so little work put in.  I didn't even grease or butter the dutch oven, I used parchment paper... which limited the heat... it can only handle 420 F, and I like margins so went with 400.  Curious about characteristics when room temp.  Definitely happy with the first showing.

The next loaf will be regular whole wheat, if ground at home, with sour dough.  No-knead, all as before, except the type of wheat.  As well as this went, I may hit sprouted spelt next week.  Success feeds success, assuming I can.  I am surprised at what I have been getting away with.  Hell, it's like I am almost alive again.  Later.
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The bread is still quite good at room temp.  Not sure how long this bread lasts, or how to store it.  I'll look around... after another slice and a nap.

Already up and at it for an hour.

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Woke at 7:30, went to sleep at about 20:30.  A long sleep.  Given health and level of activity, plus that after a sunny day we are back to darkness?  Fine.  Of course, messing with kefirs, then feeding sourdoughs, messing with the bread dough and getting the dutch oven ready to go.  It is all started.  Then, without thinking, I cooked the oatmeal.  I just won't have a slice of fresh bread with it.  Oh, and sprouts were watered, drained, and set to catch what sun is available.  The sunflower seeds have sprouted.  They are okay, if I am hoping for more?  Might dehydrate some, some salted some not.

As to timing the bread, I am winging it.  I have some rough expectations, a set of for altitude, a slight adjustment in mind for such a wet dough, if the truth is I'll be engineering it.  I'll give it a rough minimum to just bake, then check every five or ten, deciding when to remove the lid.  I doubt if there will be an exact time, probably ever.  Less so until I decide on a precise recipe(s) and get good at following.

I love the oatmeal done this way.  It doesn't just sit there in the pit of my stomach like a brick.  It mingles well, spends just enough time to not become a bother, then moves on.  If I am going to eat such food, which I am, then I'll do it as right as possible.  Though the real truth?  Eating the old ways is just a hobby.  I'm not a believer.  Nor, completely, a disbeliever.  At my health it actually doesn't matter, mostly.

I've been doing a lot of talking in my sleep.  Laughing too.  It is weird to startle awake because of the proximity of a voice while still finishing a sentence out of my own mouth, or still laughing about God only knows.  At least it isn't a fright.  Oddly, I don't recognize the voice, even while waking to it... well, it is familiar.  I just don't know who it is, was, or will be?  Yeah.  Kewl.  None of my affair.  Good for chuckling when I wake.

Later.

Bread? Why not.

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I have viewed many recipes.  Some suggest... well... all sorts of things.  Sugar, honey, salt, none of those, three hours rise, eleven hours then adding more flour and starter and giving it four more hours, and much else with massive more or less.  Baking times and temps?  Yeah. Lots of crazy out there.  Someone must be right.

I went with a couple of no-knead recipes, using bits of each.  Sugar added, as a boost to starter action,  eleven hours, but no additional flour and water, or rise time.  This and that, back and forth.  It is in the (cool) oven.  I was hoping the light would work for heat. Nope.  So I'll pull it and turn the furnace up a bit tonight.  The cold may be what is hampering my kefir water too.

I went with spelt flour this time.  Regular (whole wheat but ground at home, so fresh) flour next.  Perhaps a mix if those are a bit wicked, dense.  Though... maybe just more work, other recipes.  The thing is to get away from standard wheat.  It should take about forty minutes to cook and another twenty to cool.  Hmm, best put butter out tonight.  I hate trying to scrape cold butter even on warm bread.  Ah, and I am using whey to soak oatmeal, along with mostly water.  Toast with breakfast would be good.  I am curious if I'll get that normal rush with bread.

Good night.

Prepping?

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I get so far ahead I have to do overtime to... fall behind?  I was wondering.

While doing many things, I was trying to remember what I had been doing for preparedness.  Then I realized I was missing the forest for the trees.  Almost everything I have been doing is prep based.  Souffles?  Goes to skills, learning to cook from scratch, and learning to just do.  Certainly sourdoughs, breads, and grains.  That will lead to a storage of grains I can use.  Certainly skills.

Experimenting with sprouts, which offer greens in the winter.  Sure, we have grocery stores now.  If... how good are those greens as is?  And, should you end up somewhere far from a store.  Replacement seeds?  Yeah.  Though if sunflower seeds work, that would do.  Plus getting used to such.  Now I can grab a pinch of greens and munch... almost tasty... or, well, it is okay.  Some more than others.  And it packs well.  You could grow this on a hike, in a clear(er) container attached to the outside of a pack.

Even the whey soaked food are in this right direction.  I soaked rice in pure whey, thinking to test outer limits.  It was rather good.  It was more of a waste of whey than any over-souring of brown rice.  And, yes, it is easier to digest.  Not needed for me, but I do get more nutrition.  Well, so goes the theory.

The point is, I am still, very much, prepping.  It is fantastic fun at that.  Oh, I'll never have it down.  I think, when you realize you can never square it all, though?  THEN you can truly begin to prepare.  After all else, now taking stock, joining in, and settling in, is the thing to do.  I am right where I need to be.

Later.

First things first.

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I now have a list to do every morning.  More now than always.  Feeding the starter is a daily, but I will be backing that off.  I am planning some baking this week.  Probably regular wheat.  And then another batch every few days until I have used down the sourdoughs, which will then be refrigerated and the spelt sourdough will be brought out and used down.  Then einkorn, when that is ready.  Some of what will be examined is sourness.  Just how sour does it get, what can I handle, and what cuts carbs/sugars the most.

After starters, I then hit sprouts.  Water, drain, then for the older bunches into as much sun as possible, hoping to green them up.  Cheap greens, crunchy, and hobbyist thing for foodies.  Goes exceptionally well on sandwiches.  While at those I check the water kefir.  Not much to do, just inspect.  I'm letting this batch age more.

Next, cat litter and making the bed... if I remember.  It's good to have things to do.  As some things go away I will try to find some tasks to replace them.  Cleaning, perhaps a weekly chart,  with different things each day.  If I do enough of them, a treat?  If I miss, don't want to or can't do the task(s) one, day, have a two or three week rotation which means the task will come back up?  Is such drudgery possible?   Thinking on it.

At first I thought I had more spelt than regular wheat.  Then I remembered the superpails.  But I don't want to dig into those, as I won't be using regular wheat for long.  Then again..?  I am not sure I will keep spelt on hand if einkorn is half what they say.  Though, maybe, for variety.  You do realize you can grind these into mixes for hot cereals, right.  And filling?  These cereals will fill you, without weighing you you down, for half a day, stone solid work energy.

Right, best make the bed.  Nothing like going to bed when it is made.  Oh, the trash system is working extremely well.  Every morning, or other, and every time something rough is tossed, a quick sacking often just grocery bags, it gets tied and set into the bigger bag.  No smell and I don't have to run every such bag out.  Might even, mostly, pas the mom test!