This is the first week of March. The first day of spring is March 20!
The little yellow daffodils are standing tall on the overgrown plots of old house places here on our farm, blowing in the wind, promising me a close springtime with sunny skies and balmy weather. The trees seem to be stretching their bare branches toward the sky and sprouting tiny little buds of leaves from the barren branches. Wild fescue grasses push their way to the surface of the wet, cold soil of the dreary and desolate cold temperatures making our cows and their babies to push and try the strength of our fences to reach just a mouth full of the green fresh sustenance.
There are cow babies being born every day, and as we check the big black heifers you can see them jumping and running — always close to the big mamas and their food provisions. We must be extra vigilant this time of the year to keep the new calves from the ditches full of water and the ever-present predators that roam at night. Then, of course, we must be particularly careful not to run over one of the little black babies sleeping in the tall weeds with a tractor.
I love to watch the farm come to life after sleeping winter weather. In the winter, it’s almost as if everything is put on hold just waiting and anticipating the break of spring and the “wake-up” call of springtime, with new grass, new vegetation, new blossoms, new babies and always new beginnings.
I always feel as if we begin a new account in spring. We can either do the same old, same old, or we can look at this time in our lives as a new beginning just like the livestock here on the farm. Especially as I age, I am trying to anticipate and expect more from life. I want to spend more time with my family and friends. I want to try new adventures and visit new places. I look forward to seeing less distress, damage and suffering peoples in our new springtime and I look forward to new undertakings.
As I do age and realize I don’t have another 50 years, there are some things I really want to do, and I realize that “right now” is the time I have been given. I want to learn to bake a good loaf of bread. I would like to learn to swim. I want to learn to drive a tractor. I want to visit Disney World once more. And my outrageous and extreme “want-to” is to keep the wrinkles at bay. This will be my trickiest of all.
I believe I am going to try to stand by the “3 3 3” rule for goals. (1) Spend three hours a day on my most important thing. (2) Complete three shorter tasks I have been avoiding. (3) Work on three maintenance activities to keep my life in order.
This is one bread I seem to have conquered.
Four Ingredient Bread
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 t. salt
½ t. yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
Mix all ingredients together and allow to rise for 4-24 hours. The longer it rises, the more of the sour dough taste. Roll out onto a floured surface and fashion into a ball. Bake 450 degrees on parchment paper. We like it with honey butter – 1 stick of real butter softened and mixed with one-quarter cup of honey.
