Monday, August 25, 2008

From Sunset to Morning Bread!

Do you know that one of my absolute favorite things in the whole wide world, is a sunset? There is something magical about that time of day when the sun lazily creeps behind the horizon, it leaves this trail of orange and pink across the sky and you are left with a palette of amazing colors around you.

As I finished off the dinner dishes last night, I looked up from the sink and saw this:



This beautiful purple/pink/orange big fluffy cloud, right in front of me, I knew I had to get out there with the camera and boy was I glad I did

This was the actual color of the sky to my left.
You can see the White Tank Mountains in the distance
And right above me was this.....now tell me does the Lord not make breathtaking skies?

After snapping a few pics, and at one point crouching behind the truck because there were a few cars driving by and looking at me with that "there's the crazy camera lady again" look on their faces.....I came back inside and smiled. Just being outside for those few minutes seemed to lift a weight off my shoulders.

The middle of the night brought rain showers and it was wonderful, at first I was awakened by the sound of pitter patter against the skylight in the master bathroom, I wasn't sure what it was, you know when you're in the middle of that sleep state? You first startle awake and can't even make out where you are? LOL That's what it was, I jumped up in bed and thought "Now why would a woodpecker be messing with the windows at this hour of the night?". Poor Poor Sandra, I'm loosing my mind. LOL

We've been enjoying our morning walks, just before 9 am we set out towards the school and it's so quiet out there, it's just us talking about what the day holds for us and what we'll do later. After dropping off the kids, I walk back home alone and it feels wonderful. It's very relaxing when you're able to slow down and just go at your own pace, you hear the birds, you hear those weird cricket kinda loud bug things...I think Nancy had a photo of one on her blog. You see the birds flying overhead and you get the occasional car with the military guy drinking his coffee as he makes his way to work on the other side of the base.
But most of all you get solitude and quietness and nothing but you and your thoughts. Boy can it get scary LOL

I'm an active thinker, I think and think and think some more and it's not always good stuff. I tend to over analyze things and worry and wonder, all those "what if's" coming at me. But I've started using these morning walks as my time to throw out what I'm having problems with and then making sure that by the time I reach my front door, I leave them outside in this imaginary God Box. This comment/help me box, if you will. I imagine that once I get inside, the Lord steps in and grabs my problems out of that box and returns an empty one in its' place. It's been very freeing, you should try it.

So anyway, after getting the house cleaned up and everything straightened out from the weekend, I got my steaks marinating and in the refrigerator for tonight's dinner, and then I baked some bread. Ahhhhhhh.......a cup of coffee and a fresh slice of bread slathered with butter!

I'm the kind of gal that doesn't like pretty bread. You know....perfectly round tops and shiny brown surfaces and all that shebang. I like the rustic, uneven loaves that make me think of the little bakeries in portugal where I would walk in and find those big round or oval shaped cracked bread loaves with all it's bumps and lumps. THAT is the kind of bread I make.

And my family has this aversion to dark bread, if the crust is dark they don't want it. No matter how many times I explain that it's not burnt, it's just golden brown. Nope, ain't having it. So I bake my bread until it's done and then I remove it, so I get this pale lightly browned bread. Who cares, as long as it takes good!


I divide the dough in half and make one loaf and turn the other half into small dinner rolls. See that one in the middle with the butter all over it? I know it's not dinner and all, but once the camera was shut off I breathed and it was gone. I have no clue where it went....really I don't! It's like magic, one minute it's there, the next it's gone. LOL


I'll have the recipe up on my food blog later tonight. Right now I have to hurry up and get on out of here, the kids leave school in 10 minutes and I have to be there to pick them up.

Have a great day ladies, eat bread and be happy :)

18 comments:

Mari said...

The pictures are so beautiful and the bread looks great! I also love your new profile pic.

Jen said...

I love homemade bread too. I like mine to be really pretty like out of a magazine...it never is...so I have accepted this...lol.

Lisa Cobler said...

Beautiful pics. That bread looks yummy!

Mike Golch said...

Sandra, Great photos thanks for posting them

Hill upon Hill said...

I am having coffee and banana cake right now. What is it like to live on a base? Is it a tight community? I am imagining something similar to our naval base here, that has a low fence around it, houses that look similar and their own roads...

Kelly said...

Hey there Miss Sandra!
Thank you for stopping by my blog today! Your photos of your sunset are so pretty. The bread looks delicious. Have a beautiful week!
Blessings~Kelly Maria

someone else said...

Ohhhhh, those sunset photos take my breath away!!

threesidesofcrazy said...

Sandra those are awesome photos!! I prefer sunsets too and my kitchen faces southwest so I too get some of the prettiest sunsets as I do the dishes - makes it all seem worthwhile!

Jen said...

I have nominated you for 2 bloggy awards, stop by and accept them. Love the bread, can not wait for the recipe.

A happy heart at home said...

Your third pic is amazing! I love how you can see the rays of the sun.

Fresh, warm bread? Covered in butter? Mmmm, good!

~Susan

Anonymous said...

The pictures are great!! (The food AND the scenery)

I am so glad you shared about leaving the "box" of worries outside your door. I am such a worrier, too, and I am going to try exactly what you said. =)

Wendi said...

The bread looks fabulous! I might have to make some this week.

I love the the sunset pictures. Beautiful!

Karen said...

I love the idea of the 'comment box.' I will have to try that. What a great way to start your day, with a walk followed up by homemade bread! YUMMMMM.

Elizabeth said...

Thank you for sharing the idea of God's Box outside the front door...I tend to over-worry, too, and shutting it down is alot of work!

Yes, our Arizona skies are simply beautiful at sunset...you've caught some great shots and colors. I'm like you..I grab a camera in the middle of doing something and rush outside..we're both The Crazy Ladies with the Camera, eh??!!

Oh, yes, those VERY NOISY bugs that, to me, are party of every summer I've lived here...they're Cicadas. They signal heat..and they're never wrong LOL!

Have a lovely day.

Andrea@Sgt and Mrs Hub said...

Oh, the sunrises and sunsets of the southwest. They are one of my favorite parts about living here. It's a wonderful reminder every day of God's glory.

The bread looks SO good! I like the rusticness too. Perfect is so boring.

-Andrea

Pennies In My Pocket said...

Your post was so refreshing! I feel lighter having read it. I LOVE your God Box. I'm going to have to practice that. What a great idea...leave the worries and whatnots outside with God. (not that He can't meet you inside, but you get what I'm saying)

The bread looks absolutely fabulous. Could you pass some over here, please? Oh and the sunset...breathtaking!

~melody~

Anonymous said...

I'm an active thinker, I think and think and think some more and it's not always good stuff. I tend to over analyze things and worry and wonder, all those "what if's" coming at me.

Me too. We're worrying about all sorts of things at the moment, we have a lot of stressful issues right now. I know I need to leave them at the feet of God, but it's so hard...maybe I'll try your 'God box' idea!

Hugs n' love

Sarah

Lavinia said...

Its so wonderful to walk slowly and at one's own pace! I'm so glad you have that every morning. Now as for your bread, its divine....looks so clean and soft when the crust is light like that, mabye that's why the fam prefers it?

As for those sunsets, they are God's daily painting...and what a beautiful paintbrush He wields...