My camera's been on the shelf. Sometimes life takes off in a different direction, but I know my hands will find their way back to wrapping around my Nikon. They always do. I reflect on the past three weeks and note some highlights:
1. Our annual trip to the beach in Rodanthe, North Carolina, delighted us as always — could brilliant sunrises and fiery sunsets and the sound of crashing ocean waves do anything but? Friends Jim and Connie supplied the jigsaw puzzle this year — a camping scene in honor of The Dreamcatcher's inaugural season — 1,000 pieces! We actually finished it on the trip, which surprised us all; and I find I'm smiling as my fingers strike these keys.
2. A trip to Oglebay Resort in West Virginia for nephew Nick's wedding meant treasured time with family and gratitude for shoes comfy enough to dance in without pain! We walked the familiar halls and talked about our many past visits with our then little ones — always in December with lights and hearts all aglow. How we loved those holiday trips.
3. I read two good books — both fiction. After recently finishing Charles Dickens’ classic Great Expectations, I found the easy reading of these contemporary novels a breath of fresh air.
4. I've had a ball searching for fall camping decor — pretty pillows, a warm throw, sparkling glass pumpkins, silky sunflowers, a scented candle (with three wicks!) and I could go on. We've been waiting a full year for fall camping with all its cooler weather and cozier-than-ever campfires.
5. Today I baked. Pumpkin breads — one for our upcoming camping trip, one for Jim and Connie's upcoming camping trip, one for John and Nirali and one for Sarah and Dan; and baking fragrant bread on a rainy September morning might just be one of my favorite things to do.
It's been a good three weeks. Blessings abound!
PUMPKIN BREAD
3-1/2 cups flour
3 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2/3 cup raisings
2/3 cups crushed walnuts
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups canned pumpkin
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, raisins and walnuts. Set aside.
2. Beat eggs, water, oil and pumpkin together with a mixer.
3. Add dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
4. Spray 4 loaf pans with PAM and divide batter evenly between them.
5. Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes. Check for doneness with a cake tester.
