Tea Party in the rain

on April 15th I attended my first political rally, a TEA (Taxed Enough Already) party in the largest local town in the rural community where we live. I was impressed that so many people came out for it, as it was pouring rain and hovering right around 40 degrees, and at 6:30pm -- when most people are home feeding the kids or commuting from work.

Despite that, and the short notice to drum up attendance, there were well over 300 people there and a kind of energy that you'd feel whenever a crowd gathers in anticipation of a great event.

I've never been a political activist, but lately I do feel the urge to speak up about certain issues. And now that we ordinary citizens have new tools, like facebook, blogs, email and Twitter, we actually can reach out to politicians and influencers in real time to express our point of view and be heard unlike ever before.

So, if you have the urge to speak up about an issue, it's your right and really, your duty to voice your opinion, help to shape the conversation and positively affect the outcome.

Breaking Bread

I've been making a lot of bread lately. It takes my mind off regular things and focuses it on the task at hand. Making a great loaf of bread is a challenge. It requires great ingredients and a complex process, but it's very simple - just water, flour and salt. I use old recipes just as the french bakers did in the 1500s. the only difference is they used a wood-fired oven.

Lately my favorite loaves are focaccia. I have a starter that I made a few months ago and I keep it nourished and ready to use to start the new loaf.

I've also been making the old world pain levain bread. It's delicious. And a new favorite is Lemon and Dill Sourdough rye bread.

I deliver the warm loaves to my friends around town. At first they were gracious, and thought I was just strange. But over time my bread has gotten really good. Now they call me to see if I'll be baking and put in their requests.