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Why bake one loaf of bread when its as easy to make a few for everyone?
Why bake one loaf of bread when it's as easy to make a few for everyone?

My husband’s co-worker M.* is very sick with what looks like an advanced case of cancer. Ralph has, since taking the job at the college, been bringing my food – especially my baked goods – to share at work.  M. has really enjoyed my breads especially. I think at first he thought maybe we were bread-peers to have a competition, but he’s now thrown over as me the “winner” and him the recipient of my awesome bread. So I’ve taken to baking a loaf just for M.  I love baking bread – I mean I love it, it will lift me out of any minor depressive state. And I love making it for other people even more.

Food-wise today I also made a yellow cake with double-chocolate cream cheese frosting and decorative kumquats and of course, breakfast and dinner (chicken lettuce wraps and vegetable fried rice).  For lunch the kids and I took shelter from the rain at one of our favorite local eateries, a homey place that specializes in Italian fare. The three of us split a steak lunch and I wrapped every bit of extra meat in a piece of foil to take home to the cats.

I love diner eating with the kids for lunch.  It feels like a little tradition of sorts.  I won’t lie, the kids don’t always never sit still and if I’m hungry it sets me on edge.  I’ve been smart lately and brought some math workbooks for the two of them to mess about with while we wait for our meal.  Nels in particular shows a joy and adventurous proficiency in the subject; he worked on a first grade level today and after solving the numeracy problems assiduously decorated each cone, square, circle and triangle into corresponding real-life shapes (party hat, wooden block, eyeball, and tooth, resp.). Sophie and I sat on one side of the booth and we couldn’t get enough of holding one another, scooting in and kissing or snuggling. She smells better to me than just about anything else, even fresh-baked bread.

* Not his real initial.

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