Cooking and baking is both physical and mental therapy. — Mary Berry
It seems that those points in time in my life when I have been the most stressed, the making relief that I turn to is cooking. So we have an enormous pot of chili that will be something easy to pull out for many meals. I also pulled out my tried and true bread recipe and it’s yeast-y goodness filled my kitchen with the best smells yesterday. And kneading bread is the absolute best frustration releaser on earth!
I have barely knit a stitch… I cannot settle my mind or my hands to do that… it is better to read something that encompasses my mind. Thus… Big Foot Sock #1 is still not done. (Although the fit thus far is very good!)
I did sit down at my sewing machine on Friday, turned on an audio book, and quilted The Advent Calendar. AND!! I love how it turned out. (full beauty shot coming soon!) The final steps are hand-sewing the binding, then attaching twenty-four buttons… and, yes, I am struck by the irony of binding a quilt (which I can do) and binding up the (self-made/inflicted) hell-scape that is my sister’s life (which I can’t do). All that aside… my goal is to have this in the mail by Friday!
The reading this week was so good:
O Beautiful by Jung Yun
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Can you leave your hometown and leave behind all the problems that it holds? That is what Elinor Hanson finds out as she takes a job that brings her back to the North Dakota town where she grew up.
There is intrigue. There are fascinating characters. There is racism. And there is greed… all simmering under the surface.
Yun’s prosaic writing is what drew me in and her story kept me. O Beautiful is not what I expected… it is so much more. And the best part? It did not have a tidy ending… and the wondering about that is perhaps the best lingering thing about this book! I highly recommend it!
I would like to thank Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this ARC.
What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow.
Just wow.
This might be a small book but it is not a light read. El Akkad takes us to the world of the refugee from a unique perspective… from the eyes of a child. The writing is almost like El Akkad had a quiver of arrows… and when they were gone – his story must be done. Those arrows absolutely pierced my heart and my mind. This is a book that I will not soon forget… this is an absolute must read!
That is all I have for today… what about you? What are you making and reading this week?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below!
I’m glad that you got the Advent calendar quilted and I wish you peace and patience as you sew on the binding and buttons. Big Foot will wait. I’m also glad that relieving some of your stress has resulted in some very good things to eat. Now I’m tempted to bake some bread myself!
I can’t wait to see the Advent calendar! I’m sure it’s going to be well worth all the work. And I’m sure kneading bread is a great stress reliever — learning to bake bread properly is still on my list of things to master.
This week is all about trying to finish up gift knitting. I’m past the halfway point on kiddo’s hat and have a start to the second sock in the pair for my brother. It’d be nice to wrap up both this week so I could get back to my sweater! I’m also trying to finish Great Circle because Cloud Cuckoo Land is waiting for me!
I loved What Strange Paradise. Such a gut punch . . . but so good. 🙂 I can’t wait to see the Advent calendar . . . and I’m so glad you’re finding some peace (and release?) through your cooking and baking. XO
I can’t wait to see the Advent Calendar!!! I’m sure the grandkids will appreciate it. 🙂 And your daughter, too. 🙂
The chili and home-made bread both sound delicious. I so wish I could carve out some time to make “real” meals. 🙁
“O Beautiful” sounds very interesting. Maybe because I’m a North Dakota farm-girl once removed? LOL (My mom is originally from NoDak)
You are so right that cooking and baking are great therapy. I find kneading bread dough to be very meditative…my Mom used to liken it to prayer. I’m excited to see your Advent Calendar – I’m sure it is going to be wonderful. Looks like you had an excellent week in bookland – both those books sound amazing!
I bake when I’m stressed, too. I’m glad you’re finding ways to cope with a truly terrible situation.
Can’t wait to see that Advent calendar! And I’m glad to hear you’ve found a way to nourish parts of yourself while doing the all the other…difficult work. Sending extra goodness your way this week.
Bread baking sounds like a nourishing way to soothe a soul. I am happy that you are pleased with the quilting on the Advent Calendar. Take good care of yourself.
hoping when you read this comment you are stress free!! knitting will always be there when you are ready it was for me.
I wondered about those 24 buttons … an Advent calendar makes perfect sense!