Bread and Books and Blogs

Originally written in January 2024

Books and bread and blogs

Three things I’ve always loved, but also three things I’ve set aside in different seasons of my life.

For well over a year now, I've set aside blogging. It hasn't been because I don't have anything to say. It started as terrible morning sickness. In March of 2023, we found out we were expecting our third baby, and were beyond excited about it.

But along with the excitement came exhaustion and all-day morning sickness. It was hard enough to continuing momming and homeschooling and wife-ing, so blogging took a back seat.

And so did books.

And then followed bread.

Pregnancy was more difficult than I remembered, and I still don't know if it's because I'm home with my kids this time around and not working, or if it was because I'm older. Or, maybe it is a combination of the two. But because of the difficulties I felt, my priorities changed.

Slowly, books came back. I picked reading back up, and spent many days by the pool reading while my kids swam and played through the summer.

When fall hit, bread make an appearance again--sourdough to be specific. It took all day, and it had me on my feet, but it also seemed to cause those pesky Braxton Hicks to kick in, which meant I only made a few loaves before I realized I needed to rest a bit more.

As my due date approached, I read more and more, embracing book after book.

And once the baby was born, I was excited to jump back into bread. But I found that my sourdough starter was no longer a valid option. I was gravely disappointed, but realized that maybe in this season, sourdough isn't the right bread to make, with it's time-consuming nature. So I found a new sandwich bread to make.

So books and bread were fully reinstated in my life.

Right now, I’m a season with a newborn, and books and bread are hobbies I don’t want to set aside.

Both are not easy to get to, but I do each as I can. Both are oddly refreshing in different ways.

Books and bread.

Both feed my soul in this season of newborn snuggles, cuddles, and nights of broken sleep. One is slightly easier to tackle than the other, but both are comforts in those moments of hard. It isn’t always easy to take the time; sometimes scrolling seems easier or buying a loaf at the store seems simpler, but the act of reading or baking do more than just take time; they give me a small feeling of accomplishment. I know there will be days in this season where no book can be read, no bread can be baked (or eaten!). But knowing that these two hobbies are there when I’m ready for them is something I’m glad to have. It may be a weird thing to post about, but it’s one of those things that I hope inspires you to think about what hobby or interest you have waiting for you to make time for.