Royal Soda Bread

I finally broke down and made this bread.  It is everything I had hoped it would be.  Buttery, sweet, heavy, rich and delightful.  I added golden raisins (soaked for a short time in hot water, not Irish whiskey) but skipped the caraway seeds this time around.  G says it looks just like the loaves sold at the only bakery in town.  I got the recipe off a website.  After much searching.  I ate one quarter yesterday.  I wrapped the other three pieces up and plan to share one with an Irish lad at work today.  I have enough buttermilk for one more loaf which I think I will freeze.  Okay, I can freeze the buttermilk or the loaf.

Today is going to be my first day back to Pilates since Thursday.  I didn't have the time or the interest in doing my exercises on the weekend (yesterday, I thought I didn't have time and in the end, I did, but too late).  I'm ready to return to my schedule today.  It is becoming obvious that I can't control my weight, but I can try and control my "fitness".  I really, really, really, do not want to return to the 1200 calories a day.  I can't take another round of negative (no, no, no) in my life right now. And it hasn't worked the last few times I have attempted it, because of that negativity.  I am more active now; longer walks with the dog, my job, and now exercise.  These are items that were not included in my routine the last time. In fact, I remember resting quite a bit while on the diet that year, mainly due to the lack of food.

I also have a personal problem in my life.  I wonder if people can attract a certain type of personality to themselves, the way a magnet attracts only certain metals.  Last night, at dinner time, I had a long and frustrating conversation with a close friend.  In the moments after I said goodbye and hung up the phone, I was screaming at the room in general.  She is making ME crazy!!  I seem to be attracting people who are, right now, having a great deal of trouble in their lives.  Problems they love to talk about but refuse to confront or correct.  I am tired of listening.  Let's refer now to the paragraph above regarding my diet.  You may be tired of listening (reading) also, and screaming, just now, at what a pain in the a** I am being lately.  Go ahead.  I'll wait.

There are three friends now with problems.  One eats (chews in my ear) the entire time we talk on the phone.  She flits from one interest to another.  I believe she smokes pot which could be the reason for the odd conversations and her memory loss.  And she knows more than I do on every topic.  We have discussed her fruit tree diseases and the pruning of her grape vines every few days for months now.  Same exact conversation.  The second friend is spending 24/7 with her newly divorced daughter.  The third has a toxic mother who she keeps visiting.  For a few weeks now I have had a daughter with a sick gall bladder.  So, I was more understanding.  Sam is better now (read all about it on her blog today- Slambo in the sidebar-  too funny) and I am tired. Ann Landers had a saying, "people can't walk all over you, if you don't lay down on the floor".  Or something like that.

This is me getting up off the floor.

Yesterday work sped by.  It was time to go home before I knew it.  This is the work routine I enjoy.  Lots to do and no clock watching.  I think we will have clock watching today.  From 4 to 6.

My citrus "trees" are out on the back deck.  They were washed clean by the big rain yesterday, electrified by lightning and fed by the sunshine.  More sun today.  Another warm spring day here in Maine.  I still have drifts of snow, but most of my 8 raised garden beds are thawed.  My peas have been planted and they got a really good soaking yesterday.

I am intrigued by the thought of "baked oatmeal" but most of the recipes include lots of sugar, eggs, milk and butter.  More of an oatmeal CAKE.  Not exactly what I had envisioned having for breakfast.  I was thinking thick, dense, chewy.  More research will be necessary.  Now exercise.