FACING THE FILTER BEAST

Today while sweeping the plaster dust that is still floating through the air and collecting on the dark wood floor making breathing difficult for me when it is stirred up – as it is when I walk across the floor a thousand times a day, I noticed also that the dust bunny population was proliferating: time to change the heater filter.

Which was a big problem:

But …

There was no way to get around changing that filter.

There was also no way of getting around that the responsibility for switching it out was up to me – I can’t keep calling Kerry away from his Mt. St. Helen’s mountain retreat, or Alex up from his home in Salem, OR to come do it for me every other month when it needs doing.

So.

I tried to remember what Bob showed we since we moved in here 20 months ago, and what Kerry and Alex have shown me since Bob stepped off this planet in December 2018. I took a deep breath and bit the bullet, praying to Elohim that if I got the panel pulled down, I could fit it back into it's niche and secure it without too much trauma drama:

Dust bunny multiplier - I think the filter wasso packed with plaster dust too. It NEEDED cleaning. This filter was just changed out in February and should be good for 3 months before switching it out again ... Alex did it for me.

I called Alex at one point during the solo process ... the filter wasn’t quite snug against the lower edge of the panel no matter how much I shoved and prodded it in that direction, so I called Alex to ask if it was snug enough. It was. Thank YOU Yeshua for helping me do this without stress or tears.

SUCCESS! Bob would be proud of me :-D One thing he did say to me before he was shifted to OHSU and we were facing the possibility of his death, was, “Baby, I know you can do whatever you set your mind to do: you may kick it around for a while trying to decide how to get it done, but once your mind is made up, it is as good as done.” He always did have faith in me. He always encouraged me with his optimism.

Walking back to the livingroom after that dreaded chore was successfully completed, I notice a red headed visitor to the feeder Bob built for me a few years ago …

Purple Finch couple. They are happy to have feed in the feeder again.

Noting that everything was fine with my corner of the world today, I settled into my recliner and contentedly wove in/tied off the end piece of yarn on the Pink and Purple Lapghan I edged last night at Craft Meet. And into the donation bag it went.

Tonight I will work on a variegated blue shoulder wrap that will join the laid away lapghan later this week.

I can’t stand to have idle hands ;-)

BUTTERMILK HONEY BREAD Recipe

Today is laundry/bread making day, and I thought that since Spring is in the air, I would make a Spring type bread ;-)

So I dug around in my recipe collection and found this tasty bread. The texture is excellent, and the sweet smell of honey that greets your nose with the first cut of the knife after the bread cools will have your taste buds screaming for a bite.

I bake my bread on laundry day because after it is kneaded and placed in a bowl to rise, I put it under an overturned laundry basket atop my dryer, covered with a bath sheet towel or a small blanket. Easy-peasy-no-fail way to raise the dough.

Buttermillk Honey Bread is perfect for sandwiches. This bread also make tasty toast ;-) You can also change the flavor of this bread by using different flavored honeys.

BUTTERMILK HONEY BREAD ~Makes 2 oval loaves

1 envelope dry Yeast or 1 cake fresh Yeast * ¾  c. lukewarm Water (105-degrees F to 115-degrees F) * 1 tsp. Honey * 5-1/4 to 6-1/4 c. unbleached Flour or Bread Flour * 1-1/2 c. lukewarm Buttermilk (95-degrees F) * 3 TBS. Honey * 2 TBS. unsalted Butter (1/4 stick), melted & cooled * 1 TBS Salt (I used Pink Himalayan)

Sprinkle dry yeast over warm water in small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon honey & stir to dissolve. If using cake yeast, crumble into small bowl; stir in lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon honey: let stand until foamy – about 10 minutes.

Combine 2 cups flour, buttermilk, 3 tablespoons honey, butter, and salt in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and beat until smooth – about 3 minutes. Mix in enough remaining flour half a cup at a time until dough is too stiff to mix. Knead on a floured surface until dough is smooth and satiny looking; kneading in more flour if sticky, about 10 minutes.

Grease a large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat entire surface. Cover bowl with plastic and let rise in a warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.

Grease 2 baking sheets. Gently knead dough on a lightly floured surface until deflated. Cut dough in half. Knead each piece into a round and then pull 2 opposite sides under to form an oval shape. Place on prepared sheets, seam side down. Cover with towel; let rise in a warm draft-free area until doubled in shape – about 45 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375-degrees.

Bake loaves 45 minutes … or until brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottoms. Immediately transfer to racks to cool. Cool completely before slicing.