I’m spending way too much time going into town, into the office and it’s stressing me out.  I need some down time, and the sooner Darlene gets back the sooner I can withdraw and heal. So, I’m NOT going in.  I’m NOT.

And I didn’t.  I pulled the rocker up near the wood stove, took a spicy romance off the shelf and sat there to read, which I actually managed to do, for an hour.  I guess I was testy last night, I don’t remember, but John and Jason are avoiding me, being quiet, being helpful.  This isn’t like me, or maybe it is.  I’ve always been one to withdraw when under stress or when upset.  I don’t rant and rave; I don’t yell or lash out.  Maybe Jason warned John that’s what he was seeing:  my withdrawal.  I don’t know.  Reading is good, being busy is better.  I pulled out the cookbooks.

I thought of dessert first.  A fruit focaccia would be good.  I checked the pantry and decided on peaches I had canned last summer.  Seems like such a long time ago.  Anyway, I made some dough, adding extra sugar and a dash of cinnamon to sweeten it up.  While it rose, I drained the peaches, reserving the syrup for something else….hmmm … maybe a glaze, thickened with some corn starch.  I divided the dough and spread it out on a pizza pan, slowly working the dough to the edges.  I chopped the peaches and spread them out, dusting them with a bit more sugar.  The top dough needed to be worked out on the bread board then lifted to cover the peaches.  I pinched the edges and pressed the dough into the peaches, and set it aside to rise again.  I would do the glaze when the focaccia went into the oven.

That felt good!

Now for dinner.  I decided on chicken patties with mushrooms in wine sauce; green beans; and basmati rice.  Everything except the rice had been canned over the summer.  Having the chickens for fresh eggs made certain dishes so much easier!  As I assembled all the ingredients, I saw Jason whispering something to John, and John smiling.  Ok, ok, I can be predictable.

Just before dinner, I put the focaccia in the oven and set the pan with the peach syrup on the stove.  As a thought, I got a mini box of raisins from the cupboard, and added half of them to the syrup to soften: a raisin peach sauce.

The chicken patties, made with dried herbs and homemade bread crumbs mixed with fresh eggs, then pan fried, were really tasty, especially nestled into the rice and topped with the mushroom sauce.  The green beans weren’t as good as fresh, but veggies are veggies.  Jacob had plain rice and scrambled eggs… lots of rice.  Between the four of us, there was not one piece of peach focaccia left.  We all need the calories.

Taking care of my family is what I do best, and is definitely therapeutic for me.  I slept well for the first time in many days.