– Little Adventures Dominate the Day –

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We’re so glad to be home for the next few weeks. Gardens are waking up here above the 50^th parallel and the growing season is not very long, so we give our flowers and plants a lot of attention this time of year.

There’s a lot to enjoy in our garden, but you can’t see much from the street. There’s an eight-foot thuja hedge that completely surrounds the property (and we trim that ourselves… a sneaky project because we do it twice each year). And there’s another privacy hedge surrounding the tile deck that extends along two sides of the house. The thuja alone takes ten days out of our year to maintain… too much fun.

The north side of the house is a separate eco-system. The plants that flower in the shade are tucked under the pines trees that line the back of the lot. All of that needs specialized care and a little extra time. The wide side is in the sun where there is space for two artsy vegetable beds and the yard house (where the firewood is stored; another week-long project every year). Then the lawn rolls into the front where dozens of garden partners add to the outside vibe and beauty. Each of those individual plants bloom at its own time and requires individual attention. We’re excited to finally say goodbye to winter and spend fun time in the garden, but it demands a surprising amount of time.

But that’s not all… my life is even more exciting than you think!

Sourdough Bread

This spring, Ela ran into a friend from her elementary school days. Not just an acquaintance, but another village girl; one of those life-long friends with whom she shared many secrets. It was a great reunion and we joined them at their home for dinner a couple weeks ago. When we were leaving, the friend gave me a jar of her sourdough starter and I’ve been distracted by it ever since.

I don’t know if you know about sourdough starter, but I’ll tell you all about it because I love the way it works and tastes. It’s natural yeast that mountain men used to carry around with a Dutch oven on their mule or wagon… and they could have fun making leavened bread in the wild.

To create a starter, mix flour and water in a jar and leave it open in the breeze. You don’t need a store-bought concoction because you can make your own. Spring is good, early summer is better. You don’t want to collect solids, but the batter will trap and become home to airborne bacteria. Just cover the open jar with a thin cotton cloth and rubber band… and wait. When it bubbles and doubles in size, pour half of it off, give it a little more water and flour, and return it to that warm dark place. Feed it and help it grow. That living bubbling goo is your sourdough starter.

Bread was important if you lived in the wild. There were not a lot of vegetables to eat; a few greens to forage, but not much. And, as I mentioned earlier, high country up north has a short growing season. Mostly, people who spent extended periods of time away from centers of civilization ate meat and needed a little bread – if they could make it. All they needed was flour, water, and sourdough… maybe a little sugar… and a Dutch oven in the coals. In fact, prospectors were often called ‘sourdoughs’ because they always had a starter on their mules and baked bread in their mining pans.

So that’s keeping me busy, man. Especially since it’s May and rainy days are not much fun in the garden. Now that ‘Goscia’s starter is growing in our kitchen, I have some new adventure.

‘Work’ Work

And then there are the audiobooks.

Ferri told me to do this years ago but I took the easy way out. I sold the audiobook rights for “Lost on Purpose” to Tantor Media on a 7 year agreement. They picked and hired a narrator, produced it, and market it through all the channels; iTunes, Amazon, Audible, just like they should. They did a great job, but I didn’t like the narration. So I’m going to record the rest of my work here at home this spring for audiobook publication this summer.

Just like the other activities I’ve described here, it doesn’t feel like ‘work’; more like ‘fun’. It’s only work when it gets rote and repetitive. But the learning and planning required to produce an audiobook is stimulating, so I put it in the adventure category for now.

Which, quite honestly, is why I am always looking for new things to learn and do… like gardening or baking bread or whatever. None of those things sound like adventures and probably AREN’T, but my perspective has its own opinion. New and unusual activities are always exciting to me and, if they keep my interest for more than a little while, they improve the quality of my life.

The One Great Thing

People keep looking for the one great thing that they can build their active lives around… that one great interest or profitable talent or consuming passion that defines them and their life. And if you find it, great! The problem is this: we miss a lot while we’re looking for that one great thing.

See, most people don’t know what makes them happy until they find it. And it’s never just One Thing. We have an unlimited capacity for happiness once we develop an appetite for it. Certainly the great achievements of our lives are most memorable but not necessarily the greatest sources of happiness. All the things I’ve described in this article make me happy. And I don’t sit around dwelling on previous adventures or accomplishments while pursuing new happiness. There is no One Great Thing unless we limit ourselves.

Too Much Adventure

I’ve almost got too much fun in my life right now. By the time we finish breakfast and walk to town to do our shopping, it’s time for coffee and cakes. Then we walk the dog and make lunch, and half the day is gone. My afternoons are filled with other little adventures like baking sourdough or learning new skills… other things that make me happy. By the time the sun goes down, I’m tired from too much adventure. And that’s a pretty great way to live.

So when I start talking about adventure and you start thinking “wish I had the time and money for it”, remember that it’s all around you. Sure, “Lost on Purpose” was a great adventure in my life – one that few people get to experience… but it’s not the only cool thing I remember doing. Everyone is surrounded by all kinds of little adventures if they develop a perspective for it. With a little looking around, you might find too much adventure right there at the house.

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