This morning I experimented with a new bread recipe that came in two steps, the first a starter to make the night before, and then the balance to make the next morning. I was trying to replicate a Tuscan loaf I bought locally that was so, so good. This does not resemble it at all, but I must say, is so, so much better. Given that I live with a pastry chef who…works most days each week at this fantastic bakery baking bread (and making pastry), one could justifiably ask, why on earth do you need more bread in your life. Because, that’s why. I am branching out in my bread baking habit.

In other news, we decided to branch out in our social lives a couple of weeks ago, try something new. I’ve lamented to more than one ear that did not wish to hear it all about the challenges of 1) moving to a new city, in a new state, and 2) trying to fit in. Which is to say, trying to get connected, to find one’s tribe. We’re not there yet, and that was okay at first, distracted as we were by getting our drivers’ licenses and registering to vote and buying a house and such. But now, we are feeling a bit of, what. Longing?

This led me to make the bold move a couple of weeks back to suggest we go to a fancy art opening in downtown Wilmington, and Chef David said, Okay! Because he is an agreeable guy. So we did, thinking we might bump into some other like-minded people, which in fact is what happened. We met some really groovy folks, and some really exceptional artists and musicians (<— you absolutely want to click through to these, gentle reader). Drank some wine and nibbled while we wandered around in the gallery. Before we left, we ended up with a new piece of artwork, which will arrive here around the end of the month when the show comes down. We’re pretty excited about it and hope we see some of the people we met again.

Nor was that the end of the evening. We walked down to this place and sat at the bar, where we enjoyed a charcuterie board and more elegant libations like real grownups. Then we found our way to some ice cream, which we ate while we meandered along the riverwalk downtown.

The other New Thing in our lives lately is our bicycling habit, which is fierce. We’ve been going on a long ride on Saturday mornings and a shorter one in the middle of the week. There is no telling how far this new avocation will lead, but watch out for the two old people, y’all. We slow down for gators, and that is about all.

“Why aren’t you blogging as much these days?” people ask, meanwhile. I don’t know all of the answer. Once I was driven by the publish or perish mandate. Lately, you’d be surprised to see how much living of life Chef David and I manage to cram into a single weekend. Time is precious. I’m not finished blogging, not by a long shot. But sometimes after spending a full week wordsmithing professionally, I just need a break from it.

Scoutie gets it. Scoutie, who is tickled that it’s grown cool enough in the mornings to start coming on runs with me. ‘Til next time.