All Is Safely Gathered In

It all started with the unauthorized purchase of a wheat grinder. Yes. I made a $200 purchase without clearing it with the co-budgeteer. But it was a purchase that was truly made innocently and with good intention. Different from the $110 running shoes that I really, really, REALLY want, but have NOT purchased because a purchase like that would serve my own selfish purposes only.

After moving out here to Colorado Springs, I had not only heard through the grapevine that it was actually possible to make delicious homemade whole wheat bread, but from friends who have shared the fruits of their labor with me, I have tasted it. And really, a warm piece of whole wheat homemade bread cannot be beat!

The stage was set. And then a friend of mine told me she was organizing a "group" purchase of wheat grinders, which brings down the price a bit. I got to thinking, "Perhaps this is a homemaking endeavor that I could actually be successful at. Sewing is obviously not going to be a major player in my skill set. There are other possibilities, but I kind of like this one. After all, I do like to cook. And I'm not too bad at it, especially the baking part. And boy-o-boy! I do like homemade bread!" That was just about all it took to convince myself I needed a wheat grinder. I was in.

But I forgot (REALLY, I did!) to mention it to Adam. He found out about my budget blasting purchase from my friend's husband who casually mentioned that I was in on the group order at a church meeting they had together. Oops! As Adam walked in the door from his meeting that fateful Sunday, my friend was calling saying she hoped she didn't get me in trouble. The timing was impeccable! Adam looked at me as I picked up the phone and said, "Is that Jacquie?" Busted!

But not really. Adam just laughed and, with a glint in his eye, said I had to promise, as soon as we had wheat, that I would make homemade bread every week for the rest of our lives.

That was well over a year ago now and my grinder has yet to grind even a single grain of wheat. I just never got around to buying any! But this week it was finally time. A Cannery excursion was planned and I signed myself up to go. I even practiced baking some of my own loaves with a much more bread-baking-experienced friend a couple of weeks ago, knowing the Night of Wheat was approaching. Now I'm ready! As the old adage goes, today was the first day of the rest of my life, the rest of my life grinding wheat for my own bread! Hmmm, that sounds a little daunting, but totally delicious.

All joking aside, I'm really excited to start making bread of my own. YAY! I've now secured the Conlin Family Food Storage with 200 pounds of wheat, six 25-pound bags of hard white and two 25-pound bag of hard red. I also got three cans of the hot chocolate...mmm...and some rice, carrots and flour. It was a fun night with some great ladies (there were just three of us but we knew how to party at the Cannery!), begging the question, why haven't I done this sooner? Followed quickly by, where IS my wheat grinder? After all, a promise is a promise! :)