I often visit my 84-year-old mother for several days at her senior apartment outside of the Twin Cities. She likes to take me to the large living room downstairs where friends gather at all hours of the day and evening to chat, drink coffee and play cards. My mother always pulls out her knitting bag and sets to creating hats, dish cloths or baby sweaters while she catches up on all the news.
It continually amazes her that most other folks there “don’t do anything.” They don’t sew, don’t cook, and don’t have hobbies. Of course, they have earned a happy retirement, but my mother can’t imagine just sitting around all the time. She feels useful and creative when she is engaged in fixing things, making things and caring for others.
I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I have always gained much satisfaction from taking on projects for myself. Sure, I could hire a professional or buy the finished product. But that is sometimes not the point.
To learn and use my own skills and imagination adds layers of enjoyment and pride to the process. To paint a room or make a flower arrangement or bake bread expresses that I am in charge of my life. I am competent, and can make my home or food or clothing an expression of me.
I have always hated being identified as a consumer. True, I buy as much as anyone else, but I am also a human being who creates and produces.
Even failure is part of the process. Then I may ask someone for help, or spend hours Googling for helpful hints. Or I just laugh and toss those jars of smelly fermented pickles into the compost pile without even tasting them. No harm in trying.
Popovers
Makes 6 to 8
Melt 2 tablespoons butter. Place muffin pan or popover pan in preheated 375 degree oven to heat. Beat two eggs in a bowl as you drizzle in 1 cup milk, whisking until smooth. Sprinkle in 1 cup flour and a pinch of salt and whisk until blended. The batter will have a few lumps. Remove pan from oven and brush the melted butter inside eight muffin cups or six popover cups.Scoop batter to fill muffin cups two thirds full. Bake in center of oven for 30 minutes. Do not open oven door. When nicely browned, remove from pans and serve immediately.