Musings Around the Fire

I was going to post about our latest camping adventure. Notice the was. With Pete back on his feet for the most part, we did a September camp in Lancaster. Then this past weekend we were to go to the Poconos for a long weekend with the grandkids. Did you ever notice how you fix one thing and then there's a trickle down? Yeah? Me too. My DH and his friend Larry changed the brakes on the camper. Everything was hunky dory until the test drive where the brakes didn't work. One kind of needs those. Some  sort of electric issue has reared its ugly head so camp was canceled and we're waiting for the expert to come. Was I disappointed? Sure. But instead my family came down and Sunday afternoon we played a game of UNO NO MERCY.  Only one game you ask? The game played for a very long time. We ignored the rule if you have more than 25 cards you're out. Instead we just kept going. I laughed so hard I was exhausted by the end. The game was so much fun. We'll play again, maybe with a double deck. I know, I'm just asking for trouble. Anyway I reccomend UNO No Mercy. 
The Musing.
So, when I was sad about not camping, struggling with my asthma, and generall feeling down I found this parable about a butterfly and wanted to share it with you. In my upcoming A Christmas Storm, Lacy is flat on her back, staring into the sky and crying out, "Why me?" I know I've been there at points in my life. I'll bet you have too.
The parable
A man finds a butterfly struggling to hatch from its cocoon and decides to help by cutting a slit in the cocoon with scissors. The butterfly emerges, but it has a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man expects the butterfly's wings to enlarge and support its body, but the butterfly is unable to fly and spends the rest of its life crawling.
The moral
The moral of the story is that struggles in life help us develop strength and that it's important to tackle challenges on our own. The cocoon and the struggle to get through it are nature's way of forcing fluid from the butterfly's body into its wings, preparing it for flight.

What else is happening around my house? (Pictures below). Well, Hali is getting older, and like a lot of us, her hair is thinning. The girl is chilly, especially her undercarriage, which has always been nearly non-existent. Hoodie to the rescue. Despite her face, she really likes it. 
I'm trying my hand at wood burning, and of course, it has to be owls. What do you think?
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I also found a bread recipe that we like. It's soft, so good for sandwiches. I have a stand mixer with a dough hook. 
Basically, it's
2 cups of water
1.5  tablespoons of yeast
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon of salt
3 cups of all-purpose flour
3 cups of whole wheat
Let it rise in a bowl covered until it doubles in size. Then, dump it on the counter, split it in two, and shape the loaves. I make a rectangle and roll it up. I let it rise again for about an hour.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.