Accomplished

It occurred to me recently that I no longer have the luxury of time. Time with which to pursue frivolous interests and hobbies. In a previous life, before I had embarked on my latest adventures, I had had all the time that was leftover after work and catching up with friends to explore whatever took my fancy. I'm not all that fantastic a multi-tasker. It's probably due more to the fact that I'm lazy, and if I don't have to, why would I want to juggle more than one thing at a time? I'm no energizer bunny, that's for sure! 

Without the luxury of time, where would I have found the opportunity and energy to research, explore, visit, compile, surf, look up, borrow books on, inspect, discuss, spend HOURS doing calculations for (and generally indulge in) my obsession? Heck, I probably wouldn't even have had the time to develop such an obsession in the first place!

Without the luxury of time, where would I have found the opportunity and energy to get what was necessary for me to now enjoy Bella and Lulu?

Without the luxury of time, where would I have found the opportunity and energy to learn to what had fascinated me about art and its creation? The translation of what the eye sees, into what the mind perceives, into what the hand could express, onto canvas?

With the luxury of time, I had even worked up a "shopping list" of things to get around to eventually, before I checked out from this life. I have good reason to believe that, had I not been given the luxury of time due to the choices I had made in life, I would never have been as "accomplished" a person (as someone from Jane Austen's era would have put it) as I am now. As a student back in school, I had never had the opportunity to pick up such basic culinary skills as baking. In fact, it was only recently that I had ventured outside of the (easy) comfort zone of "stir-fry"and "braise" into "roast". In spite of the fact that I've never been a confectionary person, I've always been fascinated by others' ability to create a dessert from a bit of flour, cream, sugar, butter, chocolate, what have you. So, baking's on that list. 

Having spent the past year idling and pursuing other goals, I was starting to wonder whether it was high time I got back to checking something off that list. Afterall, one never knows how much time one has before the bell rings to indicate closing time and it's time to head to the check-out counter. Trawling through various sites, most of which were too advanced/complicated/expensive/inconveniently scheduled or located, I was starting to become disheartened when I finally chanced upon this place. I scrolled through the various courses available and found one which promises to teach even aspiring newbies like me how to bake some "tea breads". Hmmm....

:D