Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. . . Sorry, I couldn't help myself after I ventured outdoors for a minute. It is dreary, dreary, dreary out there. At least we aren't getting the avalanch of snow that is forecast for the East Coast today. After swearing off holiday baking for the rest of the year, I had a change of heart today and baked some banana nut bread and peanut butter cup cookies. Both turned out well, and I have tucked some in the freezer for gifts for holiday company. There is something so relaxing and domestic about baking on a Saturday morning. I even enjoyed some of the bread warm out of the oven (which is the only way to eat it!). I often wonder if I would be happy to be a full time, stay at home wife. I stayed home for most of the first 8 years of my marriage, when the children were small. I loved being with the kids, participating in their activities and providing a clean, organized home. As with every choice in life, there were also downfalls. I remember feeling bad that I wasn't contributing to the financial well-being of our family, and I worried about how I would support the kids if something happened to my husband. Of course, when I returned to work full time, I had to give up some of the things I loved, such as baking. There just didn't seem to be enough time to work, keep up with the house and follow the kids activities. Now that the children are grown and gone, I have more time to call my own, and I am revisiting some of my earlier passions. High on that list is my love of writing, reading and baking. This just reinforces my ongoing belief that most of life takes place in a circle. . . how you begin, is sometimes how you end.