“Of Drum Circles and Butt Bread: A Monday Recap”

I meant to post this yesterday, but you know how it goes — I got “busy.” And while “busy” can sound like I was slaying tasks left and right, what really happened was a series of quirky little events that somehow filled up the day.

It started with Lorenzo, our “free” kitten. (Pro tip: there’s no such thing as a free pet.) Lorenzo apparently has allergies now, so we kicked off our Monday with a trip to the vet for an allergy shot. Since we went to a walk-in clinic, we got to enjoy a solid 90-minute wait. By the time we got home, it was pouring rain — which felt like a sign to stay in and watch a documentary. So we curled up and watched The Last Breath. (10/10 for underwater suspense and stress-induced snack eating.)

Later that afternoon, I rushed to make it to kickboxing and followed it up with something completely new — my first-ever drum circle. Well… kind of.

The instructor was late, so I didn’t get the full drum circle experience, but I did get to meet some new people and bang on a few drums. I also learned something I wasn’t expecting: when you participate in a real drum circle, each person sets an intention for their practice. One of the intentions from a past circle was “assumptions,” and the group shared a powerful perspective:

We often assume negative intent behind other people’s words or actions — especially when we’re stressed, tired, or caught off guard. But what if we paused before reacting? What if we looked at the context, considered the person’s communication style, and gave them the benefit of the doubt?

It’s simple… and also not simple. We get so wrapped up in how something makes us feel that we forget to zoom out and look at the whole picture. That hit home for me. I’m going to try (keyword: try) to put that into practice — to stop spinning my own story before I’ve seen the full scene.

The group also told me about a local place called Tree of Life Farm that hosts drum circles, sound baths, foraging hikes, yoga, and weekend retreats. Basically a crunchy granola dreamscape. I’m definitely planning to check it out — now to see if I can recruit a drum buddy.

I wrapped up the day with a little sourdough magic. I fed my starter with dechlorinated water (yes, I set it out the night before like a good sourdough mom) and baked the dough we made in class. One loaf came out plain and beautiful. The second? I decided to get creative and added cocoa powder and chocolate chips.

Let’s just say… the final look was unexpected. I was so proud of my fancy creativity — right up until I lifted the lid and found myself face to face with what could only be described as butt bread.

My grandson could not stop laughing. Neither could I. We sliced it anyway and — surprise! — it was delicious. Who knew chaos could taste so good?

In case you’re wondering, yes… there’s a picture below. You’re welcome.