Duty

Day 3 of the Photographic Gratitude Project is "happiness."

Remember that it is nothing to do your duty, that is demanded of you and is no more meritorious than to wash your hands when they are dirty; the only thing that counts is the love of duty; when love and duty are one, then grace is in you and you will enjoy a happiness which passes all understanding.
W. Somerset Maugham (1874 - 1965), The Painted Veil, 1925 (italics mine)

This has become my duty:

Every two to three days, the counter is cleared (the bread is kneaded 3x every ten minutes for ten seconds), the oven is engaged (the only draft free spot warm enough for the bread to rise is in the oven with the light on), and I know that if I start the bread by noon, we can have bread with our supper. (The entire process takes three hours.)

I wouldn't do it if I didn't enjoy it, but I'm glad I do. I might have stopped if the kids hadn't come round to liking it as toast and jam. I love it, too.

Home baked bread makes me happy.