We finally got some much needed rain. As an outdoor worker, it’s always a relief to come inside for a day or two. Some long-neglected puttering was accomplished.

I spend much of my indoor time in the winter baking bread. I make several loaves at a time and slice some of them for the freezer. Then, in the spring and summer I can grab a few slices as needed and pop them into the toaster for grab and go meals.

This past summer I ran out before the annual beginning of baking season, so I have had to purchase loaves at the store. My new favorite is Dave’s Killer Bread. Indulge me as I quote his advertisement.

“15 years in prison — that’s a tough way to find yourself. Dave Dahl realized he was in the wrong game and knew he had more to offer. His brother, Glenn, saw a change in him and gave Dave a second chance by welcoming him back to the family bakery. Dave set out to make a loaf like no other‚ the most nutritious organic whole grain bread and the result is what he called “killer” bread. Dave’s Killer Bread is built on the belief that everyone is capable of greatness. What began as one man’s journey has turned into so much more. Today, one third of the employees at our Oregon bakery have a criminal background and we have witnessed first-hand how stable employment sparks personal transformation.”

Apparently, during this holiday season, my usually well-hidden altruism is showing itself. Therefore, I’m giving folks a break this week from my usual political rants. I’m sure they will resurface soon.

When my children were small, we attended the Stone Church in Vineyard Haven. The late Alan Wood was pastor at the time. One year at Thanksgiving, he told this story to the Sunday School attendees. We loved it so much that it became a tradition for our family: “In early New England, it was the custom to place five grains of corn at each place as a reminder of the first winter. The food supply of the Pilgrims was so low that only five grains of corn were rationed to each individual at a time. The Pilgrim fathers and mothers wanted their children to remember the sacrifice, suffering and hardships which made possible the settlement of a free people in a free land. They did not want their descendants to forget that on the day in which their ration was reduced to five grains of corn, only seven healthy colonists remained to nurse the sick, and nearly half of their number lay in the windswept graveyard on the hill. Thanksgiving Day is the expression of a deep gratitude for the rich productivity of the land, a memorial of the dangers and hardships through which we have safely passed, and a fitting recognition of all that God in infinite goodness has shared with us.”