Rumors & S.O.S. Signals

"There are two ways I can get into trouble. One is rumors (from a trusted source, of course), and the other is S.O.S. signals. A while back, both of these issues joined forces.

Before I go further, first you need to know that I don’t pay much attention to rumors. And I have very few trusted sources when it comes down to it. And second, the S.O.S. I am talking about isn’t a ‘Save Our Ship’ signal – although when I have an S.O.S. episode, I probably need someone to step in and save me from myself. "

Listen in to find out what rumors and S.O.S. signals are getting me into trouble!

The Farm Wife

Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View Resource Page

Transcript

Episode 25 -  Rumors & S.O.S. Signals

 There are two ways I can get into trouble. One is rumors (from a trusted source, of course), and the other is S.O.S. signals. A while back, both of these issues joined forces.

Before I go further, first you need to know that I don’t pay much attention to rumors. And I have very few trusted sources when it comes down to it. And second, the S.O.S. I am talking about isn’t a ‘Save Our Ship’ signal – although when I have an S.O.S. episode, I probably need someone to step in and save me from myself. No, the S.O.S. I am talking about is the ‘Shiny Object Syndrome’. 

One Friday, I headed into town to take Mom out to lunch. On my way, I stopped to drop eggs off at my friend Alona’s. When she found out where I was going, she decided to go along. I welcomed her with open arms, as we hadn’t had a chance for a good visit in a while. 

Alona and I both enjoy cooking and baking. If there is a new recipe, and it sounds good or interesting, we are ready to get in our kitchens and try it out. While at lunch, we were discussing favorite foods and others we would like to try. In the course of the conversation, Alona passed on a rumor there was some restaurant in town that served sandwiches on a type of Cornbread. No, it wasn’t the cornbread we bake and serve with a hardy bowl of vegetable beef stew. It was more like sandwich bread – but made with cornmeal. 

As with most rumors you hear, she couldn’t remember who told her, didn’t know the name of the restaurant, and had no clue how to figure out the answers to either. 

In the grand scheme of things, rumors are just another form of gossip – and I don’t listen to either. Both of these can be hurtful to the ‘subject’. They are also more than likely so embellished that the version I am hearing is so far from the truth it is ridiculous. 

But in the case of a type of bread – I find that an ‘innocuous’ rumor. And as a bread baker, it piqued my interest. 

And that simple little rumor activated my next problem. I had an S.O.S. signal that kicked into a shiny flashing light that was so bright I couldn’t help but follow. Some people call this S.O.S. ‘chasing down a rabbit’s trail’ or getting off course. It is similar to a crow that sees a shiny object and does everything in its power to obtain it and haul it off to its nest. 

When I got home that afternoon, I had work to do. I mean – serious, deadline looming work. But I couldn’t shake the idea of a sandwich bread made with cornmeal. It was intriguing. Really? Cornbread to use as sandwiches? It was all I could think about. It haunted me to the point where I caught myself trying to ‘taste’ it in my mind, study the texture, and trying to think of what sandwich ingredients would work well with it. 

The S.O.S.’s for me are a serious issue.  Being creative in nature, it is easy for me to begin one project, and while in the process of working on it, have another idea that comes creeping into my mind like a cat stalking a mouse. Before long, the first project gets set aside, and I take off after the new one.

And yes, you guessed it. As soon as I ‘capture’ that elusive second thought and start working on it, a third one comes along. By the end of the day, I am exhausted from the chase, have several projects half done, and none of my ‘real’ work completed. 

I ended up drowning in half-finished projects, so I had to find a solution to all these S.O.S. calls. After several attempts to cure this ailment, I finally came up with a solution. It’s called the S.O.S. Notebook. 

I went to the Dollar Store and found an inexpensive notebook. On the front I simply wrote S.O.S. When one of these shiny objects – or ideas – tries to sneak in, I just grab the notebook, write down the idea (and maybe a bit of explanation, if necessary), and then go back to the project at hand. 

At first, it took a bit of work to regain my focus, but now it has gotten easier. I can still collect my shiny objects – but instead of chasing that rabbit, I am able to set them aside for further examination later on. Then I shift my focus back to what I was working on when the S.O.S. showed up. 

An S.O.S. notebook can help in a couple of ways. First, when I find myself getting bored, I can easily find something to do from the list in the notebook. 

The second way this notebook helps is as stress relief. If the project I am currently working on gets to the point where it isn’t coming together like it should, or if I hit an obstacle, it often helps to walk away from it for a while. I need to give my mind time to work through the problem, and hopefully come up with a solution. 

Which is where the S.O.S. notebook comes in. There are always pages of ideas tucked neatly away, just waiting to be brought back out into the light and examined. If I am up against a deadline, I look for something that won’t take a tremendous amount of time. If I am not, I often try to find something which will consume my thoughts for a while and needs a deeper focus. Like finding that elusive Cornbread recipe. 

Before you start thinking this is a cure-all for staying focused, my advice to you is don’t believe that rumor. Although having an S.O.S. notebook does help, there are days it will still raise its ugly head and try to take over completely. 

This podcast episode is a perfect case in point. I started out working on a newsletter and instead began thinking about the cornbread recipe again. I’ve tried a few, but still can’t find one that works as a sandwich bread or is tasty enough to make again. 

At some point, I thought that maybe a podcast on Rumors and S.O.S. might be a good idea, so I started writing this episode. Now that it is written, I need to go back and figure out what exactly it was I needed to write about this week. But…come to think of it, there was a rumor I heard a while back that when it comes to baking bread…now where did I hear that? 

Did the idea of baking bread spark an S.O.S. in you? Don’t worry – I have blazed that rabbit trail for you. Just head over to the Farm Wife website and take a look at my series on Baking Bread as a Relationship. It may just keep you busy enough reading for a while. At least, until you get to one of the recipes you can’t wait to try. Then you are on your own. But let me leave you with this little tidbit…

There is a rumor going around that housework can wait. Especially if there is something more fun to do!

If you want to learn more about the topic at hand, or get a transcript for this episode, just visit my website at www.thefarmwife.com/podcast. That is the Resource page for this podcast and I have it set up by episodes to make things easier to find. To help you out, this is Episode 25. 

And while you’re there, leave your comments at the end of the page. And be sure to rate, review, and leave a comment on the Podcast – whether you listen to it on Buzzsprout, Apple, Spotify, or any other podcast app. This helps me to know how well you are enjoying your visit!

If you have questions or need some help either controlling your S.O.S. issue, or if you have a good recipe for that elusive Cornbread, stop by for an email visit at thevirtualporch@gmail.com. 

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Thanks again for stopping in. I will see you next week on Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View. And while you are waiting on the next episode, grab that glass of refreshment, pull up a rocker, and sit back for a while. It’s time to relax and enjoy.