I often get asked about my pie crust. It really is delicious, if I do say so myself. I was thinking about it the other day, and realized it’s probably a muscle memory thing. I’ve been baking pies for over 30 years. The crust ingredients aren’t fancy. It’s not a trade secret. Crisco, flour, salt and water. That’s it. Oh, and the special mixing fork. The perfect pie crust just “feels right.” There isn’t a good way to describe it. I mix the first three ingredients until they look just right, and then add the water and mix it until that looks just right. I’ve taught my sons how to make cookies and Krispie treats, but pie crust is tricky. They have made them for 4-h projects, but that’s about it.

An athlete knows when it feels just right. Baking isn’t necessarily a sport, but it’s a similar concept. The Olympics started and I’ve watched a few events. We assume this is easy, but it’s not. From our couch, it seems to go by quickly. They practice hours per day. Their muscles know how to propel them through the water or twist through the air because they’ve done it thousands of times.

Watching the Olympics is always inspiring to me. I remember watching the Winter Olympics on our green and gold couch with my leg in a full cast. This was before cable TV or internet or smart phones. I wonder how many people are inspired enough to say, “I can do that.”? The age range of Olympians is impressive. A 13 year old skater, a 45 year old gymnast… think of the combined hours of practice for all of these athletes. Wow. My hours of pie making doesn’t compare… but it’s not supposed to. Olympics weren’t in my plan, it wasn’t part of my goals.

I have a lot of respect for the women’s gymnastics team. For Simone knowing when she had to stop and for the other 3 girls for stepping in and winning silver. It’s raising a lot of awareness about mental health. We all have mental health, some people are more aware of their boundaries. It’s OK to not be OK, it’s not OK to not advocate for yourself.

Peace be with you on your journey of enough. While I’m making blue & red pies and star shaped cookies this weekend, I’ll be thinking of those athletes. I wonder if any of them are bakers too.