Win-Win (Win)

When we were in Scandinavia last summer, we  enjoyed the bread that was served in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. It was dark, it was seedy, it was delicious. When we returned home, I shopped around the various markets and bakeries trying to find something similar. Whole Paycheck Foods and Giant both had good bread, but not precisely what I sought, and neither store is my regular shopping place. So that meant making an extra trip.

It occurred to me that perhaps I could make bread myself, bread that would be reminiscent of what we had enjoyed last summer. I bought a book. I didn't get any further than that. But I did put a bread machine on my Amazon wish list. And forgot about it.

I had a birthday a week or so ago. Late in the afternoon my sister showed up and said she had a present for me in the car but needed help bringing it in. Joe went out to help her and stayed around while I opened it. The inside box was identical in shape and size to a beautifully wrapped gift that had been sitting on the sideboard for a few days. Joe looked crestfallen. Bonnie had bought me the bread machine from my wish list. So had Joe. He said he would take care of returning the duplicate machine, and we went on to visit and talk of other things.

I've made two loaves of bread so far. Both were interesting and from ingredients I had on hand. There are recipes that sound similar to the bread that prompted the idea, and I'm going to head out to the store and get the interesting ingredients needed. A bread machine is a fine thing to have.

Joe did return the one machine and told me to pick out something I wanted as a birthday gift. I chose a pair of JJill's blue jeans, and they are scheduled to be delivered today. This morning Bonnie showed up at the front door, carrying a check. It was to me, to replace the duplicate bread machine! When I told Joe what had happened and that he was off the hook for the blue jeans, he replied that he had said he would buy them and by gum he was going to buy them. Bonnie's generous check will go toward a cute little jacket I've had my eye on.

And that's how a very peculiar coincidence turned into a Win-Win (Win) for me!