The Asylum

INGREDIENTS:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 cups white sugar, divided
3 cups milk
DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.
On days 2 thru 4; stir starter with a spoon. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Days 6 thru 9; stir only.
Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe. Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).


Note:

Once you have made the starter, you will consider it Day One, and thus ignore step 1 in this recipe and proceed with step 2. You can also freeze this starter in 1 cup measures for later use. Frozen starter will take at least 3 hours at room temperature to thaw before using.

THE FIRE ELEMENT:
(ARIES March 21-April 19, LEO July 23-August 22, SAGITTARIUS November 22-December 21)

Fire is bright, strong, and takes control. It wants to be in charge. You never can miss fire. Never subtle, the most confident of all the signs. When it wants something you will know! Fire people do not stop until they get what they want. Look to the fire people as the leaders. The majority of world leaders have strong fire elements in their charts. People look to fire people as the energy boosters of the zodiac. Want to start something with enthusiasm? Find yourself a fire sign. The motivator s and pep talk people are usually fire people. These people are very proud and confident.

Fire people can also be very arrogant and self-centered. Don't go to a fire person for sympathy or comforting. They just don't have the time. They are too busy getting their needed recognition. They have no patience for emotionalism or heaviness. They tend to run over the weaker, shyer signs.

Generally compatible with air signs, fire signs can become tired and bored with the intellectual observations of the more communicative air signs. Without the encouragement and ideas of the air signs the fire signs would be lost. A fire sign is the boss who takes your ideas and motivates and leads all the employees to better sales and marketing while taking all the credit.

THE ELEMENT AIR:
(GEMINI, May 21-June 21, LIBRA, September 23-October 22, AQUARIUS, January 20-February 18)

Here you will find the talkers and communicators of the zodiac. If you need something written or spoken, ask an air sign. Ideas seem to materialize out of thin air for them. These people are like the air we breathe. Always moving and changing. Just when we think we know them poof, they change again. Very social these air signs. If your party seems dull and no one is talking, you don't have enough air sign people to fill in the gaps between words with more words.

Objective and rational no emotionalism here. The air signs are so objective they can become impractical in their actions and beliefs. Superficial, these signs never want to get into heavy emotional discussions about the dreaded "feelings" dialog that are more important to watery signs. Like the air, these signs hate to be restricted. Freedom of thought and movement are their most cherished desires.

Fire signs work well with air signs. Fire needs air to generate heat. The fires stimulate and help motivate the air signs into new ideas.

THE ELEMENT WATER:
(CANCER, June 22-July 22, SCORPIO, OCTOBER 23-November 21, PISCES February 19-March 20)

Like the water in a glass, water signs conform to the elements around them. Feelings, emotions, and deep personal conversations are what motivates and stimulates the water signs. Sensitive to a fault, the water signs are often more concerned with your feelings and needs then their own. You can find them at movies crying loudest and most often. Everything seems to touch them.

Psychic and secretive are often characteristics of the water elements. When they can no longer withstand the emotions of the world, they often retreat into their own private worlds. Sometimes this leads to compulsive behaviors and fearful ways of life. If the emotions get too strong, these people can be become addicted to drugs, alcohol, food or anything that keeps them from feeling as deeply.

Trust is a big need of theirs, which the earth signs can bring to water. Earth signs also bring the need stability and consistency to water that keeps it contained in a healthy calmer manner. In fact, water signs can be so emotional that the simplest things can get blown out of proportion into big dramatic scenes. Water signs dislike the strong boisterous personalities of the air and fire signs.

THE ELEMENT EARTH:
(TAURUS, April 20-May 20, VIRGO, August 23-September 22, CAPRICORN December 22-January 19)

Talk about rocks. The most stable, consistent and sometimes rigid of all the signs. Once they make up their minds, like mountains they cannot be moved without huge efforts. Practical, patient, reasonable, and persistent are these signs. If you want to make sure a project gets done and gets done "right" call, on an earth person. They will stick with it until the bitter end. Not much one for spontaneity or flexibility. (We have to leave that up to the air signs) Not as sensitive as the water signs, the earth signs are still aware of the needs and often want to serve others. These people are not much one for the limelight. If it can be done, an earth sign will do it without the need for recognition.

Often so rigid, they become stuck with old routines to the point of impracticality. Fear of starting something new, earth signs can be very cautious to the point of missing a great opportunity. Conventional to a point of boredom.

The fast moving, changeable air signs fascinate Earth signs though they are un-trusting of their unworkable schemes. If you see an adult asking why repeatedly, you can pretty much be assured you are in the company of an earth sign. Fire signs are too forceful for their slower thorough nature. Sharing with the water signs the characteristics of retentiveness, self-protectiveness, and acquisitiveness. Water signs will sooth and comfort the worry element so often found in the earth people. With this support and encouragement, earth signs can work and work and work.