Beckle Speckle’s Zany World

The Waterpark and the Dinosaur Walk Museum in Pigeon Forge were a big hit with a little Bug.  There are no pictures of the waterpark as camera + water = bad news…

We had a wintry mix this afternoon that closed everything here, even the university where I work.  Traffic was bad because there is so little snow that most people here don’t know how to drive in the stuff AND I didn’t see a single snow plow.

Personally, I enjoy the snow.  I especially like the suspension of ‘regular’ activities – like a license to play.  What I dislike about winter is the dreary and gray that drains my energy; thankfully, the snow lightens things up.

We currently have layering going on… snow-ice-snow (this was after the first layer only).

I’ve been working on my merletto mitts today and contemplating what I’d like to do for this year (knitting-wise).  I think I’d like to try knitting a sweater and also fair isle something or other – perhaps endpaper mitts or similar.

I’ve also been listening to audiobooks via my audible subscription.  I took Meghan’s suggestion from Stitch It (Outlander by Diana Gabaldon).  It was a great story, but a twist near the end was disturbing.   I’m glad I got it as an audiobook; I might now have understood the Scottish language through reading, but did by listening.

Finally, I am always surprised how beautiful food can be, especially plain, fresh fruit…

I made a hat for myself…

Gretel by Ysolda Teague.  The pattern was easy and the hat is beautiful!

I also finished some plain rib socks for DH.

I’ve also got the first Cardinal clog (red and black for Louisville) for DH.  He wore some pretty big holes in his previous pair.  Also, we’ve tried a  new recipe… steel cut oatmeal with pecans and dried tropical fruit.  Very good and surprisingly healthy.  Perhaps that will combat the brownies that are in the oven?  he he he he

Also, I was able to take a muddy bike ride yesterday – nice, but dirty 12.25 miles on the Greenway and Old Stone Fort Battlefield.

What a beautiful day!  The cold has abated, at least for now, so we were able to get back out on our bikes both Saturday and today.

Also, the little red laptop has dried out and has been revived! Wahoo!

We have been enjoying our Christmas gifts: DH got a blu-ray player that works with netflix… which is AWESOME! and a kindle for me.  I am getting used to reading on it.  Also, my own garmin for tracking my bike rides.

I’m not much for ‘cold turkey’ types of resolutions that start at midnight on Dec 31.   If I look at my life, I really am lucky in that I get a fresh start 3 times a year, one with each new semester: new classes, new students, new duties, and new schedules.   I get to ’start over’ but it can be tiring at times.  With this in mind, I’d like this year, and these next 3 semesters, to be about having more fun in my life and taking things less seriously.  I’d like to spend more time with my little family and doing fun things with them.    After all, Little Bug is not so little anymore.  She is going skating,

playing games,

playing with dinosaurs,

and making snow angels.

I sit here in front on a franken-computer… the body of my husband’s laptop and the hard drive of my sleek little red laptop.  Bug fell off a nearby chair and swept a cup of diet coke right into it.  It worked long enough to pull the data off, but now won’t load windows.  I’m still in a bit of shock. Oh, well.

I finished a Mama Bear from the Knitted Fingerpuppet book

and a pair of fetching in light pink alpaca

started a twisted rib scarf in the blue malabrigo (of the failed blue beret)

and started some more clogs for DH in University of Louisville colors (his undergrad)

School starts in 3 days, so I’ve been spending the mornings working on my syllabi.  Spring classes are difficult for me because they are in topics that change drastically from one year to the next (human genetics, bioinformatics).  Keeps my on my toes, though, right?

There is a vicious, fruit-eating T. rex living at our house now.

Miss Bug has REALLY gotten into dinosaurs in the last month.  She wants to watch Allosaurus on netflix every chance she gets.

I’ve been working on some new clogs for DH (Louisville red and black) and a pair of fetching fingerless mitts in light pink alpaca.  I am stalled on both pairs of socks.  I may rip out the cookie A sock because it is just ugly.  I altered the pattern, so it is totally my fault.

We took Miss Bug to have her assessed for kindergarten at one of the “gifted’ schools.

I got a lovely new cookbook from my sister-in-law and her husband (of the hamburgers from scratch fame).  It is called Ratio by Michael Ruhlman.  I tried the biscuits today.  I meant to make them for breakfast (a Bug favorite), but there were several steps involving refrigerator for at least 1 hour, so they ended up being part of our evening meal.  They were good, but had a tiny bitter taste – perhaps I needed a more flavorful butter or a pinch of sugar or honey…  I will do them again, particularly because they were a hit with the family.  I will start them the day before if they are to be for breakfast.  They also baked into a funny shape because I just cut them into squares after folding the dough into thirds.

pre-bake

post-bake

I tried several new recipes including:

GOOD:

chocolate chocolate chip biscotti

spring risotto from Splendid Table, but couldn’t find a link

fried rice

hamburgers from scratch

banana split chess bars

a dozen variations on cheesecake (pumpkin, bananas foster, white chocolate cranberry, etc)

butternut squash soup from A Sheepish Little Blog

BAD:

pound cake from Martha Stewart Living (too salty)

cream cheese pound cake from Bakerella (wouldn’t get done; pretty sure it was my fault, but didn’t have the gumption to try again)

MEH:

blueberry boy bait from smitten kitchen – just not my cup of tea, others liked it