Laid Back

Relaxation is being taken to the ultimate today, and the above photo sums it up nicely. One eye open and one eye closed.

Let's see...I managed to summon the energy to whip up sausage and French Toast this morning after my walk. And I watered the plants. That's about it for concrete accomplishment and I have to say I'm enjoying it thoroughly. One more day of this depraved behavior and then it's back to the world of fast-paced academe, such as it is.

I am getting some good and steady time in on the Trekking socks. The Trekking is some of the nicest sock yarn I've encountered so far. It's quite fine, and on size 1 needles that means a lot of knitting. I took them along on yesterday's Chicago trip and got the heel flap finished, the heel turned and the gusset stitches underway all in the car. It's scary to have everything work out perfectly like that, and in a moving car on I-94 to boot, but I wasn't driving, and this IS the seventh pair of these I've done. I guess I have internalized this pattern sufficiently.

Then there come along this and this which put me in my place with a big thump. I marvel and admire and know that I have far to go.

We're still working on using up the Big Ass ham. It's being used in many recipes and permutations of recipes. Today Baked Beans with Big Ass Ham is in the oven, and these are the real thing, made from scratch--it's basically my great grandmother's recipe. The aroma is heavenly, even if they do require seven or eight hours of baking. This fits in well with the general tempo of the day--only a minimum of intervention is needed on my part.

Happy New Year! It's a blank slate--unlimited possibilities await. Let's embrace them all.