Happy New Year

Whether you were sleeping, eating, partying, watching the ball drop or watching a fire, I hope the new year and new decade started exactly as you wanted it to.

Our bonfire plans were modified by the steady rain yeserday. Instead of the usual huge roaring blaze, we opted for a firepit fire on the patio--out of the mud. The rain let up just in time, the temperatures stayed comfortable, and the company was excellent, which all made for a perfect evening. We were in bed by 2am, but up and out in the woods by 9 am because a guest had gone for a walk in the woods and lost her necklace. Since it was snowing this morning, we wanted to get out and look for it before it was covered with snow.

Oddly, we found the beautiful blue pendant lying on the old road through the woods, but the silver chain was nowhere to be found. As we were walking, though, we heard old Crow hollering up in the trees. I think he stole the necklace but the pendant slipped off the end. So the graceful chain is probably up in his nest, and he's angry because we got the pendant.

It was a good way to start the year, walking in snowy, quiet woods. We came home for a good country breakfast, then Larry decided to take a short nap (which he is still taking) and I've been busy breaking up Christmas. Not in the traditional sense that Dave Tabler wrote about in his blog Appalachian History with a big party and dancing, but in the putting-it-all-away sense. I've finished a couple rooms and will do the rest tomorrow. It's sad in a way, and yet already I am anticipating getting these favorite ornaments and decorations out again next year.

I am leaving some things, like the greens, in the house because to me they keep the festive feeling of the holidays with us and provide a sense of the season that is still with us--evergreens inside, snow outside seems a perfect fit.

By the way, Appalachian History has some interesting articles about New Year's and about the first full moon of the year, too, that you might want to read. Dave always provides some interesting insights on his blog, which keeps it on my favorite places to visit list.

Time to get off here and get to cooking dinner. What will we have? Probably chicken of some sort, running counter to tradition I know but since we did not raise hogs this year there's no pork in the freezer, but plenty of chicke. Black-eye peas and cabbage are definitely on the menu. We always wrap coins in waxed paper and put them in the cabbage so we'll have money all year. A salad and seasoned rice will probably round out the menu, although until I'm in there and cooking it's hard to say what will happen.

Off to the kitchen with me!