HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

Naturally, dinner today was black-eyed peas. I didn't have real ones, or even dried ones. I used canned this year. It's Paulette Bailey's fault. She invited me over recently for our annual Christmas get-together and she served black-eyed peas as a side dish. She mentioned that she had used canned. Paulette is an absolutely swoon-worthy cook, and her peas were unbelievable, as was everything else on the table. So I thought I could manage just fine with canned peas on New Year's Day. Mine were nothing like hers, but they were really good nonetheless. I sauted bacon, celery leaves and onion, then added the peas and after they got hot, added some rice and garlic powder and simmered until the rice was done, 20 minutes later.

The cans looked kind of neat to me, so Mathieu and I put a couple of holes in the can bottoms, added little rocks and soil, and then I transplanted some small artemesia plants into them. These will go to two friends who surprised me with Christmas gifts this year.

I went to the Goodwill Store a couple of days ago and found this vintage tablecloth which I hope to sell on eBay. I also got this book, which looks kind of light, but I thought it might inspire me to actually start on the quilts I have resolved to make this year. We'll see.