A New Year

The first day of the year is one of my favorite days.  I always make a big lunch that includes all the traditional dishes of cabbage, black eyed peas, pork, apples and cornbread.  I am a country gal and I do cook with lard and am very proud of it.  This year our lunch included country ham (pork) from our pigs symbolizing rooting in to the new year, cabbage cooked in the crock pot in broth with onions and caraway seeds for money, black eyed peas with hog fat for luck and cinnamon apples for spicy love.  I made the last one up and it usually is made with red hots for "red hot love" but sadly I was lacking in the red hot department in the pantry so I made do with spices.  Still fantastic.  My New Year's lunch is always accompanied by guests because I also believe that the luck and such must be shared and somehow a different crowd is here every year.  I am just glad to share.

After lunch, I put my coveralls and rain boots on and Molly and I took a walk in the woods. We checked on the garden, looked for flint rocks and walked down the old trail on the edge of the woods. I also had to take care of chores outside myself because I have given my nasty cold to my darling husband.  If you can't share with the ones you love who can you share with?

I have thought about resolutions and actually thought about not making any.  However, I have come up with a couple of things that I love to do but with busy-ness have fallen short in doing.  So my two resolutions so far are to walk in the woods once a week and  make suet this winter for the birds.  I have done both today so I am off to a good start.  I also believe that what you do on New Year's day is what you will be doing all year.  So no fretting, no kicking myself for no reason and lots of love for what I have been given in life. 

What resolutions have you made for yourself so far?