It's only the first day of the New Year and already I have good fortune - baskets of wonderful fruit from a friend's farm - oranges, avocados and clementines - plus gorgeous sunshine.
And I've already started on at least one of my New Year's resolutions - to wash the windows so that wonderful sun can shine in and warm my kitchen and dining room. The black-eyed peas are simmering with pork and greens. It's just about sunset and time to light a fire in the fireplace.
Time to put behind me the last week of 2013. On Christmas day, a night of rain and high winds brought a mimosa tree down blocking the driveway. Ben spent the afternoon cutting it up and hauling away. Then, marauding goats destroyed my vegetable garden and led Ben on a merry chase round and round the pool. I think the goatherd had had too many holiday brandies, cause he was totally out of control of his herd. He even left one goat behind. She moseyed around grazing and, at nightfall, bumped at the door as if she wanted in. Ben called her the "Christmas Goat." Leo named her "Gassy." I called her "Scape" and played around with the phrase, "Milk her for all she's worth." But, I've never milked a goat.
I've got another resolution - to redesign the blog. Needs some freshening up, I think. We shall see if I manage to follow through on that one.
Hope your New Year brings good fortune, good food and sunshine.