2016
Here we are at the beginning of another year.
New Year's Day dawned cold and cloudy, but by mid-morning the sun was shining through the clouds. We needed this sunshine after days of clouds and rain! It always feels better to start the new day and a new year with bright sunny skies!
My dad and sister joined us for dinner. I served a chicken noodle casserole, green beans, cornbread, and made a pot of black-eyed peas. In the southern states we know you MUST eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day to bring prosperity and good luck. I also read that a granny-woman near Fayetteville, Arkansas says that "On New Year's you just eat black-eyed peas, with a dime under your plate, an' wear a pair of red garters, an' you'll have good luck the whole year." We didn't do the dime or garters. I wish I'd know about them earlier and I would have made my dad a red garter to wear!
Just in case your interested or even if you just need a good chuckle today here's a link to more Ozark folklore.
Cold
Did I mention cold?
Do you know that I love the cold weather?
Twenty-six degrees this morning had me hastily dressing, grabbing my coat and gloves, and rushing outside where everything was fringed in lacy frost. The frost added it's own lovely fringe to my Chinese Fringe Flower that is still covered in blooms. Blooming in winter? Well, yes, you see it was eighty-one degrees the day after Christmas. How is the bush supposed to know it's winter?
My first two days of 2016 have been beautiful. I'm hoping that yours has been too.
I wish you a Happy New Year filled with hope, peace, and love!
Welcome back! You're all set with those black-eyed peas. I never eat them but my son-in-law insists on the whole shebang, country ham included. We pass.
ReplyDeleteI have never eaten black-eyed peas. However, I do abide by the PA Dutch superstition of eating pork and sauerkraut on New Years Day. My husband and I were born and raised in PA, and my mother would be proud that I continue the tradition in CO! Your frosty plant is beautiful - I hope it survives the cold snap. It has been frigid here in the mountains of CO - minus teens most nights. Happy 2016, Cathy!
ReplyDeleteI loved the story and tradition of the black-eyed peas! The Ozark folklore is good fun! That Chinese Fringe flower is beautiful I hope it wasn't too shocked by the drop in temperature. We're getting rain instead of snow, but it is just a little cooler, but not freezing yet.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad your first two days of this new year have been beautiful! May the rest of this year be just as kind!
Have a more blessed year ahead. I love those photos. So refreshing and it's like a promise of more beautiful things to come.
ReplyDeleteAlways enjoy a visit here and hadn't heard about the dime and the garter either. That is a good one. Love that bush, hadn't heard of that one either. Happy New Year Cathy.
ReplyDeleteI don't really have any traditions around New Year's Day. I first heard of eating black-eyed peas for New Year's prosperity when I was served them in the hospital after the birth of my first child. (This was back in the day when a normal delivery meant a 4-day hospital stay.) Our own family leaned toward ham, scalloped potatoes, green peas and salad for New Year's. Mom's birthday was January 1, and on that day we always took down the Christmas tree. I think she liked having a clean house to start off her own personal new year.
ReplyDeleteYour frosty fringe bush is beautiful and I'm glad you got to enjoy some seasonal cold. I wish you and yours a wonderful new year, Cathy.
awwww your images are beautiful today. Our weather has been the same. We also had frost this morning....I thought about taking some pictures as I sipped my tea by the window but that's as far as it went!!
ReplyDeleteYour dinner sounds good, my mom always made tuna noodle casserole and it was delish!!
A very happy and healthy new year to you, Cathy! I've been venturing out in the cold too -- it's been unusually chilly this last week, never getting above 52 degrees, with frost at night. That probably sounds warm to you, but with the dampness from the bay, it's goes straight into your bones. Now we're supposed to get some more rain, which is much needed, so I am not complaining. Thanks for sharing your New Year's customs -- it sounds like fun!
ReplyDeleteGood old southern traditions..I love them...I have not heard of the dine and red garter but have come from a different part of the south....We like you have had warm and rainy conditions but thanks goodness we are now having some sunshine. Everything seems better with some sunshine. I hope your new year is blessed beyond measure Cathy.....
ReplyDeleteI like the crystal formations. The are so great. Love nature.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your New Year's tradition with dad and I. It was great. I love the frost. The crystals just look so fancy.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Cathy it sounds like you had a good one. Thanks for visiting and leaving a lovely comment on my blog. her's to more connecting in 2016.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! I love your pretty bloom with the frost (I don't like the cold). Sounds like you've had a great start to the New Year. It's been good here so far (other than the cold...did I mention I don't like cold weather). Looking forward to blogging with you again this year.
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