Happy New Year!

Happy new year to all!

I had a great New Year's.  I hope you all did as well.

On Wednesday the 30th, I had a lesson.  The boy went with as well, so there is some media, but we will get to that tomorrow.  Let's just leave it with I am very happy with where we appear to be heading right now.

New Year's Eve, we didn't do too much.  We went out fairly early in the day and cleared out the garden in the back yard and planted some lettuce I bought a few days earlier.  On a side note, the Brussels sprouts are doing well, but I don't think the tomato will make it.  Nothing like a little 85 degree weather for new year's.

We ventured out and picked up a small thing of fireworks at one of the fireworks stands.  Nothing major, just a $20 family fun pack.  I convinced the boy to wait until dark to set them off, although it was a struggle, lol.  I sat on the truck bed and took pictures with my phone while he set them off in the driveway.

Roman candle

Sparkly thingy

My phone takes pretty awesome pics, don't you think?

We spent a good portion watching...wait for it...I know it's a surprise...Dexter.  What can I say.  We are getting close to finishing it up and then moving on to the next thing.  Breaking Bad, anyone?

Super sneaky selfie with the boy.  Note the ribbon boxes above his head.  I'll talk about those some day.

On New Year's day, we watched the Rose Bowl parade, and then I started cooking, while we were watching more of our show.  I have never cooked the whole New Year's Good Luck dinner myself before, but I have to say, I kind of impressed myself.  We do the traditional low-country southern-style good luck meal.  So I made traditional southern-style collards (with smoked turkey leg rather than hog whatever for seasoning), Hoppin'-John (black-eyed peas and rice), bone-in pork shoulder roast, and jalapeno corn bread.  I had never made any of it by myself before, but I've helped both my mother and my brother cook it for years.

To-go portions for my brother, who had to work.  We need all the luck we can get.

Everything turned out perfect!  We have an issue in our family with not getting our corn-bread to turn out like anything other than a Frisbee, but mine was great!  It helps that I watched my brother figure it all out last year, I guess.  Anyway, I packed up to-go boxes for my brother and left it in his fridge.  He's a waiter and had to work this year, but I figured we can all use all the luck we can get.  He called that night after work and informed me that I am doing the meal from now on.  He has worked with food since he was 15. This is a HUGE compliment.

Then I finished off the new year break with another lesson and an impromptu barn gathering.  It was a great start to what I hope is a terrific year!

Violet says Happy 2016!