January

Oh 2021, how we’ve all been so anxious to meet you! We promise to be good if you promise to be kind… we’re all a bit flustered so go easy on us if you can.

The run-down on 2020 was a rough one here. We had a dear family friend pass away, my parents both got COVID but were among the lucky ones with relatively minor symptoms, another family friend spent weeks in the hospital with COVID but is happily making a recovery… plans were cancelled and rescheduled and there were a number of unexpected detours and bumps along the way.

In any event, the holidays we did have were lovely and quieter than usual, but we did get to see some family and that was so important and needed after all the sadness and worry of the previous weeks.

Now Rich and I have slipped into the post-holiday reset where the decorations come down and the resolve to finish languishing projects ramps up. The temperatures are dropping and the snow is accumulating and Rich likes to tell me how much warmer it is in Tennessee. Welcome to the dregs of Winter.

Recipes

For our sedate New Year’s Eve celebration we had caviar on potato chips and cheddar olives along with some delicious Champagne and Spanish Cava. I also made up a small cheesecake because why not. I think we all earned a bit of decadence after the year we’ve survived.

Links

Another newly found apple story. I love these and wonder how many more of them we are missing!

A tale of smuggling and Italian Fig trees? I’d watch that movie!

How Madagascar became the epicenter of vanilla production. It is a MUCH wilder ride than you think it could possibly be.

What about what some are calling the world’s ugliest orchid? Seems harsh, but it looks more like a demogorgon than an orchid so it’s probably a fair assessment.

To Do

Obviously get those seeds ordered if you haven’t already! I’ve seen seeds come into stock and fall right back out of stock this year so be proactive and don’t wait too long to decide what you want.

Start planning. Use seed starting calculators (here is the link to my go-to) to get your calendar and dates in order so you can get your supplies and gear together. There’s nothing worse than being behind schedule and panicking to make up for lost time.

Relax and enjoy and get your vaccination!

I hope 2021 is better and brighter, healthier and safer for all of us. Here’s to you all!