Happy New Year!

What a glorious New Years Day it's been. I woke up and wrote for over an hour then went to work some at the nursery. The boss is on vacay so I was called in to feed the pigs and open and close the greenhouses against the cold. It was nice to be there all alone and not in a hurry, walking through the greenhouses admiring the camellias in bloom. I'm learning to know my favorites, like Reverend Ida, a small, double flowered, dark purplish red, or Yume, pale pink and white single flowers with short yellow stamens. Where will I find a place for all those that I feel the need to bring home?

The trail that I walk from home to the nursery has been bothering me for months. A maple top and lots of bamboo and some pine trees were all tumbled down blocking the old road and forcing me to follow the deer paths around and about to get where I needed to go. It was the perfect cold, sunny day to get behind the chain saw and get that path tidied up. I feel so strong and accomplished and kind of brave when I run the chain saw by myself. Now, there is a wide open path that I can easily stroll to and from work and even if it's getting dark I'll be able to see my way- hurray.

We went to a super duper New Years Day party with all of our neighbors at the home of Brian and Dale, our newest neighbors. The place is beautiful and the company and food was mighty fine. Now home to fall into bed and wake up on January 2nd, another glorious day yet to unfold.

I love the New Year, everything can start fresh, all things seem possible.

Carrboro Ramble

I went to the Carrboro Farmers Market today for the first time this season. It was bursting with produce and people. I didn't buy anything, mainly went to say hi to my brother Alex and of course saw 5 million people I know- which is the good and bad thing about going to market. If you are in a hurry it's bad, if you have all morning-its delightful. I hadn't really planned to spend all morning there but did anyway- it was nice.

Starved, I wandered over to the newly opened Neil's Deli next to Open Eye Cafe and scored a Porchetta sandwich, tender, slightly smokey pork shoulder stuffed with garlic and herbs on olive-oiled bread- with a fennel and celery salad on the side- this place rocks- brand new and booming- check it out. Good thing I only ate half of it (saved half to bring home for the honey) because...

I then went over to the New Years celebration of the people of Burma at Carrboro Elementary School. In the cafeteria they were serving amazing food; a soup with quail eggs and small onions floating in it, a red curry pork dish, mountains of white rice, sweet and spicy cabbage, sweet lo mein noodles, a fishy soup garnished with raw green beans and fried corn kernels, the only thing I couldn't handle was something very dark brown and crunchy that was super salty, crunchy, fishy, spicy- too intense, fruit and ice cream for dessert.

Have you ever seen such curly writing?

In the auditorium groups of young girls danced on stage. Dressed in traditional costumes they used the angled arm movements familiar from various Asian and eastern traditions, while dancing to Asian pop music. The people in the audience sat in rapt attention to the activity on stage, young men lingered near the doorway and on the fringes. There was lots of smoking going on outside the building, I decided they couldn't read the signs posted everywhere stating it was a tobacco free campus, hopefully someone will police the grounds for ciggy butts before they leave today.

This little one had a piece of long white fabric at her feet and she kicked it up as she danced

Everyone was very welcoming, warm and friendly. I spoke to one man I thought I knew but didn't, we then engaged in a long conversation. Later I spoke to a man I did know but he didn't think he knew me and didn't speak much English- so we engaged an interpreter. It was an eye opening and beautiful experience and I was glad to be able to take part in it.

Now I'm sitting here blogging when I should be working- so ta-ta for now.