Happy New Year

The New Year did not start well for me. Moving some things around I dropped my laptop on my toes, which was acutely painful.


I had woken early, intending to go to the 8 o'clock service at Emmanuel, but after hurting myself I went back to bed and was out for the count, I went instead to Carla's little Methodist church near me.  I really liked the service there, I might go more often but won't cut my ties to Emmanuel.


The Johnson family invited me to join them for lunch afterwards but I was going in the afternoon to the home of a couple from Emmanuel who were having black eyed peas and cornbread.


Down here in the southern United States black eyed peas are a New Year's Day tradition, they don't know anything about it up in the Great Lakes, or east and west coasts.  And Alma had cooked up a big pot of them in her slow cooker.   I think most of the guests also took a side dish.  I made a dip with peas (regular, small ones) and small broad beans, mint, lemon and olive oil, pulverized in my food processor. It was very nice.   


There were bird feeders outside John and Alma's conservatory with a lot of the local colourful birds feeding on them.  I tried to take some pictures but could have done with a camera and a zoom lens.

I did zoom in on this red cardinal on my desk top and it looked really good close up, but I couldn't save it to transfer here.  It's either beyond my competence or the camera's limitations.

There's a new kitten in the neighbourhood.  I thought if I took in all the cats who turn up - like this one - on my doorstep, looking hopeful, I'd be another Celia Hammond.  But she took all the stray cats who came to her to be spayed or neutered, which I certainly can't afford.  So I don't look at them and think "cute" or "needy", I just see $$$$$$$$.


You'd think the word on the block would be "don't bother going there, she's got a resident cat who will see you off".


This cat has bright blue eyes.  Is it my imagination or could she be part Siamese?