Reflections........

Last year at this time I believe I did a" year end summary" type post. I think so anyway. So I think it's the appropriate thing to do again.

Much has changed in 2012 at out little lake house. A WONDERFUL new career opportunity for the chef. Endless drought and virtually no garden produce. Loss of many friends and a furkid. A new addition to the family. Lots of time to evaluate life and appreciate how much we have.

I've come to realize I truly love where I'm at. Sure I have days I want it all to go away and be just a bad dream, but I'm only human. The reality is, we have a perfect little "family". We have made great friends in 2012. We lost amazing people from our lives in 2012. But we've grown closer, and have a more clear vision of what our future is going to be.

2013 is going to ROCK. We are going to ROCK. In all areas of our lives. No more worries about what we cannot control. Live day to day.  We have some work to do on the house, decisions to make about garden or no, I'm thinking YES because I cannot imagine not wandering though the plants and plucking off the perfect juicy tomato.

I've been canning like a fiend !! And this year for the first time in my life, I am going to enter some things in the Guthrie County Fair. I have seeds to grow a vegetable I've never grown before - Mexican gherkins. I saved seeds from all the squash and pumpkins I canned and froze. I've learned much from friends all over the world about cooking, canning and food preservation. I got my first pressure canner!! I discovered the idea of "prepping" and after a week of not having running water because of a water meter leak- I GET IT.

The Chef has been very happy in his new job. Not only it is a professional environment, he gets to spread his wings and cook HIS food. He's made new friends and connections.

So,thanks to all of you, who read our silly Facebook pages and blog postings, you give us a reason to carry on. We appreciate each and every one of you and wish you all the best in 2013.