Crap! It's cold!

     It finally happened:  central Florida got a freeze.

     I try not to let it get me down.  I put those socks on with my flip flops and switch the light bulb in the hen house to a cozy infrared warming bulb.  Like many animals, chickens seem to be able to tolerate cold weather better than extreme heat.

     My ladies are on overdrive.  That's 15 eggs in that nest for anyone who's counting.  Granted, that's 2 days' worth but they are on a mission!  Winter has been a time of bounty in my little yard: I stacked all the calabazas on the patio to be consumed at my leisure; there are enough eggs to share with friends; the lemons all ripened at once, and I continue to pick a papaya every other day for smoothies.  Fingers crossed:  I think the heirloom cherry tomato bushes might have escaped the worst of the frost damage and the fruits are starting to turn red!

     I imagine Martha Stewart has said, "When life gives you lemons, start baking."  I juiced, and zested, and mixed my way to 4 loaves of dry-as-dust lemon cake.  I'm better with savories.  Anyway, that's what ice cream is for!   

     A friend gave me an amazing soundtrack for all that baking...

She knows me so well!

    So I have a new favorite pattern for knitting hats and I had to do an Exorcist move to take this selfie:

     I'm just glad I still have this kind of range in my 48 year old neck.  

     Christmas spoiler alert to friends and family in Missouri:  I've been knitting and knitting and knitting  the same hat over and over again.  My youngest stepson grabbed one for himself and I was gratified to hear that he wore it to school.  

He wears it well!

     I guess my version of people photographing their food is photographing my plants.  I thought this winter bouquet turned out well.  The bleeding hearts are spent but the flower husks still have a beautiful color and I threw in a branch I pruned off a variegated schefflera.

     On a final note, kudos to the Dremel company for backing their product.  My 6-month old Dremel died so I mailed it to them and they sent me another which was DOA so I mailed that back and they sent me ANOTHER which works great and they included an accessory.

     Man, I could write this stuff but I never would have dreamed the above sentence would make the final cut!  :-)