Happy New Year!

I'm really hoping 2019 will be a much better year than 2018, which was a bit of a heartache in some ways. Some lovely joys too, of course. To welcome the new year, Julia and I decided to go to the beach. And since it was supposed to be 72 and mostly sunny, it seemed a good idea.

 It was a good idea. A bit windy and chillier than we'd hoped, but still a lovely day.

 My lovely daughter:

She's growing her curly hair out long.

 Julia got her first fancy tattoo this fall, a cute snail amid mushrooms.

 The seagulls were particularly friendly.

 Over a month ago I visited the thrift store late in the day. A box of dishes had just been set out - lots and lots of blue Currier and Ives, $20 for the box.

 But dishes were half-off, so it was only $10. There were 11 large dinner plates, salad plates, little bowls ...

 Plus three beautiful platters!

 At home, I was nearly out of everyday plates, and I only had a random mix of various patterns. 
So I left all the chipped ones at the store and brought home the nice ones -- most of the box. I took back my mismatched ugly plates, and now I'm enjoying my Currier and Ives!

My farm strolls show me some interesting things.

 Yes, buttercups are blooming in our pasture.

 The fungus among us:

 Here's a little shot of my chickens, most of them.

Arthur (upper left), Sylvie (foreground), Lady Grey (with her gray fluffy fanny in the air), Henny Penny (black head and gray body), Brownie (far right), and Sheena (black hen in the rear). Clementine was elsewhere. She's a loner hen, the bottom of the pecking order.

This morning before heading to the beach, I investigated the strawberry bed with Adam. I dug out some strawberry shoots (strawberry plants send out lots of shoots that easily root in any soil nearby), putting them into three large pots full of Adam's lovely compost. Then I put them in the winter greenhouse, our front porch.

They're covered with straw. I'm hoping they'll flourish there in the sunny warmth and in March we'll have plants to start a new, large berry bed in the garden. We'll also transplant (I hope) some of the other plants that are overwhelming the small, raised berry bed we now have. We started with only three plants back last June. How they've grown! Next summer, and I want PILES of strawberries :)

That's all for now! Happy New Year to everyone!