So Much for Resolutions

My Christmas Eve "selfie," in my new gardening hat and camel scarf! See Mason doing dishes? How lucky am I?

It's only Jan. 3, so that's not terrible when it comes to resolutions, right? Right?

Last night we celebrated my one-month sabbatical from the garden nursery by going over to the cabin of some neighbors, Thunder and Sunshine.  Where else but in Tennessee would you meet a couple named Thunder and Sunshine? Well, actually, Florida, which is where they live most of the time.

The best part about Thunder and Sunshine is that they live up to their names, in full living color. He's a shaggy-haired musician who owns a music store at the beach. She's a singer and a crafter. A local radio station is spinning one of their country songs. And they offered us a shot of peppermint Schnapps, which of course I downed, because when was the last time I was offered a shot of Schnapps? (Don't answer that.)

The shot hit the spot on a night where the low hit 14, which I know, I know, in Minnesota is T-shirt weather. Our little wood stove rose to the occasion, as long as one of us got up every few hours and fed it more wood.

On Monday, the low in town is forecast to sink to 5 degrees, which means the mountains may see negative territory, which is damn cold for the South. Needless to say, we're not happy about this. Stay tuned to hear how we endure. (No, there's no peppermint Schnapps in the house ...)

Can you guess the theme of my Christmas? I was spoiled with a ton of great gardening books from gift-goddess Michiela, and lots of other gardening accessories from Mom.