Delightful New Years Day Dinner!

We just had the most wonderful dinner with our neighbor, Anne. When we invited her to dinner yesterday, she was planning to have her sister-in-law visit for aperitifs at noon if the weather was not bad.  We made alternate plans to have Anne come to our house if the weather kept her visitor from driving from afar, which it did.  The wind was very strong and the rain was coming down in buckets.

Anne brought dessert and champagne.  We fixed black eyed peas and cornbread.  Anne gave us some corn flour and Tom came up with a very good version of it.  We also fixed green beans and potatoes and a turkey quarter.  It was delicious and Anne loved the black eyed peas the most!  We gave her a take away portion and she wants the recipe.  It will be sad when she finally turns the house over to the new owners in February!  We will dearly miss her.  She is hoping to buy a new, larger apartment near Paris and will be able to have us as guests.  She has done such an awesome job of teaching us French....our 2 1/2 hour lunch was almost all in French!  Luckily, the weather has cleared up and maybe tomorrow we can go to the beach!  Love it!!!!!!

Downed trees in the Henan arboretum near us, from last week's storms