Welcome 2016

Another year over, a new one just begun!

Just FYI, I was at work last night/this morning when 2015 ended and 2016 began so I wasn't at any big New Year's bash. In fact, I wasn't really 100% aware that it was even New Year's Eve at all. I was off work Tuesday and Wednesday nights and didn't pay much if any attention to the date. I awoke to the sounds of some of my neighbors popping off some fireworks but sometimes they start that a few days before any actual fireworks holiday.

I can't make any promises as per: resolutions but here are a few things I'll try to do:
Just be a better person, more forgiving and understanding.
40 years is long enough to smoke cigarettes... Time to quit?
Not waste so much effort, money and time on frivolous matters and endeavors.
Pay all (or most) of my bills on or before the due date.
Reduce, reuse and recycle more.
Spend more time with family.
Tell family, friends and strangers "thank you" more often.
Gain weight. I know this sounds weird especially from someone in Mississippi but I'm 5'9" and last time I weighed I was only at 135 pounds. I could use a bit more muscle mass.
Generally take better care of my health.
Grow more, waste less food.
Be a better housekeeper.
Offer my help whenever and wherever I see it could be needed and not be so damned pig headed that I won't ask for help instead of trying to do a 2 man job by myself.
Be more thankful to God for all He's blessed me and all His children with.

Keeping w/ New Year's traditional meal meal here I looked for some ham hocks at the grocery this morning to no avail. The only "real" hams left were 20 pounds or more.... DAMN! I don't need 20 pounds of ham, Hopefully, sliced sammich meat ham will be close enough for luck in the new year.
In the Southern part of the U.S.A. it's supposed to be ham hocks and black eye peas (from the siege of Vicksburg, as I understand folklore). Then there's cabbage or some sort of greens for greenback dollars and sliced carrots that represent gold coins.
I prefer my cabbage fried rather than boiled. I try to buy my bacon thick sliced so I slow fry 2 or 3 slices just until most of the fat is cooked out. Then remove the bacon and set it aside. I don't need a piss pot full of cabbage so I try to buy a small head. A quarter head is plenty to last me a meal or 3. Quarter the head and cut as you like it. I like it in some 1/4 inch strips then cut into mouth sized pieces. Cut up a half or so of a medium onion into thinner but same length pieces and toss em and the cabbage into the skillet of bacon fat. Cook until the cabbage is "al dente" and onions are translucent and/or all is just starting to brown. Add a pinch of kosher or sea salt, a couple grinds of black pepper. If you want, once it's on the plate give it a little splash of pepper sauce. Not the red stuff I love so much but pickled pepper sauce, the clear stuff w/ the peppers in it. Hey! The juice from a jar of pickled jalapenos works just as well as the $2.00 bottle of pickled pepper sauce in my humble opinion.

Well, that's all I have for now. I'll sign off wishing y'all, your families and friends and all the world love, peace and prosperity in 2016 and beyond.

May God's love shine on you all.