Opened a jar of pickled sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) yesterday. They
were very nice, very crisp, tangy, and tasty. We had scrubbed the chokes
well, cut them into half-inch chunks, combined with chunks of sweet
chiles and sweet onions, and pickled them.

The pickles had sat in the pantry for a few weeks to age properly and we
were pleased with the results. Finally found a use for the volunteer
sunchokes that have been coming up in a flower bed for at least fifteen
years.

Cold this morning here in the sunny south, 38F at 0600, still at 38F at
0823 CST. Supposed to have gone down to 25F last night but, thankfully,
it didn't. All the patio plants are in the garage with an electric
heater running and the garden plants are covered with old sheets and
blankets. Will uncover them later this morning so they can get some
sunshine.

We've been eating fresh broccoli from the garden, the cauliflower hasn't
headed up yet, the winter green beans are finished, the last of the
tomato plants bit the dust as did the sweet chiles. The sugar snap peas
haven't bloomed yet but the leaf lettuce is doing well.

Our daughter came over from Houston Saturday afternoon. I made a double
of Wayne Boatwright's 13 cracker meatloaf and it was, as usual, a hit.
Had fresh broccoli with it along with mashed potatoes and mushroom
gravy. Daughter and I went through all the thousands of photographs we
have on hand as she is developing a Power Point program for our fiftieth
wedding anniversary dinner. Pictures of Miz Anne and I when we were
courting, wedding photos, pictures of our extended family when we were
all young, etc. Should be interesting once it is put together. Son is
providing the music for the affair, based on the music we danced to in
1958-1960 when we married. We will be surrounded by our descendants at
the dinner, to be held in Huffman, Texas on the nineteenth. We were
actually married on December 26, 1960 but no restaurants in that area
are open at Christmas time.

Daughter went home with pickled chokes, luncheon spears, kumquat
marmalade, and peach jam. Her stepson will, literally, eat anything so
we proceeded to clean out the pantry of items that are approaching their
eat by date. I guess most eighteen year old young men eat about the same
way, I know I did when I was that age.

I hope those of you in the northern tier of states and in Canada are
staying dry and warm. I'm sitting here in a heated house, kept at 68F,
wearing sweats and a hoodie. Miss Tilly Dawg is on the couch in my
office under her blanket with just a little black nose sticking out.
She's snoring peacefully, making a counterpoint to my typing sounds.

George