Welcome 2009!!!

A little while ago I went out to the chicken coop to check on Betsy the wonder chicken. I could hear her before I could see her, she makes these cute little clucking noises. When I didn't see her in the main part of the roost I looked in the nesting box area which has been unused since late summer. There she was, sounding a bit put out that I was looking at her in her current employment of #1 egg layer. I went back in for a bit. Later I went out again to add some veg. scraps to the compost bin and stopped to see if she really laid or if she was getting broody. I found two eggs! Both are fresh so she must have started laying yesterday. I don't know if she could've laid both today? Anyway it seems very auspicious to have freshly laid eggs on the first day of the new year.
I just went out to one of the many Rosemary plants and picked a couple of sprigs for a recipe I am making. The smell of rosemary is one of my favorite smells I think. Fresh and slightly piney. I find the taste can be overwhelming so I use it sparingly in cooking. I do like it in an orange/rosemary quick bread recipe. I should dig that out I think. I like to put it in potpourri blends for winter. It goes really well with citrus scents. I think I need to experiment with a rosemary, orange candle blend. One superstition concerning rosemary (there are many) is the wearing of a sprig in a buttonhole to aid one's memory and to promote good luck in all of the wearer's endeavors. It's raining and I have been cleaning the pantry cupboard. I store my library of magazines on the bottom shelves. Been listening to Fiddle, by Dougie McLean and some Loreena Mckennitt. All in all a pretty good way to start the new year. Hope everyone is free of hangovers. Oh, speaking of hangovers, one superstition involving Rosemary and beer is if a little rosemary is added to a keg of beer it will prevent the beer from being intoxicating. Perhaps I should've mentioned that one yesterday. Happy New Year!