Dorothy, that sounds like when it gets really cold here - people with fireplaces crank them up and the smoke hangs in the air. I hope it wasn't too big a chore to clean out all of those drawers and their contents!

Patty, that cleanse or whatever the routine your friend does sounds like a good goal (but why just January?) The big point that both Taubes and Pollan made was that there are traditional diets all around the world that vary greatly - some are largely meat or fish, some are all vegetarian, some have quite a few restrictions because of the natural climate of their regions, and people did fine. It's the modern Western diet with all of it's processed foods that is killing people, so her "nothing not from nature" will work.

The text arrived this morning about digging plants so I planned to do it around 2pm. A text arrived a little after 1 from the organic gardening guy I work for asking if I was going to be home. I explained I was going to dig up native plants and suggested he could stop by there instead - then quickly called her to be sure it was ok. An enthusiastic "YES!" - so while I dug a winter honeysuckle shrub he got a tour of the yard and ended up leaving with an envelope full of seeds from a native shrub called Texas Kidneywood. His one acre yard is established and needs thinning so he didn't need any of the plants dug up, but he gives away seeds and this plant is one he recommends. Her daughter is a horticulturist at the botanic garden, so it's all in the family.

I also brought home a 30-gallon composting barrel thing (just after I got rid of one barrel I bring home another - yes, I recognize the irony.) It has a base and the barrel rests on wheels so it can be turned easily, and I'll need to add leaves or grass or things to keep it breaking down fast enough, but I can roll this back to the compost bin periodically and empty it there when needed. Much easier than lugging heavy buckets. I came home feeling a little bit like Santa - for that lifelong gardener to have her hero pop up in the yard, that was unexpected but amazing.   

This weekend I'm going to be planting. It's almost dark now so I'll wait till morning to put the honeysuckle in the ground, that one needs to go first as the prized plant from today's dig.

Time to start putting ornaments away. I got out a few extras just for the gathering yesterday; I don't normally put 24" tall nutcrackers on my kitchen queen, but they made the cookies and crackers and muffins look more festive.