It was 2 degrees here this morning. brrr! Sun is out, haven't been out there yet. Hope these temps are going to be short lived. The furnace has been cranking. Thanks Jane, interesting article. I am a marmalade fan, so IâÂÂll have to look for some of these brands that have ginger in them and try it. DtD, that recipe sounds delicious. We will use a roast for pot roast once in awhile, but never thought of using it as a base for chili. So do you use beans with it or just âÂÂchiliâ spices? Sounds like I could use a large crockpot, too. Bill, I have been looking for new âÂÂsoupâ recipes, so IâÂÂll have to try your version this winter. We had an Italian connection in our family in the past, and my Mother was a huge fan of many Italian dishes and got her sauce recipe from an old world Italian woman. We make lots of sauce and chicken cacciatore, minestrone soup and thereâÂÂs always some of that in our freezer. Making tiny meatballs for chicken soup sounds like a new fun version. And the escarole adds a lot of nutrition. BTW, there is a new book out called Eating on the Wild Side, that reviews current studies of nutrition in food and I was surprised to learn that a can of tomato paste is chockful of nutrition and during the off season when fresh vegetables are not available from the garden, beans are one of the highest nutritional foods you can eat. And blue cornmeal if from a non GMO source, is also better nutritionally than yellow cornmeal, according to the book. So chili made with canned tomatoes and beans with blue cornbread is a very healthy meal. And the book is a very interesting read, if you donâÂÂt find nutrition too dull. It also offers names of varieties of vegetables and fruits that are the highest in nutrition, that you can grow. As for gardening, IâÂÂm not quite in the garden mindset yet. Later in January, IâÂÂm sure that will change, but I am very interested in how all the âÂÂzone pushersâ are faring. As much of a worry as it is to have the temps dip so low, Bill, you are right, this will be a good test of which varieties are really solid zone pushers and I will be fascinated to see whose plants survive come spring. All of them, I hope!

Carol, Our drive is a very steep incline about 150 yards long and facing northeast. If I don't get it down to the blacktop rapidly the warmth turns the snow into a glacier and it stays till spring. One year, we were away on vacation, and when we returned, we could not drive up it for over 3 months. Incidently, I do park at the bottom when snow is forcast. Just long work, not really hard, as I have a small plow on my garden tractor/mower. I'm way too old to shovel that stuff much any more. George

We are still in a winter storm warning until this evening. While we have gotten over 30" in the southern part of the state and in the mountains (ski resorts) in my area it's more like 8-10" so far. Temps are hovering around the freezing mark and the snow is clinging to everything, looking very pretty. I haven't heard of any major power outages although once the snow starts dropping off the trees and the branches bounce back that will likely change. The road crews have been doing a great job as always keeping things clear. With DH away at work I've spent a wonderful day watching the storm, reading and not doing any housework. I hope all the New Englanders are making out alright. Please check in.

It looks like your bee population got too low to sustain the cluster. If you never tested for or treated for Varroa Mites, its possible the colony succumbed to them. If Varroa was present, it probably had the hive under stress last Fall, and then as you had the normal attrition of bees during the Winter the colony wasn't strong enough to hold the cluster in cold weather.