Forgot to add - I told some of you i would be sending you cuttings and various seeds. I don't want you to think that i've forgotted, it's just that i am hesitant about sending them for fear that they will be damaged by the cold.

Belated Merry Christmas to all. Especially to Triciae, who was on my mind a lot this holiday and will be during future holidays. Dear Wonder Woman, I hope you are doing well, where ever you are. Thank you for showing me what courage and strength and kindness are. We drove down to the Bay Area for the holidays. Christmas Eve we had dinner with our good friends in Berkeley, raw oysters with mignonette, cracked crab, and the traditional Buche de Noel. Last night we had dinner with other good friends in Richmond, tenderloin, mashed potatoes and a warm cauliflower-brussel sprout salad. I made half of the tenderloin, cut pieces 1" thick and tied them into rounds, pan cooked, with a sauce of reduced white balsamic vinegar, Muscat wine, shallots and garlic, butter, sauteed mushroom stems, blended smooth, then simmered over whole mushroom caps. No recipe, just made it up. Our hostess roasted the rest of the tenderloin with a red wine and shallot reduction. We were supervised by a friend who is a head chef at a large hotel and, for the first time in many years, didn't have to work on Christmas day, but was nonetheless pressed into service which he did with good humour. I've been negotiating a stressful matter at work for the past few weeks. As of Dec 24, we were uncertain whether our little business unit would be shut down and I had prepared myself to be jobless come Jan 1st. That all got resolved satisfactorily at noon on Christmas Eve, final document review pending, so for the first time in a month, I was able to relax and unclench. It was nice.

You are *such* an addition to our Table! I want you to know that I have taken to heart what you reported as your mother's advice on coping with a challenge: "Take it in your hands, and deal with it." (I hope I have the right wording.) That just makes so much sense! Once you 'own' the challenge, you *will* deal with it, best you can. Wishing all a Happy 2016 -- whatever the challenges!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We are having fun at the farm. My youngest son and his girlfriend have been here for 3 weeks and will be here for 4 more. It has been going VERY WELL. DH had a total knee last week Wednesday and has been doing great. He walked down to the farm shop today with his walker and did fine. He's a good patient.