I'm busy this morning putting a little gloss on the house. Lana and husband Tom are coming for the New Year's good-luck meal.

This year it's smoked ham, frozen black-eyed peas cooked with hog jowl, and cabbage cooked also with jowl, and hot-water cornbread. The friends are from the West and aren't used to the convention down heah.

I'll also take some to the guy who does the yard.

Janis, you say, how can you entertain such a silly superstition after the events of last year? I counter, can you imagine how monstrous things might have been if I hadn't had pork, peas and greens last New Year's? 

UPDATE: That went over well, especially with Tom. He had seconds of everything, and carried a pack of sliced ham for sandwiches home with him.