Oh, those brandied blueberries

Two of my three jars of brandied blueberries are gone, served up at holiday gatherings in the past couple of weeks. Turns out the berries and the sweet canning syrup match up really nicely with a slice of banana bread or lemon cake.

Just one jar left! Debating whether I should use it soon or keep it for ice cream in the summer.

Which feels really far off at this point now that we're hitting a cold snap. Brrrrr.

Flu season hitting big; what's my plan?

The flu is bad this year. It's "widespread" (as opposed to merely "regional") in Pennsylvania, and the vaccination I got a few months ago isn't precisely matched to the variant that's actually going around.

I got the flu last year, even though I'd gotten the shot; so I'm pretty well convinced that I'm doomed this year as well. And I understand that getting a mis-matched shot is supposed to reduce your risk of catching it or alleviate your symptoms if you do end up coming down with the flu. So I always, always get the shot. But, man, was I miserable about this time last year.

In anticipation of being laid low for a week again -- sometime soon -- I've stocked up on canned foods a little more than usual. Some indulgences, too, like SpaghettiOs. Back in September, I put up 7 quarts of cubed butternut squash, which are essentially a ready-to-eat food. I've also committed to keeping on top of laundry, bathroom cleaning, and other bothersome little chores, so that I won't be living in clutter-catastrophe if I have to drop them for a week.

Well, here's to hoping that the flu doesn't come to visit again this year. I've had it twice in my adult life and seriously never need to experience it again. Fingers crossed!

The 2014 hoard

Every time I found a coin or a dollar bill (or even a sawbuck) on the sidewalk while I was walking around town in 2014, I brought the money home and tossed it into an old zinc-cap canning jar. Here's the hoard:

Holy cow! It's $17.48!

Here's to further good fortune in 2015!