What's the Deal With the Beans and Greens?

Happy New Year everyone!!!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.

I was already working on this post when one of my very special friends that lives a great distance from here saw one of my posts on Facebook and sent a message to ask, "What's the deal with the Beans and collard greens?  Do you eat them at midnight?"  I about fell off my rocker!  Bless her heart!  She made my day!  I had been wondering if anyone out there was unfamiliar with this southern tradition.  Seems I was right, so it seems this post was meant to be.  :)

Here in the south we have a tradition of eating black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year's Day.  We say that the peas are for good luck and the collards are for a prosperous year.  If you don't eat plenty of both, it's going to be a hard, poor year.  Well, I'm living proof that this superstition is just that!  lol!  It is still fun to continue the tradition!  As we eat, encouraging the little ones (and some grown-ups!),sometimes, it's fun to remind them of the tradition, but remind them that it is from God that all blessings flow.  It is a great time to ponder all the good things that are possible for the new year, leaving all of last year's troubles and worries behind.

Well, yesterday morning I was playing on the computer when I suddenly realized that today was New Year's Eve and I didn't have my peas or collards.  I kind of sound like our government, huh?  I mean, I've only had 364 days to prepare.  What was my problem?  lol!  Well, Bill immediately told me I had to go to the store!  There was no asking or me putting up a fuss!  ;)  Heehee!  I really thought I was going to be out of luck finding anything I needed since I had waited so late.  We all got ready and loaded in the car to head to the store.  After stopping several times to check on the car that obviously has something burning that we can't locate, we were so relieved to at least find a man in the Wal-Mart parking lot selling HUGE bundles of collards for $2!

These bundles were so big, my kids could hide behind them!
If I could grow something that big, I would feel like a real
farmer!  Seems I'm only good at growing gray hair as my husband
so kindly pointed out this morning!  :)

At minimum, all we had left was black-eyed peas, our food of good fortune (fortune meaning luck).  We should have eaten some before we got there because the shelves were wiped out!  After a few worrisome minutes, we found some at Ingles!  :)  Yay!  Our new year isn't doomed to another series of unlucky events.  Maybe now, we will be lucky enough to figure out what is burning in our car before it's too late!!!

For our lunch or supper or lusupper, lol, we will have collards, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese thrown together with items I already had, and a roast Bill will be grilling.  He is one mean, grilling machine!  He could sell his food!  Don't you want to come over?  There's always room at our table for a special friend!

What will you be doing to celebrate the new year?  In whatever you are doing today and the rest of the year, I pray you will be happy and healthy, basking in the light of God's beautiful grace!

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!