As we are promised every winter, the cold has arrived. In the past week we have had wind, snow, rain and cold. But when the sun was shining, the cold was easier to bear. This is why we love New England: Every day is different.

Happy Birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Melissa Pereira, who celebrated Jan. 30; Katherine Carroll and Kathleen Vieira Da Silva, Jan. 31; Callie Oteri, Feb. 3, andLethicia Diniz, who celebrated Feb. 4.

With this cold weather, you are pretty much in the house unless you work or go to school. I am home, as the nursery is closed for the winter. So, like many of us, we are cleaning, watching TV, reading or cooking.

My niece was feeling under the weather, so I thought it was a good time to make kale soup. I never just make a little. I make a huge pot. Every time I make it, I cannot help but think of my friend Lynn Jardin, who passed away a few years back. Lynn and I met at the A & P many moons ago. I remember her talking about kale soup a lot. It was her favorite thing to make and eat.

Years later, we worked together at Dukes County Savings Bank. Lynn had a head for numbers. You could come into the bank and open an account and the next time you came back in, she would remember the account number, the amount you deposited and probably the time. It was certainly a gift.

But even at the bank I heard about her kale soup. Finally, I asked her how she made it and she invited me over to her house. There I learned there was no such thing as a small batch of soup. She had a ten-quart pan and it was filled to the brim. She told me all you have to do is have potatoes, linguica, chorizo, beans, onions, a beef shank and kale. Fill the pot with water and simmer. Then put garlic salt on the top. It was the most amazing soup and she always had a pot on the stove when I went to her house.

To this day, I think she held out on me on one ingredient. I miss Lynn, but she is always with me when I make kale soup and I wonder if I will ever get it to taste like hers.

Have a great week and keep the home candles burning.