NEW YEAR'S EVE

New Year's Eve was always a special time for me. even when I was a young child. There was something intensely festive and magical about the whole world celebrating the coming of a new year. I still have memories of New Year's Eve family gatherings in New Jersey when I was four or five years old.

Later, when we moved to California, my parents and I would inevitably usher in New Year's Eve by watching the annual live TV broadcast of Guy Lombardo conducting dance music at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

Afterwards, there would be the live broadcast of the midnight celebration at Times Square.

The evening would always culminate with telephone calls from our relatives in New Jersey.

Years later, my passion for New Year's increased. My love of cooking and baking inspired me to prepare elaborate midnight New Year's Eve dinners for family and/or friends.

It would often take days in advance to cook and bake (at that glorious time I had energy and enthusiasm). Ham and turkeys, sometimes roasted duck, winter salads, always smoked and pickled herring, smoked oysters and white champagne, Russian deviled eggs, Hungarian potato pancakes with sour cream, caviar (I knew a store where it wasn't too expensive).

Every year I also inevitably made a Bavarian chocolate cake with cherries and real cream (it was a tedious task, but the cake was delicious). I also always made a chocolate cheesecake, and a plain white cake (depicting the purity of a new year).

Nowadays I get completely exhausted just thinking about my long-ago energy, creativity, and enthusiasm.

Since I am presently living alone in the Tennessee wilderness, immersed in ill health and abject poverty, my enthusiasm for New Year's Eve has completely faded and my celebratory mood is dead and buried.

This year, I decided to lift my sagging spirits by ordering some special food and goodies online, with the intention of eating a festive meal on New Year's Eve.
As foul fate would have it, my order was "delayed" and the food won't arrive until next week.

So, today I had a simple but good meal - which consisted of salmon, wild rice, and green beans. I also forced myself to bake a white cake and it turned out surprisingly good.

A few (uninteresting) photos of my New Year's Eve.

Every New Year's Eve, I drag out my antique Auld Lang Syne cup. It's much larger than it looks in the photo.

For some strange reason, I also always take out my antique German swan cup. It is very old and delicate - - made around 1790.

It was dreary and rainy on this final day of the year. The temperature has warmed up considerably - and I love it. I don't think I can survive another sub-zero winter storm.

I stepped out on the front porch at dusk and took photos of the dramatic New Year's Eve sunset.

My candles and lights are glowing tonight, adding a festive touch to my dreary existence.

Wishing you a bright and blessed new year, filled with peace and positivity.

                                                    Jon