Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year

Dear Friends,

Linda and I want to wish all of my readers a Happy New Year!

After a not so great visit with dad yesterday, the rest of our day went was planned. My afternoon nap perked me up so that I lasted quite well through a mini party, and a multi hour one.
The first party was a Farewell for an Irish Sister City Friend who is on the road right now heading to the “Villages” in Florida. If you don’t know anything about the Village, it is a city within a city. The population is around 100,000 people. The Villages has any amenity that a person can x that it is not near the Ocean. Our female friend said that the women outnumber the men. She said that she was told some of the men in the villages are on the lookout for well off women. I would bet the reverse it true too.
We were at this party for about 45 minutes before Linda and I and our designated driver headed off to West Stockbridge.

The West Stockbridge party was spectacular. The mix of the 11 people was so good. The hours passed away so quickly that all of a sudden we were watching television, and the Ball drop in New York City. We all were having such a good time that instead of going home after the ball dropped, we all stayed for another hour or so. The hosts even shot off fireworks that I would imagine woke up their quiet neighborhood. Could it be time for Dick Clark to give up as one of the announcers on television?

The food at this party from appetizers, through the main meal, and into desserts was wonderful. We started off with a salad (with no bread). Two of the couples have given up eating bread for the most part especially bread made with white flour. Of course, these couples don’t carry the extra weight that I do. The main meal consisted of a grilled to perfection beef tenderloin, and seas scallops. One couple brought a great Pasta casserole that was also part of the main dish. Our hosts bought the Beef at Guido’s market. Guido’s meats are in those glassed encased ones (which we baby boomers grew up with) where you can see the meats instead of have them already pre packaged. You pay a few bucks more for the meat, but the meat is the best in the City of Pittsfield.

One of the guests brought some homemade Limoncello. It was so smooth. I might have sampled a little bit. Limoncello is an aperitif which aids in digestion. That is what I kept saying to myself as I finished off the bottle.

I did do everything in moderation. I feel great today, and I am ready for another party.

We are off to another party this afternoon. It is an all day brunch. It is a different group of friends. It is one of those covered dish affairs. The black eyed pea concoction that Linda whipped up is brewing in the crock pot as I type this email. Black eyed peas are a New Years good luck food.

As I think about it, Linda and I are so lucky to have such a great network of friends. If we are not invited to a party, we are having one at our house. I was also thinking that when it is time for me to meet my Maker, I want to do so while partying. I don’t want to spend my remaining days on this earth in a nursing home or hooked up to tubes in a hospital.

I know that some of my daily blog readers were in bed when the Ball dropped. I can’t remember the last time that we stayed home alone. It probably happened when our two boys were small. If I stayed home last night, even though I took a nap, I would have been in bed too. If we weren’t invited to this house party, we would have been partying with our Polish Falcon Hall friends. Most of the people who were at the mini party, mentioned above, were heading to the Polish Falcon Hall’s New Year’s Eve Party. I will find out how their party went because some of them will be at the Brunch today.

I must have passed on the party thing to our sons. Kevin and Kyla hosted a New Years Eve party at their house in Tewksbury. A good number of the couples brought their children so I am not sure if everyone stayed up at their home until midnight.

Well, I am going to get dressed and wash the cars before going off to the brunch.
Have a great first day of the New Year.
Talk to you soon. The Curley lad

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