Another year passes...where the hell it goes, I'll never know.
New Years Day--and the New Years Eve preceding it--are probably the least favorite of holidays for me. I've never fathomed the whole "let's party like it's 1999" NYE thing and the parades and bowl games leave me even colder the next day.
When I was a kid, NYD meant even more family interaction. Usually we did it at our place, with tray tables set up in front of our giant Admiral (with RCA parts, as my father was quick to remind everyone) color TV set, where we watched the long and boring Rose Bowl Parade from exotic Pasadena, CA, with quick hits of the Mummers Parade from not-so-exotic nearby Philadelphia. My aunts and uncles and grandparents came to visit, as did the neighbors. Food of the day was mainly cold cuts and I don't remember any alcohol beyond the occasional high-ball my dad would mix. Sometimes even my mom would have one.
Later in my at-home years--after my grandparents died and we moved into their old house--NYD consisted of pretty much just my family and our neighbors, who just happened to be my favorite aunt and uncle. The parades and football games were still de rigeur, and the food pretty much stayed the same. There was always a big block of American Cheese, some cold cuts, and a mysterious one-time-a-year jar of horseradish, which made my dad's and brother's eyes water. I sniffed it once. That was enough.
Time passes...and years later I don't know how I'll spend today, other than a movie or two, maybe even some work. But I do have the cheese (smoked gouda, though) and a nice little summer sausage and some spicy brown deli mustard along with a baguette. Having them cut up on little plates will take me back a bit, and I might even see how that parade is going and glance at a football game or two. They looks so nice on my big HD TV, that is lovely, but not nearly as nice as being the first in your neighborhood to have an Admiral color TV with 20" screen and RCA parts.
Smoked Gouda is the right choice!
Posted by: Melanie | January 02, 2011 at 04:11 PM