A Sparkly New Year . . .

You want to pick up a bottle of bubbly to see the New Year in, but the Old Year has wrung your wallet empty? My lovely someday daughter-in-law, who recently passed the final exam of a demanding series of courses, qualifying as a Sommelier (We are SO proud of her!), complimented my accidental good taste last week. Picking up a bottle of the Cristalino Cava I’d picked up at the liquor store (because at that price, why not?), she exclaimed, “Oh, this is my favourite budget sparkling — a great buy!”

So I thought I’d pass that tip along to you. Now let’s live this last day of 2011 as well as we can, before getting on with 2012, shall we? Any plans to carpe this diem? I’m going for a run myself, then a little reading, a little knitting, a big breakfast, the papers, a long nap if I’m lucky, before my man and I settle down with a pile of DVDs, a good meal, and a bottle of Pinot. What are you up to? Do tell.

9 Comments

  1. AnPhibian
    31 December 2011 / 3:51 pm

    Your plans sound like my perfect New Year's Eve! I'm not at all surprised that the sommelier-to-be has confirmed your good taste. (And sommelier is my new fantasy dream job….) We are visiting family and may just do a quiet dinner/movie type of thing. Happy New Year!

  2. K.Line
    31 December 2011 / 5:30 pm

    Every year I host a fondue party with my best friends but, this year, given how overwhelmed I've been by hostessing, they've taken on the role of dinner party hosts. I just have to bring the booze and the fondue pot 🙂 Have a wonderful evening – hope it caps off the year well.

  3. Raquelita
    31 December 2011 / 6:17 pm

    Oooh! Thanks for the rec. I was just talking to M about picking up some cava as well as a couple of bottles of wine this afternoon.

    I just went for my last run of the year. After lunch I'm going to do about an hour of revising, run some errands, and then see a movie with a friend. I'll come home to have dinner and watch some Netflix with M, drink some wine, play some Scrabble, and welcome 2012.

  4. hostess of the humble bungalow
    31 December 2011 / 6:29 pm

    We are expecting friends from Vancouver and another couple to share dinner which will be some antipasto bites, caesar salad and Dungeness crab and a chocolate torte for dessert…there will be bubbly.

    I'll make note of the Cava you mentioned as I have already have ours chilling in the fridge.

    Happy New Year!

    your plans sound wonderful, especially the nap…
    I have never mastered the art of napping in the daytime and I so wish that I could.

  5. Anonymous
    1 January 2012 / 12:23 am

    Our plan is to watch videos of Airstream trailers being remodeled while drinking some bubbly. We're old folks, you know.

  6. Susan Tiner
    1 January 2012 / 2:09 am

    Mater, I enjoyed catching up on your last several posts with the Doodle Art, trains and knitting featuring your gorgeous adult loved ones and your little one.

    I'm resurfacing from a smack down week of Q4 wrap up for ourselves and clients, estimating taxes, just in time for New Year's Eve, though we did enjoy an afternoon at SFMOMA, particularly enjoyed the Francesca Woodman exhibit — tragic story, amazing art.

    Happy New Year!

  7. Lorrie
    1 January 2012 / 3:36 am

    Your evening sounds much like ours – movies, nibbles and drinks, and being together with someone you love.

    Have a wonderful 2012, Mater, I'm glad I found your blog in 2011.

  8. Mardel
    1 January 2012 / 1:28 pm

    We spent the last day of the year mostly at home where G was reading and I was playing with house floor plans trying to rearrange furniture to accommodate a hoped-for purchase. Mission accomplished, I dropped G off with son-in-law and grandson for a late afternoon visit and then went off to order a new sectional sofa and new bed for the master bedroom before joining the family for dinner and game night.

    We were home early even though the 5 year old was up past his bedtime, and I did not make it until midnight this year but it was a nice way to end the old and embrace the new.

  9. materfamilias
    2 January 2012 / 1:09 am

    Anne @FF: After all, why not spend New Year's Eve exactly as we want to?! Hope yours was perfect!
    K: That's an ambitious tradition — I'm happy for you that your friends took up the slack this year! And it sounds as if you had a wonderful time, pants intact and all!
    Raquelita: Sounds like the perfect way to let the Old Year out the door. Happy New Year to you!
    Lesley: Oh, I'm a very good napper! My mother insisted on them when I was small — her way of maintaining sanity given her huge brood — and the lesson stuck. Some days, they make all the difference.
    Terri: Brilliant! Love it! Happy New Year!
    Susan T: Sounds as if you've had a gruelling week, so I hope you manage some restful downtime over the weekend. Happy New Year!
    Lorrie: Same to you! It's been great getting to know a big-island neighbour through our blogs.
    Mardel: Feathering that nest will be a challenging but rewarding focus for you this year, won't it?! So much change. So much to blog about! Happy New Year! (we didn't make it to midnight either . . . altho' I did some knitting and reading between 4 and 6 a.m. damned insomnia!)

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