here is a rule i live by: when it's the last day of december and seventy sunny degrees outside, you must have a picnic.
a new years eve picnic turns out to be an incredibly peaceful and sweet way to end the year.
so i paid homage to my parents' swinging nye parties (also in the seventies) by making classic cheese fondue. it's super easy to pull together for an inpromtu little feast in the backyard. a little cheese, a little wine, a dash of grated nutmeg is pretty much it. for dipping: sourdough bread, chicken sausage and apples.
are these not the most beautiful olives you have ever seen?
and of course, some bubbles. my favorite sparkling wines are sofia blanc de blancs in the wee pink can or a spanish cava. my market was out of sofia so i went with the cava. pink. sipped through a straw.
ken joined me in choosing a word for 2012. i made little cupcake toppers for the occassion.
him: balance. me: abundance.
one of the issues with having a picnic in our backyard is managing our pack of beasts. luca, the wire fox terrier, uses the table as his lookout on an everyday basis and kept trying to jump up during our meal.
we finally let him up at the end to take care of the tiny bit of leftover cheese in the pot. (yes, i know this is why they are beasts. because they are spoiled and get their way.)
simon is a chubby corgi with really short legs, so he can't jump on the table. he was happy with a tiny bite of sausage.
roxy the cairn terrier pulled a greta garbo and remained aloof and out of camera range.
i wish you all a beautiful, colorful and abundant new year filled with love and beauty and grace and picnics.
if you would like to choose a word for 2012, susannah conway has a wonderful way to explore, click here. i love hearing others' words, so please share.
also, my absolute favorite new blogger, meg worden, has written an exquisite bit on nourishment. please click here to read. it's brilliant. truly, i believe it has become my manifesto for a beautiful life.
