Happy New Year

Paul and I rang in 2007 with a toast of some Bucks Fizz, or Mimosa as it’s known in America. It’s a mixture of champagne and orange juice (grenadine is optional). It’s quite good. Actually, the Bucks Fizz predates the Mimosa by 3 years. The Bucks Fizz was named after London’s Bucks Club where it was invented by a barman in 1921. The Mimosa was reported invented at the Ritz Hotel in Paris around 1925.

We also celebrated the New Year with another British tradition called First Footing (foot in), which is reputed to bring good luck in the new year. Basically you ring in the new year outside your front door, then when you first step through the door in the new year, you must carry with you (in addition to the drink you just toasted with), some bread (to ensure you always have food), some coal (to make sure your house always stays warm), some money (to ensure you always have money), and some greenery (to assure a long life). We carried all these items with us through the front door, so hopefully 2007 is going to be a GOOD one for us!

We finished off the evening watching the London Eye fireworks display on the BBC. What a show! Up until London rang in the new year in 2000 with the new London Eye, fireworks had never been a part of the annual traditions. Previously, the crowds would gather at Trafalgar Square (as they do in Times Square in NY) and wait on Big Ben to strike midnight. (In fact, Paul and I spent my first New Years in London in 1996 at Trafalgar Square and it was the coldest New Years on record for like 10 years or so!! I remember it well!!!). Anyway, the crowds do still gather in Trafalgar Square, but most people line up along the River Thames to watch the ever-growing fireworks display. It was indeed awesome. Even Tiny was entranced by it all as she sat on the ottoman in front of the TV to watch.

We celebrated New Years Day breakfast with one of Paul’s family traditions – bacon and mushrooms served in a butter/milk broth with some bread for dipping. It’s quite rich, but very tasty. And for our New Years dinner, Paul did my traditional southern feast of pork roast, greens, black eyed peas and cornbread (with some roast potatoes to round it all off). It was scrumptuous and something even Gordon Ramsay would be proud of!!!