New Year, Same Old Me

Chalcedony Malachite wants to wish you a happy New Year. So do I! We got dressed up to stay in and by 11 PM we were in bed listening to the rounds of fireworks and ammunition being fired across the neighbourhood. Yeah, that's an American thing, though for the life of me, I can't understand the concept of celebratory gunfire. In the city. Whilst drunk on New Year's Eve. Some poor gentleman ended up in the hospital last night with what he thought was an injury from a random firework only to be told he had a bullet lodged in him. Anyway, I know how utterly bizarre this must sound to people outside the United States, and all I can say is, you can get used to anything after a while. I'm not happy about it, but this seems to be the way we've decided to ring in the New Year. Well, I didn't, because I was in bed. 

For fun I sprayed some colour in my hair and used a temporary tattoo liner to stamp some stars on my face. I rather like the idea of coloured streaks in my hair, so perhaps 2021 will see me getting creative with it. 

I made some lovely steamed bao type buns for dinner. They didn't fall apart, even if my shaping technique needs work. 

There's tofu, noodles, vegetables-all the good stuff. I made 16, and they ate all but one through the evening 😲. I've learned not to plan on leftovers. The following day I made Hoppin 'John, a dish of black eyed peas, celery, bell pepper, and onions. Served ove r rice it is supposed to bring good luck for the coming year. This is a southern tradition-I never saw Hoppin' John in Chicago or Boston, but my husband's dad came from Louisiana, and this is something he grew up with. Ideally, it should be made with a ham hock. Obviously, I didn't do that, so I used smoked paprika to simulate the richness and added a bit more olive oil for the fat.

Doesn't that look lovely? I used dried beans this year, because I had them, but tinned work just as well. 

Every year, the week after Christmas we have a tradition called, "Funny Foods Week." When Danny was small, it was a way to keep him from being sad after the holidays were over, and to teach him a bit about cuisines from around the world. The "Funny" bit, is just how things sound to a small child. So far this year we've had, "
Dan Dan Noodles, Callalou, Bao, Hoppin John, Dirty Rice, Blackened Chicken, and coming up we'll have Jollof Rice, Moi Moi, and probably some Pho. Obviously, there's no reason to continue doing this now that Danny is a teenager, but it does give me something interesting to cook. 

This was the blackened chicken and dirty rice (which is supposed to be made with chicken livers, but they both dislike them, so I left it out). 

Now that winter is truly here, I've brought out the quilted circle skirt from the 50s, and my Snowland boots from the 60s. I recently scored an identical pair but in brown, still new in the box on eBay for a tiny sum of money. I can't tell you how delighted I am about that. The boots are fleece lined and very, very warm. I can go out with stockings and be perfectly warm in them without additional socks. They also look better than any modern boots I've run across. 

Also bvrought out for winter is this faux seal coat.  I bought this coat in a thrift shop a few years ago and it was very dingy. I hand washed it, let it hang dry over a drain in my laundry room for a couple weeks (it is a very heavy coat) and then gently brushed it with a super-soft baby hairbrush, a bit every day until it was fully dry and fluffed up. It was quite a lot of work, but in the end I was left with a beautiful vintage coat for less than a tenner. 

Here's some close-ups of the Trojan War print on my skirt (signed Victor Malta for Associated American Artists textiles, 1953). It is a bit tight in the waist (post-menopause a 26 inch waist is but a memory) so I added a button extender to give me another inch and a half. I could take it apart and re-sew the waistband, but I so rarely wear it, that seems like more work than it is worth. I don't plan to pursue any weight loss goals in the New Year (or any year for that matter) so it is either button extenders or sewing. That, "New year, new you" nonsense? Yeah, I don't do it. I'm doing my best to stay alive in a pandemic, surely that will have to be enough. Anyway, you do what's best for you, but keep the diet talk away from me. I'll stick with the button extenders. 

 

Sleepwear/loungewear has been on my radar for 2021. I have quite a lot of it. 

As it gets dark so early now, it feels completely appropriate to change into a robe at 5 PM. I never think to photographs them, but I'll make an effort this winter as I have plenty of time. Yup, plenty of time. On, and on, and on. I'm trying to reconcile myself to the fact that it will be autumn at the earliest before America approaches anything close to "normality" even with a vaccine available. Our cases continue to surge, no one will implement stronger measures, and we continue careening into disaster complaining about our freedoms being restricted. As for the over ONE MILLION selfish bastards that travelled through airports over the holiday weekend...well, I don't need to say it, you're probably thinking it too. Right, so nice loungewear is about the only thing I can do at this point that brings me some comfort and happiness. That red robe in the first photo is pretty swell though-look at the apple detail with the tiny smiling worm poking out of it. 

Finally, this was my outfit today, for New Year's Day. Starting as I  intend to go on, I am wearing some thrifted vintage. A cheap 80s dress with a lace collar, a sash from another dress, some long necklaces, a brooch, and fancy shoes. 

Didn't leave the house, but I did pack the Christmas ornaments and put away the fake tree for another year. I did it early (I usually wait until the 6th) and I went ahead and switched out the Christmas dishes/china as well. In selecting which ones to use for the rest of winter (I have several sets of china) I went with my brown dripware, yellow stoneware, and peach lustre Pyrex plates and mugs. I'm happy with the combination of brown, gold, and peach-it has a nice 70s feel to it. 

I hope 2021 brings you good things.