It's Just Another New Year's Eve

Cheers!

It isn't quite midnight in Omaha yet (about 9 PM) but it is largely quiet save for the occasional fireworks. No gunfire yet, and much less noise in general than most years. We had a bit of freezing fog earlier making roads dangerous and we're expecting a snowstorm after midnight so maybe people took the warnings seriously and stayed home. 

There's a giant moving truck across the street and we have new neighbours moving in tonight. I'm sure they're trying to stay ahead of the storm. Our street is well lit so it isn't dark out there, but I do feel really sorry for them because it is freezing cold. I guess they'll have a memorable story to tell. 

Yesterday, my husband came home from work to isolate after the person that sits next to him at work tested positive for covid. They're about 10 feet apart and wear masks at work but he's still concerned. He had an quick test yesterday that came back negative, but he's isolating until Monday when he's scheduled for a PCR test. No symptoms, and he's had 3 jabs of vaccine, but it is still worrying. We're lucky enough to have a finished basement room where he can isolate, and an extra bathroom he can use alone. I'm wearing masks when I bring him food, or he has to come upstairs but otherwise we're all distancing. There were 800 (!!!) cases in Omaha yesterday (that were diagnosed, god knows how many more are out there) and nine deaths. It is everywhere in the community and with no restrictions in place and all the bars and clubs open tonight things are only going to get worse. We're still dealing with the spike in cases from Christmas. Since it is impossible to avoid it entirely without staying home, the best chance anyone has to get through this is to vaccinate, wear a proper mask, and distance from others. He's been doing those things so hopefully it will have been enough. It is a large office with no windows and a large number of employees so there's only so much that can be done. You can't unfortunately control what people do outside of work. 

Dan's school is on break until the 5th, but the school announced they're going back to mandating masks when classes resume. That brought a shit-storm of complaints from parents that still don't believe in reality, but the school is sticking firm. That's very good to hear because the largest increase in cases has been in young people. I guess after sending the kids out into a tornado there was some concern that the administration wasn't taking the physical safety of students as seriously  as they might. I'm glad they're doing masks though, the kids unlike the adults will actually wear them. They have some brains. 

But tonight is New Year's Eve, so I put on a vintage Lurex skirt (but skipped the matching tunic) and made the best of it. I sent a festive smoked salmon frittata and cucumber salad downstairs for Mr. ETB and Danny ate while we waited for the night to get underway. 

I made this dairy free for Danny by using tofu cream cheese, soy cream, and margarine. I had three small leeks to use in something and this was the perfect place to dump them. With some chervil and tarragon it came together into a fancy meal, though not the one I had planned for the evening. The blini and caviar can wait for another night. Tomorrow there will be Hoppin' John a dish made with black eyed peas, celery, bacon (turkey bacon for ours) and bell peppers. The peas are supposed to symbolise coins and be eaten for good luck and wealth in the new year. It is a Southern US thing-I never ate Hoppin' John in Chicago, but my husband's dad was from Baton Rouge, Louisiana so we make it as a nod to his heritage. His mom was from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania but I am absolutely not making Hog Maw (pig stomach). I have my limits. My family didn't do anything for New Year's Day that I can remember. My mother was probably nursing a hangover. 

I already have a headache-no sense adding alcohol to it. I don't have anything good and I don't want to drink cooking wine.

Hi there! I'm not taking down the wall until the 6th so please continue enjoying my holiday decorations until then. I'm tempted to just take down the stockings and Christmas items and leave the bricks. We'll see. Not much to do after New Year's until Burns Night. 

Almost 10 PM now and still quiet. Don't want to put a jinx on it, but so far so good.

These knit trousers are thrifted and I really like them-they appeared unworn and are perfect, except that they have faux pockets. 

Why? They still have to sew something in there, how much more would a pocket cost?! I still like them and will wear them often, but the fake pockets are silly. I wish companies would stop that.

First wear for the Egyptian tourist bracelet made of faience and plastic tinted to look like coral. It is a beautiful piece and I have several necklaces in a similar style. I'm showing you the back here as the fastening is so ornate and beautiful. The sweater I'm wearing was also recently thrifted and this is my second wear. It is a good shade of pink for both my complexion, and existing wardrobe-it matches nicely with several pieces. 

I'm wearing quite a lot of pink and brown lately. This outfit is such a fun piece of Western wear by American company Panhandle Slim.  

I don't have a horse, but that isn't going to stop me rocking a pair of vintage corduroy culottes. Let's go horsie dragon!

I know there's still a couple hours to go, but let me wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year. I'm not making any predictions because if the last couple years have taught me anything it is that none of us have any idea what's coming. I'll cross my fingers and hope for the best in 2022.