New Year’s Eve 2021

Mar 6

Chapter 25

Addy was wearing white.

But, she always did. It was her signature. However, she never white shoes after Labor Day and never before Easter. She did have her standards! So was the case that evening on Dec 31, 2021. That night, her shoes were red, for a festive touch. She had prepared a charcuterie board with oysters and Red Dragon Cheese. She drank pinot noir. Preston drank gin.

They were watching the ball drop festivities from Times Square from the warmth of her home on Maupas Avenue. The two marveled at the number standing there in the artic temperatures. The weather in Savannah had been in the 70s all week.

Addy remembered her grandparents had been to NYC on New Year’s Eve in the 1950s and stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel. Her Grandmother said they dressed in evening clothes and went to the grand ball room to dance, drink and sing. The legendary Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians were playing. It was an elegant affair and her grandmother would re-tell the event every New Year’s Eve until she passed away. Grandmother Wilder also swore she saw a young Grace Kelly there dancing with Frank Sinatra. It was on this trip that Grandfather Wilder bought his wife a diamond and ruby ring that she had admired in the window at Tiffanys.

Those stories made New Year’s Eve somehow magical to Addy. It symbolized the beginning of a new year with promises of laughter and hope.

It was almost time for the ball to drop. Preston offered to go to the kitchen to get the champagne. When he returned, Addy noticed he was a little unlike himself. She knew all his moods. Afterall, she had known him since she was 7 years old.

He seemed nervous for some reason. She was about to ask him why when the announcer started the count down.

He gave her a quick kiss and they raised the glasses of champagne for a toast. It was at that time; she noticed her Grandmother's ruby and diamond ring in the bottom of her glass!

Addy's mother had given it to Preston for what was about to happen.

Her breath halted.

The announcer counted, "10–9-8–“Addy", Preston said as he dropped to one knee, 7-6-5 -4 “Marry me” 3-2 “Yes! she replied” - 1. "

“Happy New Year!”

Oysters Paskevich & Southern Conserve Cocktail Sauce

INGREDIENTS FOR OYSTERS

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. butter, cubed
1 package (9 ounces) fresh kale, torn
1 c. grated Romano cheese
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp pepper
2 lbs kosher salt
3 dozen fresh oysters in the shell, washed

DIRECTIONS FOR OYSTERS

1. In a large skillet, sauté onion in butter until tender. Add kale; cook and stir until wilted. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese, lemon juice and pepper.

2. Spread kosher salt into 2 ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Shuck oysters, reserving oyster and its liquid in bottom shell. Lightly press oyster shells down into the salt, using salt to keep oysters level. Top each with 2-1/2 tsp. kale mixture.

3. Bake, uncovered, at 450° until oysters are plump, 6-8 minutes. Serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE