Ringing in 2012!

January 1/12.

Happy new year!

Jazzed up the dining room table for Kate's new years soiree with vanilla scented candles, PC cookies and mini biscotti, Toblerone chocolates, Godiva mint truffles, tangerines, and of course,

champagne - both Henkell and Villa Sandi Presecco, as requested by my daughter, Kate, for her partying pals!  (Here, I'm "multi-tasking" - serving bubbly while talking to Carrie on the phone)!

Kate & Damian had fun hosting the bash! (left to right, Damian, Kate, Arena, Cadence, Yonah, Eric)

Meanwhile, Max took his girlfriend, Robyn, out for dinner at the fab Focaccia downtown at Bloor & Yonge. Such a cute couple!

The house party continued,

while Sam & I headed out to the Danforth for our annual new year's eve dinner

at The Friendly Greek!

On the menu for us? Flaming cheese (Saganaki Opa!) set on fire with brandy,

Salty, but delish,

I had my once-a-year Ouzo on the rocks,

(first discovered the anise-flavoured aperitif when I saw the movie Forty Carats back in 1973, when Liv Ullmann shared Ouzo with Edward Albert Jr. on a beach in Greece). I've longed to go to Argos ever since! Maybe someday.

My dinner was fantastic, as it always is at The Friendly Greek. Had an appetizer of cold Dolmadakia (grape leaves stuffed with rice), plus their to-die-for seafood souvlaki, made up of shrimp, scallops and the best salmon ever! Can you believe the mountain of rice? After the Dolmadakia, no way I could finish all that! Stuck to the seafood and veggies. Sam had grilled Kalamari. We talked about the incredibly tumultuous year we just survived and toasted our families and friends for a happy and healthy 2012.

I was thrilled to come home and spend the rest of the evening with three of my favourite men, Curly, Larry & Moe!

Soitenly MY kinda way to laugh off the old year and ring in the new!! Nyuk nyuk nyuk.

And always fun to share it all with Kate & Max. Best kids ever!! Happy new year to you both!

The next morning, New Year's Day,  Max & Robyn seemed no worse for the wear and ready to tackle a new year.

As for me? Lots of medical appointments ahead, and I'm afraid because of the unexpected return of breast pain, but what else can I say but, "2012? - BRING IT ON!!"