Ringing in 2012

I have always wanted to go to a big blow out party on New Years Eve, but I usually just sit at home with my family and watch the ball drop on TV.  This year it was different.  Michael, Adam, Sarah and I actually went into San Francisco and stayed at the Westin San Francisco Market Hotel.  We started out our adventures with the Masters of Venice exhibit at the DeYoung museum.  Lunch was first.  I had pumpkin soup, beet salad and half of a custard fruit tart.  We ate outside in the glorious sunshine.  The temperature was in the mid 60's.  It did not feel like winter.

My favorite artist was Tiziano Vecelli who lived in Venice from 1488-1576.  He is known as Titian. My favorite series he did was about mythology.  It is called poesie because he compares his pictures to visual poetry. 

This painting is called Danae and the Shower of Gold.  Danae's father was told by an oracle that she would bear a son who would kill him.  So, he locked her up in a tower so no man could find her.  But, the god Zeus appeared to her as a shower of gold and seduced her.  Titian was one of the first people to use oil paints.  I love the beauty of the colors and the sensuousness of the painting.

This painting is called  Mars, Venus and Cupid.  Mars and Venus are lovers caught in a passionate embrace.  I love the idea of love overcoming war.  To see the original painting is so inspiring because of the richness of the color and the beauty of the design.

After seeing some beautiful art, we checked into our hotel.  We had adjoining rooms on the 21st floor and I was immediately stunned by the beautiful view.

 

 We sat in our room and watched the sun set for several hours over the city.  It was stupendously beautiful. We could see all the way out to the bay.  The heating and cooling  in Adam and Sarah's room was not working right, so they gave us a bottle of wine as an apology.  We toasted to the new year and talked about all the good things that 2011 has brought us:

• Sarah getting into a Top Ten law school with a scholarship
• Adam getting funding to continue with his PhD and submitting his first paper
• Michael winning two contracts
• Laurie have her most abundant year ever
• All the family is healthy and we are getting along well

We toasted to a wonderful and prosperous 2012.

Then we got ready to go out with my brother Kermit to a Chinese restaraunt down the street called "Fang".  Mr Fang came to our table and told us that he had a special meal created just for us. I got to try some new dishes:

• pot stickers
• clam and cream wonton soup
• tomato beef sizzling rice salad
• duck cutlets sandwich
• outrageous ribs with bok choy
• sesame chicken with sweet potatos
• white fish with spinach

Yummmmmm.

 We took a walk thorugh Yerba Buena Gardens and the Martin Luther King memorial.  After that, Kermit went on to his dance parties and we got ready for ours.  Dressed in all our finery, we went down to the ballrooms where the New Year's Eve bash was happening.  Adam and Sarah did not want to get hats or noisemakers, but Michael and I got decked out in our New Year's hats.

We all were enthralled by the talent of our friend Sonya Jason and her band called "Tigress".  Sonya is a master on the saxophone and we were so mesmerized, we did not want to go listen to anything else.

If you are not familiar with Sonya and her music, you can find out more on her website here.  She played alot of jazz from the years I was growing up--the 60's and 70's-- and many original pieces as well.  This was her new band's debut and we were all very impressed.  It is always inspiring to me to see someone doing what they love and putting so much love and passion into their work.  Plus, she was damn good.

 

 

All in all a wonderful New Year's Eve and celebration of 2012.  Now I need to rest up and recuperate:)  Happy New Year to all.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Michael]

It was a magical 24 hours for our family and a great way to end 2011.