Happy New Year! How are you doing? Hope you had a relaxing break, if you took one.
We had a cozy time in both New York and California. Since the boys were spending Christmas week with their dad this year, we did a little gift exchange the night before they left. We ordered pineapple-and-green-pepper pizza, and their two favorite gifts were Ruth Chan’s graphic memoir and a silent basketball they haven’t stopped playing with.
After the boys departed, my boyfriend Freddie and I hung out for a few days. We were thrilled to score a lunch reservation at I Sodi, which I’d argue serves the best Italian food in New York City. (Bold statement, I know!) They’re famous for doing eight different versions of a Negroni and…
…their 20-layer lasagna, which is worth alllll the hype.
My heart. I’ve talked about Freddie a little bit on Big Salad, but I’m really excited to introduce him on Cup of Jo 🙂 He’s a high school history teacher and dad of two boys, and he loves The Sopranos, neighborhood walks, bookstores with sofas, and making cheesy eggs for breakfast.
The next day, we slept in, walked around, and then went uptown to dinner at Jenny Rosenstrach’s apartment. She and her husband, Andy, made a green salad and…lasagna! This recipe was from Smitten Kitchen and had less tomato flavor and a richer bolognese. For dessert, Freddie and I brought an Italian pandoro, a milky bread over which you shake powdered sugar — have you ever had one? It looked like a snow-capped mountain.
Another evening, Freddie and I hung out with some of his relatives, and I actually met his parents, which is a story for another day! His dad told me about his firefighting career! His mom gave me slippers! I was nervous! It seemed to go well!
Then Freddie headed off to see his kids, so I flew solo for a while. I anticipated maybe feeling a little lonely on Christmas Eve and morning, but instead friends warmly welcomed me into their gatherings, which really moved me. At a service on Christmas Eve, the carols rang through the church and gardens.
For the second half of the break, the boys and I reunited in San Francisco to visit my sister, niece, dad, and other relatives. I was giddy to have them back in my clutches — when I met them at the airport, I felt like a regular-person version of Diana running to her boys on this ship, haha. Such a universal feeling!
We saw a Warriors basketball game with the cousins…
…although it ended with a tough loss.
We also went to a sports exhibit at SF MoMA…
…which had a four-way ping-pong table you could play with, and iconic sports photos through the years, including this one of Tanya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan.
On New Year’s Eve, we cherished our family ritual of visiting my sister’s late husband Paul’s grave.
The younger kids ran around, while the adults chatted and toasted with Champagne.
Afterward, we went to my sister’s house for dinner, and I saw this print-out on her fridge. The wise words, by C.S. Lewis, reminded me of her and Paul’s time together; and now that I’m falling in love, I’ve remembered how vulnerable it can feel to hand your heart to someone. How do people do it?
Finally, to close the night, we played the game Herd Mentality…
…and realized that Toby is now taller than almost all of the grandparents. (Opa’s the last one standing.)
On our way home, I marveled at my boys slowly growing up into beautiful men (especially compared to this photo!). But, of course, I still have things to teach them. At the airport, I showed Anton how to fold his socks into a ball. “Mom,” he said, trying it himself. “Not gonna lie, that’s pretty tuff.”
Hope you had a relaxing break. Anything to report? Any surprises? Any disasters? Would love to hear it all. Sending so much love for 2025. xoxo
P.S. A surprisingly fun way to do New Year’s resolutions, and the very first CoJ post.
(Photo by Yakov Knyazev/Stocksy.)
