“Happy New Year”
Alicia arrived on Monday and was excited to head to Superior Seafood for her first stop. It was sweet of the girls to join at short notice to welcome Alicia.
Monday and Tuesday were busy with New Year’s Eve party planning – grocery and liquor store runs, chopping veggies for salads and a host of other activities. Alicia was a huge help. Trivia was a no-go due to finishing up the prep. Look at this amazing platter that Alicia assembled for us (board courtesy of Will years ago):
The newspaper had an “Only in New Orleans” retrospective article for 2025. It was nice to see Chris Peet and his LOVE flag made the cut:
The party was a big hit. River was a treat playing the piano and singing.
He has such an amazingly authentic New Orleans repertoire for a 16 year old:
I liked the note that I received from River’s dad the next day:
“Hey Keith!
Thanks so much for having River on NYE!
Y’all were amazing hosts and what a great Krewe of people to celebrate with.
Happy 2026 and hope to see Y’all soon!
Jake”
Thanks to Kenny, Kara, Alicia, Diana and everyone else who helped with clean up.
Denny and Anne hosted oyster fest again on New Year’s Day. It was sad that Alabama (Mason’s school) had such a disappointing defeat that spoiled his graduation celebration a bit. Deep fried and chargrilled oysters were delicious, meaning I could avoid the raw ones for the start of a new year.
We dropped Alicia at the airport on Saturday and then swung by the free Creole String Beans show at the Broadside on the way home. What a treat – some pre-show funny stories from Derek, a gorgeous day, and a good group of folks filling up the Broadside. They started with the ear worm that Campbell couldn’t dislodge when he visited, “Iko Iko”
These songs with the dual saxophones just make me smile. It was 11.5 years ago when we first heard them for Anne’s 50th birthday at Chickie Wah Wah:
I’m glad we stopped by for some only in New Orleans time before heading home to relax and regroup from all the recent activity.
We closed out the first week of 2026 with a visit to the Rusty Nail with the Krewe (Kenny, Kara, Denny, Thom, Mason, Lynn, Trey and ultimately Anne.) The Saints showed well in the final game of their season, ultimately losing in the last few minutes. The city of New Orleans appears to be closing out the season with much positive hope for next year.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, lost hugely to the beleaguered New York Giants. It’s time for me to adopt my new home town team and move on.
I started a wonderful book this week – such a pleasant change after the disappointment of my last read. “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans is not something that I thought I would enjoy. I was so wrong. This is wonderfully constructed and executed.
An online review:
“The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is an epistolary novel, told through letters and emails, about a recently retired, divorced lawyer in her 70s named Sybil Van Antwerp who reflects on her life, past traumas, and regrets through correspondence with friends, family, and even famous authors. The book explores themes of aging, forgiveness, and finding connection, as Sybil’s letters reveal a life filled with both sorrow and joy, leading to a personal transformation as she confronts painful memories and seeks reconciliation. Published in April 2025, it’s praised as a charming, poignant, and humorous debut that offers a deep look into a memorable character’s life. “
Here’s something great from River’s dad, Jake, on guitar for the New Orleans Suspects:
I just heard that Joe Ely passed earlier in December. What a huge loss for Texas and Americana music: