It’s the HOLIDAY SEASON! random thoughts…

…okay I know you’re singing that song by Andy Williams!

andy-williams

A few months ago I got the season schedule for the Irvine Barclay Theater and saw “An Irish Christmas” on their calendar. Well, what a great way to start out the holidays! It was this past Sunday, right after Thanksgiving, and I loved it! Irish music, lots of Irish dancing, a little Christmas tree, some Irish history and just a warm, lovely show. They’ll be touring California, with a stop in Arizona, but the closest they’ll be back in SoCal is Dec. 14 in Thousand Oaks or Dec. 17 at Caltech in Pasadena…if you wanted to take a moment from the holiday madness to sit back and be entertained.

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I also got to see the movie Jackie  at the OC Film Society screening this week and I was a bit underwhelmed. I have always admired Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who doesn’t. She was poised and had so much class…and I loved the way she raised her children in NYC without much pretentiousness. I randomly rode in an elevator with her while shopping at Bergdorf’s in NYC in the early 90’s…who can mistake those fabulous sunglasses…yes, she had them on in the elevator. I digress… If I had watched the trailer I would have known that it was a small snippet of her life as first lady right after Kennedy was shot. I thought it was going to be much more of a biopic of her entire life, so, honestly, I was a little disappointed….but it was still interesting. I thought Natalie Portman’s performance was great (she’s had some reviews that thought it was a little too much “acting”) portraying her as I suspect Jackie was…guarded, rehearsed, always on, trying to live up to her new Kennedy name. On a totally personal note, I got all choked up when she puts on a record of Richard Burton singing Camelot because my dad used to sing it and it just caught me by surprise. It could hear him singing it like it was yesterday. Weird how songs and movies can do that to you. Anyway…would I recommend? Eh? If you’re a big movie goer and want to see all that’s out there, it’s worth seeing and well done, but if you’re the type who’d rather wait for the video release, I’d go with that.

jackie-poster

Well…it is the holiday season, so check out this list of events to go do and see in the coming weeks here in Orange County. A few of my favorites are our own neighborhood progressive hors d’oeuvre party at three homes (start one in your neighborhood!), the Balboa Island Holiday Home Tour (next Sunday 12.11), our team Christmas row, in costume, out to the Newport Jetty with other clubs and paddlers, xmas-rowthe Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade (12.14 thru 12.18)…and Roger’s Gardens never disappoints. Of course every mall will be decorated to the nines, there will be countless opportunities to see The Nutcracker….but sometimes it’s just nice to sit at home by the fire with Christmas music playing and relishing in the joy that the season brings (ignore the noise of holiday chaos!). Share some things going on in your area in the comments below!

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my little elf menorah

ps…check out the Barclay calendar as they have some awesome entertainers coming up (and it’s a lovely small theater), not the least of which is the AMAZING tap dancer Savion Glover. I’ve seen him numerous times and if you like dance…oh hell, even if you’re not a huge dance fan…he’s truly something to experience. He’ll be there February 10th & 11th.

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!

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