Some call it our birthday, some say anniversary, and what July 4 really signifies in 2026 is that the date is 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

So I guess it IS “anniversary.”

No matter what you label it, this Fourth of July is due to be a major party, especially because it’s on a Saturday this year!

For those of you who would prefer to stay in and avoid the crowds, (hello, Mr. X!,) there are at least a few fun things to watch on TV over the weekend. Perhaps the most interesting choice is to watch the Disney Celebrates America 250 marathon. It’s a 24-hour multi-platform broadcast which runs from tonight, Friday, July 3, at 10:00 p.m. EDT through Saturday, July 4th. I don’t remember anything like this since the turn-of-the-century all day and night televising of the New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world.

This new presentation includes performances, memories, a bit of American history lessons, and, of course, fireworks. I can’t figure-out the entire schedule, but it will all be available across ABC, Disney+, ESPN, Hulu, National Geographic, Freeform, FX, and ABC News Live. My DVR is already set to record it all on basic ABC, because, as you’ll read in a minute, I will be otherwise occupied for just about all of that historic day.  [Note: You can’t record streaming, which is just one of the reasons I hate those platforms!]

It might be fun to watch at least SOME part of it.

For sports nuts such as myself, there’s a plethora of choices. The main one for many is the World Cup. But, thank goodness for small favors, I could never get into soccer. Whew. There are also a ton of important baseball games. But, for me, it’s solely the middle weekend of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, which I’ve been watching obsessively since it began on Monday. It’s literally on for twelve hours a day, so I’m exhausted from just sitting on the couch!

And we’re all still on LeBron watch! I predict that will last all weekend, because he wouldn’t want to disturb this special holiday for everyone, including his own fam.

Not the most flattering still from my Fourth of July Parade video, but perhaps representative of it. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Do you want to stay in, but are not a fan of sports nor of round-the-clock Disney celebrations? You can always catch-up on all my YouTube videos, especially my favorite one about a “Fourth of July Parade” I went to a number of years ago. (I may or may not be going back again this weekend.) Here’s the link to that particular video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtLqXvbYNOE. And the link to my YouTube Channel in general is right here: www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7mwI2jwcB2xB9dBCBxLZg.

Now, to get serious for a moment, this is what I wrote at the end of my Fourth of July column in 2018: “I wish all of you a very happy and above all, safe, Fourth of July. And please spare a thought for how lucky we are to live in this country. Let’s all hope it gets better soon, despite an evil madman running it for a bit longer.” I had no idea that we’d still be here at this late date.

So, because of this lunatic, I was actually a tad concerned about if we normal folk are supposed to be celebrating America these days. But I realized that we can’t let the bad actors ruin our appreciation of this country for us—they’re already ruining much of the country itself. But I feel that we all have to be grateful for what we had before this regime, and hopefully will again beginning in January 2029. We all just have to hold on a bit longer and come together to get through it.

Now go celebrate this special occasion tomorrow, and all weekend. Just please stay safe out there. (And please make sure to check back here early next week to see what else I’ll be celebrating then!)

Even though I don’t work regular 9-5 five-days-a-week hours, I actually work really hard just about every day. Therefore, I do enjoy three-day holiday weekends. They’ve just always felt special to me.

This says it all.

But, as I try to remind everybody each year, Memorial Day is special unto itself because it’s a holiday with the purpose of honoring the members of the armed forces who have lost their lives in service to our country. That deserves at least a modicum of seriousness on the actual day, which is this Monday, of course.

Since “memorial” is actually its title, I also spare a thought for my own loved ones who have gone before, especially my little mother.

And I’m also using today to make my SoCal readers aware of a couple of worthwhile charity events that I think will be fun.

The first one is a special one-night-only, open to the public, event that is taking place on June 4th, after the holiday, as one of the local celebrations of this country’s 250th Anniversary. It looks to be super-fun and educational, and it’s affordable and at one of the easiest theatres in town, (NoHo’s El Portal.) On top of all that, we get to dress up a bit. But much more important than anything is the charity it will benefit—the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation, which raises awareness for kidney disease and organ donation, and advances research, education, and awareness around those situations.

It’s a fabulous fundraising event which goes like this: First up is a cocktail and food reception in the big lobby, which is always adorned with interesting art pieces. Then we go into the theatre to see a forty-minute show, The Fighting Quaker. It tells the story of Timothy Matlack, the man who hand-inscribed the final official copy of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, (when penmanship was important!) What an appropriate presentation to see exactly one month before this nation’s big birthday!

An example of a few of this company’s gifts. Photo courtesy of Susan von Seggern.

As if all that would not be enough, everyone leaves with a gift bag. And VIP tickets also include a gifting suite after the show!!! Now everyone can have the fun of participating in the type of gifting event that I’ve been writing about for years! (I actually attended one of this producer’s gifting suites way back in the day, when I was doing my TV show! So I’m really looking forward to being at another one of hers again during this very special evening.)

I hope to see you all there!

For more info and tickets to The Fighting Quaker, click here: www.mnitf.org/the-fighting-quaker-play.

The second one actually comes first on the calendar, on May 30th, and fits in with this weekend’s theme of “memorial” because it celebrates the late Jesse Colin Young of The Youngbloods singing group, whose big hit was Get Together, a song which has been much-played ever since. The event is the Get Together Now concert at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown LA.

The best part, of course, is that 100% of the proceeds will benefit charities that serve local Los Angeles communities, supporting vulnerable individuals and families in need. (I’m sorry that I don’t know exactly which charities they are.) For more info on this one, click here: www.rockcellarproductions.com/get-together-now.

Now getting back to this weekend, and especially Monday, I wish you all a happy, safe, and especially reflective Memorial Day.

This is your reminder that Sunday will be Mother’s Day. I know that some people, (mainly those who are either not mothers or don’t have theirs for whatever reason,) feel it’s not an important holiday, but even though I lost my mother over fourteen years ago, it still means something to me.

One of the actual cute cards I sent my mother. (The rest are really Not About Me! I just thgought you’d get a kick out of this one.) Photo by Karen Salkin.

But it does not have to be your own mother you honor that day—there are always sisters, aunties, grandmas, daughters, good friends, nice neighbors, even single fathers who do the work of both parents!

Since my little mo didn’t care much about gifts, (unless they were dolls or cream puffs,) I always did something more fun, for both of us. (I repeated the same thing for her birthday two weeks later, as well.) And that is this: First, I spent at least an hour, usually closer to two, buying tons of greeting cards for her. I always chose seven to ten, and included everything from funny to clever to cute to pretty to heartfelt. And then I’d spend another hour or so deciding their order and writing them out. I’d put the numbers on the envelopes, so she’d see their progression and open them that way, and then sent them off. The mail deliverers on her Brooklyn block always announced them with words like, “Your California daughter did it again!” I think she was more proud for them to notice that than she even was happy to receive them!

One of the lovely miniatures painted by my little mo, May Rose Salkin. Photo by Karen Salkin.

That effort from me to make them fun meant more to her than just opening a package with a Mother’s Day gift, (though gifts happened from time to time, as well, but all year, not just for Mother’s Day.) When she passed away, and I was clearing out her house, I found that my notorious decluttering mother had kept…them all!!! There were barely any cards from my two siblings, (perhaps they hadn’t been kind enough to send any,) but all of mine through the years.

Outside of that annual personal happiness, there are things I adore when it comes to special Mother’s Day touches in regard to public entertainments. For example, the night before the occasion, Saturday Night Live often has the cast come out one at a time with their moms. And some of the sports teams show their mothers, as well, or record messages for them, that are played during their games on Sunday. I love all of that specialness.

I share all of these thoughts to remind everyone to please honor anyone you know who deserves it this Sunday, in whatever way you can.

And to all of you who celebrate, or are celebrated yourselves, I wish you a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Once again, Easter comes right in the middle of Passover. How many fun foods can one girl eat in a week???

Which do I love more?

But I’m celebrating one extra “holiday” this week, as well. The first night of Passover, which was Wednesday, fell on the same day as my favorite day of the year. So do you know what that special day was? I can tell you the answer now without joking—it was April Fool’s Day! It’s the only day of the year that Mr. X tells me he loves me, (so he can get the words out of his system, but then take them right back, to keep me on my toes.) And that’s no joke. But I love it! (And a big thank you to all the gullible pals who I “got” once again this year!)

As for Easter, I totally hadn’t realized the date of that holiday this year, (it’s this coming Sunday, in case you all were out of the loop, too,) and had made plans to review a play that day! Wanting to always be reliable, I’m forging ahead with those plans, and hope that at least the audience members will be a tad festive for the holiday. I know that I will! (But will I choose to rock my “chick in a colorful basket” earrings or my yellow Easter e-word ones? How’s a girl to choose?)

A passover set-up at a seder I once went to. Photo by Karen Salkin.

The main reason that I care about Passover is to pay tribute to my heritage. And, okay, because I have affection for the special foods, too. (I first made my nutty—in both senses of the word—Tower of Matzahs recipe during the Pandemic Passover, and let me tell you—that odd dessert is delicious! It was even during the crazy time when I didn’t have the proper ingredients during that lockdown! If you want to give it a whirl yourself, here’s the recipe for you: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/recipe-tower-of-matzahs-recipe.)

Pretty Easter.

And the colors and camaraderie of Easter are what draw me to that special day. I’ve loved it ever since I starred in my third grade Spring play; at the end, I donned a flowered chapeau while the rest of the cast, (my classmates, of course,) serenaded me with a rousing rendition of In Your Easter Bonnet.

No matter what you do this week-end, if you’re a celebrant of either holiday, or both, I wish you the happiest Passover and the hoppiest Easter! (Goony of me, I know.)

I’m always all in on St. Patrick’s Day. Mr. X recently asked me why that is, (after seeing me celebrate it for a gazillion years,) and I replied because it’s just such a fun, easy and colorful holiday.

What I wish us all today!

But I can’t do much for it today, for several reasons, chief among them being that it’s also the first day of…March Madness!!! For you nescients out there, that’s the college basketball championship tournament, which takes place over the next three weeks. I try my best to watch every second of the incredible action. (No worries—I’ll report on it all at the end.)

On top of that, today is two days after the Oscars, so I’m still working on my review of all that madness. (I hope to publish it tomorrow.) I’m also writing theatre reviews and articles about the various Oscars Gifting Suites. Let me tell you, March is a crazy month!

So, I’m making today’s celebration of St. Paddy’s Day short and sweet. The most important thing to remember about the occasion is that if you do not wear at least a wee bit of green, people who are doing the day right have carte blanche to pinch you!!! Mark my words. Even if you’re just sitting in the house with one other person! I’m always safe because I polish my nails in varying shades of emerald for the special day, even if it’s just Mr. X and me sitting in front of the TV.

And if you’re craving my usual March 17th articles, complete with sweet and interesting Irish blessings and pix of all my green manis though the years, just go to one of the two “Search” boxes on the right of the site, and enter the holiday’s various titles there. Or go to the “Date” archives, also on the right side, and look at every “March” throughout the years, and you’ll find them there.

Happy St. Paddy’s Day! Have a wee good one. And let your leprechaun flag fly!

Exactly as it happened four years ago, Valentine’s Day is actually tomorrow. And the romantic holiday being on a Saturday means that it will be absolutely crazy to go out to celebrate.

Romantic ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

So, I suggest that everyone maybe emulate Mr. X and me, because, also as it happened that quadrennium ago, Valentine’s Day is coming right smack in the middle of the Winter Olympics!!! So, since love is what this holiday is about, I’ll be doing what I love—watching those Olympics!!! So, Happy Valentine’s Day to them and me! (And Mr. X, as well—he enjoys the Games along with me, but he doesn’t get as nutty over them as I do! Does anyone, really?)

Complicating Valentine’s activities for many couples is that this is also the NBA All-Star Week-end. So tomorrow is All-Star Saturday Night, which is one of the favorite nights all year of sports fans everywhere, including yours truly, of course. So that might cause a few problems for couples all over this country—many guys will want to stay in and watch the fun proceedings, while their ladies will be insisting on going out! (Stereotypical of me, I know. But think about it a minute, and you’ll realize that I am correct.) I feel bad for all of them.

So I hope that Mr. X knows just how lucky he is to have a bae who wants to spend Valentine’s Day and Night at home even more than his hermitic self does!!!

I’ll end this article about this love-centric 2026 weekend by declaring my love for all my readers and followers; I hope the feeling is mutual. So, to all of my supporters, and even those visiting INAM for the first time, I wish you a super Happy Valentine’s Day! Much love from me to you.

I don’t have a lot to say about today or tonight except to congratulate us all for making it through yet another super-tough year. And to hope that, in these very trying times, the end of 2025 brings the end to many of our troubles, as well. And that tomorrow can be some form of clean slate, even though I know it’s never really exactly what we expect.

This says it all today.

I never love getting political in this e-zine, but sometimes I must express my disdain for all the destruction caused by Orange Hitler and his henchmen. I recently noticed that at this time nine years ago, (in 2016!,) I wrote: “I usually don’t look too far ahead in life, (rather, just forward to fun events,) but I found myself trying to imagine just what I’ll have to write on this page next year at this time. I just hope that the incoming administration of buffoons and dangers hasn’t gotten us into another World War by then.” And all these years later, I’m more trepidatious than ever. I really can’t believe we’re experiencing all of those horrors again, and actually worse ones this go-round! I have to keep telling myself, “Only three more years,” and pray that we still have a country, and world, by then, for normal leaders to fix.

So now, to bring the room back up a little, let me advise that, when the present gets to be a bit too much to handle, let’s all try to focus on positivity for the foreseeable future. And when we look back over the past year, also try hard to concentrate on the good times that we’ve had in the previous twelve months, no matter how few that may be.

My sincere thoughts to all of YOU!

And most importantly right now, here’s your two-week notice for the most special event of every year, (to me, at least,) my birthday! (January 14th, if you can’t figure-out what the exact date will be in two weeks.)

But for now, I wish each and every one of you a very Happy New Year!!! Please stay safe out there! And I’ll meet you all right here again next year. (That’s my perennial dumb joke meaning in my very next column, which will be on Monday.) See you then!

Even though Mr. X and I still haven’t gone back to decorating our house or getting each other Christmas presents, (as we did majorly every year until we lost my beloved mother on Christmas Day fourteen years ago,) we have had a lovely holiday season, as I hope that all of you also have.

A decoration at the Rodeo Drive Tree Lighting. Photo by Karen Salkin.

In this past month, I’ve gone out with friends a lot, including to parties and to see special plays, musicals, and dance shows. But my usually-reclusive bae came out with me a few times, including to even one soiree! That makes not just me happy–he appears to put a little smile on the faces of everyone who sees him! 

But we mainly celebrate the season in the most plebeian of ways—by watching as many Hallmark Christmas movies as possible! A bit nutty of us, I know.

A tiny tree that I drew on a holiday poster at a theatre. No worries about vandalism, though–they asked us to do that! Photo by Karen Salkin.

Mr. X is the one who actually began that tradition for us. After several years of just moping around, dreading Christmas because of the sadness it had come to represent due to my mother leaving this level of life on that date, he decided the gooniness of those movies was just the distraction we needed. And he was correct!

He really doesn’t want to watch them anymore, but guess what? I do! I like a silly tradition. But at least this year, when the stories start off awful, I let us abandon them, and move on, which I never did before.

Half the fun is rating them! There were few “A”s this year, but the ones that did rate that highest mark were actually sort-of wonderful. (As many of you may already know, my little mother was an English teacher, and when she loved an essay, she gave it an “A++ Adorable!” I’m still looking to give that one out myself.)

Here are our faves this season, (even if some of them are actually from years past):

And a long time after I drew MY little tree, this one appeared in a TV movie! Just sayin’. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Christmas By Starlight—The absolute best one! I gave it an A+++! The two stars, Paul Campbell and Kimberley Sustad, even wrote this very amusing and heartwarming story! (But, alas, they are married to other people in real life.)

Northern Lights of Christmas—I pretty much predicted what the ending would be from the get-go, but I wasn’t sure exactly how we would get there, so that made it interesting. And, outside of the usual cannot-possibly-get-all-of-that-done-in-just-a-few-days scenario, the rest was actually believable.

’Twas the Date Before Christmas—I loved this very different one, with two attractive and believable leads.

Oy to the World—This one got an A on just the clever title alone! The story, obvi, includes a synagogue and a church. Of course. Very cute. Being Jewish myself, the girl’s family kept cracking me up. And the guy, Jake Epstein, is a Broadway musical star, so his few tunes here are particularly good.

Mr. X and my famous Christmas Fireplace sweater that we trade off wearing during the holidays. Can you guess how that fireplace keeps going? Photo by Karen Salkin.

Christmas on My Mind—This is yet another silly amnesia tale, but it’s still cute. And I liked that the two significant others of the leads are attractive themselves, and not the usual buffoons.

My Southern Family Christmas—I liked it more than Mr. X did, most likely because it’s very different from the norm. It stars a very plump young woman, and has just a hint of romance, which is actually a sort-of believable one. And it’s a story of finding her bio dad, which I’ve never seen in a Hallmark movie before. So, I give it credit for all of that.

There is one that I gave a “D” to. I actually wanted to give up on it early on, but Mr. X found it moderately entertaining, so we finished it. It’s The Mistletoe Inn, and not only is the story the stupidest, with the ending being easily figured-out in the first few minutes, but the lead actress, Alicia Witt, is just awful. She’s completely devoid of charm, and has zero chemistry with the cute guy lead, David Alpay. We should have seen her falling for him all along, not just when she realizes who he is. And she speaks in such a weird baby-ish manner; her voice is like the proverbial nails on a chalkboard to me. So I suggest you avoid that one at all costs.

But I have to stop that not-kind-for-the-holiday talk now, and tell you that I believe that Hallmark, and some of the other channels, like UP and even the CW, will run the movies until the new year begins. So you still have your chance to catch-up with us a bit. I suggest putting your PJs on right now, and staying in bed or on the couch, watching these movies, for the rest of the holiday! (If only, right?)

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Even though Mr. X and I don’t exchange presents anymore, nor do I with my pals because of my Christmas loss sadness, (although a few very kind friends still gave me some fabulous ones this year,) there is one easy gift I always ask of you guys, my readers. And you don’t even have to leave the very device you’re reading this on to do it!

So, have you guessed what it is? It’s that I’m hoping that if you don’t already follow me on my social platforms, that you’ll do so now. I hope that will also be somewhat of a gift for you because then you won’t have to go looking for my new columns every day—they’ll all come right to you! How’s that for a win-win, which we can all use right about now?

Okay, here’s all the info you need to follow me:

X, the former Twitter: @MajorCelebrity

FacebookFan Page: It’s Not About Me TV
Instagram: majorcelebrity
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7mwI2jwcB2xB9dBCBxLZg

And finally for my pix today, Happy Holidays to you all! Photo by Karen Salkin.

And, if nothing else, please remember to “bookmark” or “favorite” this e-zine. Just enter ItsNotAboutMe.TV into your list of “Bookmarks” or “Favorites” on your browser on your computer. (I actually don’t know how to do that on a phone. So maybe one of you can enlighten me, and perhaps all of us, in the Comments section below.)

Thank you so much for doing any of that! I guess that will be “Happy Holidays to me!”

And, of course, I wish all of you a super Merry Christmas! And please stay safe.

Hanukkah doesn’t start until Sunday, but I’d always rather get ahead of a holiday than be late to the party. So here I am, reminding those who celebrate, two days in advance.

I love a happy holiday! And Hanukkah is always just that.

And, not to get political here, but for many this year, it’s made happier by the long-overdue release of the Israeli hostages. (I wrote this two years ago in my Hanukkah article back then: “This year, though, with all the sadness in the world right now, especially the horrors that have taken place in Israel, the occasion has more gravitas than ever.  So I feel that we all need to keep that situation in mind.” And I finished it with, “I feel I need to close this out with the serious side of this holiday. I hope that everyone, whether or not this is your holiday, will please spare a thought for what the many less-fortunate Jewish people are going through this year. I’m praying that the heartbreaking Israeli conflict will be over soon.”)

Just a year ago, all of us were saying prayers that the hostages would be home by the holiday this year, and those prayers were finally answered a couple of months ago.

But it’s not solely happiness on that front. Many of the hostages were killed, and the survivors will have tons of pain forever after. So the world at large needs to keep everyone less fortunate in their hearts and minds.

I’m sorry to have just brought the room down, but I felt that I had to pay that small tribute to my people at this time of year.

Pretty gelt and dreidels.

So back to a more light-hearted celebration of Hanukkah! I’ve been wearing a lot of blue, (which is basically the color of the holiday, as opposed to the green and red of Christmas,) in the lead-up to it, along with rocking my Hanukkah socks! (I’ve never claimed to not be goony!) I’m looking forward to lighting one of my colorful menorahs, although I can’t decide between my crayon box or sports balls ones. (Menorahs are supposed to be fun, so having cute ones is not at all disrespectful or sacrilegious.) And, for once, I already have a full box of Hanukkah candles! That’s a shock because I’m rarely this prepared. I also bought a few bags of “gelt” for Mr. X. (They’re foil-wrapped chocolate coins, of course. But I do hope that he gives me some real gelt, which means “money,” for you readers not of my same ethnic persuasion.)

And that’s about all I have to say about the holiday in this very strange year. But I really do hope that you all have tons of fun—light those candles, spin those dreidels, and scarf those potato latkes! May it all be wonderful for you and yours.

I wish a very Happy Hanukkah to everyone who celebrates. And please do your best to stay safe!

Yes, tomorrow is Thanksgiving, but I consider the entire next five days, including today, to be official parts of this holiday. I’ve long referred to tonight as “Thanksgiving Eve,” and I used to throw fabulous get-togethers on it, both at my house with Mr. X and then at the dance clubs I ran, to celebrate. They were always the most fun fetes of the whole holiday season! And I’m still very thankful for those times.

How adorbs!

But now I have something fun in a very different way to be grateful for this year. It’s actually a two-parter of gratitude. First is that I’ve been alive for a little over a decade since my mini-stroke! On top of that bit of luck, (or divine intervention,) my “strokiversary” calls have been going great! As those of you who have read my recent-ish column* about it being ten years since I had my stroke know, the way I’m celebrating my bonus decade of life is to call someone I rarely speak to, (which includes everyone outside of the five or ten people I see all the time,) one a day for this entire year. (But I am taking tomorrow off from the project, as well as Christmas, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, my birthday, Mr. X’s birthday, and Yom Kippur, in that order!) *(If you missed the article, and are curious, here’s the link: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/karens-thanks-its-my-ten-year-strokiversary.)

So far, in these six weeks, everyone has seemed very happy to hear from me. And speaking with them has elevated my soul! I’ve loved it when a few people even said they picked up my “blocked call” because they were hoping that they were that day’s strokiversary call!!! That really warmed my heart. (And gave a bit of a boost to my affected brain!)

To You and Yours!

I’m so thankful to have thought of celebrating my good fortune, (of being alive for so long after the medical incident,) by reaching-out to others, which brought them all into my year-long celebration.

I try to always count my blessings. And in speaking with so many people recently, I realized something else to be thankful for—I’ve never hated any level of my life. That is so lucky! So many people at least hated their high school experience, but I had such a good time back then that I’d be happy to still be there! And I had a good time at all four of my colleges, as well. So that’s just more to be grateful for, at all times, but especially tomorrow, when we officially give thanks.

And I have one more thing to be grateful for right now, which has nothing to do with me! It’s that…Robert Irwin and Witney Carson very deservedly won this season of Dancing With The Stars last night! I love when the right duo wins! And in this case, besides that Robert has become an incredible dancer, with zero previous training, he’s one of the nicest, kindest, most appreciative people I’ve ever seen! He really is the male version of his sister, Bindi, who won this same show a decade ago. What darling people they are! That victory really started-off my weekend of special gratitude in the right way.

Robert Irwin and Witney Carson with their Mirrorball Trophies. Photo by Karen Salkin.

So now, I’m happy to say a heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who reads this e-zine—I always appreciate the support more than you know.

And I wish you all a beautiful and very Happy Thanksgiving! With lots of things to be grateful for.