{"id":37801,"date":"2018-12-24T18:47:34","date_gmt":"2018-12-24T18:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/?p=37801"},"modified":"2018-12-24T18:47:34","modified_gmt":"2018-12-24T18:47:34","slug":"holiday-merry-christmas-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/holiday-merry-christmas-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"HOLIDAY: MERRY CHRISTMAS 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2018<\/h1>\n

As many of you know by now, today is exactly seven years since I saw my precious little mother, (except in my dreams, of course, for which I\u2019m sooo grateful.)<\/p>\n

\"Karen<\/a>

Karen Salkin wishing everyone a very Happy Holiday, as she also is in the pic at the top of this page, rocking her Christmas sneakers!<\/p><\/div>\n

I still can\u2019t bring myself to celebrate Christmas in the fabulous extravagant way that Mr. X and I always did before that terrible day, but several events this past year have reminded me of the brevity of life, so I\u2019ve made a concerted effort to be a bit merrier than we have been for these last seven years.<\/p>\n

To that end, in addition to turning the spotlight on our official Charlie Brown music-playing tree a friend gave us a few years ago, and the tiny lights bestowed on us by another the following year, and the adorable snow globe yet one more pal sent us after that, I decided to make the house cheerier. I\u2019m actually displaying some fabulous ornaments, and I\u2019ve adorned that special little tree with a few of the tiniest ones, which I\u2019ve always loved but haven\u2019t seen since 2009. (That was our last holiday in LA with decorations\u2014the next two years were in NY, and then never again.) I even bought a few\u00a0new\u00a0beautiful baubles at my favorite holiday-decorated place in LA\u2014Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain in Pasadena. I\u2019m so happy every time I lay eyes on any<\/em> of my cheery treasures.<\/p>\n

\"Just<\/a>

Just part of the display at Fair Oaks Pharmacy! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

And then, it happened\u2014the day after Thanksgiving, while Mr. X was watching football, I made a decision to be more festive this year than we have been for the past six. And by myself, I climbed up to my precious Christmas closet and took down\u2014the Christmas dishes!!! Oh how I love those beauties!!! I\u2019m a Spode Christmas Tree freak, and all of my plates, platters, and tchotchkes have been languishing in their boxes for all these years. Just taking them out of the boxes gave me butterflies again. And using them for this whole month has been a joy.\u00a0 (See\u2014I\u00a0am<\/em>\u00a0a simple girl after all!)<\/p>\n

\"Mr.<\/a>

Mr. X’s moving decorations out front. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Mr. X, the lighting king, got in on the festivities, as well. Every night, he highlights the front of the house with the cutest lit-up Christmas characters, like gingerbread men, wrapped gift boxes, and colorful ornaments. And he lights the giant oak tree in the back with a twinkling light show, too. We\u2019re actually one of only about eight houses on our entire several mile-long block who do anything festive like that. (Bah humbug to the rest of our neighbors.)<\/p>\n

Maybe next year, we\u2019ll even get back to putting up a tree and doing the whole schmear. You never know.<\/p>\n

And, as always since that horrible year, our friends Fred and Jim invite us to their incredible Christmas dinner. Finer hosts you cannot find anywhere. And, not to make anyone jealous, but since they own two of my all-time favorite restaurants, Back On Broadway and Back on the Beach, both in Santa Monica, you just know that we will be dining on the most delish dishes anywhere!<\/p>\n

Now, as a gift to myself (and<\/em> my poor beleaguered proofreaders,) I\u2019m taking the rest of this week off to celebrate the holidays properly. (It\u2019s about time, right? In the entire nine plus years of INAM, I think I\u2019ve taken only one other week off!)<\/p>\n

No matter how you<\/em> celebrate this holiday, (if you do at all,) I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas. And, in the immortal words of Tiny Tim, \u201cGod bless us, every one.\u201d (And I\u2019ll meet you back here next Monday.)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2018 As many of you know by now, today is exactly seven years since I saw my precious little mother, (except in my dreams, of course, for which I\u2019m sooo grateful.) I still can\u2019t bring myself to celebrate Christmas in the fabulous extravagant way that Mr. X and I always did before that<\/p>\n

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