{"id":46607,"date":"2020-12-18T08:32:31","date_gmt":"2020-12-18T08:32:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/?p=46607"},"modified":"2020-12-18T08:32:31","modified_gmt":"2020-12-18T08:32:31","slug":"karens-thoughts-things-i-really-miss-this-holiday-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/karens-thoughts-things-i-really-miss-this-holiday-season\/","title":{"rendered":"KAREN’S THOUGHTS: THINGS I REALLY MISS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON"},"content":{"rendered":"

THINGS\u00a0I REALLY MISS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON<\/h1>\n
\"The<\/a>

The elegant table set-up for a former holiday party at Maria Calabrese’s house. Photo by Karen Salkin. (The photo at the top of this page is also at Maria’s: Nikki D’Amico, Flo Selfman, Karen Salkin, and Maria Calabrese. The red “no” circle means sadly “Not this year!”)<\/p><\/div>\n

This is a holiday season like no other any of us have ever experienced in our entire lives! (Unless you\u2019re well over one-hundred-and-two, and can remember the Spanish Flu of 1918. If that\u2019s the case, I\u2019m in awe of you.)<\/p>\n

Even though I am set in my ways in many\u2014okay, most<\/em>–instances, I also pride myself on being extremely flexible and able to roll with all punches. So I\u2019ve accepted the world\u2019s plight for most of 2020, and consider having to follow all the life-saving precautions to be just one of life\u2019s speed bumps, albeit a major one. And if giving up our usual and normal holidays experiences means saving lives, including my own, so be it. I\u2019m always willing to comply with necessary emergency edicts.<\/p>\n

All that being said, there are soooo many aspects to the holiday season that I find myself missing this year. Below is the list of my favorite annual holiday events, which I look forward to all year, but won\u2019t be happening in 2020. I want everyone involved in the projects to know that I\u2019m thinking of them, and hope to see them all again as soon as it\u2019s safe to do so. (And please share what you<\/em> are missing this year, in the Comments below.)<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my list:<\/p>\n

~ Holiday shows, such as the hilarious Lythgoe Family Panto, The Wallis\u2019 annual upbeat holiday show, (which has been the hugely popular Love Actually Live<\/em> for the past two years,) Sierra Madre Playhouse\u2019s always happy, clever, and\/or pathos-inducing holiday productions, and Pasadena Playhouse\u2019s live-on-stage \u201cradio\u201d plays, with all their lovely courtyard decorations.<\/p>\n

\"Love<\/a>

Love Actually Live at The Wallis last year. Photo by Kevin Parry.<\/p><\/div>\n

~ Holiday Open Houses. The ones I try to always make it to are on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake, West Third Street, and my fave–the Beverly Glen Center.<\/p>\n

~ My neighborhood party, which always features the best homemade desserts! I even miss baking for it, (which I\u2019ll get to in a minute.)<\/p>\n

~ Having ice cream sundaes with Mr. X at the iconic Fair Oaks Pharmacy in Pasadena. It\u2019s a unique experience to sit amidst the multiple decorated Christmas trees adorned with stunning and creative ornaments, several of which we just have<\/em> to purchase each time we\u2019re there! How can we not<\/em> do that when the decorations are everywhere around us?!<\/p>\n

\"Fair<\/a>

Fair Oaks Pharmacy during the holidays in happier years. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

~ Chanukkah celebrations.<\/p>\n

~ FabFitFun\u2019s fabulous<\/em> holiday soiree, complete with fabulous food and gifts!!!<\/p>\n

~ Millennium Magic, the all-professional-magician three-night extravaganza at Theatre West.<\/p>\n

\"Karen<\/a>

Karen Salkin’s Chocolate Chip Christmas Cake. Photo by Karen Salkin. (Duh.)<\/p><\/div>\n

~ Gift exchanges with friends. (Sending<\/em> the presents, or doing it in the Spring, are just not the same.)<\/p>\n

~ Creatively baking for parties, (like my Chocolate Chip Christmas Cake that I came up with a couple of years ago.)<\/p>\n

~ Pals enjoying seeing all my lovely\/fun\/entertaining holiday tchotchkes that I\u2019ve collected through the years.<\/p>\n

~ Getting dressed-up for soirees.<\/p>\n

~ Or getting dressed\u00a0down<\/em>, in an Ugly Christmas Sweater, the best one of which Mr. X has been rocking, or lending me<\/em> to rock, for several years now! (And this coming Sunday will be Ugly Sweater Day, so we\u2019re all set.) [Note: I am<\/em> wearing it in the photo at the top of this page, but you can’t see the best part of it. Maybe next year.]<\/p>\n

\"Karen<\/a>

Karen Salkin and Heidi Rotbart, celebrating the new year together, by the buffet table, of course. (And no–those flowers are not in Karen’s hair!) Photo by Mr. X.<\/p><\/div>\n

~ Hugging all the people I see mainly at this time of year, whose company is always a much-looked-forward to treat.<\/p>\n

~ Private holiday parties, such as Fred Deni and Jim Crystal\u2019s sumptuous and classy Christmas dinner, Heidi Rotbart\u2019s always-incredible New Year\u2019s Day fete, and Maria Calabrese\u2019s pre-or-post-Christmas Italian food fest.<\/p>\n

~ New Year\u2019s Eve parties. (This one we won\u2019t miss that much this year; more often than not, we choose to stay home by ourselves and just be cozy.)<\/p>\n

~ All the SAG Awards\u2019 screenings, which would have already been taking place for the past few months, but at this<\/em> time of year, the venues add decorations to their lobbies, and some even feature a bit of holiday fare! That little bit of going the extra mile always produces such warm feelings, as does just being in the presence of so many others in our own creative community at holiday time.<\/p>\n

\"Last<\/a>

Last year’s (and actually, this year’s, as well,) beautiful Miss Universe winner.<\/p><\/div>\n

~ And lastly, on the shallowest of notes, (and not really holiday<\/em> events, but they were<\/em> both held in December last year, so I assumed they would become an end-of-year traditions,) the Miss Universe and Miss America competitions. They were due to happen again this month, but of course, they had to be postponed until a safe time. And this would be the hundredth anniversary of Miss America. (Of course, it will still<\/em> be that same milestone, no matter when<\/em> they can finally hold it. Duh.) I\u2019ll still miss seeing it this month, even though last year\u2019s<\/em> rendition was the stupidest one ever! And adding to the horrors of 2020, the woman who won last year, who is the creepiest, least talented, (she did a basic science experiment, which is worse than just packing a suitcase,) most undeserving winner in the history of the competition, now gets to keep the title for not one<\/em> but two<\/em> years!!! Yet back in the day, one of the most successful pageant winners ever, Vanessa Williams, had her title taken away after serving for only under one year! (Have I mentioned that life is not fair?!)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A Christmas Eve ladies luncheon two years ago, at a famous restaurnat that’s now also closed. (L-R) Celia Montgomery, Jeanine Anderson, Karen Salkin, Carol Gleicher. Oh, how I miss days like that one!<\/p><\/div>\n

But I will be more than happy<\/em> to replace all<\/em> of the above with the most important thing anyone<\/em> can do this holiday season (and beyond)–staying alive<\/em>! \u00a0And keeping others so!<\/strong><\/p>\n

I hope you will all<\/em> join me in that one very special holiday endeavor. So, please everyone, wear your masks, stay far apart, stay home when you can, and do not gather, so we won\u2019t have to miss anything, or anyone<\/em>, next holiday season!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THINGS\u00a0I REALLY MISS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON This is a holiday season like no other any of us have ever experienced in our entire lives! (Unless you\u2019re well over one-hundred-and-two, and can remember the Spanish Flu of 1918. If that\u2019s the case, I\u2019m in awe of you.) Even though I am set in my ways in<\/p>\n

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