The Girl In The Band
  • Home
  • Who is the girl in the band?
  • My View From The Stage
  • Home Ideas
  • Career Tips
  • Fashion and Shopping
  • Just Life

A SOAP OPERA CHRISTMAS

12/26/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
My holiday season so far this year has been filled with a lot of fun and laughter.  It started with a fun trip to the Long Beach aquarium with some co-workers that ended with a wonderful night on a boat ride looking at Christmas decorations. L.A. Lyon did some gigs and had the opportunity to share some holiday spirit with some wonderful folks. The D-Man and I took a fun trip to Las Vegas and then rode seven roller coasters on my birthday at Six Flags.

Despite all the fun, I had my moments where I was feeling a little down and stressed. With the week off of work, I took a few hours and gave in to one of my addictions.

Soap operas.  Yes, I had sworn off when two of my favorites got cancelled, deciding my heart would not be broken again by some TV execs who decided that a long time genre needed to be replaced by yet another “reality” courtroom show. The closest I usually get is “Nashville”, a nighttime show that has a real daytime feel to it. But since it was the holiday season, I decided to indulge.

To me, soap operas and the holidays seem to go together.  My mother use to say Christmas was the only time they didn’t have some sort of tragedy lined up.  When I was a kid, I would watch “Days of Our Lives”, when the Hortons put their special Christmas ornaments with the family names on the tree.  Sometimes people would just show up at the door and be welcomed into their party.  Then they would all sing Christmas songs.

Our family was small. My mother liked color coordinated trees, so there were no keepsake ornaments. Although there were always a lot of gifts for me, (I was an only child), we never had a big celebration.  My parents never played Christmas music and we didn’t have people showing up at the door.  I was also the only grandchild on my father’s side so the only big family celebrations were when we stopped by my mother’s side of the family on Christmas Day and I got to hang with some of my cousins.  Always the best part of the holiday, but always so short.  I vowed when I became an adult, I would have the Christmas Eve I saw on those soap operas.

When I moved to California, I decided I would start my own traditions.  My tree had ornaments with the years on them and keepsakes from places I had visited over the years.  Each one of my pets had their own ornament.  After my fire, I started collecting again and my cousin and other family and friends sent me wonderful additions that grace my tree every year.

I also decided that no one should ever spend Christmas Eve alone.  So every year, I hosted a Christmas Eve open house.  Come whenever, eat, drink and be merry!  I found many people either didn’t have family or didn’t have plans, so every year people came.  Through the years, the core group became my California family.  Friends who started coming when their children were in diapers.  Children who now are college graduates, but still always find time to stop by.

This year, everyone seemed to show up at the same time.  The regulars brought some newcomers.  20 people in a house under 1,000 square feet with a cranky cat and a 90 pound dog is not exactly comfortable, but everyone seemed to be having a good time.  I went to use the one and only bathroom at one point and while I was in there, I could hear all the rooms in my little house, filled with Christmas music, laughter and conversation.

In the days before Christmas, I had moments where I was focused on what had not gone right with the year.  My jeans being tighter and my wallet being lighter.  All the goals I hadn’t quite accomplished.  All the things that hadn’t worked out the way I thought they would when I was child.

But that night, I realized one dream had come true.  I had my soap opera Christmas Eve. Not exactly like on the shows, with their grand homes and lavish gifts, but every bit as wonderful.

Let New Year’s Day be a time for goals and reflections.  Let Christmas be about love and joy.

A tradition I didn’t get from a soap opera, but one I plan to continue all through the years.

 


0 Comments

MY JEANS ARE TIGHT MY WALLET IS LIGHT: CHRISTMAS IN LV

12/16/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
The D-Man and I spent last weekend in Las Vegas.  We stayed downtown at the Golden Nugget and even though you don't always think of downtown Las Vegas and Christmas together, they had some great decorations.  Lots of fun, great meals, but not so great on my football betting. Aaron Rodgers picked Sunday to have his worst game of the season and why I thought Atlanta could beat Pittsburgh, I will never know!  I drowned my sorrows at Caesar's Palace at their champagne bar, Fizz.  If you love champagne, I highly recommend their "Endless Bubbles" from 500pm to 700pm and then again from 700pm to 900pm.  Basically all the champagne you can drink for 36.00 a person.  After all the food and drink, my jeans were tight and my wallet was light. I think I just came up with a new t-shirt!

0 Comments

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS 2014

12/7/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
This week my first Christmas and birthday gift arrived from my always holiday organized cousin.  A great book and another great Tyler Rodan purse!  Since L.A. Lyon was off this weekend, I spent the time getting my house ready for Christmas with some house trimming and a little "It's A Wonderful Life".    






I found some great battery operated lighted globes in gold and silver at Walmart for about 20.00 apiece.  They gave me the inspiration for a gold and silver décor on my porch. I love seeing it glowing when I come home from a long day of work.

Picture



Picture
I have a ton of ornaments I just love, so instead of loading them all on one tree, I use them all over the house.  The candy canes, a snowman and the little truck ornament are some of the ones I moved to my entry.  The teddy bear was actually once part of an old wreath.
Picture
My starfish Santa and some other great seashell ornaments bring the Christmas spirit to my kitchen window.
Picture
My little pink tree, all decked out for my home office.  Next up, working on some gifts and cards!
0 Comments

    Archives

    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.