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December 2007
The year that kept us buzzing
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Surreal. It’s the only word that properly describes 2007 here at Buzz Central. In a single calendar year, we found ourselves writing about bank robber makeovers, an awards show red carpet that morphed into breaking news, an e-mail of support for Ted Turner dating someone else’s wife and a birthday celebration where “Barbarella,” “Norma Rae” and Rosie O’Donnell became backup vocalists for Bonnie Raitt.
In our 11 years overseeing Buzz, this was indeed the wackiest year ever. Don’t believe us? Read on as we recount the year in Buzz.
Best e-mail: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Olen Butler’s memorable missive about his wife, novelist Elizabeth Dewberry, departing their marriage for a relationship with Turner. The original e-mail to Butler’s grad students ended up on Gawker.com. “He’s a decent, loyal man,” Butler told Buzz. “There’s a connection between them that’s quite profound.”
Best Makeover: If the tip hadn’t come from an impeccable source, we would have hung up in March when we were first informed that suspected Barbie Bandits Heather Lyn Johnston and Ashley Nichole Miller had stopped by Carter-Barnes Hair Artisans in Buckhead for pricey post-heist makeovers. Of the pair, Carter-Barnes manager Melissa Methier told us: “They were as ditzy as the day is long.”
Best Musical Moment: “Dreamgirls” diva Jennifer Holliday reclaiming her Tony Award-winning role during a revival at the Fox Theatre in July: “I think I’m finally ready to let Effie go,” Holliday told Buzz. “I was so blessed and grateful to be able to do the show here one last time. Atlanta holds such an emotional connection for me for this show.”
Best Cocktail Party Surprise: Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne becoming the unexpected star at a party for “Young Frankenstein” star Gene Wilder. The pair were in town for a September Gilda’s Club benefit. Delighted TCM fans mobbed Osborne for photo ops. Wilder took it all in stride. As the classic movie fan explained: “My wife and I go to bed with Robert every night!”
Best Cocktail Party Surprise Involving Buzz: The Secret Service ejecting us from a private UNICEF reception for first daughter Jenna Bush, citing an unflattering story on Bush that week in The New Yorker.
Best Guest DJ: B-52’s frontman Fred Schneider’s two stints spinning at Bazzaar in Midtown in February and November. Not only did Schneider get on the dance floor with fans, he ended up playing six tracks from the band’s latest album, “Funplex,” due out early next year.
Best Backstage Interview: Her two sold-out September “Paula Deen Live” shows at the Civic Center came complete with beefy security guards and a small army of publicists, producers, publishers and primpers for the Food Network host. Our old pal however, pulled us into a deserted dressing room for a one-on-one. Of the crazy pace of her current life, Deen conceded: “I haven’t learned how to say no. But after where I’ve been in my life, it’s hard to look a gift horse in the mouth. I realize it could all be gone in a minute.”
Best Zoo Atlanta Birthday: Baby giant panda Mei Lan’s first in September. As Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and esteemed foreign dignitaries praised the panda nearby, the birthday girl happily snoozed through it.
Best Awards Show Red Carpet/Federal Investigation: October’s second annual B.E.T. Hip Hop Awards outside the Civic Center. Thanks to T.I.’s arrest on weapons charges down the street in a Walgreen’s parking lot, we started the day asking ‘Who are you wearing?’ and ended it writing about the lead nominee in an orange jumpsuit.
Best Birthday Parties: Sir Elton’s 60th at Madison Square Garden in March and this month’s 70th celebration for Jane Fonda at the Biltmore. In New York, Beach Boy Brian Wilson boogied to “Crocodile Rock” next to Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears. In Atlanta, Fonda and pals Sally Field and O’Donnell jumped onstage to provide backup for Raitt as she banged out “Something to Talk About” for the birthday girl.
Best Train Wreck: Cybill Shepherd’s jaw- (and dialogue-) dropping, character-breaking one-woman collision in “Curvy Widow” at the Alliance in November. It was “Showgirls” without the stripper pole. Actually, that particular prop could have been added after opening night as the script was continually tweaked.
Contributing: News services.
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What’s your favorite new restaurant of 2007
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lots of new spots opened in 2007 — Shaun’s (technically opened in 2006, but reviewed in 2007), JCT Kitchen, Trois (see what I just said about Shaun’s), Posh, Lola, MF Buckhead, Tamarind Thai, Palomilla’s, Bistro VG, Room, Stats, TAP, FAB — and that’s the short list.
What’s your favorite new restaurant for 2007?
The year in theater … and the best shows
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Christmas Day, my look at the best theater moments — and shows — of 2007 ran on the cover of the Living section. In case you missed it, I repeat it here.
Now, what do you think? Did I leave anything out? What were your favorite theater happenings and performances of 2007?
Happy Holidays. And thanks for reading this blog throughout the year.
Here’s a look at the top 10 theater moments of 2007:
1. Alliance wins Tony. Artistic director Susan V. Booth accepted the 39-year-old theater’s coveted regional Tony Award on prime-time TV, declaring the institution a “national theater with a local address.”
2. Kenny Leon. The True Colors Theatre director added a star to his crown by taking August Wilson’s final play, “Radio Golf, ” to Broadway. At the community level, he advanced the great playwright’s legacy by establishing the August Wilson Monologue Competition for high school juniors and seniors. Later in the year, Leon and former Wilson dramaturge Todd Kreidler said they’d adapt the classic film “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” for the Great White Way.
3. Muppets take Atlanta. The family of puppet master Jim Henson said it would give the bulk of its collection to Midtown’s internationally recognized Center for Puppetry Arts. The center is in the process of raising money to build the Muppets a suitable home.
4. Jewish Theatre of the South. Founding artistic director Mira Hirsch severed ties with the Marcus Jewish Community Center after 13 years. The Dunwoody agency said it would continue its theater mission —- but under a different name and with more mainstream, community-friendly fare.
5. Aurora Theatre. After leaving Duluth, the Gwinnett County ensemble opened a lovely new space in downtown Lawrenceville. With its handsome renovation of a 100-year-old church and adjoining construction of a new theater, Aurora became the metro area’s best suburban playhouse.
6. Actor’s Express. The edgy ensemble named Alliance Theatre literary manager Freddie Ashley its new artistic director, and newcomer Bill Fennelly said goodbye after just eight months on the job.
7. Cybill Shepherd. The former Memphis beauty queen who became an overnight ’70s sensation with “The Last Picture Show” created a stir with Bobby Goldman’s one-woman comedy “Curvy Widow” at the Alliance Theatre. Shepherd flubbed her lines and earned disastrous reviews but managed to sell out the run nonetheless. 8. “Disney’s High School Musical.” Theater of the Stars staged the first professional production of the tween phenomenon, and Disney liked it so much it picked up the spectacle and sent it out on a national tour.
9. Jennifer Holliday. The original Effie White claimed her legacy was stolen by the Oscar-winning film based on the musical “Dreamgirls.” She then made a remarkable comeback by reprising her signature role for Theater of the Stars during the National Black Arts Festival. Talk about goose bumps.
10. Suzi Bass Awards. The city’s only professional theater honors got all fancy and moved to the Fox Theatre’s Egyptian Ballroom. The big winner was Marietta’s Theatre in the Square, which picked up eight Suzis for the Celestine Sibley biography “Turned Funny” and the Sanders Family musical “Mount Pleasant Homecoming.”
And the year’s best shows are …
“Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.” Alliance Theatre.
“I Am My Own Wife.” Actor’s Express.
“Ceremonies in Dark Old Men.” True Colors Theatre.
“Dark Play or Stories for Boys.” Actor’s Express.
“Meds.” Out of Hand Theater.
“Gee’s Bend.” Theatrical Outfit.
“Metamorphoses.” Georgia Shakespeare.
“Dreamgirls.” Theater of the Stars.
“The Last Night of Ballyhoo.” Georgia Ensemble Theatre.
“The Jammer.” Dad’s Garage.
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What did you get for Christmas?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Everyone loves to get Christmas presents.
But there are those gifts (and we’ve all received them) that could have been left in the store or in the closet. (No kidding. A friend once gave me a set of towels that reeked of moth balls.)
What was the worst gift you received this Christmas? What was the best? What will be re-gifted?
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Santa’s Sweatshop
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Been sneered by a salesperson while Christmas shopping?
According to a statement released by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, that could be because salespeople this season are overworked and sometimes under-trained.
Late store closings, and in some cases 24-hour operations, mean fewer staffers working longer hours.
Have you seen or experienced any evidence of salesclerk burnout?
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Holiday music played in musicians homes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In his early years as Phalon Alexander, Atlanta producer-singer-rapper Jazze Pha (above) remembers Donny Hathaway and Nat King Cole being played in the family living room during the holiday season. “Made me feel all warm and fuzzy,” he recalls. “Still does.”
T-Pain, born Faheem Najm, is Muslim, “so the holidays to other people sounded like every other day in our house,” said the Grammy-nominated singer-rapper-producer. ” We didn’t really celebrate that.”
Fellow local talent Usher, on the other hand, says “all of the classics were going at Christmas when I was growing up. My mom was playing the Temptations, Donny Hathaway, all of that.”
And what are the first holidays like at the Raymonds this year- with their first child at that? “Maaann, we can’t find an interior decorator. So we’re basically just like singing ‘Kumbaya’ my Lord, eating on the floors. I’m like ‘OK, I can’t get mad at [his new bride Tameka], because she just had a baby.’ But there’s like a big tree sitting in the middle of the room — not decorated.”
Sound that much different than the holidays in your house, growing up? What about now - is there a certain song or CD you have to have going when you’re unwrapping gifts? And is there a particular tune - say, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” - that instantly takes you back to your childhood?
What kind of Christmas shopper are you?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Alright folks. We’re heading into the home stretch with Christmas… tomorrow! Yikes!
And it seems like around every corner in every store, a great new gift greets you as you try to head toward the cashier.
That’s when you start to ask yourself, “That is adorable. I know someone could use it.” Possibly, you buy it thinking you’ll be able to give to someone next year.
So, which kind of shopper are you?
Are you the kind who makes a Christmas list and for some unknown reason, it never feels like it’s finished, even when you’ve bought for each person listed?
Or are you the kind of shopper that makes a list, checks it twice and sticks to it? Me, personally, I stick to the list, but I have to admit, it usually never feels finished.
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Dear Santa: Bring our troops home safely
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dear Santa:
I know it’s been some time since I wrote, and you probably don’t get too many letters from 51-year-old guys, but I have a tall order this year and I can use all the help I can get.
One reason I haven’t written lately is because I’ve hit that age where it doesn’t take a lot of stuff for me to be happy. Don’t get me wrong - I like seeing my name on those boxes under the tree - but sometimes less truly is more. Or at least OK.
Anyway, what I want this year came to me during a trip to the airport last week. I had a little over and hour to kill, so I got a newspaper, grabbed a soda, and settled in with the crossword puzzle. And that’s when it happened.
Around the corner I heard someone making some pronouncement in a loud voice. I heard something about Iraq and Afghanistan, and my first thought was some nut was using the captive audience in the atrium to make a political statement.
But then I heard really loud cheers, applause and whistles, which the nut cases usually don’t get. When I looked around the corner I saw a large contingent of Army soldiers walking through, headed to their departure gate. The loud voice belonged to a veteran now working with the USO, and he wanted to make sure those brave American heroes did not leave home without a proper send off.
The soldiers looked like any other travelers making their way through the terminal on a business trip. Except their way of dressing for success was desert camo. And instead of brief cases they carried canvas duffels. And no one was going to make sure business would be done in time to get them home for the holidays.
And that’s where you come in, Santa. What I want doesn’t even have to show up Christmas morning. What I want is for all those soldiers to come home in one piece, and for good. I want them to get back to the business of being fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters.
So that’s it. Hope I’ve stayed on your “nice” list through the years and rest assured Mrs. Osterman will put out her usual four-star, preemo cookie plate Christmas Eve. I know I’m asking a lot, but it’s what I want. No new golf clubs or big-screen plasma HD TV or hotsy-totsy wristwatch.
And I hope I’m not the only one asking for this.
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The disappearing Christmas bonus
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Remember when an extra envelope from the boss in December meant extra cash for the holidays?
The Christmas bonus was a way to say ‘thank you’ for all the hard work during the year and to boost morale.
But more workers will go away empty handed this Christmas.
A 2007 holiday study of more than 350 organization found that more than half (53 percent) have never offered a holiday bonus. Another 10 percent have put that practice on ice, according to Hewitt Associates, a global human resources firm.
Of those companies that pulled a bah, humbug on bonuses, most said they did so because of costs. Other reasons cited include moving to more performance-based reward systems and difficulty in administering bonus programs.
Tammy Joyner, an AJC business reporter, recently wrote about this trend. See article.
Do you expect to receive a holiday bonus this year? If you’re the boss, have you discontinued the program? Why or why not?
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What’s the Perfect New Year’s Night Out?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s New Year’s Eve, and you want a meal to end 2007 and herald in 2008 with the panache it deserves.
Can you get it at just one restaurant?
What would the progressive dinner of your dreams be? Would you start at Beleza for cocktails, then head to Bacchanalia for an appetizer at the bar? Would you head across town for some badenjoon with saffron rice as a main course? For dessert, would you head to the Chocolate Bar in Decatur? One things for sure - you’ll need a designated driver.
What would your perfect New Year’s dinner be if you could create it just for yourself, with the help of Atlanta’s talented chefs and restaurateurs?
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Time for another Christmas lights show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There are a lot of Christmas lights shows on the web. This one, synchronized to “ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH” ranks among the better ones.
Enjoy.
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Christmas crunch time!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s crunch time folks!
Time to fish or cut bait. In other words, you don’ have much longer to shop.
Are you a last minute shopper or just behind in your game this year? What’s your strategy?
Consider this a Christmas gift free for all. Looking for a special item? Ask other ajc.com readers here. Need gift suggestions for the girl or guy who has everything? Maybe someone can help.
I’ll start off. I’m looking for Duende perfume (the original scent) for my sister-in-law. Anyone seen it?
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Parents cautious about made-in China toys
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dorinda Legg wrapped up her Christmas shopping Wednesday at the Toys”R” Us in Duluth.
“My son wants Pokemon,” said Legg, who teaches dance at The Studio in Lilburn. “I think it’s made in Japan.”
We chatted in the store parking lot. I wasn’t allowed to talk to shoppers inside the big-box retailer. So I approached customers as they left the store to get some sense of the concern about toys made in China.
This Asian giant, which manufactures about 80 percent of the toys sold in the United States, has had a series of safety scares. In mid-August, Mattel recalled nearly 1 million Chinese-made toys that were coated with toxic paint.
Of course, not all toxic toys come from China. And there’s bilateral blame to share. China doesn’t design toys. U.S. toy makers do. Most recalls in the last 20 years were due to design problems, according to an article in USA Today.
No matter how hard you try to focus on the reason for the season, most kids equate Christmas to gifts. Toys. And when it comes to toys, buying American is tough. Only about 10 percent are actually made in America.
What’s a parent to do”
Well, Akila Nasarajan of Lawrenceville opted for educational presents. Board games, paint sets and such for Nina, 5, and Natasha, 12. Nothing with small parts.
“A lot of parents don’t know what’s going on because they don’t ever read the newspapers,” she told me. “Clark Howard has a section on his Web site devoted to [recalled toys]. They still sell them on eBay. People buy them because they are cheaper.”
Connie Garman of Alpharetta came to Duluth in search of a board game - “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”
“I got the last one!” beamed Garman, who bought it for Merisa, her 12-year-old daughter.
This Alpharetta mom thinks parents are especially concerned about Chinese-made toys if they have small kids.
“They put things in their mouths,” she said.
Wal-Mart wouldn’t let the Badie Tour set up in any of its local stores, but a company spokeswoman told me about the “Toy Safety Net Program.” It requires toy suppliers to provide testing documentation for toys on shelves and en route to stores. Wal-Mart also hires independent laboratories to conduct an additional 200 tests a day, focusing on toys for kids up to age 3. Results are shared with the industry.
“It’s just more help for China,” said Jami Lamontagne.
Legg, the dance instructor, said many of the parents of the 100 or so kids she teaches have talked about an “anti-China Christmas.”
“Especially those with little ones,” she said.
She bought the Pokemon toy for Andrew, her 9-year-old son.
Before I left Toys “R” Us, I went inside to check out the Pokemon selection. All the items I saw carried the same label:
“Made in China.”
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com. �
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Celebrate all the holidays with GoRemy’s rap
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK. This is from an individual known on the web as GoRemy. He’s from Virginia. His motto: Don’t watch his videos if you are allergic to awesome. Whatever. You decide what you think of “HAPPY HOLIDAYS: THE RAP” because … I’m just the messenger.
Enjoy. Or, rather, holla!
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What to buy for husbands/daddies?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve been a little stumped this year about what to buy for my husband for Christmas. I actually typed into Google “presents Michael would like.” Nothing good popped up, but I was hoping. I keep asking the kids - sometimes they have some really good insight but so far nothing that’s getting me really excited.
Help us out! Give us your very best ideas for gifts for husbands and daddies! What are some gifts that have been successful for you in the past?
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Send good tidings to the troops
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s tough for families to be separated during the holidays. Want to send a Christmas or holiday message to someone serving in the military overseas?
(Note: This isn’t a forum to discuss the pros and cons of the war.)
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What’s Christmas without….
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I used to love waking up in the morning to the smell of my mother’s holiday cookies baking in the oven.
Later in the day, my siblings and I would devour the chocolate chip and pecan cookies. They didn’t come from a secret recipe and sometimes the cookies were broken, but my mother only made them once a year and that made them special.
Are there things that make the holidays special for you?
Shopping for a tree? Making popcorn balls? Sipping eggnog around the fireplace?
See if you can finish this thought:
Christmas just isn’t Christmas without…
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Missing loved ones during holidays is tough
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So this will be the first Christmas without either of my parents. And, with the holidays being about spending time with family, it’s going to be a surreal Christmas and New Year’s this season.
My mother died two years ago and my father died in November. When you lose a parent, you suddenly become aware of how much alike you really are. I have personality traits of both my parents but a bit more of my father’s hard-headedness, which is probably why we clashed so often.
My mother’s death was sudden, which meant there were a lot of things I wish I could have said, if given the chance. Intuitively, I know as a mother she knew what I would have told her anyway. I still would have like to have told her how much she meant to me.
It was different with my father. I knew he would die from the chronic ailments that plagued him for 17 years. I was prepared for that. As a result, I was always frank and direct. While the relationship was tense between us the last few years of his life, I felt everything that needed to be said had been said.
Still, I would like to have told him that I loved him one more time and that I appreciated all the sacrifices he made for us.
Have you lost a parent or a loved one? Are holidays difficult for you? Were there any unresolved issues or things that you wish you had said?
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What’s the perfect family holiday card?
Is it a beach shot from the summer or the children posed in front of the Christmas tree? What makes the perfect family holiday card?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What do you use for your holiday card? Do you change it out each year or always do the same thing? Do you use photos? Do you enclose a letter too?
We are completely incapable of getting one shot of all our children smiling so for the last four years we have used a collage of all our favorite photos of the children throughout the year. We feel like our friends and family who live far away get a feeling for what the kids have been up to all year long.
This year we’ve realized we took a ton a photos of the baby and not too many of the other kids. We had a hard time filling out the card this year.
We used to write an update letter too, but we stopped doing it two years ago because we decided people were probably judging us when they read it.
Does your man turn into Mr. Scrooge ?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So the holidays are in full swing and the men in our lives aren’t exactly as jolly as Ole’ Saint Nick. What do you do? Well ladies, you should keep in mind that holidays are a lot of work, expectations, and headaches for guys. After polling a few of my favorite guys, here are the main reasons men are often channeling Mr. Scrooge:
Shopping. It’s rare that you meet a guy who just adores shopping. It’s tolerable when you are buying for yourself but when you have to step to the dark side (read: pink and girly side) of the crowded stores, your eyes may start to glaze over!
Honey-Do List: From unwinding that big bundle of lights, to hauling in a tree from the truck, this time of year men are called upon to do a laundry list of things. When these things interrupt watching sports? Oh, not a happy camper!
Expectations: Let’s face it, some men feel pressure during the holidays: impress the family, be cordial to co-workers, devote quality time to the kids, and other obligatory social expectations that may exist (internal or external). Not to mention the challenge in buying the ideal gift.
Guys, we know you could add to this list (and feel free to do so!) but what are the things you actually enjoy about the holidays? How do you relax and unwind during the holiday madness and rush?
What do you think your family, friends, dates, or significant others could do to ease the pressures of this season for you?
Ladies, are you dating Mr. Scrooge? Have you ever dated someone who was extremely difficult during this time of year? How did you handle it? Did you give him his space? What are fun ways to hype the holiday season for the men in your lives?
(Wise Diva is half of the writing team for Misadventures in Atlanta, the ajc.com dating blog.)
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24-hour Macy’s
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Stores may have been pushing an early holiday season this year, but it hasn’t made us start shopping any earlier.
In an effort to encourage last minute shoppers, Macy’s East announced that seven stores in the New York metro area will stay open for 24-hours from Fri. Dec. 21 at 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Would you go shopping at midnight on Christmas Eve?
What stores would you want to have 24-hour operations?
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Naughty or nice?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last week Wise Diva mentioned dating during the holiday trifecta — Christmas, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day — and how some people may avoid it completely.
But what if the holidays sneak up on you and you’re already with someone who you might be…well, losing interest in. Where does that put you in the gift-buying realm?
Do you buy a present for the person you’re dating, only to break up with them after the holiday (and don’t lie—you know this happens)? Does it lessen the blow to buy the person something inexpensive and then break the bad news later? Is there a statute of limitations on how close to a holiday you should break up with someone? What if it’s the day before? The day of?
Or do you drop the bomb before the holiday to avoid having to buy a gift? Is it always better to end things as quickly as possible when dating during the holidays? Have you ever had someone give you a Christmas present when you were preparing to break up with them? What did you do?
Do you consider yourself naughty or nice when it comes to handling gifting and holiday breakups? Would your exes agree?
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The best version of ‘B-b-b-b-blue Christmas’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At my house, I’ve heard recordings of Elvis singing “BLUE CHRISTMAS” maybe a million times. So on occasion, I like to toss in this version from another, equally immortal artist.
En-en-en-en-en-en-enjoy!
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How much partying does 2008 rate?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With just about two weeks before Christmas, you might be thinking what I’m thinking:
What are we doing on New Year’s Eve?
We received an invite to a fab fete for New Year’s and were overjoyed to accept. Then came the invite for the pre-party dinner party. Sounds good! Then came the invite for the pre-pre-party.
Mercy!
How much partying are you planning to ring in the New Year? Does it get to be too much? Anyone staying in?
Tell me your plans for parties large, small and in between. Or maybe your most memorable New Year’s Eve.
Oh, and if anyone’s planning a party that starts about 1 p.m. New Year’s Eve, S.B.’s available. Otherwise, I’m booked - see you next year!
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Don’t forget: redeem your gift card!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gift cards have become big business for retailers. By the end of 2007, we will have spent about $80 billion on them.
But about 16 % of the cards (amounting to about $8 billion) are never redeemed.
Whaaaa?
Men, it seems, are more likely than women to lose the cards or just forget to cash them in.
Have you ever forgotten to redeem a gift card? What store was it and how much $$?
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Ever skipped work to go holiday shopping?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
During the holiday season while I’m at work, my mind often drifts into gift mode and I find myself wanting to browse amazon.com to cruise for presents.
I have to also admit that in the past I have been tempted (but never bold enough) to leave the office an hour early to hit the mall too.
Have you ever left work early, took an extended lunch break or called in sick just go holiday shopping?
With Christmas just two weeks away, is the pressure to find ideal gifts mounting?
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Ever listened to ‘Angels We Have Heard On High’ played on broccoli?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The world is a very strange place. And if you close your eyes and concentrate very, very hard you realize that music is everywhere — even in broccoli.
Forthwith, I bring you a Japanese family and their presentation of “BIG BROCCOLI OCARINA: ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH.”
It’s not easily forgettable.
Enjoy.
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Alone For Christmas?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You’re all alone on Christmas Day. Do you go out for Chinese or stay home and make mojitos for you and the dog? Have you ever dined alone for Christmas dinner? Why? Where did you go to eat?
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I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was 75 degrees Wednesday … in December!
I actually saw people outside wearing shorts and sandals.
I guess this blows my dreams for a white Christmas. True, the temperatures will drop soon. Snow on Dec. 25? In Atlanta?
Highly unlikely.
These past few days are nothing new to long-time metro Atlantans like myself. But being a northern transplant, it’s still somewhat disappointing.
Full disclosure: although I’ve claimed addresses in Chicago, Alaska and upstate New York, the north I’m talking about is Nashville.
Even in that southern location, the holiday season still held the promise of at least some flirtation with frosty precipitation.
As a kid, hoping for snow was an added bonus to the anticipation of Christmas break.
Fat chance of that happening here … especially not with the recent spate of Spring-like weather.
Why does it matter so much? My kids see wintry climes on holiday TV shows, in holiday books and on holiday cards during this season, but have no concept of what snow even is.
They won’t learn how to make a snowman or snow angels.
I fear they’ll only be able to associate snow with distant future ski trips or weekend jaunts to East Tennessee. I don’t suspect my Florida-born wife will inspire any desire in the kids to visit snow-blown regions (she’s still catching up with the concept of stuffing your hat and gloves in your coat sleeve to keep up with them).
I’m not naive enough to believe that manger depicted in so many Nativity scenes was covered in snow. But I’m certain kids can figure Santa (if you believe in that sort of thing) has an easier time parking his sleigh on a snow-covered rooftop.
Granted, Old Man Winter hasn’t been too kind recently to our friends in the Northeast and Midwest.
And Atlanta’s hardly prepared for even the slightest wintry weather. Remember the big snow “storm” of 1993?
Or how about the 2000 Super Bowl weekend? Can you say “black ice?”
But a little frozen white stuff just seems to makes the season more complete.
What do you think?
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Does (gift) Size Matter?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Holiday season, according to some Atlantans, is all about expectation.
I was recently out asking shoppers if they want a gift that comes in a big box or a small box. The consensus so far?
Men could care less, but when pressed they want a big box.
Women tend to want a small box because they think it will have something more expensive (like jewelry).
What are your thoughts? Big box or small?
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Who does old-fashioned caroling?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You’ve seen it over and over in movies and TV shows. The doorbell rings, the homeowner opens the door, and there stands a group of Christmas carolers, their voices raised in beautiful harmonies.
But does that even happen any more? A band of roving carolers seems more a relic of the past than a reality of the present. Or maybe it isn’t. We’d love to hear of your stories of being a caroler, past or present, or having an encounter with carolers come to your home.
And if you know of any caroling groups going out between now and Christmas, be they church groups, neighborhood groups or whatever, please contact Phil Kloer at pkloer@ajc.com, who’s trying to find such a group for a story.
Best Christmas lights show video ever
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What sells “CHRISTMAS LIGHTS GONE WILD” is the perfect timing of lights flashing with the music. The display, involving 16,000 lights, is the work of Carson Williams of Mason, Ohio.
The song, performed by Trans Siberian Orchestra just rocks.
Enjoy.
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What music puts you in the Christmas spirit?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For some, Christmas isn’t complete if they don’t see “A Christmas Carol” or “The Nutcracker.” For me, carols sung by a boy choir are an essential part of Christmas, whether live or on CD. The pure, clear sound of a boy soprano has been described as the voice of an angel. If you agree, you might be interested in hearing the acclaimed Atlanta Boy Choir perform this weekend at the Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. They’ll be performing Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary.
What music puts you in the Christmas spirit?
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What are You Eating Christmas Eve?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My family has a long tradition of eating out on Christmas Eve — usually at an El Toro. Our brood of 15 or so orders lots of nachos and enchiladas, drinks our share of beer and often ends the meal singing “Winter Wonderland” loudly (but not off key) until it’s time to go help Santa.
We’ve been creating this holiday mayhem for about 15 years. What restaurant traditions do you share with friends or loved ones on Christmas Eve?
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: holiday dining
Rock and Give
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
’Tis the season to give and musicians, promoters and club owners are taking part in the holiday philanthropy.
This week, Variety Playhouse hosts live karaoke with Metalsome Inc. to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank (Friday, Dec. 14). Sister Hazel’s “12 Days of Christmas” tour, which comes to the Roxy on Thursday, Dec. 13, benefits Toys for Tots.
Smith’s Olde Bar spends weeks on its annual benefit, asking patrons to all shows from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day to bring two cans of food for the Atlanta Community Food Bank. The Star Bar in Little Five Points will hold its 10th annual Toys for Tots benefit this Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14-15.
There are many more musically inclined charitable events all over town throughout December. Are you involved with one? Plan to help out, or just attend one of these shows? Tell us about it.
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Who Makes a Stuffed Duck a la “The Christmas Story?”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You know the duck I mean… the Chinese duck in the movie “The Christmas Story?” Bud Namu makes a mean Korean duck cooked in a clay pot and stuffed with rice and chestnuts.
Where else can we find a stuffed duck on Christmas Day?
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: holiday
High Heel-adays
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Holiday season means holiday parties and that means high heels and lots of standing around.
It took a rocket scientist to come up one source of with relief for women’s tired feet.
Insolia Inserts cushion and redistribute weight from the ball of the foot to the heel to increase the time you can stand on your feet. The inserts are $10 at CVS.
What’s your secret to surviving the high heel holidays?
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What’s your favorite holiday party food?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For years, friends threw a Christmas party that my husband and I started calling the Lamb Chop party. A huge bowl of medium-rare chops, filled with dozens and constantly replenished, stood on every buffet table. Even with platters of boiled shrimp, sliced ham and beef tenderloin, pasta alfredo and other temptations close at hand, we stuck by the lamb chops.
The Lamb Chop party, unfortunately, is no more. This year, I’m noticing a lot more grab-and-go party food, like chips still in the bag and those ubiquitous brownie bites — which nobody is going to mistake for a homemade dessert, no matter how they’re cut up and arranged.
OK, OK. We know, it’s the getting together with friends that counts, not that anybody took the time to prepare some food to share with them. Still, I’d rather burn the calories on something homemade than baby carrots or pink frosted cookies from a black plastic tray.
What’s your favorite holiday party food? What’s worth the calorie splurge?
What’s a holiday without a latke video? Watch it now!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Are there words to express the feelings of watching this special Hanukkah video?
I really think “THE LATKE SONG” speaks for itself — even though Hanukkah is more than in full swing. Besides, it makes me hungry.
Enjoy.
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Do you prefer your Christmas cards via e-mail or snail mail?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I love getting Christmas cards.
It’s nice to know someone is thinking of you during the holidays and it’s a fine time to update your address book.
But lately, I seem to get more virtual holiday greetings. “XXXX has sent you a E-card!”
So much is done on the internet these days, but this is one tradition I’d like to keep.
I like hanging them around along the mantel or a doorway. On certain occasions - like Christmas and milestones in a person’s life - they seem so impersonal.
Does it matter how someone wishes you a happy holiday? Do you prefer to receive your greetings via e-mail or snail mail?
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Radio’s most popular Christmas songs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here are the most played Christmas songs on radio this past week nationwide, courtesy of MediaBase 24/7.
1- “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” Burl Ives 1963
2- “Jingle Bell Rock” Bobby Helms 1957
3- “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” Brenda Lee 1958
4- “The Christmas Song” Nat King Cole 1946
5- “White Chrismtas” Bing Crosby 1942
6- “Happy Xmas/War Is Over” John Lennon 1971
7- “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” Andy Williams 1963
8- “Please Come Home For Christmas” The Eagles 1978
9- “Feliz Navidad” Jose Feliciano 1970
10- “All I Want For Christmas Is You” Mariah Carey 1994
The only song recorded from this decade in the top 20 is “The Christmas Shoes” by Newsong. Ranked No. 206: “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.” (The Bull has spun it six times in the past week.)
On B98.5 last week, the top 10 songs were:
1- John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas/War is Over,” 2- Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime,” 3- Wham’s “Last Christmas” 4- Jose Felicianos’ “Felix Navidad,” 5- Eagles’ “Please Come Home For Christmas” 6- Michael Buble’s “Let it Snow, Let it Show” 7- Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” 8- Dan Fogelberg’s “Same Old Lang Syne” 9- Beach Boys’ “Little Saint Nick” 10- Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town”
Here’s 94.9 the Bull’s top 10 from last week:
1- Vince Vance’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” 2- Perry Como’s “(There’s No Place Like) Home For the Holidays” 3- Newsong’s “The Christmas Shoes” 4- Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” 5- Beach Boys’ “Little Saint Nick” 6- Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” 7- Little Big Town’s “Go Tell It On the Mountains” 8- Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas” 9- Rascal Flatt’s “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” 10- Martina McBride’s “Silent Night”
105.3/The Fish’s top 10 from last week:
1- Third Day’s “Born in Bethlehem” 2- MercyMe’s “Joseph’s Lullaby” 3- Casting Crowns “Away In a Manger” 4- Mark Schultz’s “The First Noel” 5- Erin O’Donnell’s ” O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” 6- “MercyMe’s “It Came Upon the Midnight” 7- Newsong’s “The Christmas Shoes” 8- Josh Groban’s “O Holy Night” 9- Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” 10-Michael W. Smith’s “Christmastime”
Any surprises here?
What to Wear?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Holiday season is party season, so what are you wearing to all the festive fetes the ATL will be throwing over the next few weeks?
Do invitations spell out clearly enough what you’re supposed to wear?
Guys usually have it a little easier. “Black tie” is pretty easy to figure out. (Although S.B. doesn’t actually recommend a plain old black tie/cumberbund set. Consider garnet, tartan plaid, paisley or houndstooth instead. H. Stockton has a fab selection. You don’t want to look like a waiter, do you?)
It’s not uncommon to show up at event and see people in everything from sequined pantsuits to ball gowns. Last night, at the Atlanta Press Club holiday author’s party at the new World of Coca Cola, we saw attire ranging from tux to jeans and everything in between.
But it can be puzzling trying to figure out what to wear sometimes.
At the Nov. 10 Jaden’s Ladder benefit, hosted by Andruw and Nicole Jones, the attire was “Atlanta chic,” which I hope meant a black dress and fur-trimmed jacket, because that’s what I wore. The invitation to the Nov. 28 Trump Towers Atlanta reception had a plaintive ring to it: “Cocktail attire please.”
My favorite sartorial directive has to be from “Amuse’UM,” coming up Feb. 9 at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta. Attire for the event, chaired by Amy Barnes with Bert and Stacey Weiss as honorary chairs, is “playground chic.”
Do you have your giant lego hair accessories ready?
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What’s your favorite book of 2007?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s a simple question that may be rather hard: What was the one book you read in 2007 that you would like to recommend to everyone here?
I was inspired to frame the year-end question this way by (read: I ripped off the idea from) Paste magazine, the excellent Decatur-based culture mag that covers music, film, books and whatnot. Instead of having book critics come up with snooze-inducing Top 10 lists, where everyone puts Philip Roth at the top, they asked various smart readers to name one book they read in 2007 that rocked them the hardest.
Dave Eggers chose “Life Laid Bare: Survivors in Rwanda Speak,” which I had never heard of. Charles McNair, Paste’s book review editor, chose “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” a brave choice when you’re being judged by other litcrits. Rosanne Cash named “The Kite Runner,” which is actually a couple years old, but she just got around to it this year.
I’m going to go with “Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches From America’s Class War,” by Joe Bangeant, a book I have mentioned previously, as the one book I read in 2007 that I would like all of you to read.
According to his blog, Bangeant is a Vietnam veteran who became a hippie, then a journalist. He moved back to his hometown of Winchester, Va., a blue-collar, economically struggling small town he loves but sees differently from the people who have always lived there and never left.
Bangeant writes about the real people in his town, whom he knows inside out, and not like a reporter who has just parachuted in for a month. They are people with serious health problems but inadequate health insurance (or none at all), who work and shop at Wal-Mart and listen to country music and love their country and don’t go in for a lot of irony or using air quotes when they talk.
These are the people that every politician tells us are the real Americans, and yet as Bangeant shows, they are getting shafted in so many ways by the government, society, the media, the Machine, whatever you want to call it. He does not spare either political party, and both liberals and conservatives, if they approach with open minds, should be squirming over how Bangeant frames the issues facing these people.
It is hilariously funny, very angry and somewhat depressing.
So here are my two calls to action: Go buy “Deer Hunting with Jesus.”
Then tell us what one book you read in 2007 (published whenever) you would recommend, and why.
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Is Hanukkah too gift-oriented?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, can sometimes be overwhelmed by that other December holiday, Christmas.
“The Christmas season is an extremely seductive season for Jews, ” Rabbi Jeff Salkin said in a 2003 article in the AJC. “While it is delightful to be able to enjoy the festive nature of this season, Hanukkah reminds us that there are times when we must stand apart from the majority religious culture.”
Traditionally, Jewish children received small presents, sometimes candy, on each of the eight days of Hanukkah. Some people say that Hanukkah presents are getting bigger and bigger, though.
If you celebrate Hanukkah, how do you manage gift-giving? Has the festival become too gift-oriented?
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Are there any new movies out there merry and bright?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The song may say, “Oh by golly have a holly jolly Christmas this year,” but the main tones at the movies this season seem to be, well, morose and dark.
Just in time for Christmas, we get “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (opening Dec. 21). In Tim Burton’s artistic hands, necks get sliced open and blood sprays with abandon.
“The Savages” is about siblings dealing with their dad’s worsening Alzheimer’s. “The Bucket List” is about Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman sharing one major thing together: cancer.
“Charlie Wilson’s War”? No matter how perky and cute the marketing campaign tries to make Julia Roberts and movie look, it’s still about the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, guns and death.
Another of Hollywood’s idea of fun for Christmas Day is “Alien vs. Predator: Requiem.” Do I really have to spell out what the movie will be about?
Is Hollywood making the kinds of movies you want to see this season?
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Should you tell the truth about Santa?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
‘Tis the season of that jolly old elf from the North Pole.
You know who I’m talking about. Chris Cringle. Father Christmas. St. Nick. Santa Claus. He who’s making a list, and checking it twice…
But as a parent, I’m not so sure that my children’s Christmas experience should be defined so heavily - if at all - by Santa and whether they landed on his “naughty” or “nice” list.
As a kid, I long suspected that my parents were pulling my leg about our Christmas Eve visitor. We didn’t have a chimney for him to climb down, and his taste in cookies, oddly, resembled that of my dad’s.
When they let me off the hook at age 10, they were a little disappointed that I wasn’t surprised.
I was a bit put off that they wanted so much for me to buy into their deceit, and that they’d been carrying on the charade for so long.
OK, maybe I was a bit too analytical for your average 10-year-old, but you get the gist. Now, my oldest child, at 4-years-old, is becoming more aware of what Christmas is, and he can’t help but have Santa shoved down his throat.
As much as I want him to enjoy being a kid during this season, I want it to be for the right reasons.
And it should be because he’s expecting gifts from a pudgy elf legend to reward his good deeds.
My son should learn to be “good for goodness sake” without it being an afterthought to the promise of Santa’s benevolence.
OK. It’ll be difficult to explain to a 4-year-old that Santa is only a legend to personify that spirit of Christmas. But telling him the flat-out truth is the only thing I know to do.
Of course, my wife thinks I’m being too serious, and hints that I was somehow traumatized in my childhood.
But more than anything, I just hate lying to my children.
Should I just tell my son where Christmas gifts come from, or perpetuate a hoax I believe is unhealthy and could end badly for him?
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Holiday Sales
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The holidays always bring opportunities to save money and do good at the same time. Check out the following events:
1) Dec. 7 & 8 - Shoe drive at Sabot to benefit Dress for Success. Bring one or more pairs of closed-toe, work appropriate shoes and receive 40% off a single purchase from the fall and winter collection.
2) Now to Dec. 20 - Toy Drive at Sage boutiques. Donate a new unwrapped toy valued at $10 or more and receive 25% off one clothing item. The store is also having a holiday party Saturday, Dec. 8 with discounts of 20 to 50%.
Some other holiday sales:
3) NV-U boutique at 465 Boulevard SE is offering $20 off any coat in store Today through Sunday, Dec. 9.
4) Now until Dec. 31 Miss Jessie’s products for curls, kinks and waves are buy 1 get 1 free at Urbanbella (141 W. Wieuca Road) or urbanbella.com. (good while supplies last).
Permalink | | Categories: holiday
Team effort brings Santa to seniors this year
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This Christmas season, some Gwinnett residents are expanding their list to include a group often overlooked in all the holiday merriment — senior citizens living in our community who are alone and financially strapped.
Area merchants — and shoppers throughout the county — are helping us remember these people through our “Be a Santa to a Senior” project.
The project grew from an interest by the Home Instead Senior Care franchisee in Gwinnett to participate in a holiday community service project. (Home Instead Senior Care is a private company that provides nonmedical home care and companionship to senior citizens. The recipients of the program would not be clients of Home Instead Senior Care, but elderly who are identified as being in need.)
The goal of the “Be a Santa to a Senior” program is to provide holiday cheer and gifts to almost 400 seniors who are lonely, financially needy and least likely to receive a present during the holiday season. Shoppers and patrons at participating businesses can take an ornament from one of the display trees at the business and purchase gifts for a senior, based on the ideas listed on the ornament. The gifts are dropped off back at the participating merchants by Dec. 10, after which they will be gathered, wrapped and distributed.
How is this accomplished? Well, it takes the involvement, dedication and hard work of many people — most of whom I don’t know and the majority of whom I will never meet. But a few people are working particularly hard to make “Be a Santa to a Senior” come together.
Our nonprofit agency partner that provides us with the older adults to be the recipients of the gifts is the Gwinnett County Department of Community Services.
Help from area merchants has been essential, and we have been blessed with four who are hosting a Christmas tree at their location: Wal-Mart on Scenic Highway, Belk Department Store in Snellville, Chick-fil-A on Scenic Highway and Macaroni Grill at the Avenue at Webb Gin.
All the presents dropped off at the merchant locations will be retrieved and brought to our office to be logged in and catalogued properly. Guess who does all that running around? Well, every program needs a point person — a “go-to” individual who can get the project off the ground and nurture and care for it through completion. That person is our office manager, Sue Silva, one of those people who actually likes it when things get hectic and crazy, and the more hectic and crazy, the better.
The fifth-grade classes at Pharr Elementary and Grayson Elementary will participate in a holiday wrapping party for all the gifts bought, and Pharr Elementary has graciously offered to host the party. Not only will the children help wrap presents, but they will also get their creative juices flowing by making sure each senior has a handcrafted holiday card to accompany the gifts. Additionally, some community residents as well as some Home Instead caregivers have volunteered their time to help wrap presents.
Finally, we need a whole lot of elves to help deliver the presents. Most of the gifts will be delivered by volunteers with the Meals on Wheels program in Gwinnett County, along with some Home Instead Senior Care personnel.
Just telling you about the scope of this project makes my head spin. And realizing all the people who have so unselfishly given of their time, their money, their goodwill, their store space and their school space is overwhelming. I don’t know where to begin to thank everyone.
Most important, I want to acknowledge every individual who will take the time to select an ornament and shop for someone they don’t even know. Most of you have gone above and beyond in your generosity. I wish I had each of your names so I could personally thank you for your willingness to get involved and go the extra mile. This project has reinvigorated my faith in people and their decision to stop and help a stranger less fortunate during a time of the year when it is most appreciated.
Gerry Serotte and her brother Sam Serotte of Lawrenceville co-own the Snellville office of Home Instead Senior Care, which is in its 10th year of operation. The business assists the elderly with errands and nonmedical home care that allow them to stay at home as they grow older.
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Holiday photos of kids follow definite pattern
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This past Thanksgiving, I was visiting with my parents when I found a box jam-packed with grainy, fading photographs. My dad sat down with me, and we had the best time looking through the pictures, figuring out which woman was my grandmother, which gentleman was my grandfather and, especially, which little boy was my dad.
My dad is 84 years old. I’m no math wizard, but some quick subtraction told me these photos were taken in 1933. Or ’35. Or ’38. The point is: way, way back in the day, photos were taken pretty regularly. Imagine that! Because a search through my mom’s scrapbook will produce an extremely meager stash of her young family’s pictures. Especially when it comes to me, otherwise known as the third-born.
My two older brothers, at 2 and 3 years old, show up in some dandy pics, wearing cowboy suits and boots, pedaling a tricycle. Or in the park, dressed in little jackets with those ear-flap hats on their buzz-cut heads. Then I was delivered, and wham! Welcome to the photographic black hole.
“But what about holiday photos?” you ask. Surely, there’s a precious picture of that only daughter, dressed in red velvet and lace or even footy pajamas. What mother doesn’t have a bounty of black-and-white memories of her little ones, opening presents on Christmas morn, or sitting on Santy’s lap, their tiny eyes all aglow?
Well, OK. There is a holiday photo. I suppose the only reason we have that picture is because my mother didn’t have to take it. There we stand, my two older brothers and I, sort of close, but not really, to the fat, jolly man. We look distinctly uncomfortable. Probably because we had no idea what was going on, being as unfamiliar as we were to the whole picture-taking process.
It’s the only photo I’ve ever seen of me or my brothers with Santa Claus. When I asked my mom about this phenomenon, she claimed nobody took pictures back in the day. When pressed further, she’d say she was too busy raising her children to bother with pictures, especially around the holidays. Like that’s any kind of an excuse.
So I vowed to be the best darn picture taker ever after my first-born arrived. His baby book is crammed with page after page of snapshots, documenting his every move. And Christmas pictures? Too many to count. I’m surprised we didn’t have to take out a loan to pay for all that December adorableness.
When his sister followed a few years later, I clicked away. Her baby book is full, too. Maybe not crammed. Maybe not chronicled month-by-month. More like quarter-by-quarter. But in my defense, she leaped from one milestone to the next, unlike her brother, who crawled at a snail’s pace. Is that the photographer’s fault?
And can you really blame the photographer if at Christmas, a certain little girl had an aversion to sitting on strange men’s laps? There are a few photos of my daughter with Santa, but she’s usually standing to the side of the chair, looking distinctly uncomfortable (like mother, like daughter). So can you blame a parent if those holiday photos weren’t taken at the expensive mall Santa hot spot? I mean, we still had to pay something for the pictures, even if it was a donated can of peas or box of tuna helper.
The third child joined us in 1991, I think it was. And I truly believe that 2008 will be the year I finish his baby book.
But, and this is the most important thing to remember during this holiday season, I do have a picture of my youngest with Santa Claus. There’s a darling Polaroid of him with a teenage Santa taken during a Secret Shopping Day extravaganza. Sure, the photo was free. And maybe I wasn’t exactly there to take the picture. And it’s possible that my child is leaning against the chair because he’s way too big to sit in the scrawny Santa’s lap.
But there’s a definite look of wonder on my son’s face. Maybe the poor kid’s wondering what he’s doing with this fake 14-year-old Santa? And I think I know the answer to that. But first, I’ve got to call my mother. She’s getting an apology for Christmas.
Cathy C. Hall is a mother of three who lives in Lilburn. You can check out her writings at Cathy C.’s Hall of Fame at www.cathychall.blogspot.com.
“Day at the food pantry reveals big needs”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s been a long time since I bagged groceries.
Back when I did it for a living, stores used paper bags. Bag boys were taught to build a foundation with cans, then put crushables like bread on top. Nowadays plastic has replaced paper, and the baggers, well, the system they use leaves much to be desired.
My years at Piggly Wiggly came flooding back as I worked a few hours Wednesday in the food pantry at the Norcross Cooperative Ministry. I restocked the shelves and helped fill grocery orders alongside regular volunteers Bill Pooser, J.T. Morris and Bob Reynders.
Some of the clients who received the food were waiting in line before the doors opened at 10 a.m. The agency, like other county charities, is experiencing tight times during an uptick in requests.
The drought dried up the need for landscaping and yard crews. The housing slump hit construction workers. And the general ebb and flow of the economy has been brutal to many.
What’s worse, it’s the holidays.
Director Shirley Cabe was on the phone Wednesday, trying to rustle up more toys for 3,092 kids on the holiday list. The nonprofit has stopped signing up families because it may not meet current demand. Before I started work, Cabe showed me the “toy store,” a part of the basement where toys are stored till “pack night.” That’s when volunteers will pull items - sorted by age and gender - and put them in garbage bags for families to pick up later.
“These toys will be gone with the first 500 or 600 kids,” Cabe predicted. “We try to give three toys per kid, so this will only take care of a small portion of the kids. And we have hardly nothing for girls 7 to 12 years old.”
If anybody knows about poverty, near-poverty and the working poor, it’s Cabe. She’s been with the ministry since its inception nearly two decades ago. (May 2008 marks its 20th anniversary). She’s seen requests grow from about 80 to 100 families a month to a current level of 1,000 plus.
Some of you hold an obdurate view of people who turn to charities. Many, you think, abuse goodwill. Well, clients at the Norcross agency have to prove their claims, and the staff can detect when someone’s trying to get over.
Not that it happens much.
“It’s a small percentage,” Cabe told me. “A very small percentage.”
Because it’s the holiday season, volunteers have flooded the nonprofit, so lack of helping hands is a non-issue. Everything else is, though. Monetary donations. New, unwrapped toys. Food.
“We always need food,” Cabe said.
Food orders are sent to the pantry by computer. They include the family’s name, number of adults and children, and any special requests. The most unusual order during my two hours of volunteering came from a family of nine. They didn’t want pork ‘n’ beans or peanut butter.
“If that’s what they want,” Pooser said, “that’s what we’ll give them.”
Or not give them, in this case.
And we did.
Badie’s challenge
Volunteering for a few hours at the Norcross Cooperative Ministry makes me want to do more, not just for this agency, but other community groups.
What about you?
Are you doing anything to uplift someone, to make this community better? If you are, tell me about it. If not, why not find an organization, or someone, and be an agent for change?
E-mail me at rbadie@ajc.com.
How you can help
The Norcross Cooperative Ministry doesn’t need volunteers, just everything else. Like financial donations, food supplies and toys. Especially toys. The agency, located at 2275 Mitchell Road, has a holiday list that includes more than 3,000 kids. Items that befit 7- to -12 year-old girls are a high priority, as well as gift cards for teens.
Here’s another way to help: Give a book.
Norcross-area schools, in conjunction with Re/Max Suburban Atlanta and Alpha Xi Delta sorority, are collecting new or gently used books through Dec. 20. Moreover, tax-deductible contributions to buy books for families the agency serves are being accepted at www.firstbook.org/norcross.
Donated books can be dropped off at numerous locations, including Kroger in the Centre Stage shopping center; the Publix stores in Peachtree Corners and Spalding Corners; Peachtree, Simpson and Stripling elementary schools; Norcross High; Pinckneyville Middle School; Curves of Norcross and Gwinnett Fire Station No. 4 on Spalding Drive.
For more information visit www.firstbook.org/atlantaalphaxidelta.
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail rbadie@ajc.com.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: holiday
Special holiday videos — Watch No. 3 now
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Grandpa Smithee played a musical saw. He would dress in his finest Austrian Von Trapp suit to play “Edelweiss.”
This man, however, determines it’s just fine to perform “SILENT NIGHT” ON A SAW while wearing casual shorts. Hope he doesn’t cut a leg.
Enjoy.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: holiday
Fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s a little exercise for the Christmas season:
Hum a few bars of “Silent Night.”
Sing a line or two of “Away in a Manger.”
Now, give us your best rendition of “Christmas Candles.”
What? You don’t know “Christmas Candles”?
I’ll start it for you: “Each Christmas season, my eyes grow bright …”
Still don’t recall it?
I’m not surprised.
“Christmas Candles” is my favorite Christmas song. (And I am a Christmas music groupie.) Yet, I have never met anyone outside my family who knew the song. I have never heard it on the radio, on television, at church, in a movie or on stage. And until recently, I had never heard a recording of it — only our family’s unprofessional version with my sister following our time-worn, frayed-edge sheet music on the piano.
A year or so ago, I finally Googled it and was able to locate an old recording of the song by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters. I ordered a copy, anxiously awaiting delivery. When I heard it, I was disappointed - it was the same song, but not the same. Too fast. Too peppy. Too smooth. As much as I love Bing and The Andrews Sisters, no one can measure up to decades of memories.
If I were to be objective, there are better holiday songs. But no other song could lure my father to join us in singing at the piano. So “Christmas Candles” was special. I was curious what Christmas songs others would label as their favorite. So I asked a few folks around Snellville.
John LaMattina, a teacher at Norton Elementary School, private drum instructor and member of the Atlanta Blue Notes big band likes “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
“It seems like the great singers do this one the best, and I just like it because it seems to beckon the spirit of Christmas the best!” LaMattina said.
Amanda Sali, director of choral activities at South Gwinnett High School, says her favorite changes often but is currently “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”
“ … The melody is haunting and the text so expressive,” Sali said. “Emmanuel means ‘God with us,’ which is the true meaning of Christmas —the incredible paradox of God becoming man in the form of a tiny infant.”
Brian Garrison, who works at QT on Ga. 124 in Snellville, likes “O Holy Night,” which also happens to be the favorite of District 3 Gwinnett County Commissioner Michael Beaudreau.
My husband, Phil, likes Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmastime is here,” (of Charlie Brown fame).
Donna Pendergast, band director at Snellville Middle School, likes “Sleigh Ride.” “Because I play in a band, performing or hearing this piece signals the beginning of the holiday season,” she said.
Russell Beane, who works at the Snellville Post Office likes “Jingle Bell Rock.”
Garry Rhodes, former director of the Gwinnett Transit Advisory Board, likes Bing Crosby’s legendary “White Christmas,” and the movie that made it famous.
“There’s something magical about it, something that almost gives you chills.”
Jenny Roper, who works at Snellville’s Huddle House, said she enjoys “Winter Wonderland” best.
Snellville City Councilman Warren Auld’s choice is the “Hallelujah!” chorus of Handel’s “Messiah.”
“It’s so majestic,” Auld said. “It’s what I look forward to - it’s like the life of Christmas.”
And Denise Reid, art teacher at W.C. Britt Elementary School, likes “Silent Night” the best.
“The reason is that on Christmas Eve at the candlelight service, when the church is aglow with only the candles, and “Silent Night” is being sung, there is that special peaceful moment when we come so close to what the Season is all about,” Mrs. Reid said. “The frenzy of shopping, baking, sending out cards, and all the other preparations are over, and we are simply united with goodwill and the joy of Christmas.
“As an aside, I also am partial to ‘Silent Night’ as it is sung on Christmas Eve because it is the only time of the year I get to hear my husband sing!” Mrs. Reid said. “Mike, my husband, has a beautiful bass voice, but he doesn’t consider himself a singer! Something about ‘Silent Night’ causes him to join right in!”
What is your favorite Christmas song? Why?
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Team effort brings Santa to seniors this year
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This Christmas season, some Gwinnett residents are expanding their list to include a group often overlooked in all the holiday merriment — senior citizens living in our community who are alone and financially strapped.
Area merchants — and shoppers throughout the county — are helping us remember these people through our “Be a Santa to a Senior” project.
The project grew from an interest by the Home Instead Senior Care franchisee in Gwinnett to participate in a holiday community service project. (Home Instead Senior Care is a private company that provides nonmedical home care and companionship to senior citizens. The recipients of the program would not be clients of Home Instead Senior Care, but elderly who are identified as being in need.)
The goal of the “Be a Santa to a Senior” program is to provide holiday cheer and gifts to almost 400 seniors who are lonely, financially needy and least likely to receive a present during the holiday season. Shoppers and patrons at participating businesses can take an ornament from one of the display trees at the business and purchase gifts for a senior, based on the ideas listed on the ornament. The gifts are dropped off back at the participating merchants by Dec. 10, after which they will be gathered, wrapped and distributed.
How is this accomplished? Well, it takes the involvement, dedication and hard work of many people — most of whom I don’t know and the majority of whom I will never meet. But a few people are working particularly hard to make “Be a Santa to a Senior” come together.
Our nonprofit agency partner that provides us with the older adults to be the recipients of the gifts is the Gwinnett County Department of Community Services.
Help from area merchants has been essential, and we have been blessed with four who are hosting a Christmas tree at their location: Wal-Mart on Scenic Highway, Belk Department Store in Snellville, Chick-fil-A on Scenic Highway and Macaroni Grill at the Avenue at Webb Gin.
All the presents dropped off at the merchant locations will be retrieved and brought to our office to be logged in and catalogued properly. Guess who does all that running around? Well, every program needs a point person — a “go-to” individual who can get the project off the ground and nurture and care for it through completion. That person is our office manager, Sue Silva, one of those people who actually likes it when things get hectic and crazy, and the more hectic and crazy, the better.
The fifth-grade classes at Pharr Elementary and Grayson Elementary will participate in a holiday wrapping party for all the gifts bought, and Pharr Elementary has graciously offered to host the party. Not only will the children help wrap presents, but they will also get their creative juices flowing by making sure each senior has a handcrafted holiday card to accompany the gifts. Additionally, some community residents as well as some Home Instead caregivers have volunteered their time to help wrap presents.
Finally, we need a whole lot of elves to help deliver the presents. Most of the gifts will be delivered by volunteers with the Meals on Wheels program in Gwinnett County, along with some Home Instead Senior Care personnel.
Just telling you about the scope of this project makes my head spin. And realizing all the people who have so unselfishly given of their time, their money, their goodwill, their store space and their school space is overwhelming. I don’t know where to begin to thank everyone.
Most important, I want to acknowledge every individual who will take the time to select an ornament and shop for someone they don’t even know. Most of you have gone above and beyond in your generosity. I wish I had each of your names so I could personally thank you for your willingness to get involved and go the extra mile. This project has reinvigorated my faith in people and their decision to stop and help a stranger less fortunate during a time of the year when it is most appreciated.
Gerry Serotte and her brother Sam Serotte of Lawrenceville co-own the Snellville office of Home Instead Senior Care, which is in its 10th year of operation. The business assists the elderly with errands and nonmedical home care that allow them to stay at home as they grow older.
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Do you pick up your own gifts?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was in Target this week and I saw something I wanted for Christmas, the A&E version of “Pride and Prejudice.” I picked it up and threw it my cart congratulating myself on helping my husband get his list done for me. As I mentioned earlier in the week, he hates shopping. He rarely gets to stores so if I see it, then why not buy it?
And then I remembered a few years back when he got mad that I picked some things up at the cooking shop for myself. I wasn’t using the presents ahead of time. I just was trying to be efficient. He didn’t think it could be considered a gift if I was buying it myself.
I decided he could order the movie from Amazon, and I put it back on the shelf. We’ll see if it shows up Christmas morning.
I am sending him to the store to get one of his presents. He wants a DVR/DVD burner all in one type-thingy. Clearly, you don’t want me picking this out.
Do you ever pick up your presents for convenience or for accuracy? Does your spouse get mad? Does it ruin the idea of gift-giving or is just using your time wisely?
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Film awards for ‘No Country,’ Clooney and Christie
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Coen brothers’ “No Country for Old Men” was named the year’s best picture today by the National Board of Review. Top acting awards went to George Clooney for “Michael Clayton” and Julie Christie for “Away From Her.”
The National Board, founded in 1909 is the first major American group to announce final movie honors each year. Membership includes film historians, educators and others.
Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne also is being honored with the group’s William K. Everson Film History Award. Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas will receive the award for career achievement.
Among the group’s other awards: director — Tim Burton (“Sweeney Todd”); supporting actor — Casey Affeck (“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”); supporting actress — Amy Ryan (“Gone Baby Gone”); foreign film — “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”; documentary — “Body of War”; animated feature — “Ratatouille”; ensemble cast — “No Country for Old Men”; breakthrough actor — Emile Hirsch (“Into the Wild”); breakthrough actress — Ellen Page (“Juno”); directorial debut — Ben Affleck (“Gone Baby Gone”); original screenplay — a tie between “Juno” and “Lars and the Real Girl”; adapted screenplay — “No Country for Old Men.”
The group’s Top 10 films of 2007 (in alphabetical order): “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” “Atonement,” “The Bourne Ultimatum,” “The Bucket List,” “Into the Wild,” “Juno,” “The Kite Runner,” “Lars and the Real Girl,” “Michael Clayton” and “Sweeney Todd.”
The group’s Top 5 foreign films: “4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days,” “The Band’s Visit,” “The Counterfeiters,” “La Vie En Rose” and “Lust, Caution.”
Top 5 documentaries: “Dafur Now,” “In the Shadow of the Moon,” “Nanking,” “Taxi to the Darkside” and “Toots.”
Top indie films (in alphabetical order): “Away From Her,” “Great World of Sound,” “Honeydripper,” “In the Valley of Elah,” “A Mighty Heart,” “The Namesake,” “Once,” “The Savages,” “Starting Out in the Evening” and “Waitress.”
Freedom of Expression awards: “Persepolis” and “The Great Debaters.”
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12/5: Project 9-6-1’s Giant Brian raises nearly $100K for Empty Stocking
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Giant Brian show on Project 9-6-1 just finished up 50 hours to raise $96,535 for the Empty Stocking Fund, which found its warehouse stripped of $50,000 in gifts for needy kids. The thieves have yet to be found but he said it’s obvious the fund will end up with more cash than it otherwise would have had, said Don Crawford, the Empty Stocking Fund executive director.
“I’m tired but inspired,” “Giant” Brian Carothers said after the total was announced at 10:12 a.m. today.
“We thank you very much. It will help a lot of children,” said Crawford.
About 690 people contributed money. More will come in so the final total will likely be bigger and might break $100,000, said Chris Williams, program director.
John Cabaniss, a research scientist at Georgia Tech who lives in Marietta, stopped by the studio ((above, right, with Giant Brian)) and gave $16,000 from a charity foundation set up by his grandmother on behalf of his late grandfather. The radio station gave $25,000.
The two jocks didn’t stay awake or stay at the studio the entire 50 hours. They both snuck home overnight to shower, brush their teeth and shave. Brian Carothers slept three hours last night on a love seat while Shaffee found a spot on the floor in the control room under a desk to doze for an hour last night. “The carpet probably hasn’t been vacuumed since this building opened so I breathed in all sorts of dust, but it was worth it,” he said.
A company called Digital Blue, an education and entertainment company, said it will provide a matching total (including in-kind trades). So the final total could be closer to $200,000.
Crawford said the thieves focused on electronics, taking hundreds of DVD players and MP3 players. They didn’t steal any of the books.
Last year, the charity organization said it helped out 46,376 underprivileged children. You can donate directly here..
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A gift of memories will last forever
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What if your kids came to you and said they’d rather go on a holiday or Christmas ( you fill in the appropriate word) vacation than have presents?
Well, that’s what happened to me. And you know what? I’m thrilled.
I won’t have to brave the stores, the crowds or the decisions of what to buy. I’ll admit that it sort of makes me feel out of the loop, but that feeling doesn’t last for long.
In fact, the gift I’m giving my children is the gift of memories and since they will be on their own before too long, I”m just glad they still want to spend time with us.
Granted, my girls are now 15 and 19. So, while there are plenty of things they’d like to have, I’m hoping they are getting away from the need to have more stuff.
What would you think if your kids asked for a little getaway instead of presents?
Abby Brunks blogs on Fayette.Talk
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Special holiday videos — Watch No. 2 now
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s the Turtle Creek Chorale of Dallas, Texas — some members in full “Flying Nun” habits — performing what would best be called “THE HALLELUJAH NUNS’ CHORUS”. It’s clearly a case of performance over camerawork. And if this film doesn’t make you laugh, bah humbug on you!
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Regifting: Better the second time around?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s Christmas Day and there’s a knock at the door.
In steps a relative or friend bearing gifts. Problem is, there’s nothing for her under the tree.
Except…
There is the lavender scarf a co-worker gave you last year and there’s the unopened bottle of perfume you got for your birthday.
Who’s to know, right?
Some things are better the second time around but does that apply to gifts?
Have you ever regifted? Are you thinking about regifting this Christmas? Do you suspect you’ve been on the receiving end of a revolving gift? Is this an acceptable way to pass along a gift you will never use or just plain cheap and tacky?
Have you ever been caught? How did you handle it? Are there principles that even the most chronic regifter follows?
(Note: For those of you who get a Christmas gift from me, don’t worry. Honestly, it never crossed my mind…)
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The lowdown on movie opening dates for the holidays
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I looked down at my December calendar today and the month is already full — movie screenings, movie openings, parties, photo shoots, parties, family arrivals and parties.
I, like you I’m sure, need things to be in order. And because I am always giving I’ve prepared a calendar for you of important movie openings for Oscar contenders, holiday movies and such from now till after the first of the year. I do this because movies don’t always open everywhere on the same day.
Here’s the lineup for metro Atlanta (note that dates are definitely subject to change on the whim of studio execs):
FRIDAY — “Atonement” with James McAvoy and Keira Knightley; “The Golden Compass” with Nicole Kidman and several polar bears; “Romance and Cigarettes” with Tony Soprano and a lot of karaoke singing.
DEC. 12 — “The Perfect Holiday” with Queen Latifah, Gabrielle Union and Morris Chestnut in a Santa suit.
DEC. 14 — “I am Legend” with Will Smith and New York City; “Alvin and the Chipmunks” with Alvin, Simon and Theodore.
DEC. 21 — “Charlie Wilson’s War” with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts; “Juno” with Ellen Page and Michael Cera; “The Kite Runner” with Afghanistan; “P.S. I Love You” with Hilary “I’m Just A Girl From A Trailer Park With A Dream” Swank; “The Walker” with Woody Harrelson.
DEC. 25 — “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” with English subtitles for the French dialogue; **”The Water Horse” with a CGI creature; “The Savages” with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney; “Alien vs. Predator — Requiem” with aliens, predators and a town of people.
JAN. 4 — “Cassandra’s Dream” with Colin Farrell.
JAN. 11 — “Grace is Gone” (maybe on this date) with John Cusack; “The Bucket List” with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.
SOMETIME IN JANUARY — “There Will Be Blood” with Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano; “Starting Out in the Evening” with Frank Langella.
FEB. 1 — Persepolis” with French animation.
Which films are you looking forward to?
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Musical Gifts That Aren’t Music
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s tough to buy gifts for the music fans in your life. They tend to be the proverbial people who have everything. Buy them a CD, and it’s a good bet that they already have it. These photo-packed, music-related books might be the perfect thing to fill those stockings:
“The Police: 1978-1983,” Lynn Goldsmith (Little, Brown and Company, $29.99). Renowned rock photographer Goldsmith captured the recently reunited trio onstage, backstage and even in the bathtub (well, Andy Summers in the bathtub, anyway).
“For You: Original Stories and Photographs by Bruce Springsteen’s Legendary Fans,” Lawrence Kirsch (Lawrence Kirsch Communications, $50). Springsteen’s fans are a pretty loyal and passionate bunch. This handsome, photo-packed tome is filled with the reminiscences of Boss fans worldwide. Available through www.foryoubruce.com.
“Van Halen: A Visual History: 1978-1984,” Neil Zlozower (Chronicle Books, $35). As you might expect from the title, this one is light on text and heavy on photos. Think of it as a companion to the current reunion tour, which brought David Lee Roth back into the fold.
“Nashville Portraits,” Jim McGuire (The Lyons Press, $34.95). The companion to an exhibition organized by Augusta’s Morris Museum of Art. The subjects of these beautiful black-and-white portraits range from Tammy Wynette to Doc Watson to Jack Ingram.
“Doo Wop: The Music, the Times, the Era,” “Cousin Brucie” Morrow with Rich Maloof (Sterling, $24.95). Take a visual trip back to the ‘50s with this hefty volume by famed DJ Morrow. It doesn’t stop with the ’50s, though. Morrow follows the influence of the vocal group sound into the ’60s.
Paid Self-Park at Phipps
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you’ve been to Phipps Plaza lately (since Saturday), you may have noticed new signs for UpFront Plus!
It’s a new parking service at the P3 Peachtree Street entrance being introduced just in time for the holidays.
For $4, you can self-park in one of 140 allocated spots and attendants will help you with strollers, packages, etc. Phipps says the service is great for holiday shoppers and shoppers with children.
For $7 plus tip, you can still use valet.
What do you think a busy shopper should do?
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Bad Sex in Fiction Award
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, it was a dirty job, but somebody had to do it, so once again the Literary Review, a London magazine, has brought forth its annual Bad Sex in Fiction Awards.
I won’t keep you in suspense. This year’s winner is Norman Mailer, who died last month after a towering career and then got this.
“We are sure that he would have taken the prize in good humor,” the judges said at a ceremony last week, and, seeing as how it’s Mailer, they may be right. He was “honored” for a sex scene in “The Castle in the Forest” in which Adolf Hitler’s parents conceive the dictator.
Much of the fun of the “Bad Sex in Fiction Awards” stems from their focus on serious, frequently literary, writing from our best writers, rather than picking on cheesy soft-core porn paperbacks. On the short-list (Brit-speak for “nominees”) this year was Ian McEwan’s “On Chesil Beach,” which is about a bad wedding night, and Christopher Rush’s novel, “Will,” about Shakespeare, in which the bard rhapsodizes about his favorite aspects of Anne Hathaway with a little more specificity than we might like. Paul Theroux and John Updike have been short-listed in the past.
Sometimes, though, readers need to take the awards with so many grains of salt. Or saltpeter. Sometimes a talented novelist writes a sex scene because it’s his or her intention to evoke disgust, or make you think about what’s happening in a specific wayt. Such is the case with Gary Shteyngart’s novel “Absurdistan,” a deftly written book I highly recommend, even though the passage on the LitRev’s website is pretty gross. That’s the point. Same with McEwan’s “Chesil Beach,” and with a recent winner, Tom Wolfe’s “I Am Charlotte Simmons.”
Let’s keep this PG-rated, fellow heavy-breathers, but have you read any of the sex scenes mentioned here, and what did you think of them? How does a really detailed sex scene in a novel affect you as you’re reading it? Remember: PG-rated.
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Happy Holidating!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you survived Thanksgiving and all those well-intentioned relatives asking about your dating life, congratulations! You cleared the first holiday without sinking into a funk about your lacking love life. Being single and dateless during the holidays doesn’t have to spell doom. For all of us who are single during the holidays, here are some tips on holidating:
Mingle: You know all those e-vites that are sitting in your inbox for holiday gatherings? Open them! Even if you don’t know who you want to take, just RSVP and go! The goal should not be to score phone numbers, though. Relax, be yourself, and laugh. When you aren’t focused on the numbers game, I think you are able to enjoy the people/experience more. Trust me. I’ve had the most fun at holiday parties without a date. I played the card games, sipped on yummy drinks, and grabbed random hot guys to stand under some mistletoe! (Yes, I have been known to carry my own. Don’t judge me.)
Venture out: It’s getting cold, the days are shorter, and the single people seem to disappear! This just means you need to be more creative and go where lots of people are gathered. Ice skating rinks, sporting events, bookstores, museums, or a cozy restaurant/cafe with comfy surroundings. Relaxed people are sexy. I bet you could strike up a conversation with interesting people who share similar interests.
What are other activities single people can do during the next few weeks? Lots of days off which means plenty of leisure time! What do you plan to do for fun during the holidays?
Do single people try to avoid meeting someone new because they don’t want to get caught up in that holiday trifecta: Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day?
Do you ever “relax” your dating standards just so you can get a snuggle buddy for the cold, winter nights? I have to admit that the thought of having a sweetie to curl up with in front of the fire is awfully tempting!
Is it wrong to do the “expiration” dating thing just for the holiday season? How does one even pull that off?
What are the perks for being single during the holidays?
Wise Diva is co-writer of the popular Misadventures in Atlanta dating blog
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Let it snow — but only in the movies
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I really like snow. But I don’t want the bone-chilling cold that comes with it.
That’s probably why I live in Atlanta. We rarely get flakes that stick, which means much less hazardous driving. And if metro Atlantans love anything, it’s being behind the wheel of a fast-moving car.
I can get my snow fix from the movies. During the holidays, I’ll always grab one of these on DVD and watch — as my oscillating space heater blows warmth on my body:
“White Christmas” — For the longest time, there’s not any snow — but Bing, Danny and the girls make do by piling up white napkins and creating a white powdery-looking ski scene, singing, “Snow … snow … snow … snow … snow!”
“Fargo” — The blinding white and pounding music score can make me feel like I am entombed in bitter cold.
“Doctor Zhivago” — It’s hardly my favorite David Lean movie but I do like it when Omar Sharif enters the country home that’s been overcome by ice and snow.
“The Ice Storm” — The scenery is icier than the cold hearts of some of the characters in Ang Lee’s so-sad drama of neighborly secrets and lies.
“March of the Penguins” — What makes me chilled is the scene where all the papa penguins gather in a big huddle with the eggs perched on their feet as they wait out raging gusts of bitterly cold wind.
“The Shining” — Just imagine: no seemingly way out through miles and miles of mountainous snow and Jack Nicholson’s lurking nearby waiting to greet you with an ax.
“Way Down East” — This is the old silent film with Lillian Gish being carried over dangerous ice floes in a raging river. Perilous and fun to watch.
What’s your favorite cinematic snow?
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Stay on Track this Holiday Season
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you’re already into fitness, or just getting started, the holiday season poses its challenges. Not only are you confronted with sweet treats on a weekly (if not daily basis), you’re schedule becomes more hectic as you try to schedule trips, tend to relatives, buy gifts, etc.
Let’s face it, there is a lot going on during the holidays that can throw you off track. However, that does not mean you have to quit altogether. If you miss a workout one day, postpone it to the next day. If the boss throws in a last minute meeting during the time you were going to go workout, make-up for it by coming in at a different time another day. When you’re used to getting three sessions in, don’t throw in the towel if you are only able to get two in this week.
What matters is that you keep moving forward. Getting fit and losing weight are lifetime goals. Remember that one of the reasons you exercise is to also “beat up” some stress. This is especially true during the holidays
What matters most is consistency. So, if you have an “all are nothing” attitude, be very careful as you may be setting yourself up for failure. Keep doing what you know you need to do and don’t let anyone stand in your way.
Do you have any tips to stay motivated during the holiday season? If so, please share.
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What are your Hanukkah family traditions?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hanukkah begins tonight. The Jewish Festival of Lights is an eight-day commemoration of rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees after their victory over the Syrians.
Because it usually falls in December, Hanukkah has become increasingly compared to Christmas in recent years, even though the two holy days are vastly different within their religions.
Still, some Jewish families have started their own family traditions that become part of the family’s observance of Hanukkah, just as Christian families have done with Christmas.
What are your Haukkah family traditions?
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Will You Dine at Home for Christmas?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Have you ever eaten out for Christmas dinner? Did you end up eating Chinese like the Parker family in “A Christmas Story?” Were you out of town and had nowhere else to go? Did the chestnuts roasting on your open fire explode and set fire to the house? Were you marooned in an airport somewhere, singing Christmas carols over the phone to your loved ones? Did you have to work? Perhaps you went on an Austrian ski vacation? A cruise?
What’s your most memorable Christmas dinner in a restaurant?
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Special holiday videos — Watch No. 1 now
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How best to get December started? I say watch a movie. All this month I’ll be bringing you a holiday video worth watching — and hearing.
Up first is this high-concept work called “I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S CHRISTMAS” done with stop-motion filming and a nice, original song. Talk about being merry and bright!
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Do you live with a Grinch?
What is at the root of the bah-humming? Do you overdo the holidays? How can you simplify for a more joyful, restful holiday?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While the kids and I are gleefully pulling out holiday decorations and making our lists for Santa, my husband has begun his annual festering over how much he hates Christmas.
Like the Grinch holed up in his cave, my husband begins his slow boil a few weeks before Thanksgiving as soon as he sees the first ridiculously premature TV ad.
He grumbles; he groans: “The stores, the radio, the TV are turning what should be a magical couple of weeks into a slow death march of shopping, unnecessary decorating and burdensome tasks.”
My husband smolders over holiday traffic, unproductive employees, wasted money and the excess of the holidays. A Charlie Brown disciple, he thinks the holiday season is overblown and over-commercialized. His basic complaints are as follows:
It starts too early and lasts too long.
Workers don’t want to do anything — “It’s the holidays,” they say.
Schools don’t accomplish anything.
Every weekend is just a list to get done - shop, address and mail cards, shop, decorate.
He hates decorations. He finds them to be wastes of money, time and energy. And they clutter the house to boot.
He hates lines. He hates crowds. He hates traffic. All of these are in abundance at the mall. And, by the way, if you haven’t guessed, he hates malls.
He hates shopping in general, but especially at Christmas. It’s crowded. It’s gluttonous. He thinks Dante’s Inferno has a special level just for catalogs - especially the ones that come multiple times a week and display mostly candles.
And it all ends with that magical trip back to the miserable crowded mall to return all the stuff that you didn’t want or need in the first place.
Depressed yet? Bringing you down?
I usually just try to ignore his Scrooge imitation, but as I have been working on this piece and talking with him more about his feelings, I started to think maybe all his negativity could be used to improve our holiday experience. Maybe we could simplify to make it more enjoyable for everyone in the family.
Serendipitously, I ran across a book this week at the library called ‘Simplify Your Christmas - 100 Ways to Reduce the Stress and Recapture the Joy of the Holidays,’ by Elaine St. James.
She suggests that families first make a list of the things they like about their holiday and the things they remember from their childhood. Then make a list of everything they don’t like. Narrow down the lists and choose a few things to continue.
Don’t buy into Madison Avenue’s image of what Christmas is supposed to be like - floor covered with toys under the tree, complicated parties and meals, expensive gifts.
Don’t buy the women’s magazines with “simple” projects that took three editors and a stylist weeks to create for publication.
She points out that organizing to get through all your holiday tasks (like shopping in June) is not simplifying. Start the holiday closer to the actual date and truly eliminate tasks.
Focus more what you can do with your family, but even that doesn’t have to be complicated. She gave an example of a family who used to drive into the city to see a big Christmas musical each year. It was stressful and expensive. They decided to skip it one year and heard carolers singing close-by. The family had a wonderful inexpensive musical experience in their own town.
Focus on charitable acts.
Reduce the amount you are buying. Give your time and talent instead - such as coupons to take adventures with your kids each month. If you must buy, she suggests giving consumable things (such as movie tickets, restaurant gift cards), not things that clutter.
The book is from 1998 and has a few dated references, but overall was a fast read and helpful at refocusing me for the holiday season.
I am decorating this weekend, and I will probably do less after reading this book. We already had limited the number of gifts per child this year, and I’m almost done with my shopping.
I want us to read, watch our favorite Christmas shows, bake and cuddle as a family. If the mood strikes to go and see lights or have people over, we’ll do it simply.
We’ve started our charitable acts, and I want the kids to do several this month. I liked the author’s suggestion of having the children do at least one kind thing a week.
I think maybe by simplifying a little, my Grinch will be more relaxed and happy and in return the whole family will be too.
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Giving gadgets? Read the manual first
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There you sit on Christmas morning. The cat has turned over the tree. Half the gadgets you bought as gifts don’t work. And you forgot to get batteries for little Alex’s Wild World Alien Helmet.
Merry Christmas.
I can’t help with the cat, but I can - in many cases from personal experience - warn you away from some of the high-tech gotchas that can turn a fine Christmas morning into a frantic mess. Stay with me today and I’ll save you some pain.
Electronic toys and gizmos that require assembly top my list of potential trouble spots. The first thing to understand is that some of these things are packed in a haphazard manner - sometimes with a key component left out.
So my first bit of advice: If any of your gifts are in the “easy assembly” category, open the package before you wrap it. You’ll usually find a list of components in the assembly instructions. Make sure everything on it is in the box. Then return everything to the box and wrap it up.
The next pitfall comes when the yet-to-be-assembled device is unwrapped. In my house, wrapping and boxes litter the floor within the first few minutes of the gifting frenzy. It’s easy for instruction manuals, small components and rebate coupons to be discarded. So keep a good watch out. Provide an empty box or other safe place for instruction manuals and the like.
Next lets talk about an affliction that seems to hit even those who normally are cautious and precise.
Here’s what happens: The new computer (or talking robot, or printer) has just been unpacked. Everyone has spent a few moments admiring it. Now, there is a herdlike rush to get it up and running.
You tell yourself you are practically a genius when it comes to putting things together so there’s no need for the manual. But there’s something about doing all this in a hurry - perhaps with an admiring audience - that invites mistakes. And your new computer’s set-up may be a bit different than your old one’s. So consider reading the manual before Christmas morning. If that would spoil the surprise, then force yourself to read through the entire manual before you start the set-up process.
Even when you’ve done that, slow down and carefully consult the illustrations in the manual that identify the various ports and connection points if you’re setting up a new computer. Mark any sections of the manual that are unclear. If you don’t understand something, use a Web site or knowledgeable friend to clear up confusion before you go further.
Finally, during the actual set-up, follow each step exactly. If the gadget - computers don’t fall into this category - has a long series of assembly instructions, check off each step as it is completed.
My final tip applies to devices that need a battery. There’s a rule that goes something like this: If a device needs four AA batteries, you’ll only have three. Or, if it needs AAA batteries you’ll only have the AA size. So make sure you have the right batteries and enough of them.
Next week: How to keep cats away from the tree.
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Time for the best tannenbaums in movies
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I haven’t bought a Christmas tree yet this year. I’m waiting for my once-wee sons Cecil B. and D.W. to come home. Cecil B. arrives first — about a week before Christmas. We’ll get one and decorate it with all the ornaments we’ve gathered over the years — the little bell commemorating “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the ornament shaped like “The Alamo,” and, even though I don’t particularly relish “Gone With The Wind,” the tiny Tara that needs to rest on a sturdy limb.
Perhaps like you, I like a good tree. And the movies often provide fine ones.
Here are a few movie Christmas trees I really like:
“WHITE CHRISTMAS” — It’s the big one at the end I like — unveiled just before Bing sings the title song for the second time. The tree is huge (and so are the ornaments) and the actors strut around it in those ridiculous red and white outfits.
“NUTCRACKER: THE MOTION PICTURE” — The sets, designed by Maurice Sendak for the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production are mind-blowing. And the absolute best of the lot is the Christmas tree that grows and grows into a gigantic skyscraper.
“ELVIS” — This TV movie is flat-out amazing with a terrific performance by Kurt Russell as Elvis Presley. But one thing etched in my memory is Shelley Winters as once dirt-poor Gladys Presley, sitting at a table in her son’s mansion in new finery and watching a small, turning tree overladen with puffy, fake snow.
“NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRA” — Ingmar Bergman’s masterpiece (he had several) contains the best depiction of a Christmas celebration on film. And my memory is that the best part of the wonderful tree are the lighted candles that give off such a warm glow in cold, cold Sweden.
What are your favorite Christmas trees in movies?
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