Tag Archives: Holiday

All I Want for Christmas . . is the Smuin Christmas Ballet

The 2016 Smuin Christmas Ballet in Carmel-by-the-Sea

ballet-in-flight
The Smuin Dancers seem to fly through the air!

For me the beginning of the holidays starts with my husband and I going to the Smuin Ballet at the Sunset Center every year.

Susan Clark and hubby, Allan Freidson
The Sunset Center deck out for Christmas

Now previously my husband had never gone to a ballet and if I had approached him and said, “Let’s go to the ballet,” he would have looked at me like I was crazy and gone back to watching the football game.  I think it was about 5 years ago when I heard about the Smuin Ballet coming to town with a special Christmas program and I knew I would need to be a little cagey to get my hubby to come along.

white-ballet

I gave him a call and said I’d like for him to go to a dance with me.  The other end of the phone was silent and then I followed it up with, “Remember it’s my birthday!”.  He said OK (how could he refuse on my birthday!) and I think I told him the morning of that we were actually going to go watch other people dance.  Long story short, he actually really liked it.  Particularly, Act 2.

yamaka-2

ACT I Classical Christmas is what most of us think of as ballet.  However ACT 2 Cool Christmas is full of fun acts with wonderful dance numbers including some jazz and tap and Irish dancing thrown in.

santa-baby

One really fun and favorite dance number is to “Santa Baby” sung to the Eartha Kitt recording. The singer drags a long boa onto the stage and she is offered all kinds of worldly goods as the song lyrics indicate.  In honor of the boa – everyone was asked to wear a boa to the performance.  Thus, the red boa below gracing my neck!

susan-and-allan

I have to admit though, my very favorite is the Christmas in New Orleans number seen below.  It’s just so clever and I love the music by Louis Armstrong.

Christmas in New Orleans
Christmas in New Orleans

The grand finale is White Christmas with snow drifting down onto the stage and  into the audience and the dancers jubilantly dancing and playing in the snow.

White Christmas
White Christmas

So that’s it — my holiday season has started!  Now we’ve picked out our Christmas tree . . .

Picking out the Noble Fir Christmas tree in Carmel.
Picking out the Noble Fir Christmas tree in Carmel (tree to my right was the winner)!

and trimmed it. This was a team effort.

Susan trimming tree - the truth is she did the "heavy lifting" on the trimming.
Susan trimming tree – the truth is she did the “heavy lifting” on the trimming.
Allan helped!
Allan helped!

And voila!

Finished tree. I decided this year to go with less is more. The tree itself was so beautiful I went easy on the ornaments.
Finished tree. I decided this year to go with less is more. The tree itself was so beautiful I went easy on the ornaments.

And so our holiday season has started.  I have decided not to be in a frenzy this year.  I want to sit back and enjoy the holiday season by getting together with good friends, enjoying being with my wonderful husband, enjoying all the decorations, singing carols, getting in touch with my spiritual side, and just enjoy being.

All my best holiday wishes to you to experience love, joy, peace, happiness, and good health in this holiday season.  Enjoy your friends and family and hold them close.  All my best!

 

Happy #Groundhog Day ~ #AT&T Pro Am Pebble Beach

Happy Groundhog Day! February 2nd 2016
Happy Groundhog Day! February 2nd 2016

Happy Groundhog Day, my dear readers!  Talking about Groundhog Day brings me back to my teaching days when every holiday and event on the calendar became a teaching opportunity and something to talk about other than readin’, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic  . . . and it always rated a new Bulletin Board!

GH hole gh hole-2

The tradition of this day goes back centuries and even to the ancient Romans.  The early European Christians celebrated Candlemas Day Feb 2nd celebrating Mary’s ritual purification.  If the sun came out that day, there would be 6 more weeks of winter.  The Europeans watched the hibernating animals like bears and badgers as a tip off to winter’s end.  When the Germans immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1880’s they started keeping an eye on the groundhog as a harbinger of a possible early spring.

GH hole

 

And so, the American tradition began and now February 2nd brings the most-watched weather forecast of the year—and the only one led by a rodent.

groundhog looking

Legend has it that on this morning, if a groundhog can see its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If it cannot see its shadow, spring is on the way.

Speaking of Pennsylvania, “Punxsutawney, PA is home to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, the organization we associate with Groundhog Day due to their iconic tradition of getting dressed up in suits and tails for the annual prediction. Its first celebration was on February 2, 1887 on Gobbler’s Knob, a hill in the city where the prognostication has taken place every year since.  Early on it was just a small ceremony in Punxsutawney attended by locals. Now the prognosticating of their mascot, Punxsutawney Phil, is broadcast all over the world.”*

Bill Murray as he appeared in the movie "Groundhog Day"
Bill Murray as he appeared in the movie “Groundhog Day”

It’s impossible to talk about Groundhog Day without thinking of Bill Murray’s iconic movie entitled “Groundhog Day“.  Murray plays a weatherman out to cover the annual emergence of the groundhog from its hole in Punxsutawney PA.  He gets caught in a blizzard that he didn’t predict and finds himself trapped in a time warp living the same day over and over and over again until he gets it right.

Bill Murray GH day

 He appears opposite the lovely Andi McDowell in the movie which I’m sure will be playing on all the movie channels tonight.

Andie McDowell as she appeared in "Groundhog Day"
Andie McDowell as she appeared in “Groundhog Day”

Living on the #Monterey Peninsula with the #AT&TProAmGolf Tournament about to begin in Pebble Beach, it’s impossible to think of past tournaments without thinking of Bill Murray and his antics on the course.  He was always the live wire who kept it fun for the spectators – from his crazy hats to his hilarious stunts.

bmfunny hat

In fact, he was horsing around so much with one lady spectator one year she fell into the sand trap!

w-bm

 The fans all loved him.

As I look at the celebrity list of the 2016 golf participants I see Kenny G, Andy Garcia, Huey Lewis, Chris O’Donnell, Mark Wahlberg, Ray Romano (more about him in a future post), but NO #Bill Murray.  Perhaps another “character” will emerge from the line-up to take his place – but he is a hard act to follow.

bm clowing

The #2016 AT&T Pro Am Golf Tournament will be played in Pebble Beach February 8-14 beginning with practice rounds on the 8th.  The actual tournament will be played from Feb 11th – 14th.  If you are not able to come to the tournament in person catch the televised Saturday play when all the celebrities will be playing on Pebble Beach Golf Links.  You’ll be able to not only see great golf, but you’ll get to experience the amazing views and what we that live here get to experience every day.  Who knows, it might even encourage you to move here!

AT&T Pro Am Golf Tournament ~ Pebble Beach Golf Links over looking Carmel Beach
AT&T Pro Am Golf Tournament ~ Pebble Beach Golf Links over looking Carmel Beach

Ringing that Bell in Carmel CA!

Susan Clark ringing the bell for the Salvation Army in Carmel-by-the-Sea at the  Post Office.
Susan Clark ringing the bell for the Salvation Army in Carmel-by-the-Sea at the Post Office.

What a great way to start a morning!  This Thursday morning was “Realtor Day” and as an Alain Pinel Realtors’ volunteer, I took my place in front of the Carmel-by-the-Sea Post Office and rang the bell for donations for the Salvation Army.  People were so nice and so generous I decided this was something I would like to do every year.  Holiday time is a time to have gratitude for all the blessings we have and to be generous to others who are in need.  The Salvation Army helps those in need year round.  Many people stopped to chat.  Some told me they used to ring the bell themselves and one woman told me how the Salvation Army had helped her when she was in need as she stuffed my kettle with bills.

Good morning!, Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Thank you! kept flying out of my mouth.  By the end of the two hours I was on a “holiday high”!  See you next year at this time . . . I’ll be ringing my bell!

Salvation Army Web site
Salvation Army Web site

The Salvation Army has been working together with the Monterey Peninsula community for over 130 years. Through their various programs they provide services to the homeless, low-income families, and youth of all ages and run a holiday assistance program each Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The Salvation Army currently has representation in 124 different countries worldwide, in addition to nearly 8,000 centers of operation across the United States.