In Search of the Christmas Spirit

‘Tis the Season! I have been slowly but surely trying to find the Christmas spirit. It seems like Thanksgiving sped by and I haven’t had the opportunity to decompress and gear up for Santa.  However, having two small kids at home, I have to summon the essence of the holidays somehow, and in a hurry. So this year, I began my effort with a new twist on a holiday favorite as well as the original version: Debbie Allen’s “The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker” and California Ballet’s “The Nutcracker.” I so glad I decided to attend both!

Debbie Allen’s version was a high-spirited interesting twist on this holiday classic. Holding true to “The Nutcracker’s” central theme, Allen put a fun and entertaining spin on this production.  As an added bonus, “The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker” was filmed and aired it on BET this year.  We decided to wait until we saw it live before we watched it on TV so we would go into the show without any expectations. 

This year also featured the Ms. Raven-Symoné. She was fantastic! From her singing to her dancing, she reminded us all of why we first fell in love with her on the Cosby Show. She is a true talent. After the show, I was admittedly disappointed to not see Ms. Debbie Allen herself, not even during the curtain call. However, I realized when we watched the show on BET, that Ms. Allen was so smartly disguised as one of the mice who stole the show, I didn’t even recognize her! In all the dancing was fabulous; the incorporation of the aerial dancers, stilt walkers, and stepping, made the show even more enjoyable for my little ones. I have to say we all left with a little more Christmas glimmer in our souls!

Next up, my oldest daughter and I attended the California Ballet’s version of “The Nutcracker”. We were both excited because my daughter studied ballet for years and this would bring back memories of her on stage. We opted to leave the little ones at home because it would be a late night and we just wanted to have a “grown girls” night out.  (My daughter will be 20 in February.) First I must say, the set was gorgeous! From the opening scene to the last, I was impressed by the attention to detail that went into creating each set. I’d also like to give special thanks to the California Ballet because we went on their military appreciation night and our two tickets cost us a whopping $5 total! Not only did we have great seats, but the performance was phenomenal! The dancing, music and imagery were outstanding!

I can say, after our marathon of Nutcracker, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere I go…. Here’s hoping you all have found your own holiday cheer!  Happy Holidays to you and yours and may your days be sunny and bright!

Thank you to our Veterans!

I received this certificate a few days after Christmas last year, honoring my late father for his 20 years of dedication and service to the US Navy. Daddy would have been so proud of this certificate, and I can hear him now, telling a big story of how he earned it and was signed by President Obama himself!

My Dad was Navy. All of my early memories revolve around his service to our country. I treasure this certificate, both as a “navy brat” and a military spouse, because I’ve lived the sacrifice a military career brings. As a child, I hated the navy because it kept my Dad away. I didn’t understand why MY DAD had to be gone from us all the time. And honestly, I resented the military the most, because when tragedy struck our family, it was the reason my Dad was never there. I think for years, my Dad struggled with the “not being there” part of his career.

Then, I met and married a military man. (My Dad, told me to never marry a navy man. But the heart loves, who it loves.) And now as a military spouse, it’s still difficult to accept that my husband’s job keeps him away during times like the birth of our youngest daughter or our two oldest daughter’s graduations. It’s a hard pill to swallow, that often I carry the baton of our family’s homefront alone. Then I was privileged to spend time with my husband on his ship and see the work in action that keeps our nation safe. It gave me greater appreciation for the sacrifices he and his shipmates make to keep our nation safe.  So when he’s away and I’m missing him the most, I appreciate the sacrifice even more because our family, and yours, can sleep a little better at night.

So thank you to all the veterans for your service and dedication to our country. And thank you to all the spouses, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers that support them each and everyday so they can do the jobs they do!

**TLC Smith Travel is a PROUD Military Spouse Owned Company**

Every Girl Deserves a “Me” Day!

As a military spouse with my husband deployed, I can often get overwhelmed with all that I need to on a daily basis. The girls have to go here or there.  There’s always some paperwork I need to take care of “right away.” Staying ahead of the housework that needs to be done so we don’t live in a pigs pen.  I work a full-time job that sometimes requires 45 hours in a week instead of 40.  And there are a host of other things that pulls me in a million directions all at the same time.

That’s why I make time for a “ME” day at least once a month. (Sometimes more if I’m really stressed.)  Several of my girlfriends ask how I do it. How can I go out to eat or the movies by myself? My answer is simple, I love my own company!!  I find the serenity of being out in the world alone, doing exactly what I want to do, and just enjoying the pleasure of my own company to be exhilarating.

This month I treated myself to lunch and a movie.  My first stop was to see the much-anticipated movie by Zane, “Addicted.”  I was really excited to go see this movie because I read the book when it was first published and I’ve been acquainted with Zane through my work in the literary industry. (If you haven’t purchased her latest anthology Z-Rated, please do and read my story, “Possessed Penis.”) So I made sure to go support this movie in its opening weekend.  And glad I did! The movie was great. I was worried it would be a 1999 movie, since the book was written around that time. But to my relief it was hip, sensual when it needed to be and delivered exactly what I had hoped for.  Definitely a must see for lovers of erotica and thrillers.  I was also glad to see the movie theater was filled to capacity.  I have rarely ever experienced a Black movie in San Diego selling out. So the matinée on the opening day being filled was exciting to see.

 

After the movie, I decided to treat myself to my second favorite cuisine of all time (seafood is my first favorite), Thai food.  There is a Thai restaurant, Issara, about a half mile from my house that I’ve been trying to get into for the past year.  Every time I decide to go either their closed (they close one day in the middle of the week) or I get out-voted to some fast food chain by the girls.  So that day was going to be the day.  I went in and to my delight, was greeted by a bar. So I pulled up a stool, ordered an apple martini and the Ginger Basil chicken with moderate heat.  The food was okay. I would give it a 3.75 on a scale of 1 to 5.  It really didn’t come close to my favorite San Diego Thai restaurant, Bankok West Thai Cafe.  The presentation was nice, but Bankok West hands down has the most incredible presentation… and flavors!

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Anywho, it was great to just enjoy the solitude of my own company.  After lunch, I was ready to pick up the girls from school and resume being Mommy, Ms. Fix It, Detective, Problem Solver and Navy Wife.

For those skeptics, who aren’t sure that flying solo is for them, read this wonderful blog, 7 Reasons Why You Should Travel Alone At Least Once In Your Life.  I agree wholeheartedly that once you do it, you’ll find yourself doing it again and again!  myself: