No Direction Home: Someday at Christmas

December 27, 2016

“Someday at Christmas man will not fail
Hate will be gone and love will prevail
Someday a new world that we can start
With hope in every heart…”

-Stevie Wonder

Christmas week was yet another crazily busy time for Kathy and me. We thought we would be able to kick back and relax for the week after our party by moving it up by a week, but things did not quite turn out that way as we had planned as events and activities kept popping up, not that we are complaining mind you, it is always nice to have a bunch of fun things to do.

In addition to more holiday themed events, we also caught a play at the Red Barn Theatre and a comedy show by funnywoman Paula Poundstone at the Key West Theater. We also managed to find some time to hang out with friends and enjoy the company of visitors from out of town, all in all a pretty fun week, and that was all before the actual arrival of Christmas.

Michael, Heather and Kathy

Katie

This week’s fun got underway at a new event hosted by the Key West Art and Historical Society at the Customs House. Their first annual Christmas bazaar, was a huge success. It featured over thirty craft vendors, including a number of our artisan friends. There was also an appearance by Santa Claus, a number of musical performances as well as food and libations. The turn-out was fantastic for a first time event, it is obvious that Key West needed an event of this nature as we really did not have enough previously.

Effie and Kathy

The only down side was that we could not stay and enjoy as long as we would have liked as we had tickets to see the play at the Red Barn Theatre, “Picasso at the Lapin Agile”. A number of our friends were in the cast, which always makes attending the theatre fun, and it was wonderful as usual to see the quality actors that are found here locally, but I felt the play itself was a little lacking. There was nothing that I could pin-point but it just did not seem to have that spark that so many plays have. Perhaps it was the story, written by Steve Martin, maybe it was the lackluster audience, but something was amiss. Oh well they can’t all be fantastic and we love supporting the theatre and our friends regardless.

A few nights later, we had a truly enjoyable evening attending a stand-up performance from celebrated comedian Paula Poundstone. After a wonderful meal at the Café, we walked over to the Key West Theater for the comedy show. Poundstone is a well-known stand-up comedian, author, actress, interviewer and commentator. She is a frequent panelist on the number one rated NPR program, “Wait, Wait….Don’t Tell”, and was in town for a pair of shows at the Theater.

Kathy and I attended the later show and thought it was simply brilliant. Poundstone’s ability to improvise based on her interaction with the crowd was incredible. She weaves in her prepared bits with the improvisation so seamlessly that it is difficult to even discern that she is doing it and she is downright funny. It was so great to just be able to relax and enjoy the comedy for an evening.

Meredith and Susan

This week also spending a night out with our friends Trevor and Nadene and her parents who were in town for the holiday. Nadene’s mother, Susan wrote a wonderful children’s book featuring her granddaughter Meredith and did a booksigning event which we attended before heading out to dinner at La Te Ta. The book, “Grandma’s Stardust” is available from Amazon using the link below.

Susan

The remainder of the week was spent enjoying the holiday. Kathy and I spent Christmas Eve relaxing at home, with the exception of when we went out biking in the evening to see the Christmas lights around town. The residents of Linda Avenue were out doing their annual luminaria along the length of the street, which was just beautiful. There were lots of people out and about as well and a generally festive mood enjoying the holiday and the perfect weather. Christmas evening we spent with our friends Bonnie and Mike as they hosted a delicious Christmas dinner for family and friends. It was an intimate and quiet sort of holiday.