12/12/02
Well, the flurry of holiday activity has come and gone. Mark Christensen (my significant other) and I appeared as Mr. and Mrs. Claus for the Channel Island Harbor's Festival of Lights last Saturday. We wandering around the harbor, crisscrossing it with the help of Captain Bob of the water taxis, dispensing good cheer and candy canes. It's "New Age Vaudeville" at its peak. The little electronic keyboard with its prerecorded Xmas carols sure came in handy! We jingled our jingle bells and I even chimed in on my kazoo. We sang in the water taxi, and I dropped in on a karaoke session at Harbor Landing and sang along with Phil Birdsall at Fisherman's Village. We met a lot of nice people and got our pictures taken with a lot of kids and their families.

Then with hardly a breather, we were ferried in the last minute across to the harbor to board the City of Oxnard's Centennial boat, where we joined the display and waved regally and enthsiastically to the crowds gathered at the water's edge and nibbled on the goodies provided by the city. It was chilly, and we were tired - but all the enthusiasm and the beauty of the lighted parade kept us up til the very end.

Then, Sunday, I gathered my forces and repeated the program of holiday music on the autoharp I had done for the Harbor Landing a
few weeks ago for St. John's Lutheran Churchat their holiday dinner. This had been facilitated by Tomas of Hollywood By the Sea - who also works for the Ventura Rescue Mission - and trains the residents in food service. He catered the dinner with the help of his mission students, and his food was wonderful and the service terrific.

Needless to say, by Monday I was beat. But luckily that's when I got to have my "weekend." Although I did sit down and send all my thank you emails and notes, and my invoices. I still struggle with being a businesswoman - but I make an effort to be business like.

more later.