Monday, December 12, 2022

Home for the Holidays!

 


By: Marcia King-Gamble

          www.lovemarcia.com

This year I decided I didn’t want to be home for the  holidays, well at least not for Christmas this year.  My gift to myself is a fun Caribbean cruise. At least I hope it will be fun. I have been on too many cruises to count, but I have never cruised over the holidays. Anyone working in the travel industry  knows (as I did), it’s not a fun time to travel. 

Why?  In this supposed season of love, many happily send those relatives they don’t want around their tables on "the Love Boat." Let the dysfunction begin. Unhappiness reigns. These misfits act up, and not usually in a good way.

Employees onboard, dread this time of year. I have witnessed everything from parrots being smuggled onto the ship, to guests using public areas as a restroom. There is grandstanding, buckets of tears and even attempted suicides, some unfortunately successful. 

But this is supposed to be a joyful post, so I will move on. I am determined to have a nice cruise and will allow no bad eggs or naysayers to stand in the way.  Martinis you are on!

For those of you staying home for the holidays, there are some fun things to do.  If it’s icy cold, head for a skating rink. Snow in your future? Go skiing. If you don’t ski, there’s always  a fireplace at the lodge, and  a comfy chair to curl up in. Drink a mug of cocoa and read a good book. Hopefully one of mine.https://amzn.to/3FJzINr

Every town and city has some version of The Nutcracker. Take the kids. Heck, take yourself. There are free concerts everywhere. People carol. Symphonies play. Find some place to sing along to holiday tunes.  

In my neck of the woods, we go to the beach and there are an abundance of bands playing in the street. We dance, make merry and drink a cocktail or two.

On Saturday, Fort Lauderdale had its annual boat parade. It’s been 51 years since this “bringing in the season,” event began. Usually there is one Grand Marshal, but this year we had three: Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick of the popular boy band NSYNC. Pop diva, Taylor Dayne joined them. Below is a photo from this memorable event.


If you’re determined not to venture out, and looking for a good holiday read, here are some fun novellas from my back list:

Kwanzaa ‘Pon a Time - https://amzn.to/3j0i5jS

Naughty in New York -https://amzn.to/3W58h6a  ( podcast discussing this book  here: https://delaneydiamond.com/delaney-diamond-presents-an-interview-with-marcia-king-gamble)

Ring in the Holidays - https://amzn.to/3FJzINr

Loose in Las Vegas - https://amzn.to/3VXwD2k

By Design - https://amzn.to/3uGUsPB

Stay healthy, my friends! Be safe!  More important, be Happy!

Romantically yours,

Marcia

About Marcia King-Gamble

USA bestselling romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. She has contributed to Michael Fiore’s DigitalRomanceInc and served as a moderator on the now defunct eHarmony advice boards.  Having witnessed the bad, the ugly, and the not so good in relationships, she still prefers to write about happily ever after. Caring for her animal family keeps her grounded and sane.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS

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4 comments:

Judith Ashley said...

All I can say after reading your post is "Wow! I had no idea." May your Christmas holiday Caribbean cruise be full of happy, joyful passengers who are holiday-functional instead of holiday-dysfunctional. Bon Voyage!

Marcia King-Gamble said...

Thank you, Judith. There's a martini with my name on it on a beach somewhere. Merry Christmas.

Diana McCollum said...

Merry Christmas Marcia!

Enjoy your cruise!

Marcia King-Gamble said...

Thank you Diana. Happy Holidays and all good wishes for the coming year!