GWEN DERU
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
TODAY…
**COMEDIAN JOHN MORGAN at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Get all the latest news
**WATCH LOTS OF MOVIES …after dinner and with the family and friends.
FRIDAY…
**ART AFTER 5: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS online event at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
**COMEDIAN JOHN MORGAN at the StarDome Comedy Club.
SATURDAY…
**SATURDAYS IN THE GARDENS at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
**WINE DOWN HAPPY HOUR, 4-9 p.m. at Saferoom Lounge Bar.
**COMEDIAN JOHN MORGAN at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**FUN, GAMES, YARD AND HOUSE WORK including Uno, Monopoly, Solitaire, Shopping, Eating. Times are changing soon.
SUNDAY…
**FAMILY TIME, GOOD FOOD AND MOVIES.
**COMEDIAN JOHN MORGAN at the StarDome Comedy Club.
MONDAY…
**Head to the Birmingham Zoo GLOW WILD…enjoy the weather and the fun.
**READ A GOOD BOOK…There are a few on the bookshelves, just lying around are some to read …or you can get an e-book. Read BOOK: IN THE NICK OF TIME by DEEDEE CUMMINGS.
**COMEDIAN RICKEY SMILEY at the StarDome Comedy Club.
TUESDAY…
**READ A REAL GOOD BOOK…You might like the book. Check it out!
WEDNESDAY…
**INTERFAITH NOONDAY PRAYER SERVICES every Wednesday, Noon at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham.
**FALL WEATHER, HOLIDAY PLANNING …THE WEEK AND WEEKEND. Looking for the weekend and thinking of what to do that depends on good weather outdoors. Getting out of the house even if going nowhere…. Take a walk if the weather is good.
NEXT THURSDAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
NEXT FRIDAY…
**MOVIE NIGHT: Rent and Watch movies at Sidewalkfest.com. Don’t miss Bad Movie Marathon …and other movies at Sidewalk Cinema.
FOR LOVERS OF ART AND CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT…
AT STEPHEN SMITH FINE ART…
**HEALERS IN THE SKY, PENTACLE IN MY HEART is a solo exhibition by LANETTE BLANKENSHIP. The Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday 12-5 p.m. at the Stephen Smith Fine Art Gallery in Fairfield. This exhibition will coincide with the Grand Opening of GYPSY TREASURE, an antique emporium located within Stephen Smith Fine Art.
AT THE BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART…
**ART IN CONVERSATION: THE LABOR THAT BUILDS OUR NATION, TODAY, 10:30 a.m. is an online event. Artist Jacob Lawrence’s work is used as a springboard for talking about the work of immigrant workers throughout the state.
**JACOB LAWRENCE: THE AMERICAN STRUGGLE through February 7, 2021.
**AN EPIC OF EARTH AND WATER Claire Leighton and the New England Industries Series through May 2, 2021.
**ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL through March, 2021, primarily from the Museum’s permanent collection that looks at themes of power and agency. This exhibition takes its name from a painting by Amy Sherald, whose portraits depict Black sitters with pride, dignity, and joy, representation historically only afforded to white people. Some artists in the exhibition look towards power in other creative endeavors, like music. Others contemplate the hidden potential of everyday objects by transforming them into works of art. Several artists engage the representation of space and architecture – including museum spaces – to discover the dynamics of power. Considered together, these works illustrate the importance of being seen, choosing how to be depicted, and telling one’s own history.
**WAYS OF SEEING – BUILDINGS AND MONUMENTS through March 2021
**WALL TO WALL – MERRITT JOHNSON through Spring 2021. BMA hours are Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays Noon – 5 p.m. with virtual offerings will continue, including live programs, meditation exercises, art-making activities and much more!
FOR HOLIDAY SEASON LOVERS…
IT’S THE HOLIDAY SEASON! EAT SOME GOOD FOOD! GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY THE WEATHER!!
Happy Holiday Season! Days are shorter, temperatures are cooler, and some of you are taking road trips …or more. NOW…What about eating some great food, smelling some spice in the pies and cakes, drinking hot chocolate and getting outside when the weather permits…SO, Holiday lovers, rejoice! Enjoy the good smells, desserts, egg nog, too much food…enjoy great times with loved ones. AND, enjoy the good weather while you take a walk!
FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS…
AT THE VULCAN PARK AND MUSEUM…
**MAGICAL NIGHTS: VULCAN’S HOLIDAY LIGHT EXPERIENCE
Vulcan Park & Museum invites the Birmingham area to gather for the 3rd Annual Magical Nights: Vulcan’s Holiday Light Experience, TODAY, this weekend and December 17-23 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Each hour, beginning at 5:30 p.m., guests will enjoy a 15-minute lively array of dancing lights choreographed to delightful holiday music. Also, there will be games for all ages, special guest appearances, music and a picturesque view of the “Magic City”. The Anvil and Museum will have extended hours until 9 p.m. There will also be food, wine and beer available for purchase.
AT THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO…
**GLOW WILD: An Animal Lantern Celebration! This extraordinary event will be held on select nights 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. during the months of December, and January. Guests will be captivated by visually stunning lantern creations of wildlife from around the world. The Zoo will come alive with hundreds of marvelous animal shapes of all sizes – from pandas, elephants, cheetahs, polar bears, and whales – soaring up to 30 feet high! Spend the winter with your Birmingham Zoo. GLOW WILD into the new year!
FOR LOVERS OF HIKES IN PARKS…
**SATURDAY DAYHIKE, Meet 8:45 a.m. with Southeastern Outings Moderately Easy Dayhike, Alum Hollow on Green Mountain, Nature Trail also on Green Mountain, and Monte Sano State Park–all in the Huntsville, Ala. area – DETAILS: First adventure will be hiking Alum Hollow Trail and sitting atop Green Mountain in Huntsville. The mile long trail (one-way) is an easy stroll through light woods, ending at two waterfalls. The last hundred feet of the trail down to the waterfalls is steep but very walkable with time and careful footing. If you wish to not walk down to the falls, there is an area where you can sit and wait for those who do go down. While waiting, you can explore a rock overhang that probably served as shelter for Native Americans. This hike is rated easy to moderate based on the last hundred feet. After hike at Alum Hollow, go to the Madison County Nature Trail on Green Mountain for a picnic lunch. Sit amongst the trees in the picnic grounds and enjoy the view of a covered bridge across the lake. From Green Mountain, travel to Monte Sano State Park and hike the Sinks and Stone Cuts Trails. This three to four-mile hike is moderate mainly based on length. There is some elevation gain, but it is not strenuous. Trails are generally in good shape, but in some places the trails have what is known as the 3 R’s of hiking; rocks, roots and ruts. The Stone Cuts are large, natural rock formations on the mountain. When you enter the large limestone rocks to see the Stone Cuts, you feel the temperature drop. Wear hiking boots or sturdy shoes and clothing appropriate for the weather. Bring water, snacks, a picnic lunch, hiking poles if you use them and Monte Sano Park entrance fee. Bring exact change for park admission. Deposit your admission fee in an honor box. There is no park agent there to make change for larger bills. Optional dinner at a Thai restaurant in Huntsville after the hike. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 8 and over welcome. Meet 8:45 a.m. at the Hayden/Corner Park and Ride. Plan to depart at 9 a.m. You may also meet at 10:15 a.m. in the parking lot in front of the Target Store in Valley Bend at Jones Valley. The whole group plans to depart from there at 10:30 a.m. Address of the Target Store is 2750 Carl T. Jones Drive, Suite 7, Huntsville, Alabama 35802-4914. Park in the shopping center parking lot. You can then use the restrooms in the Target before we leave to start our hike. Info. and Trip Leader: Wayne Rosetti, email wlr765@icloud.com or phone 256/651-7363.
**SUNDAY DAYHIKE, Meet at 1:45 p.m. with the Southeastern Outings Moderate Dayhike Along Buck Creek in Helena, AL – DETAILS: Explore the wilder side of Helena. Hike on a lovely creekside trail in Helena in Shelby County. Total hiking distance is less than four miles. Hike rated moderately easy. Walk briefly off trail and walk up some hills when the trail routes away from the creek. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 8 and up welcome. Meet at 1:45 p.m. in the parking lot for the Helena City Park on AL Highway 261 by the bridge over Buck Creek in Helena. Plan to depart at 2 p.m. Directions to Meeting Place: Take I-65 to Exit #247, the Shelby County Route 17, Valleydale Road exit. Go to end of ramp and turn right regardless of whether you come from the south or the north. Take Co. 17, which changes from Co. Route 17 to AL 261, all the way into Helena. Cross one railroad and then drive over a bridge with a dam and waterfall on the left. Immediately past the bridge, turn sharply back to the right just before you cross a second railroad and then drive into the parking lot for a city park right on the shore of the creek. Distances on Valleydale Road, (Shelby County Route 17) and then Alabama Route 261 from I-65 exit number 247 to driveway into Helena Park parking lot are 5.5 miles from bottom end of southbound ramp and 5.9 miles from bottom end of northbound ramp. Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680.
FOR BOOK LOVERS…
…HERE are a few good books… (Some taken from Book Riot)
**BOOK: IN THE NICK OF TIME is written by DEEDEE CUMMINGS and illustrated by CHARLENE MOSLEY. The mailman left mail for Saint Nick at Nick Saint’s house in error. Nick looked at some of the addressed letters and realized that he knew one of them that had written Saint Nick asking for a job for his mother and a truck for his brother. Nick Saint said that he would help, how he could not knowing that others did not have the same things as he did. He realized that there were many differences in families such as where they lived, what they had or did not have. The letter that was written to Saint Nick led Nick Saint on a journey of understanding poverty, gratitude and service to others as he discovered the true meaning of the holiday spirit. He and his family were able to assist. This is a holiday story that gives a child a chance to investigate and learn their privilege.
**BOOK: YEAR OF YES: HOW TO DANCE IT OUT, STAND IN THE SUN AND BE YOUR OWN PERSON is written by SHONDA RHIMES. Before her Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes was an expert at declining invitations others would leap to accept. With three children at home and three hit television shows on TV, it was easy to say that she was simply too busy. But in truth, she was also afraid. Afraid of cocktail party faux pas like chucking a chicken bone across a room; petrified of live television appearances where Shonda Rhimes could trip and fall and bleed out right there in front of a live studio audience; terrified of the difficult conversations that came so easily to her characters on-screen. In the before, Shonda’s introvert life revolved around burying herself in work, snuggling her children, and comforting herself with food. Now she’s taken her motto of saying “yes” and partnering with Peloton for an eight week course where you can join Rhimes for live and on-demand workout classes. Award-winning Executive Producer and Peloton Member Shonda Rhimes is teaming up with Peloton to create an 8-week Year of Yes class collection, and she’s inviting Peloton Members, as well as her fans, to come along with her. The class is labeled after Shonda’s bestselling book, Year of Yes, which was released in November 2015. Starting on December 14, Peloton Members and Shonda fans alike are encouraged to work out with Rhimes by joining a variety of live and on-demand classes and tune into social conversations between Rhimes and Peloton instructors. The collection of workouts spans multiple fitness disciplines and is accessible to athletes at all levels, designed and led by Peloton instructors Robin Arzon, Tunde Oyeneyin, Adrian Williams, Jess Sims, and Chelsea Jackson Roberts. You can work out four times per week, for 20 minutes each class, live or on-demand. Accessible to people at all stages of their fitness journey—even those just starting out!—the collection will include classes in cycling, walk + runs, strength and meditation. The ultimate goal? Overcome our fears, build our confidence and get stronger along the way. We’re saying yes to becoming athletes! There will be roundtable conversations on social media between Rhimes and Peloton instructors throughout the eight weeks. The Peloton x Shonda Rhimes: Year of Yes collection of classes will be available via the Bike/Bike+, Tread+ and the Peloton App, which is free for new Members for 30 days.
FOR COMEDY LOVERS…
AT THE STARDOME COMEDY CLUB…
**TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY COMEDIAN JOHN MORGAN…John Paul Morgan. known as the “Ragin Cajun” was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. The cultural, political and economic diversity of that city laid the groundwork for his development as a stand-up comedian. John has headlined comedy clubs all over the world. John’s confident demeanor and honest approach to life is refreshingly original. John dares to talk boldly about real issues. Whether he is speaking about children or relationships, his comedy comes from the heart. So whether it’s a specialized group or a night at the comedy club, this Ragin’ Cajun is as sweet as a honey glazed ham and as hot as a Tabasco chili pepper.
**MONDAY…LIVE FROM THE STARDOME RICKEY SMILEY KARAOKE…Karaoke Night with Rickey Smiley is BACK and this time we’re bringing the fun directly to you! Join us for a NATIONWIDE live streaming event with host Rickey Smiley. Can’t make it to the StarDome to get in on the fun? Grab your virtual tickets and watch the show on the go! Enjoy incredible karaoke performances, surprise special guests, and a good time only Rickey Smiley can provide.
**NEXT SATURDAY and SUNDAY… COMEDIAN HENRY WELCH… Comedian Henry Welch, considers himself the most feared man in comedy! His career began at the prestigious A.H. Parker High School and on to Alabama State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. Henry has traveled all over the world telling jokes on TV/Radio stations at colleges, churches and clubs. Welch has just filmed the movie, Strip Off. He appeared in an OutKast music video and can be heard in hilarious skits featured on Idlewild and Speaker Boxxx. He has been a part of BET’s Comic View, HBO’s Def Comedy Jam and Showtime’s The Big Black Comedy Show. Now hailing from Atlanta, Ga., Welch punctuates his jokes with unique phrases, “Y’all ain’t ready for me!” and “I’m booked!”
**COMING SOON – COMEDIANS MIKE EPPS, BRUCE BRUCE, RODNEY CARRINGTON, GARY OWEN and more… DON’T MISS THEM!
