parties

I love the five weeks that begin with Thanksgiving and end with New Year’s, but a part of me also thinks, “Bah, humbug.”

Here’s a ratio that prevails at far too many holiday parties: 99 percent vanity, 1 percent fun.

Summertime offers the opportunity for a kind of social encounter that those with significant hearing loss don’t get often enough — an outdoor party.

We sang with a muscled verve never to be denied. It thumped through the small Oakland house like the drums of an anthem-and in a way it was. The song was "The Three Caballeros," and we were three indeed, a soldier and two Marines, and we were brothers. We sang it on Thanksgiving Day.

Rushing to get those final gifts? Scrambling to plan having the family over for Christmas? If so, we have a great holiday guide that can help you find some amazing recipes, figure out how to plan a fantastic holiday party, or a gift guide to help you find the perfect gift for a loved one. In the…