Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Carla Seaga cheers while her husband, former Leader of the Opposition, Edward Seaga looks on at last year's National Prayer Breakfast.Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
so, here we are, 2006 and already all bets are on that this will be one fabulous year!
My darlings, a word to the wise: Make this a year of commitment to family and friends, (especially those who stood by you in the foregone year), leaving time and emotional space to embrace the causes of charity and goodwill.
And remember my darlings, if you are the ones keeping up with the Joneses, then you have seriously lost your way, as it's so not about them but definitely all about you a case of mind over matter; they don't matter, because you do not mind! And pumpkins, you've all earned the right to be fabulous, so adorn yourselves with the apparel and attitude of fabulousness and move on remembering to take the time to smell the roses.
Anyway, my daahlings a finer holiday season there never was as pulling the curtains down on 2005 and welcoming 2006 has never been more fabulous! Sweet-things, we are talking one absolutely smashing round of dinners, receptions, parties, soirees and traditional get-together that was hell on the girth but oh so fine a celebration of life, love and liberty.
a Time to remember
My dears, we are talking nothing short of sensational here as the fab, well-to-do, the chic and the glitterati all in their own spheres made absolutely sure that indeed, it was a December/January to remember.
Dovecakes, the annual traditional Christmas brunch that Edward and Carla Seaga hosted at their Paddington Avenue home saw family and friends gathering and sharing eggnog, premium libations and a sumptuous brunch that had guests feasting, proved a premier event with the very crème in attendance.
The simply marvellous brunch hosted by socialite Jennifer Lim at her Dillsbury residence was a study in the beauty and joys of family bonding. The Christmas dinner that security mogul Kenny Benjamin hosted at his swanky Stony Hill home for family and friends; including the family fun-day shindig that noted attorney-at-law Harold Brady threw at his fab Cherry Gardens residence; and the swanky and intimate do R. Christine King threw on New Year's Day at her New Kingston condo. And Janet Farrow's do at her Jack's Hill home it all made for one helleuva season ending/opener.
Dears, the premium wines, those awesome tasting Christmas puddings (Shirley McCarthy, take a bow), to those fab dinners and revered company, it amounted to all that and then some!
And luvs, Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Port Antonio not to mention Mandeville, were all a-buzz and cooking with fabdom as they too threw some absolutely fabulous doos.
Dears, the chic are still talking about the sensational do Ann Chen-Sayoux hosted at her Reading home in Montego Bay; the cocktail reception Clive and Joan Lee threw at their MoBay home; the smart little brunch Howard and Daisy Francis threw in Lime Hall, St. Ann; the mighty fine brunch Glen and Dorothy Clarke threw at their Black River beach house; and for my word it was all good!
Another special day
And then in the midst of all of this celebration, newsman Cliff Hughes marked another special day as he blew out the candles on his birthday cake on the 2nd. Canadian/Jamaican billionaire Michael Lee Chin celebrated on the 3rd; the fabulous Louise Finnegan of Digicel, celebrated yesterday; as did the charming Dawn Fuller-Phillips of Jamaica National.
Champagne wises and caviar treats all around.
Then the fabulous Audrey Burgess-Barakatt jetted in for the Yuletide and new year's holiday and was looking so fine, it was hard to believe that was the first and hottest model ever to grace our national catwalks and magazines. But how can it be that this model, who first graced the national stage some 20 years ago, is looking as fine now as she did then.
My dears, we are talking hot like that and then some!
Also in for the season was the always fab Yvonne Wilks who flew in from London for a bit of fun and sun.
And speaking of fun and sun, the flawlessly wealthy and we mean mega-techno wealth, Microsoft cofounder the awesome philanthropist and avid seafarer Paul Allen quietly sailed into the island's territorial waters for a few days at the Caves in Negril aboard his multi-million dollar 'baby' yacht, The Tatoosh (the Sea liner, his sailing island the Octopus, was left back on the U.S. mainland) over the season.
Luvs, Negril was the billionaire's destination of choice, but after a few days of lazing in the sun, Bill Gates' founding partner sailed into Ocho Rios bay where he and friend Robbie Robinson, of The Band (formerly Bob Dillion's Band), caught up with the fabulously wealthy pop-icon and legend Chris Blackwell who hosted Allen, Robinson and Robinson's band, to dinner at the famed Ocho Rios restaurant Evita's right there perched atop of the picturesque little North Coast town.
Rocking at Evita's
Sweet-things, Tuesday night was like no other in Ocho Rios, as Evita's rocked to a fabulous jam-session, with Robbie Robinson and his band of musicians giving what was a command performance, and then some, as patrons at the fab restaurant, knowing, that they were indeed not only sharing in a rare and fabulous moment of international proportions, welcomed the impromptu performance and the world-famous visitors, with warm applause.
Dear hearts now you tell me, is 2006 off to a fabulous start or what!
Sadly however in the midst of life, there is always her companion death, and so we both mourn and celebrate the transition of Pansy Hassan, who made her way at the very start of the new year, as the much celebrated principal khumina queen bowed out at home on Monday.
While we are saddened by her exit we are comforted by the body of work she has bequeathed us. And so we say to her friends, family and colleagues at this time, the spirit of peace be with you!
