BY MIRANDA MCPHEE

All was not well on the eve of Thanksgiving at the Breakwaters ’ house in Laguna Beach .

Mr . Breakwater stormed through the front door . “ Derek !” he roared . “ Where is that wretched elf ?” he demanded of his wife .

“ Oh dear , you too ?” sighed Mrs . Breakwater . “ He ’ s in the kitchen , I was just about to ground him . Mrs . Raymond next door has blue teeth and is certain Derek is to blame for the toothpaste , and the Langhams opposite want to know how salt got

into their sugar bowl .”

“ He switched a real egg for my hard-boiled egg . I looked a fool at lunch ,” snarled Mr . Breakwater as he headed for the kitchen .

Derek was sitting unhappily on the kitchen counter , shoulders hunched , swinging his stripey legs , his gangly arms flopping and big ears crumpling in remorse .

“ Explain ,” said the Breakwaters in unison .

“ You told me to choose what kind of elf I want to be ,” he said sheepishly . “ I want to be a naughty elf . I was practicing so that I get picked as Santa ’ s CEO . It ’ s so competitive these days .”

“ Santa ’ s CEO ?” said the

Breakwaters in unison . “ Yes , the Chief Elf of Oopsies .” “ Oopsies ?” echoed the Breakwaters . “ Yes , oopsies . I ’ d be in charge of making sure lots of things go wrong over the holidays . I think that ’ s far more fun than managing a team of toymakers .”

The Breakwaters really couldn ’ t be angry at the droopy , dejected figure , especially when his heavy-lidded ,

owlish eyes started to water .

Mr . Breakwater shook his head , bemused . “ When we signed up for the Adopt-an-Elf Program , we were told it was just to provide a home for an elf over the holiday period . How come we got the one elf who wants to be CEO ?” he laughed . “ Derek , if you want to practice , then do it further away from home and don ’ t make it so obvious . People need to think they ’ ve gone slightly doolally . And remember — you can be naughty but never nasty .”

On Thanksgiving morning , Derek headed for the breakfast crowd on Forest Avenue to test his skills , peeking out from behind the red telephone box , delighted with the results .

“ What happened to my croissant ? It was on my plate a minute ago .”

“ Did you just drink my orange juice ?

“ Who switched our table numbers ?”

“ How come you keep losing your fork ?”

Occasionally there was a hiccup . Mr . and Mrs . Simpson accused one another of finishing each other ’ s

coffee . As their argument risked escalating into a marriage crisis , their coffee cups were suddenly full again , leaving the couple and their server very perplexed , and Derek panting hard from the exertion of pulling it off .

Everyone knows there are elves around town during the holidays . We don ’ t think twice if ornaments occasionally go missing from the beach Christmas tree in Crystal Cove , and we shrug when the car keys turn up in the fridge or our oven turns itself off and on again . But nobody thinks of elves in November .

This year , when you look back after Thanksgiving and realize that everyone denied they took the last piece of pumpkin pie , and you wonder if you really did see a pair of stripey legs out of the corner of your eye or heard a giggle that wasn ’ t Aunt Mabel on the sofa , think again . It was probably Derek . And if he gets the job as Santa ’ s CEO , we can all expect a very strange holiday season indeed .

Miranda McPhee is a writer , traveler , lap swimmer , pickleballer , bookworm and happy granny .

PAGE 6

at this event , it ’ s rated for adult audiences . Grant funding was made possible by the lodging establishments and the City of Laguna Beach . Limited Seating .

Laguna College of Art + Design presents new exhibition

Laguna College of Art + Design is proud to present DESIGN AT WORK , an exhibition showcasing the creative process and actual products from professional practices by LCAD ’ s Graphic Design + Digital Media Alumni .

Through conceptual prototypes and professional projects , LCAD ’ s Graphic Design + Digital Media alumni stories and experiences demonstrate design process from concept , research , and ideation sketches to actual applications for clients , products , and services .

The alumni of LCAD ’ s Graphic Design + Digital Media BFA program produce creative solutions within a broad range of industries both nationally and internationally . This exhibit showcases design concepts and solutions in technology , apparel , footwear , publishing , experiential design , professional sports , and creative agencies . The opening reception will be held Thursday , Dec . 1 at 6 p . m . to 9 p . m .

Laguna Art Museum ’ s tenth annual Art & Nature Festival is currently on view through Feb . 15

Laguna Art Museum ’ s tenth annual Art & Nature Festival is currently on view through Feb . 15 . The Art & Nature

festival raises environmental awareness and explores the cross-sections between nature and the arts .

Art & Nature exhibitions include The Sea Around Us by artist Rebeca Mèndez , an immersive 360-degree video art installation , that transports viewers to an area of the Pacific Ocean located 30 miles from the Laguna Beach Coast , portraying the ocean as a fully animated body as well as a place of deep interconnectedness for all living things . Using scientific footage , the video shifts to thousands of oozing barrels of DDT on the seafloor being sampled by robotic arms . Pyramidion by artist Kelly Berg is an interactive sculptural experience that invites viewers to contemplate the layered history and unique geology of Laguna Beach . The Big One by artist Robert Young is thought to still hold the record as the largest painting ever created in Laguna Beach and is on display in the California Gallery . Five Summer Stories : The Exhibition , is presented in partnership with MacGillivray Freeman Films and Coast Film Festival in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the iconic surf documentary , includes a sneak peek of the film and historic imagery , clothing , and items from the era of the film .

In addition to the Art & Nature festival exhibitions , Her Great Gift : The Nancy Dustin Wall Moure Collection is on view through Feb . 12 , 2023 . The collection includes 40 artworks made from the 1830s through the 1970s that trace how artists documented the California

experience . Her Great Gift is the first presentation of the Nancy Dustin Wall Moure Collection and features some of the earliest known oil paintings made in Southern California , California plein air paintings , watercolors from the WPA period , mid-century abstractions and explorations into Light and Space . Artists include Mabel Alvarez , Karl Benjamin , Norton Bush , D . J . Hall , Roger Kuntz , Fernand Lungren , James McCray , Arnold Mesches , Charles Rollo Peters , F . Grayson Sayre , Stanislav Szukalski , John Law Walker , Julian Bracken Wendt , William Wendt and many others .

The museum also presents Photography & Seduction : William Mortensen ’ s Laguna Beach , on view through Jan . 15 , 2023 . The exhibition honors the Laguna Beach resident and is one of the only museum exhibitions of his work , illustrating his ascent as one of the most famous photographers of his time . Photography & Seduction a journey through Mortensen ’ s career from his star-studded Hollywood beginnings to his teachings , as well as influences , processes and more . The exhibition aims to share Mortensen ’ s contributions to and influence on American photography , while also sharing his connection to Laguna Beach .

Gelson ’ s Annual Toy Drive starts Dec . 5

Gelson ’ s customers are encouraged

to take part in Gelson ’ s annual toy drive to benefit disadvantaged children across the region . Customers who visit any of its 27 locations across Southern California can participate by donating a toy between Dec . 5-16 . There will be a red bin in each store for donation drop-off . The annual toy drive will also occur internally at Gelson ’ s corporate office and warehouse . Returning partner organizations for the toy drive include the Children ’ s Hospital of LA , Toys for Tots , Unity Shoppe , Miracles for Kids , Miller ’ s Children Hospital and the Barbara Sinatra Children ’ s Center . Visit gelsons . com / toydrive for further details on the annual toy drive .

Nuance Home + Lifestyle to host private shopping event and PMMC fundraiser

On Friday , Dec . 9 , from 4 p . m . to 8 p . m ., Nuance Home + Lifestyle invites you to their exclusive private shopping event and annual charity fundraiser . Explore Lisa McDennon ’ s curated collection of fabulous holiday gifts , home décor , jewelry and more while enjoying gourmet bites and cocktails . Gift raffles and complimentary swag bags will be included . A $ 25 RSVP and a portion of the day ’ s sales will directly benefit the Laguna Beach Pacific Marine Mammal Center . Visit www . nuance-home . com / gifts to RSVP . Nuance Home + Lifestyle is located on 384 Forest Avenue , Suite 3 , Laguna Beach .