Mele Kalikimaka

This would have been a Reeder's Digest, but we didn't do too much. When on vacation with the Judds, we just loaf around and watch the palm trees sway.

Tonight my family (minus my sister who was a little too tired) walked to the hotel three lagoons down to see the huge Christmas tree and hammerhead sharks. The sharks scared me, go figure, so they didn't warrant a picture from me. But here's the picture with the tree; you can see the Hawaiian statues on the top, left.

I hope everyone had a wonderfully, merry Christmas! Mele Kalikimaka!!

Christmas Eve

It's great doing a Hawaiian Christmas again with my family; it's difficult to think of the Christmas season when it's so warm, but oooh, I can't complain. Christmas Eve was spent with my parents, sister, and Mark on the beach by a lagoon. It was nothing short of Heaven.

Happy Christmas Eve!

moved

Moved out, at least.

Another move is done...well almost. On Thursday we moved all our things out of our apartment into a friend's/neighbor's house so we could go on vacation, in peace, and not worry about everything being in our car.

Then Thursday night we cleaned. Oh, did we clean clean clean! Nothing feels better than a good scrub down. Except throwing away all the cleaning supplies. Good riddance. That feels even better.

Thank you to all of you who have sent Mark and me things; to our old address or to my parents address. It is so fun to have an excuse to send and receive. I must apologize for our lack of Christmas Spirit. It's not like I've been having a baby or anything; congratulations, Jamie and Rod! Perhaps I'll find another sort of excuse to send things out soon.

Christmas films

So many good ones! So many jolly ones! So many that make you want to give something better than your best to those around you. For me, Little Women does the job at putting me in the sort of mood to be most charitable and most appreciative for what we've all been blessed with.

Name some of your favorites. I Triple Dog Dare you!

looming winter

Across the street, next to the now-plowed cotton fields, sits this old forsaken shack. Constructed of rubble and loose wood, I think it's shelter for two horses and a little donkey.

paint swatches

Already, the search has begun for choosing colors for the home we will settle into in Alaska. In our previous home in Texas we had three rooms painted, one wall in another room swathed in dark fabric (a quick fix instead of paint), and repainted our bedroom to a lighter blue. Chelsea, I never got back to you, but that color was Cumberland Fog from Behr.

I've chalked this pasttime of mine up to a hobby. Back in Texas the search began for light spring-like colors for a "winter room" to keep us awake during the dark and dreary days, but I didn't give a much thought about a "summer room" to unwind in when the sun stays up past it's usual bed time. I think I have about... oh I'll just count them.. I have: 29 from tonight + 27 from before = yes, 56 paint swatches. Watch out mom and dad, I'm bringing them to Christmas for us all to stare and awe at. O! I'm just so happy!

happy things

After a cold afternoon of tying quilts and putting screen doors on patios, Mark and I headed over for some delicious Happy Donuts. Compare these to the best, most mouthwatering donuts you can imagine: Winchell's or Dunkin' Donuts. Whichever you like more. That's right. That's how yummy these taste.

frozen rain drops

This 'storm' I mentioned below is beginning to brew. We had made plans to drive to Northern Oklahoma to visit a few friends of ours, but the base wasn't allowing passes because of 'frozen rain' that just ices over all the roads when it lands; almost instantly.

This morning the passenger side of our car was all glossed over with these crystal beads of ice. It was freezing, but very pretty.

Christmas in the city

There is a park downtown that has been decorated with Christmas lights and set-ups throughout. There was even a Santa Clause with a real beautiful white beard. I had seen his poster hanging in a boutique when doing Christmas shopping earlier this week; he must be famous. I thought I saw a man in a car a few weeks ago and thought, "wow! He'd be a great Santa." Perhaps it was him, giving his reindeer a break.

Because of the predicted ice storm this weekend we expected it to be cold. We were right!

It was cooooold. We wore long johns under our jeans, I had two sweatshirts on underneath this 3 layered coat! Then my mom's bear gloves, then the incredibly fun beanie with a pom-pom atop. Mark just looked chic in his magazine-appropriate turtle neck and dark accessories.

on this day

At about 5:30 tonight I drove onto the air base here to pick Mark up after his simulator finished and as I drove around the 'round-about I saw 4 men in uniform pulling the flags up to full staff.

I didn't realize today was a 'half-mass' sort of day. Only when I was driving back past them with Mark in the car did I remember that today marks the 66th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

It was a beautiful reminder to see all those flags at half staff.

unoriginal thought

Wednesday laundry. I don't have a set day for laundry, I just do it when it needs doing. Suppose I like spontaneity in more things than just behavior.

Having a dry week for blogging entries, and a day full to the brim with washing, I thought an ode to laundry would be appropriate. Just to see what was out there, I googled "Ode to Laundry." My, what an unoriginal thought I had.

Blogspots here, typepads there. Everywhere there was an ode to laundry, or an ode to my Japanese laundry line. I didn't read any, thought it would be a bit intrusive on what someone else thought was a fun, original thought.

O Laundry, Laundry, wherefore art thou Laundry!

Folded and stacked away neatly and warm.

Saturday's sunset

After the rain ended and the clouds began to break up, this is what was left behind. This is sans photoshop, just a crop to get out the 'worldy things'.