Christmas lights | nixwickedgarden

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Mele Kalikimaka Ia ‘Oe (Merry Christmas To You) from NixWickedGarden

Realizing this post is WAAAAAAAAY off topic of my usual blog posts, I wanted to share with folks our Christmas lights and decorations (I should say my Partners handywork—he put up all the trees and lights! Luckily, I get to enjoy it & thought I should post pics as well as some memories that this decor drudged up in me, here.) I must confess, I saw another WordPress bloggers holiday post and that inspired me to share all the hard work my Ol’ Man did this year!<LOL>

“Mele Kalikimaka Ia ‘Oe” was my favorite Christmas song when I was a little kid growing up on the Island of Oahu. To this day, listening to this song on vinyl (Hawaiian Christmas, published by Tradewinds-Records. Noelani Kanoho Mahoe w/ the Leo Nahenahe Singers) brings back magical memories of a carefree childhood in paradise. My Mom always made Christmas so special & wondrous for me! (My Dad had been married 3 times before marrying my Mom, and had 3 sons from his previous wives.) But parenthood was new for my Mama and she decked the halls every year for us and always made Christmas, New Years & my birthday (which followed a week after January 1st) very special events to remember forever! Plus, it was the early 1970’s, a simpler time–which now seems like several lifetimes ago! Filled with joyous, monumental moments that seemed then, would last forever. Sadly, they could not. We moved to the Mainland, innocence fell away and all too soon things became terribly frightening living anew in territory so unfamiliar to me. I eventually made allies, and thankfully, good friends that helped make life bearable for me in the San Joaquin Valley.

Life for me, here and now in the Southern California Desert is just wonderful in so many ways. A slower pace of life from Los Angeles (where I ran to escape the painful memories of Fresno!), no more pointless nightclubbing and dreadful dinner invitations from social-climbing fake friends (“Fr-enemies”: Friend/Enemy), which frees up time to enjoy my passions and hobbies. On top of all that, a fantastic Special Someone, and beloved Fauna & Flora. I am so grateful and blessed & I shall endeavor to never take ANY of it for granted.

With the recent shooting tragedies here in the United States, it has been difficult for me to actually get in the spirit to celebrate the season. There is this huge dark cloud overhead–a maelstrom of sadness that seems almost insurmountable–Economic uncertainty, apocalyptic prophecies and random acts of human stupidity often make it hard to see the bright side of life and the good in people. Death has become all-too-familiar as time marches on by. Cancer took my dear Mom in 2002. My Dad died in 2003. The passing of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends remind me we don’t own our life spark—it is merely borrowed. So we ought to make the most of it whilst it is with us. Like the song says: “Live Like You Are Dying”—That is my main resolution for 2013! (That and…maybe lose 25 lbs!<LOL>)

So–without further delay… Pictures of the lights that made me get all sentimental!