Merry Christmas

With ALOHA,

from Your Friends

Here in Hawaii

 Blessings
to You

 

 Tidings of comfort

 And JOY !

                          Warmly, cloudia

Hawaiian Christmas

Aloha

Mele Kalikimaka !

would you believe that I created this from my own photo?

 Spend a few moments
here in the islands:

Christmas Time

in Lovely  HILO  HAWAII !

         Thanks for the gift of YOU!  fondly, cloudia

And a local twist in an old standard:

Welcome Home Mr. President

Skies of Holi-Daisy

A L O H A !         @_@

Glad you could steal a moment to visit during this busy season -

                                                                                                     THANKs
                                     

Yesterday was the shortest day

of the year.

Sensible creatures are hibernating,

or at least taking it easy.

For energy is running low, 

our resistance is down,

But what do we do?

Let the holiday obligations begin!

"Holid-obilgations" if you will.

We drive far in the snow,

drag ourselves to shopping malls

to despair over parking,

among

 hacking, sneezing, coughing,

single-minded

mad men. . .

Yes,

it is that 

special

time of year !

Some of us even fly thousands of miles

to impose on our family and friends!

Guess I just sound jealous,

'cause THIS Christmas Vampire

is hiding at home,

harvesting a warm feeling

from all my favorite old Christmas movies,

and music;

From cheese, chocolates,

and other treats

that carry NO calories

at holiday time.

(I'm certain I read that

on-line somewhere )

So if you are one of the lucky people

with dozens of loved ones, 

all in your home right now

(and all the work that goes with them)

I send you my love &  condolence;

God Bless Us Every One.

And here's a little Chanukah gift,

from me to you.

Tidings of comfort,

intended for your joy.

( Below )

At this busy time, 

your visit

means even more to me

than ever.

Truly, you bring real gifts here,

for which I am grateful.

                               Warmly, cloudia

Darkest Days - Brightest Celebration

A L O H A !

We are rebels in our own country. 

They have taken full control. 

We fight them when we can.

Mostly we strike,

then melt into the country-side.

But - MIRACLE -

we are occupying our own Temple now,

the central pillar of the world.

The glowing  cloud of GRACE

used to hover and hum here,

as our priests communed

with the ONE-ly

GOD.

 But the light

has gone

dark !

 

The Lamp Eternal,

to remind us

forever of the

One 

without beginning or end,

the lamp that has burned

throughout my life,

my fathers'

and grandfathers' too.

The lamp, our Temple sun,

is dark.

Despair!

 What point to re-light

with just one day's oil here?

Then suffer the death of light

again tomorrow?

But sometimes light

must

re-light itself.

How could we,

perhaps the last Hebrews,

not be ourselves,

not kindle that divine fire?

Lighting it 

is who we are-

light calling

to light.

  And tomorrow?

Well it is always 

NOW 

in GOD's Presence.

Profile in the Sky - Cloudia's new profile photo?

The next day Heaven smiled upon us.

The lamp remained alight
in the now moment.

And then for seven days,
completeness !

We'll remember this forever
EVERY YEAR:

Hanukkah -
The Triumph of the 
L I G H T

And that lamp
has never gone out. 

Hanukkah is sort of Jewish Diwali - 

Festival of Lights!

Thanks for celebrating the freedom
to be yourself
here today

                                                Warmly, cloudia

Comments make stylish gifts,
don't you thinK ?

Freedom University

A L O H A !

  ". . . You know, 

if you take all your books, 

lay them out under the sun,
 and let the snow and rain 

and insects

work on them for a while -

 There will be

nothing left.

But the Great Spirit

has provided you and me
 with an opportunity for study

in nature's university. . . "

Tatanga Mani, 

Stoney Tribe

in

Touch the Earth: 

A Self Portrait of Indian Existence

by T.C. McLuhan

Christmas Vampire

A L O H A

to

YOU !

Gosh it feels like Christmas!

  The TV is showing blizzards

in North America,

Mrs. Obama and the girls

are here on Oahu with us. . .

The parking lots at Ala Moana Shopping Center

are full,

  the road to the interstellar telescopes

atop the summit of Mauna Kea

is closed

because of snow and inclement weather.

There is hurry, frustration, &

transformative joy 

at loose on this island.

  Locally based troops

were the last group to leave Iraq this weekend.

Our  Hawaii Air National Guard brought them home.

We see them marching into the hangar

to the jubilation of their families

on local TV news and it makes

me cry every time.

Can't help thinking of what poet Robert Graves,

a combatant in WWI,

said of the night that 

that war ended:

" The news sent me out walking. . .

cursing and sobbing

and thinking of

the dead. "

  =^.^=

Holiday cards are coming in 

bringing an air of festivity

into our home.

Meanwhile,

especially this year,

we are doing NOTHING

but enjoying it all!

There will be DRY champagne,

and happy times.

We are sort of:

Christmas Vampires,

enjoying it all through the emotions

of others,

free-riders.

It has been wonderful

visiting all of your posts,

looking around at all the jollity,

and deep reflection,

then leaving for the next party-

all without bringing anything

but a friendly comment,

or being thought rude

for leaving so quickly.

Thank YOU

for sharing this wondrous season!

Mindful of New Years, Hanukkah, Kwanza,

I have always enjoyed wishing others:

"Happy Holidays."

Nowadays, some who find that offensive

(as denying the primacy of christians)

have taken all the joy out of it.

I refuse to say Merry Christmas,

because bullies dictate it.

*SIGH*

Glad you and I

are past all that!

Thanks SO much-

Tell us a small holiday treasure you enjoy

in comments !

                                                                     Fondly, cloudia