December 23, 2003

Its Christmas Time in the City (Hilo town that is)....

Its Christmastime in this tiny city. You can seen the Mall and Walmart's parking lots are jammed. We had a rush of shoppers yesterday but only one sale today, and no, nothing major. This is also true everywhere..... except one place...Big Island Candies....This is heaven.... all of you chocolate fans out there...I indulge myself once in a while and this time of year I go all out. Its the cookies. Hand dipped in various chocolates, they melt in your mouth and are some of the best cookies I have ever tasted. Mind you I am somewhat of a cookie expert, having tried bakeries all over the world. Rich, flavorful, crisp enough to "snap" when you break or bite them. Tender enough to as I said melt in your mouth. The packaging is lovely and the place is the most tastefully decorated retail store in Hilo. I envy them that, and should I move I want to be like that in my store. I went by there this morning while Woody watched the shop and spent a small fortune but its my gift to me. I walked in along with a flood of Japanese tourists and a large group from the RCCL Legend of the Seas, which is in port today. I was given a sample of the"cookie and candy of the day" and offered coffee. It was all very festive and a "ka-ching-ing" money making gold mine. I watched the ladies dipping cookies into the chocolate and the cookies baking and packing. Only Krispy Kreme has this down better. You want a cookie really bad after seeing this. They run about $15.00 a lb. for the dipped. I buy the bulk paper packed ones. You can get them in individually plastic wrappers, but that's quite a bit more and while its nice for parties(they stay fresh and crisp this way) Im not going to any parties so its fine.

I feel more alone this year than ever. First I miss the carols and the singing. I miss the preparations for a musical and for worship more and more the further I am away from it. I also miss being at the Credit Union. Being around Believers and friends. Woody is not given to celebration. Jeff when I was married to him insisted on all the trimmings. I think a throwback to his English/German roots. No one knows how to "do" Christmas like those countries...

I feel lost. More so than normally. I feel like I always did to a degree. I found that I wasn't included usually in the festivity once the work at church was over. I was single and the marrieds didn't really want me around. I guess that they feared I'd snatch their husbands or something. Now we just plain dont know anyone.

I have come to realize that we are like those pioneers out on the Great Plains 100 plus years ago. Little contact with their neighbors, being so spread out. No help certainly...You are there to go it alone, and that is rough.

Had a customer in. He was a raging Liberal. Was trying to tell us how Walmart was ruining the world. Well, he is right about Walmart, it is a machine and does degrade small towns' shopping districts with poorly made good's and really cheap prices you cant compete with as a small store owner. He bought from me a nice thing, bit of glass pendant and a nice chain. We also had a man yesterday come to us to buy, his wife saw Tahitian Pearls at Walmart, but he knew they were no good and so came to us and was very happy to spend his money with us.

We need more folks like that here.

Listening to Hawaiiana Christmas music on Aloha Joe. Especially love Keola Beamer, and I heard a great version of "We Three Kings", no announcing, but the group sounds like the Makaha Sons, and Brother Iz, singing the lead tenor line. Harmony so close, the back of your neck tingles, or "as deh sey here in da islands, " yo get da chicken skin..." " It is that for sure. Its one of my favorite carols. Such beautiful words and images...especially this...

King forever, ceasing never
Allelujah, Lord Most High...

more perhaps later...

later... I thought that I would post the whole carol

We Three Kings of Orient Are
[John H. Hopkins, Jr., 1857]

We three kings of Orient are
bearing gifts we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.

Chorus
O star of wonder, star of night,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect Light.

Born a king on Bethlehem's plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never
over us all to reign. Chorus

Frankincense to offer have I.
Incense owns a Deity nigh.
Prayer and praising all men raising,
worship Him, God on high. Chorus

Myrrh is mine: Its bitter perfume
breaths a life of gathering gloom.
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying,
sealed in the stone-cold tomb. Chorus

Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Sounds through the earth and skies. Chorus