Mele Kalikimaka!!

Oh my, it is finally here! Christmas! I celebrate the season for so many reasons. The coffee harvest is winding down. The retail orders have all been shipped. and it is a chance to sit still and relax. I treasure it, simply because it marks a shift to a slower season, and one where I can appreciate all the blessings in my life.

This year, we chose not to give gifts, a refreshing change from the commercialism that has become the Holiday season. We all have more stuff than we need, when what we really needed was just to be together as a family. So we cooked, ate, laughed and enjoyed each other. My brother Bill was over from the Mainland in addition to my parents and grandparents. it's always raucous with him in the mix.

The ancient Hawaiians celebrated this time as Makahiki. Once the constellation Pleiades began to appear in the Fall sky, the harvest was completed. Intertribal wars and hostilities were suspended. Feasts and sporting contests were planned. Makahiki was a time of play and enjoyment. It typically lasted around four months. Oh, wouldn't it be nice if we could all have a four month break!

Traditional blessing: As it has been through time, may this season of Makahiki be a time of new growth and rejuvenation for you physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually

Merry Christmas.