Midlife Crisis Hawaii

Remember when you were little and the house was decorated for Christmas time?  Sure, everyone had a tree decorated with the big fat lights that burned super hot, the very fragile glass ball ornaments, and tinsel.  Had to have tinsel.

So here’s the Thursday 3 – Christmas Decorations questions:

1. Besides a Christmas tree, what other decorations did your house have when you were growing up?
2. Do you still decorate your house today?  If so, what kind of Christmas decorations do you put up?
3. What are some of your small-kid-time Christmas memories?

Here’s my replies:

1. Besides a Christmas tree, what other decorations did your house have when you were growing up?
   We used to frame our picture window with Christmas lights on the outside.  It was neat to see the glow of the different colored lights while watching our black & white TV.  We also used to string these foil decorations across the ceiling to the center light fixture in the parlor and the dining room.  And we had this BIG (well, it was big to me back then) Santa Claus cut-out that I used to thumb tack to the front door.
2. Do you still decorate your house today?  If so, what kind of Christmas decorations do you put up?
   We hardly put up any Christmas decorations anymore – although we did get a nice wreath this year.  When our girls were little we always had a Christmas tree.  But now that they’re grown up – and unless someone wants to dig out the hi-tech fiber optic Christmas tree – we don’t put one up anymore.
   I thought about doing those icicle lights around our garage someday.  I see some people down the street with it and it leaves this nice, soft glow.  I wonder where’s our Christmas decorations anyway?
3. What are some of your small-kid-time Christmas memories?
   I remember all our Christmas decorations used to stay up until after New Years.  Then when we’d take them down – the ceiling would look so bare.  And I knew that it would take like another – what seemed like a whole lifetime – for Christmas to arrive again.  We had 2 boxes of Christmas decorations that was kept inside my bedroom closet on the top shelf.  One of the boxes was an Exchange Orangeade box.  I can’t remember what the other one was.  And the BIG Santa cut-out was stored in the same closet against the wall.

I probably mentioned this before, but I remember at Christmas time my mom would put out the dark red glass bowl (that we usually use for bananas) and would fill it up with assorted Christmas nuts.  I used to sit by the counter and crack all the different nuts to taste which ones I liked best.  The walnuts left a bitter taste.  The round hazelnuts were hard to crack because they kept slipping out from the nutcracker.  I think I liked the almonds the best.  btw, what was those wedge shaped ones?

Okay, your turn to answer the questions and go ahead and share your special small-kid-time Christmas decorations stories.  Did you know anyone who used to go all out with Christmas decorations?  Maybe someone in the neighborhood was known as the Christmas decoration house?  Do you drive around to view the Christmas houses?  Honolulu city lights decorations?  Share your stories.

Just read this on Facebook:

Are you a banana eater?

I grew up eating bananas.  My mom had a half-brother who had a banana farm in Waimanalo.  Sometimes when we’d come home from going out some place, there’d be a large grocery bag on our doorsteps filled with bananas.  As soon as I would see it, I’d say “Waimanalo uncle was here!“.

Other times when we were home, I’d see his black Ford Falcon station-wagon pull up and park in the front of our house.  He’d walk to the back of the station-wagon, use the crank to roll down the back window and pull out a big brown bag of bananas.  I’d quickly call my mom because I didn’t know how to speak Japanese.

Waimanalo Uncle’s station wagon looked like this one but was black with red interior

Of course we couldn’t eat all those bananas being that it was only my mom and me who used to eat them. So my mom would pass some out to the neighbors and other relatives.

But there was a certain bowl that was used to hold the bananas.  The only time it was used to hold something other than bananas was for assorted nuts during Christmas time.  The bowl was a heavy glass bowl with a deep dark red coloring to it.  It made the yellow bananas really pop out and look so appetizing.

When it came to snacking, it was hard to get mom’s permission to eat Oreo cookies or even breakfast cereal.  But I knew that I’d always get the green light if I asked to eat a banana.

Over the years I’ve distanced myself from bananas.  It’s not that I don’t like them, but it’s not that I love to eat them either.  I think it’s just that there are unhealthier (meaning tastier) things to snack on.

Paula often buys bananas – a few at a time – that she and daughter #2 eat.  When nobody eats the one or two left over, then I know we’ll be having banana pancakes come Sunday.

But after seeing this piece of information – I think I’ll start eating bananas once again.  Bananas are like the perfect fruit.

• They don’t require refrigeration
• They come individually wrapped (organically)
• They don’t required any utensils to eat them
• They’re not messy to eat
• They keep fresh for pretty long
• Even after they start rotting on the outside, the inside is still good for baking
• Bananas contain potassium and iron and vitamins such as B6, C and A
• They posses no cholesterol and practically no fat
• And if they get too old, you can make banana bread

Do you remember these bananas?

Are you a banana lover?  Did you used to eat bananas small kid time?  Do you still snack on bananas today?  Did you know that bananas can be healthy for you?  Do you have any special banana recipes?  Banana jokes?  Banana friends?  Share your banana stories with us.

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Love jazz?  This Saturday at the Hawaii Convention Center -PACIFIC RIM JAZZ FESTIVAL

That’s like 7 hours of pure music…