From Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale

People disappear when they die. Their voices, their laughter, the warmth of their breath. Their flesh. Eventually their bones. All living mempry of them ceases. This is both dreadful and natural. Yet for some there is an exception to this annihilation. For in the books they write they continut to exist. We can rediscover them. Their humour, their tone of voice, their moods. Through the written word they can anger you or make you happy. They can comfort you. They can perplex you. They can alter you. All this, even though they are dead. Like flies in amber, like corpses frozen in ice, that which according to the laws of nature should pass away is, by the miracle of ink on paper, preserved. It is a kind of magic.

--Diane Setterfield



Sunday, December 30, 2007

Christmas Vacation

Next year I vote for a white Christmas!!

perhaps in Washington? who knows, eh?

We woke up and came into the family area, where stockings had ben stuffed and laid around the table and a pile of presents was surrounding the indoor palm tree.

...and there was much rejoicing...yeah...

But not everyone was awake, so we waited for Grandparents to wake up...

Then there was talk of our being expected at Scott and Mariana's, so we piled into the van and drove to the Latimer's. We trundled upstairs to the family room and watched as my cousin's opened their presents. And put them together. And played with them. I think at one point everyone who had not yet opened a present was asleep for the sheer boredom of it all. It was cute to watch Nicky and CeCe, but I had presents waiting for me back at Co Olina house... and I was ready to open my presents. SO we made waffles and had breakfast. I missed out because I was wrapping the presents I had brought and bought. I got one belgum waffle. FINALLY after hours of waiting... We go there around 8 and left around 12:30... we came home and *grabae* waited around while people went upstairs to change and get lunch and all sorts of stuff that was not opening presents. I finally broke down and opened my stocking. I don't think I have ever started opening presents with the rest of the family awake and around without everyone sitting around to watch. I got some meh gifts... I got a macadamian nut lei that I had my eye on... actually I handed it to Mom and she bought it for me and I acted supprised to see it the next morning. :P and some chocolates... and um... other stuff.
I got a recording of Grandpa O reading stories from Dad, and that was great. I got Scott Pirates of the Carabbian 3... I don't really remember, oh wait, Tarah gave me a shirt, and um that's all I remember without looking into the bag of gifts.

Eventually everyone opened their presents and we popped in a movie. Tarah got Mom "Hairspray" and we have watched it at least once a day since. It's awesome.

I'm looking forward to having our own family. Been daydreaming of was it could concievably happen... most are more proposterous than the last... But one of these days...

Oh and a huge thank you goes out to Jamies for my Birthday journal. I am several days behind...if I were doing a page a day, but I carry it around with me everywhere. Honsetly. We went to the Dole Pineapple plantation. It was raining the entire time. I didn't wear my poncho because I used it to wrap up and keep my journal dry. It's my grown-up security blanket. I love it.

I need to go and get some sleep, we are hiking to the Lighthouse overlooking the north of the island at sunrise tomorrow. I'm excited, it sounds like fun.
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