'Twas the night before Christmas, I'm here in Aruba
Composing this verse so as to include ya On this One Happy Island, I came with hopes to explore To see what I can see and hopefully much more Take today for example, this Christmas eve's day I read my book in a hammock, strung next to the bay I ate arepas for breakfast, for lunch a coconut smoothie Aruba's quite pricy which makes me feel kind of bougie I took a long walk, no actually 'twas two The first one for function, the second just something to do I walked down the beach, as the sun set 'neath the sea I saw sandman upon sandman which filled me with glee I went geocaching, I went for a swim After I finish this poem, I hop in the pool again I'm only here for a minute, just a minor side quest Since this'll be my only post, I better cover the rest Yesterday I hoofed it to a vast aloe farm With an attached cute museum filled with history and charm I took my requisite jump pic, but the lighting didn't agree That's okay though cause Aruba's just a tier three But what I've enjoyed most is simply the relaxing Though not like life at home is really all that taxing I'm making time for book reading and 2 milkshakes a day I'm keeping a trip journal which helps keep loneliness at bay So instead of recounting the whole trip right here Go read it there so I can get back to the holiday cheer For that's what this post's for, to wish you all of the best And because I can't not do it (as you already guessed) So with sand 'tween my toes and sweat dripping down my drawers I wish Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours (Sorry for that last line, the sweaty drawers part But the best wishes I mean with all of my heart) |
Sunday December 24 2023 | File under: holidays, poetry |
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Early in the pandemic, with all of our juggling gigs evaporated, I was struggling for projects to fill my time. Through my YouTube meanderings, I stumbled on the concept of melting down plastic and reshaping it for useful purposes. The videos either weren't overly specific or required tools I didn't want to invest in, so I ended up learning a lot through trial and error. Della loved the project as it got me out of her hair while she worked on her coloring book and I loved the project for its hands-on recycling nature. The project proved furtherly useful as a much needed diversion through 2021 and beyond.
This year, however, I wanted to do something more than experiment; I wanted to make something useful. I came up with the idea of making these Christmas tree ornaments and my mission was born. Through lots of trial and error, some help from a friend with a fancy machine, and a little digging through other people's trash, I'm very pleased with the results. First, a little about the process:
A few observations on the process:
I'm really pleased with the final product as well as the process. I'm grateful to be able to pass them out this holiday season as a way to connect with friends with the implied inclusion of Della. If I wasn't able to get one to you and you want one, e-mail me; I'd love for you to have one. And if you have any questions about recycling #2 HDPE plastic, let me know about those too! |
Tuesday December 19 2023 | File under: holidays, misc |
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Saturday December 24 2022 | File under: holidays, poetry |
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Twas the night before Christmas and homemade music filled the air
The words were in Spanish, but I didn't care. Tambourines were shaking, people were clapping Elena had a textured bottle on which she was tapping These people who are singing I just met today They are in-laws of Horge, a friend from back in the day They've invited me in to share in their big feast There was shrimp, ham, and cheese, 8 types at least I needed the nourishment, cause the day'd been a long trial My flight back from Africa to Spain had been delayed quite a while A day spent stranded in airports left me tired and beat But I perked right up when I saw the plates of meat A toddler runs rampant, the house is full of great spirit The impromptu singing's so loud I'm sure the neighbors hear it The joy in this family is so plainly clear It's the perfect expression at this time of year And I find myself thinking, about Della of course And that familial joy of which she was the source I won't lay it all out, all my thoughts good and blue If you want that kind of stuff, check out last year's haiku So now I lay myself down for some much needed rest In a guest room far away feeling both sadness and blessed The sadness, that's clear, I'm sure it'll always be there The blessing are this evening that I was lucky to share I hope your blessings feel bigger and you have no cause for sorrow So you can fully enjoy the big holiday tomorrow So as I drift off to sleep, here on the Spanish coast I wish a Happy New Year to all and Merry Christmas to most |
Saturday December 25 2021 | File under: holidays, poetry |
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Thursday December 24 2020 | File under: holidays |
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Wednesday March 18 2020 | File under: juggling, holidays |
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Twas the night before Christmas With the air thick and moist The jungle all around us Sings with its enchanting voice The chirps of the bugs The calls of the birds The howls of the monkeys Form these foreign words Four kinds of primates Or was it five? That we saw today On our boat ride Macaques and proboscis A few I forget But watching the orangutans Was really the hit So human-like and graceful They swing tree to tree The babies and their mamas Were the most fun to see Now we're anchored in the magroves With the jungle close at hand Three nights on this houseboat Is our Christmas plan We'll look for more monkeys See what Borneo has to share We'll night hike to tarantualas If we might dare It's a different Chrsitmas Than at home it is true We trade cold for hot weather A ham for fish stew But even without trimmings Carols, gifts, and bells We have each other And time to oursevles For us, that's just right Plus it gives me a reason To write my "Night Before" poem To chronicle our season Now the candle's burning low And tomorrow's an early start So I'll pass along this wish From the bottom of my heart May your Christmas be As joyous as mine is Full of love, fun, and smiles And perhaps some bad rhyme-es |
Monday December 30 2019 | File under: holidays, poetry |
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Tuesday November 5 2019 | File under: juggling, holidays |
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Tuesday December 25 2018 | File under: holidays, poetry |
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Twas the night before Christmas
Reggae beats drift on by So it goes in Jamaica For my sweetie and I We've come down to visit This Caribbean island nation For escape and adventure To have a nice little vacation And so far, it's worked! A week in and we're thrilled We done a few things But mostly we've chilled Last night was Grand Market A sight to behold We found our way to the right town Or so we were told Music was blaring Up and down every street With stands of all kinds Especially jerk meat The place was packed full Of revelers and glee Della and I were the only White faces to see But that makes it authentic Not what most tourists get Following our noses Hasn't failed us yet With the reggae still ringing through us to the core We spent X-mas eve day Exploring some more After fresh smoothies of star fruit Picked right from the tree We cram ourselves in a mini-bus Which flies at speeds unsafely We arrive at a place where the sea meets a cascade I proceed to re-enact A blog post from last decade Next we walked into Ocho Rios A little too touristy for us After a quick dinner and crunkies We were back on a bus Now we're settled at "home" A quaint little AirBnB Outside the reggae drifts by Inside its just Della and me We won't do anything special Maybe watch a movie or read But we'll be totally at peace Because we have all we need Adventure, warm weather Time to ourselves Santa couldn't make us happier With all of his elves Now I sit back and reread My Twas posts from the past I get quite a kick From the pile that's amassed ('07, '08, '09, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15) For while I'm kind of a grinch About most yule themed things These silly little poems Much joy to me brings I hope you have a your own reasons For joy this fine night May the upcoming year Bring you much love and delight Now I'll end it right here With this last seasonal cliche Merry Christmas to you On this joyous day |
Sunday December 24 2017 | File under: holidays, poetry |
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