Paradise Driver

Sunday, December 24, 2006

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

(A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS)

By: Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that ST. NICHOLAS soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, DASHER! now,DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes--how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT"

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Saturday, December 23, 2006

The Best Christmas Fruit Cake

Recipe You Ever Tried!

Guaranteed to be fun to make!

Christmas Whiskey Cake

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups flour, sifted

1/2 t. salt

1 cup bourbon

1 pound pecans, chopped

3 cups white raisins (or use candied fruit)

1 t. nutmeg

AND

~ a very large bottle of bourbon whiskey

First, sample the whiskey to check for quality.

Assemble all of the ingredients. Check the whiskey again.

To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.

Repeat this step.

Turn on the electric mixer and beat one cup of butter in a large

fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar and cream until beat.

Make sure the whiskey is still okay... try another cup.

Turn off the mixer. Beat six leggs and add to the bowl,

then chunk in the cup of dried flut. Mix on the tuner.

Throw in two quarts of flour. Gradually pour in the cow.

Add 2 dried anything.

If the fried druit gets struck in the beaters, pry it loose with

a drewscriver. Sample the whiskey and check it again for tonsistency.

Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Who cares???

Check the whiskey again.

Now sift the nutmeg and strain your nuts. Add one table.

And the spoon. Of whiskee. Or something. Whatever you find left.

Grease the oven.

Turn the crake pan to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Pour the oven into the batter. Throw the bowl out the window.

Lick the batter off the floor.

Bake 300 minutes at 50 degrees.

Finish the blobble of whishy and flow to bed.

THE PICTURE GALLERY

O'AHU

POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER

Canoe Pageant

Fiji

Fiji - Tapa

Hawai'i

Hawai'i - Hula Demonstration

Hawai'ian Quilt

Hawai'i - Poi sampling

Main Canal

Marquesas - Cultural Demonstration

Marquesas - Dancer

New Zealand - Canoe

Tahiti - Basket Weaving

Tahiti - Coconut Scraping

Tahiti - Hula

Tonga - Audience Participation

Tonga - Dancers

Visitors Center

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Friday, December 22, 2006

WAZ ONE NIGHT BEFO' CHREESMESS

PIDGIN STYLE - version 2

Was da night befo Chreesmess when all tru da hale,
Not one crecha was stirring not even one `iole,
Da Kakini stay hang on the puka wit caya
Wit hopes dat Santa Claus soon would be dea.
Da keiki wen moemoe on top of da bed
while crackseed and mochi stay dance in deh head.
Mama in her muumuu and I in my malo,
were just finishing off da aku bone and kalo,
Wen outside da hale I heard one beeg clatta
I jumped from da table fo see whats da matta
quick tru da lumi i went like one flash
I opened the puka and run out on da grass
The moon wen shine down on da ocean so clea
gave a lusta to da wata, like frosty root bea.
When what to my maka should I suddenly see
but a double hulled canoe and eight giant mahimahi.
Wit one tiny old paddla, so lively and quick,
That I knew in one minute gotta be St Nick.
More fas dane one mo`o his i`a dey came
an he screaming and yelling and calling dey name
Now Kini, now Kimo, now Kale and Moke,
On Ha`a, on Umi on Limu and Loke,
sweem ova da waves by da light of da moon,
now wait in da wata, I gon come back soon.
Like pupu they stay on da deep ocean flooa
when da wata stat swirling dey come to da shore
so up to the village in Honolulu
with a canoe full of toys and Santa Claus too.
An den in one twinkle, I heard on da wall,
da mele and hula, soun like half-time futball
As I run in da hale and just turn aroun
down came da beeg guy, some tree hundred fifty pound.
He was dress in one malo and kihei all in red
wit one matching papale on top of his head
one package of toys he had trown on his back
and mango and papaya in a lauhala pack
his maka, wen twinkle, his deemple so merry
his cheeks was all rosy, his nose like one cherry
his waha niho ole, was smilin so beeg
and da beard on his `auwae was smoothe as one peeg
he had one tan face, and a beeg fat opu
that shook when he laugh, like a bowl of pipi stew
he was oh so momona, a cute ol kane
and I wen laugh wen I see him, he jus look so funny
One wink of his eye and one twis of his head
soon went let me know I had noting to dread,
he spoke not one word but wen shtraight to his work
filling all the kakini; then he turn wit one jerk
and he wen put his finga on da side of his ihu
and giving one nod ran out to his canoe,
He wen spring on top his noho, an made one beeg whistle
and waway they wen swam like one rocket ship missle
but I heard him wen say on the waves as he go
Mele Kalikimaka, a me hau`oli makahiki hou!