I don’t have grandchildren yet. And while I love, love, love the holidays, I also dread, dread, dread the busyness of the season. (Which seems to happen earlier each year or is this just my imagination?)

So last year, I began to wonder why I get myself all worked up and frantic carrying out the mandatory rituals every November-December. It was not easy to score a live tree last winter here on my rural island, so I opted out of the pine needle, broken ornaments (cause by cattus domesticus who can’t stop playing with the shiny things),  sugary dough all over the kitchen, unwritten Christmas card mess.

And it was…heavenly.

So this year, I was way more gentle with myself. Thanksgiving was glorious at our neighbor’s house – potlucked of course. The day was lazy and filled with gratitude for us.

Theresa Venus is here on-island and we celebrated Lei Venus’s birthday with a holiday dinner of turkey, ham, and all the trimmings. There was no have-to or pressure, just an ease of fun food prep, sharing of conversation and meal, and mostly quality time spent with one another.

Wow, two holiday feasts already and no stress so far. I’m thinking that I may be on to something. Because the rituals have been comin’ apart at the seams, in the very best possible way,  it was with absolute serenity that we cruised downtown to see the Christmas parade of lights and hang out with the entire island’s population to celebrate, Hawaiian style.

I am having a tree trimming party. Which involves putting miniature ornaments on a Lilliputian fake tree (about 4 inches tall). Yes, I mean inches, not feet. I can hold it in the palm of my hand.

Of course, there will be eggnog and wine. We can sing Christmas carols. (Or not, maybe it’d better to listen to Willie K. or Na Leo Pilimehana sing.) And we’ll even have the right smells, thanks to Menopause Goddess Teri Waros’s Kalele Bookstore and Divine Expressions – provider of the Douglas Fir incense

You are all invited. Happy stress free holiday and Mele Kalikimaka.

The sun is shining brightly and we are ready for Christmas. I’ve taken my own advice and am relaxing, enjoying the season. Tonight we will go down to Teri’s store, Kalele Bookstore and Divine Expressions to hear the kupuna (Hawaiian elders) sing Christmas carols. You might remember Teri from the blog entry spotlighting her last year: “Daring To Dance: A Menopause Goddess Lives Her Dream”.

I’ve jettisoned the Christmas cards in favor of a photo collage that can be emailed. (And I am not completely sure that I’ll get that done. Nor am I worried about it. February 14 is soon enough for an update.)

I’ve decorated the house with those stuffed Santa, angel, and moosie dolls and hung some stockings.  It took all of about 15 minutes. (See photo with our cat Frankie snuggled up with the Christmas finery.)

I’m not baking Christmas cookies. I may not eat any holiday sweets unless someone makes me eat them. (And of course, my Menopause Goddess friends know enough to twist my arm and then forcefeed me. Thank you all in advance.)

I did manage to decorate a tree this year, possibly the world’s tiniest tree. No lights to untangle, no tinsel, and it can be used again next year. It looks so nice on my computer keyboard. Very festive. (see photo.)

The point of all this holiday non-doing is that an outing to hear Christmas carols at Teri’s store is not a burden or an obligation that I have to squeeze in among all my other commitments and holiday prep. It’s a pure joy. My calendar is gloriously unstuffed. No menopausal meltdowns or mania have visited me this season.
I have time to appreciate the year’s end, family, cats, friends, and fun. Mele Kalikimaka, as we say here in Hawai`i, to all goddesses and their families.

Teri did not give up her day job to follow her dream of a bookstore/gift shop where people could meet for coffee, spontaneous hula, cultural classes, and all manner of gathering and sharing. Her day job gave her up over a year ago and she revisited her dream. Was it possible? Could she do it? In this economy?

Yet, if not now, when? Like the woman who planted daffodils one bulb at a time, Teri took one baby step at a time. Developing a business plan, applying for loans, finding a space, painting, hammering, and filling shelves. With the help of a small community of women, Kalele Bookstore and Divine Expressions opened in Kaunakakai, Moloka`i the day after Teri’s fiftieth birthday.

Teri is a living embodiment of the aloha spirit. Born and raised in Hawai`i, her welcoming, nurturing presence was previously exhibited in service of some luxury hotel. Now she’ll be putting those gifts to work in support of her own dream. Exhilarating, scary, joyful, and okay, I’ll say it, daring. Will Kalele Bookstore and Divine Expressions be successful? It already is! Not only because we women are flocking to her story for coffee, a respite, or a conversation. It’s a success because Teri is doing what we all need to do at this time of our lives: daring to dance.