A CALIFORNIA CHRISTMAS

by Janene Kraft.

This year I’m having a bit of trouble ushering in the season. After all, my nearly six years in Seattle got me so used to pine trees, powder-white walkways, and those breath-taking boats aglow with thousands of twinkling lights parading across Lake Washington to kickoff the Holiday festivities.

It’s not that the glorious sunsets and the sweeping coastline aren’t remarkable here. They’re just not, well, very Christmas-y. Putting all in context, you can imagine my thrill upon looking out my window last evening to see at least a dozen brightly-lit boats cruising along the Laguna Beach shore. “Christmas Ships!” I delighted while believing that ‘my’ Christmas season had finally been officially ushered in. Hurrying to the refrigerator I popped open a bottle of extra-dry and selected my most-beautiful flute to accompany the merriment.

Upon arriving home minutes later my husband, Ron (with eyesight clearly intact), hurried out upon the deck to see those glorious Christmas Ships that inspired me so. Not wanting to spoil the pageantry but always one to tell the truth, he could hardly contain his laughter when informing me that those luminescent lights were, in fact, Squid boats harvesting their catch.

“Alas, oh season that eludes me,” so crestfallen and morose was I. But then, a quick change of spirit so as not to spoil the fun, “A toast to calamari!” I exclaimed as I raised my glass to fisherman everywhere. “Merry Squidmas” and let the blessed season begin!