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To live and enjoy every day to its fullest, use my gifts to help others, I travel to wherever passion finds me.

What Will She Paint?

So many friends I met here...!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

This year our condo is unadorned, because by now we have arrived at both of our daughters houses,  up North for the Christmas celebration. While I'm gone, for you who have more quiet days, some of the lights seen in the city.
My love for boats and ships stems from an early age. I was five years old when I went on a big 3-deck ship "Johan van Oldebarneveldt", with my two younger brothers and my parents, and a few hundred others. We went from Indonesia to Holland. The trip took approx. 3 weeks.

I have still some bits of memory about that trip. One cold morning there was snow on the deck. I never had seen snow, so that was fun.
Another time we arrived at night in Port Said somewhere by the Suez Canal. I was half asleep, but I heard the bartering going on with salesmen. My parents bought some beautiful leather wallets.

  Since I was only 5, and half asleep, I don't remember what it looked like, but there must have been a lot of lights to see the merchandise. So this oceanfront  water tower with many palms takes it place. Taken by hubby this year.

The last event on the trip I can remember was The Golf of Biskay (Southern part of France). And two thirds of the people on the ship were sea sick. The lunchrooms were empty! I got sea sick too! Also still remember that months after that I could feel the rhythm of the waves under my feet.



This is also a pic hubby took at night at  Long Beach where the Queen Mary is lighted up.
It may be dark around us, but may this Christmas light up your heart and turn into a good memory. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! 


A few posts are scheduled, so I am looking forward to your comments when we get back.

26 comments:

Clytie said...

Beautiful lights ... wonderful memories. Merry Christmas!

DUTA said...

I would like to join a cruise but I'm afraid of seasickness. Last time I was on a ship I felt sick and made anyone around me unhappy.

The two pictures with the lights are magic-like.

Merry Christmas and have a wonderful time at your daughters'!

ANNA-LYS said...

Good Yule Season, Jeannette!

Rudee said...

Merry Christmas!

Your Christmas hat is beautiful.

Dimple said...

Beautiful pictures, Jeanette.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Kilauea Poetry said...

Really pretty reflective shots..and palm trees too! What sweet memories!
Just wanted to wish you a fabulous Christmas Jeannette! All my best to you and your family-
Regina

Kilauea Poetry said...

Sorry Jeannette, that was the wrong link I left last..ha
Regina-

rainfield61 said...

Merry Christmas and enjoy your trip.

ayamlin said...

Hi!
I'm so sorry.
I just found your comment now.
you left the comment on my blog and you said " I guess you lived in America at one time?"
Oh, I wish I lived in America!
I really like America and my English teacher is American.
But I haven't lived in America yet.
I really like American songs, dramas, movies and American characters.
So I wanna get along with you:)

I wish you a merry Christmas:)

Eki said...

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones, Jeannette. I hope you have a joyful time this holiday season.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

Merry Christmas :)

Unknown said...

Interesting memories (some, like getting seasick, not so nice) for Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you!

Reader Wil said...

Beautiful post, Jeannette.Were you in Indonesia before or after the war? I had lived in Indonesia from the beginning of1934 till the end of 1945 before coming to Holland, where I was born. We were all refugees, fleeing from Java, where the Indonesians wanted to imprison us again after we left the Japanese concentratation camp. I love ships, because my father was a sailor and my husband had been a sailor for a short time.
I hope you had a great Christmas.

Jeannette StG said...

EVERYONE: just got back to blog land for a few days and then go again for a few days to celebrate the New Year!

Jeannette StG said...

Clytie, Merry Christmas!
lights in the darkness, symbolic for what happened at Christmas - hope you had an enjoyable time!

Jeannette StG said...

Thank you Duta,
Merry Christmas to you to - I had a great time.

No fun being seasick!!

Jeannette StG said...

Anna-Lys,
Thank you, hope you had a great time yourself at Christmas:)

Jeannette StG said...

Rudee,
Thank you-I'll go your blog to read about your Christmas time:)

Jeannette StG said...

Dimple,
Thank you and hope that you had a beautiful day too!

Jeannette StG said...

Regina,
It was colder than where I live, but had a great time!
You're forgiven about the link:)

Jeannette StG said...

Rainfield,
Thank you Rainfield, hope you had a merry Christmas too! It was worth the trip:)

Jeannette StG said...

Ayamlin,
Thank you! you never know - maybe you'll come to America one time!

Jeannette StG said...

Eki,
Although commercialized, with this feast people do their best to be together with their families - I am thankful for that:) Since I was, I had a great time -thank you for your well-wishing!

Jeannette StG said...

Gary,
I'm sure you had a merry one!...Like I did!

Jeannette StG said...

Joey,
Thank you - hope you had a merry Christmas -some memories never fade:)

Jeannette StG said...

Wil,
Enjoyed the snowy Christmas card you sent!
You have first hand knowledge of that situation -why did the Indonesians want to imprison the Dutch again after the II world war? Wasn't Indon. still a Dutch colony then?
When I was young, nobody wanted to talk about it -maybe the pain of it all was still too fresh...