It Ain't Norman Rockwell...

Sunrise came Christmas Eve day at low tide.
It was magnificent.

I've been looking on line from time to time at the pictures of Christmas that the media is posting, as well as things on other people's Facebook pages. Incredibly warm and beautiful photos of giant Christmas trees, twinkling lights, model train sets, children on Santa's lap, snowscapes, and well, you get the drift. Occasionally I get a pang of I'm not sure what. Perhaps it's nostalgia, remembering so long ago scenes like that in my own life. Surrounded by family and friends, snowed in, hot (vegan) chocolate (no mini-marshmallows, Dandies didn't have the minis like they do now way back then), hours spent searching for perfect gifts.

This year's official annual photo of the decorating
of the ocean mangrove.
It's thirsty work all that decorating, ya know?!
The right side is filling in nicely, post-tornado.

A few days ago, I donned my best free box and thrift shop tropical Christmas costume along with a great wig, glitter, sunglasses and sparkly Santa hat. I drove up and down the Keys delivering cookies. All this happened as I turned the volume to maximum as metal music spewed forth towards never ending blue skies painted so bright it hurt my eyes. Palm trees were everywhere I looked. People bicycled in flip flops, Santa hats and t-shirts. Yes, the stores have some traditional looking seasonal decorations. Pine trees, fake snow, Christmas music, and glitter (glitter knows no seasonal or religious boundaries by the way) are the order of the day in the land of retail. But, I know otherwise for I am much wiser.

It ain't Normal Rockwell down here, but probably only because good ol' Norm never visited the Keys. Trust me, if he did, we'd all be looking at a lot more palm trees, and a lot less snowscapes.