Our Choice for 2010 Christmas Puzzle - Waikiki by Eric Dowdle

In keeping with one of our Family Christmas Traditions that I wrote about last year, we went looking for a puzzle to work on over the Christmas season. It was as challenging as last year to find a suitable puzzle on the island, but finally we saw that Costco had a large selection by an artist named Eric Dowdle, representing many cities all over the world.  We chose a 500 piece one of Waikiki and as soon as we got home, my husband spilled it out on the dining room table and started turning pieces over. I let him work on it for quite a while before I got into the act because everyone has a different way of organizing a project. Or is it because I am lazy when it comes to the tedious parts, so it is much easier to let someone else do them?  When I finally got involved, however, I was not very popular when I moved some of the sky pieces from bottom to the top where I thought they should be. Oh and I also tried to get the border happening as well.  I guess his plan was a little different than mine but after a bit more quibbling we decided to grow up, and work together towards a common end.  In this case completing a lovely beach scene smack in the middle of Waikiki and the big hotels. 'Voila', the puzzle is now finished and we debated putting it on a background for posterity. In the end it just seemed easier to put the pieces back in the box for another time. At any rate Waikiki by Eric Dowdle is our choice for the best 2010 Christmas puzzle.

I decided to google Eric Dowdle and found his website. He is a very talented artist and is known for his whimsical paintings.  A quote from his site reads as follows. "Folk Artist Eric Dowdle has applied his unique style to cities around the country and world. His paintings have been honored and displayed in exhibits and galleries everywhere. They stand apart as they encompass the essence of what people feel about their homes and country." 
Next Christmas I won't be tramping around Maui trying to find a puzzle. I'll do it the easy way and order one online from Eric Dowdle.
If you are thinking of going to Waikiki in the New Year, some of those big buildings near the beach also have condos that you can rent from an owner.
Find some Oahu Vacation Rentals for your inter-island visit.

Did you work on a puzzle this Christmas season? If so would you recomment it? Would love to hear your comments.

Will Family Christmas Traditions Continue?

Do you remember the times when giving and receiving Christmas cards was one of the most joyful traditions of Christmas? We used to receive so many that we would string them up all over the house. They always got recycled, usually to schools, and children would use them in Christmas projects the next year. I still love the card giving tradition because even though the whole world is more in touch because of email, there is something exciting about getting mail the old fashioned way. Writing cards to your close friends and family is therapeutic and gives you a chance to reflect on the past year and how these special people have touched your lives. I also send e-cards because I admire the clever people who create such delightful animated and interactive cards. Here on Maui we have chosen Aloha cards this year with the message "Wishing you a Wonderful Christmas Season from our Hale to Yours" If you don't know Hawaiian, "hale" (pronounced ha -lay) means house here on the islands.

Another tradition we still keep is to work on a jigsaw puzzle during the Christmas season. Anyone coming to our home during the holidays has a chance to exercise their brain and try to fit some of the pieces together. It was quite a challenge to find a puzzle this year so perhaps that means that this tradition is on its way out or never arrived on Maui. In case you are looking for a puzzle to work on doing your Maui vacation, we finally found one called "Puzzle me Paradise" in Ben Franklin after searching every other store on the island.

Even though our new age of technology has chosen the interactive video game Wii as the top favourite Christmas gift this year, something tells me that our children and their children will still want to carry on traditions they remember from home. For example our daughter who now has a family of her own, called to get all my Christmas recipes because the baking was a big part of our seasonal celebrations. Now she is making sugar cookies with her son just as she did with her twin brother, older sister and me as a child growing up in Canada. I know that she will probably also bake fruit cake, Nanaimo bars and Chinese noodle cookies and maybe will try a new recipe which will become part of their own unique family Christmas traditions.

If you have a Christmas tradition that you still keep alive, please leave a comment and share. Also we welcome any thoughts you may have regarding the following questions.

In the future will card giving the old fashioned way be totally replaced by e-cards and sending Christmas cheer via facebook, twitter and other social networks?
Will Christmas traditions continue to be passed down through the generations?
What kind of changes do you foresee around Christmas traditions?

If you are staying on Maui for the holidays and don't have a place to stay yet try these Maui Vacation Rentals.