Happy Holidays, EVERYONE! I hope you’re having a chance to spend time with those close to you. As I sit down to write this post, the weather is chilly, damp, and dark. In other words, typical for Central Indiana this time of year. Not exactly conditions that are conducive to merriment, know what I mean?
That got me thinking. What if I took a page from Elmo Simpson, the amateur sleuth and namesake of my Tule mystery series? Elmo left Indianapolis, and after taking a rather winding path, settled down in the fictional town of Paradise Springs, in the real-life Florida Panhandle.Â
Would I move to a tropical locale? I would absolutely love to! As long as I don’t find myself being asked to solve a murder mystery. I’ll leave that to the experts. Would my life be different? I’m sure it would, including how I’d celebrate the holiday season.
First, the decorations would be different. Currently, our Christmas tree is an artificial white pine. If I lived in the tropics, I’d replace that by decorating a palm tree. Something like this, perhaps.
Yeah, that would get the tropical holiday vibes started.
What about decorations for my new domicile? My wife and I currently have four plastic crates that we store our ornaments, figurines, and other festive items in. I certainly wouldn’t abandon all of those items. Memories, after all.
I’d prioritize the placement of these two statuettes, though
I mean, my author friends don’t call me The Flamingo Kid for nothing! By the way, the flamingo on the right was a gift from one of my sisters, so my family supports my tropical madness dreams.
Once the tree and the house are decorated, I’ll turn my attention to music. Holiday music, from the classics delivered by Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby to more recent deliveries from the Brian Setzer Orchestra, is played a lot during the final few weeks of December. Not much of that would change, though, I’d add a lot more Jimmy Buffett. He has two Christmas albums, “Christmas Island” and “’Tis the SeaSon.” If you haven’t listened to them, do yourself a favor and do it soon. You’ll be glad you did.
Last, but not least, food. You aren’t fully embracing the holidays if you don’t partake in at least a little bit of feasting, right? I think I’d go with something like this mofongo dish. For those who aren’t familiar with it, mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican dish made of mashed plantains and mixed with pork or other meats. Doesn’t it look amazing?
So, let’s see. I’ve got the tree and home decorated. I’ve got music playing. The holiday meal is ready. I think that means it’s time to celebrate the season in tropical style.
How about you? Would you like to celebrate the holidays in a different part of the world? If so, where and how would you do it? Let me know in the comments. Until next time, cheers!
J.C. Kenney is the bestselling author of The Allie Cobb Mysteries, The Darcy Gaughan Mysteries, and The Elmo Simpson Mysteries. He’s also the co-host of The Bookish Hour webcast. When he’s not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He has two grown children and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and a cat.
Website: https://www.jckenney.com/
