Corpus Christi, Texas

One would think that, with our particular type of lifestyle, there would be little opportunity to get into the holiday spirit.  Quite the contrary, because we are not busily decorating our home, purchasing gifts or baking cookies, we have more time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the season.  Sunday afternoon we attended The Nutcracker by the Corpus Christi Ballet.  After the concert we drove along Shoreline Blvd.( it runs along the bay in downtown Corpus Christi), which is decorated with a very large Christmas tree.

The harbor here has also gotten into the festival spirit of the season, many of the boats are decorated with Christmas lights. And while we were on Shoreline Blvd. we found the memorial for the Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla Perez.  She was murdered in Corpus Christi on March 1995 by the president of her fan club.

The memorial is decorated with mosaic tiles of white roses, a favorite flower of the singer.  Our day Sunday ended with a Christmas concert given by the American Guild of Organists at a Presbyterian church in the downtown area.  We returned to the harbor in the city on Monday to tour the USS. Lexington.

This ship served longer than any other aircraft carrier in the world, 40 years (1943-47,1955-91).  She was called the "Blue Ghost" by propagandist Tokyo Rose who reported her sunk numerous times, but somehow she always manged to come back and fight.  In reality, she was hit by a torpedo in 1943 and in 1944 a Japanese kamikaze pilot hit her, killing 47 officers aboard.  Today there is the Rising Star of Japan painted on the aft side of the island (navigation bridge) where the ship was hit.  The ship was also the first in naval history to have women stationed aboard as crew members (August 18,1980). The ship currently has 20 planes, from WWll Warbirds to Blue Angels.  They can be found on the flight deck as well as in the hanger area.  Christmas carols played while we were touring the hanger,  and it was there where we saw a most unusual Christmas tree.  The tree has white cloth around it to make it look like a snowman.  Despite the presence of palm trees and blooming tropical plants, Christmas is present in Corpus Christi!