Guest Blogger: J.L. Campbell

Ya know, I’ve come a long way since J.L. Campbell told my story in Hardware – which only got published last month. In 2009, I was going through a truck-load of problems. You see, I’m the problem-sorter-outer for my family and friends. So, I was dealing with my girlfriends’ relationship drama, plus that of my parents and then along came Quinn, who looked like bad news, but really wasn’t.

It did take him a while to get past my defenses and boy did I have many. I thought he was a gangster, but he showed me otherwise. It also took me some time to get over myself. Thing is, at first glance I’m snooty and I did have some, ahem, prejudices. But if you get to know me, you’ll find out that I’m just shy with people I don’t know. Anyhow, Quinn helped me turn all of that around. He’s the centre of my world. Well, him and our son, Chad, who came along a while after…but you’ll have to read Hardware to find out all about that. If intrigue and suspense are your thing, then you’ll enjoy our story.

But to get to the point of my visit, it’s coming on to Christmas and in Jamaica, there are certain things that tell you what time of year it is...stuff like Dark Fruit Cake, that’s yummy and has quite a kick if you get carried away with the rum and wine. Gungo Peas makes a nice dish of rice and peas. Baked Glazed Ham is eaten at almost every meal. Poinsettias bloom in brilliant reds, peach and white. Delicious Pot Roasted Beef is a must and so is Sorrel, a lovely deep burgundy drink that comes from a plant. We do tend to flavour this drink with lots of rum.

We have Midnight Mass and Watch Night Services across the island and for those who like to party, there are office get-togethers, stage shows and pageants…oodles of activity that take us right through the season. Best of all, there’s the time with friends and family and the goodwill that flows from one end of the island to the other, like the chilly winds that come from North America. Oh, and for those of you who get lots of snow, that’s something we never experience.

Here’s wishing all the best of the season for you and yours. Carol, thanks ever so much for allowing me to share an insider’s view of a Jamaican Christmas Under the Tiki Hut.

J.L. Campbell is the author of Contraband, Dissolution, Don’t Get Mad…Get Even, and Hardware. She is always on the lookout for story making material. She also loves company and can usually be found lollygagging on her blog at http://thecharacterdepot.blogspot.com

Her website is at http://joylcampbell.com and her Twitter handle is @JL_Campbell.