We believe holiday letters are good. For you, your friends and your family. So take some time today and follow these tips to make your letter worth reading. And don't forget, Christmas is closing in, so mail off your letter today!

These tips, incidentally, are provided by Les Anderson, an associate professor of communications at Wichita State University.

• Make it fun. One year the Andersons re-created "American Gothic," posing with pitchforks and stern faces outside their chicken house.

• Make it easy to read. If you use a computer, pick a simple font in at least 12-point type. Use dark ink on light paper.

• Consider your audience. Realize that not everyone wants to know every detail of your life. If you want to include everyone, consider writing different versions of your letter.

• Explain the people and places you mention. Instead of "Jane had a baby girl," opt for "my sister, Jane, had a baby girl."

• Keep letters to one typewritten page — front and back.

• Avoid cute approaches. A letter written from the perspective of a baby, pet or inanimate object may sound like fun, but few, if any, writers can pull that off.

• Don't brag. Too many holiday letters read like laundry lists of achievements — you got the promotion and your child's a genius and you never burn dinner. If you ran your first marathon or wrote a book, by all means say so. Just keep it real.

• On the other hand, don't be too real. We may live in "Fear Factor" times, but nobody wants to hear every gruesome detail of your periodontal surgery.

• Offer readers a bonus. We have a friend who includes a favorite recipe with her annual letter. Sharing interesting discoveries such as a cool Web site or recipe tells readers something about you and also gives them something to check out later.

• Include a photo. Even folks who don't read your letter — gasp! — will appreciate seeing what you look like these days.

• Don't omit bad news. If you lost a job, got divorced or lost a loved one, say so.

• Before sending your letter, let every family member (preteen and older) read it. The last thing you want is an all-out family war over a Christmas letter.

• Include the date. If you save the letters for your family scrapbook, you'll be glad you did.

• Sign the letter by hand, and if possible include a personal note. Holiday form letters aren't meant to replace good old-fashioned correspondence.

Two boat parades to help ring in the holidays

The Hawai'i Yacht Club's "An Island Style Christmas" parade starts at the Ala Wai harbor in front of the Hawai'i Yacht Club Aloha Dock and continues down the Waikiki and Ala Moana waterfront to Aloha Tower Marketplace, arriving at about 6:20 p.m.

The other parade, also at 5:30 tonight, starts at the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center, where it will circle twice before embarking down the 13 miles of waterway on a 2 1/2-hour trip.

You can watch both parades for free. The Hawai'i Yacht Club's parade can best be viewed from Magic Island at 5:30, or the Aloha Tower Marketplace, Pier 9, at 6:20 p.m.

Call the Hawai'i Yacht Club at 944-9666, ext. 10, or Beverly Liddle, marina manager for the Hawai'i Kai Marina Association, 396-2469, for information on their respective parades.

Washington Place signature ornaments today at Ala Moana

The ornaments cost $15 each, plus tax; proceeds will benefit the Washington Place Foundation and its education, preservation and restoration programs. Cayetano is the wife of former Gov. Benjamin Cayetano and Quinn is the wife of former Gov. William Quinn, Hawai'i's first elected governor after statehood was achieved in 1959.

For more information, call 945-5894.

Seasonal craft fairs once again await gift buyers

What's a holiday without a visit to a crafts fair for a few trinkets and gifts?

The Moanalua High School Music Boosters Winter Craft Fair is happening from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, with approximately 160 booths to choose from.

Other fairs going on today:

• Mililani High School ABC Craft Fair, Mililani High School, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Season's Best Craft Fair & Gifts, 'Aiea Elementary School, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

These fairs are going on today and tomorrow.

• 2nd Annual Candy Cane Lane, Bishop Museum's Gallery and Great Lawn, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
• West O‘ahu Sunset on the Plains, Kapolei Fairgrounds, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
• "Made in Hawai'i" Holiday Festival, Koko Marina Shopping Center, Hawai'i Kai, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Make Rudolf the Red-Nosed Cake

This recipe is from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

Cake

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water

Filling

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Icing

• 6-oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate pieces
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup dairy sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Suggested Decorations

• 16 M&M's milk chocolate candies (eyes)
• 16 Rolo milk chocolate covered antlers (antlers)
• 4 Pepperidge Farm Double Chocolate Chunk Soft Baked cookies, cut in half (ears)
• 8 maraschino cherries (noses)

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, eggs and extract; mix well and set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large electric mixer bowl, combine chocolate, butter and water; stir with a spoon until mixture is melted and smooth. Add half of flour mixture to chocolate mixture and beat on low speed of electric mixer until combined. Add sour cream mixture and beat until combined. Add remaining flour mixture and beat until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. While cakes cool, prepare filling and icing.

For filling, beat whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; set aside. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, sugar and extract at medium speed until creamy. Fold cream cheese mixture into whipped cream. Stir in nuts, if desired. Chill.

For icing, melt chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool about 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating till smooth and easy to spread.

Pipe chocolate icing around outer edge of bottom layer. Spread all but 1 cup filling inside the piped circle. Place second layer on top. Frost top and sides of cake with icing. Just before serving, cut cake into 8 slices and decorate as desired.

Storytellers bring holiday tales to life at Kailua library

Take some time today to enjoy some good old-fashioned holiday storytelling today at the Kailua Public Library.

The Travelling Storytellers will be performing from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. On tap are the local versions of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

It's family fun, and it's free. It's at the library's children's room.

Call 266-9911 for more information.

Strictly ballroom takes floor tonight at Palladium

If you want to see the real thing, make a date tonight to watch award-winning dancers Gherman Mustuc and Iveta Lukosiute perform at the Ala Wai Golf Course Palladium.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door for the 8 p.m. show, sponsored by the U.S. Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association Information: Glenn at 428-1704 or Anne at 225-0915 (after 2:30 p.m.).

Shrek, Spidey, food and fireworks at Kapolei's 'Sunset on the Plains'

There will be entertainment, games, fireworks and food booths for families and friends to enjoy, with "Shrek 2" being shown at 7 tonight on the 30-foot screen. Tomorrow's movie, also at 7 p.m., is "Spider-Man 2."

Another highlight is today's annual Holiday Electric Light Parade, starting at 6 p.m. It travels from Kealanani Avenue to Farmington Highway and Kamokila Boulevard, and ends at Manawai Street at Kapolei Regional Park.

The fireworks display will start at dusk tomorrow.

It's all free and open to the public, including free shuttle transportation from the Kapolei Fairgrounds to Kapolei Regional Park.

Ample parking is available at Kapolei Fairgrounds for a $2 donation.

For more information, call 523-CITY.

Here's a chance to see Nishimura's kimono paintings

Jintaro Nishimura (1915i1988) was a renowned artist who hand-painted silk to create exquisite, one-of-a-kind kimonos.

Now, for the first time, 50 of Nishimura's original kimono paintings will be shown in an exhibition at The Art Board, 1931 Beretania St. ('ewa of McCully Street, makai side). The free exhibit is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today through Dec. 20. There will be a public reception from 5 to 9 tonight.

The Kyoto, Japan, artist was a master of kimono art for more than 50 years.