PUHI — They come from all parts of the world. They come in all sizes, and in many forms, as they gather in the tiny, 750-square-foot condo of Lyn Ratcliffe. They occupy almost every nook and cranny in every room
PUHI — They come from all parts of the world. They come in all sizes, and in many forms, as they gather in the tiny, 750-square-foot condo of Lyn Ratcliffe.
They occupy almost every nook and cranny in every room of her cozy apartment — the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, and the bedrooms. And, for those who don’t know that over 1,450 angels have arrived in the Puhi condo, there are even angels on the outside yard and on the wall.
“That one (on the outside wall) was made by my husband, Jim,” Lyn said. “It’s at least 13 years old.”
Her son, Michael, comes and helps her set up the angels that have spanned over 50 years of collecting. “I’m pretty tall, so I can get some of the higher ones,” Lyn Ratcliffe says. “Michael sets up the chains, does the lower ones, and the higher ones that I can’t reach. He also does the lighting outside, and makes sure all the lighted ones work.”
An angel bearing a “Welcome” sign greets guests at her front door during the time her angels come and spend the holidays with her, and she invites people to come and view her collection.
“The angels, unlike the real thing, are not available 365 days a year,” Ratcliffe explains. This year, people may visit with the angels from Tuesday through Thursday, Dec. 28 to 30, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Ratcliffe’s collection started with her first angel that she got from her mother when she was 8 years old. The angel music box is still a prominent part of her display, offering candy canes to youngsters who accompany their parents on visits with the angels.
“For about 50 years now, we have had a family tradition of a holiday open house to enjoy the warmth and glow of my angel collection,” Ratcliffe said.
Gail Simon, a friend of Ratcliffe’s and a fellow singer with her for the Kauai Chorale, was spending some time coming right after her work shift at Wilcox Memorial Hospital.
“This is a good place to be right after work, surrounded by angels,” Simon said.
While viewing the collection of angelic figures and figurines, there are angels that come from some of the most prestigious places in the world sitting next to angels that come from dime stores.
But, as Ratcliffe talks about her angels, there is a bit of history that goes with each piece on display, like the clay angel that went through a California earthquake and had its head shattered by the marble top of the small table it was sitting on.
Ratcliffe is quick to turn the angel to show its backside, which has every piece glued back in place, save a sliver which she said they could not find.
In the kitchen, there are angel cookie cutters, and angelic refrigerator magnets. And, there are the bread-dough angels, one which Ratcliffe notes is 45 years old, and despite her care in wrapping and storing it, is beginning to show its age.
“The angels come from many corners of the world, and I only bring them all out once a year during the Christmas season,” Ratcliffe said as she pointed to one clad in a kimono. “That one came from Yuriko Tasaka when she went to Japan.”
“The angels, like the real thing, are of every nationality, age, and substance. They are black, white, yellow, brown, and come in paper, glass, brass, and, well, just about everything,” she said as she slipped past a Hawaiian quilt angel hanging in the kitchen hallway.
“That’s my favorite,” Simon volunteered. “And, I can’t have it because Lyn would know where it went,” she joked.
Among the collection are the first angels given to her by her children, Michael and Christina. And, there are angels that were given to her by her husband of 47 years.
There are angels decorating her Christmas trees. They fly, they dart, and they do things that angels do best — spread the glow and warmth of the holidays, making the rain outside almost unnoticeable.
In her cozy bedroom are the special angels that nestle among her collection of family pictures — her son when he was 8; her daughter when she was 8; and, on the wall, a lit Christmas tree plaque she created with her husband Jim.
Jim Ratcliffe was a lighting director for some of television’s most well-known shows, one of the testimonies of his expertise being a picture signed, “We miss you. Dinah Shore.”
The link to Hawai‘i is obvious in the collection of Hawaiian angels, her most recent being one made out of koa seed pods and picked up at the Kaua‘i Museum by Michael Ratcliffe.
Michael Ratcliffe himself is an angel personified, but with a Hawaiian twist, as his ways are those of a menehune, as he shares his life with his family. And, his name starts with an “m,” like the menehune.
As the tour comes to an end, Lyn Ratcliffe sits on her bed, surrounded by angels. “This is a great place to wake up to,” she says. “To open your eyes and see all those angels looking down on you.”
People interested in viewing Ratcliffe’s angelic collection are invited to call her at 245-6632.
“I think this year, especially, we all have need for the warmth and joy of the angel’s aura. Mugsy and I live in cozy quarters, so I can only have five friends at a time,” she said. “Just call and set a time for your visit, either days before, or even 30 minutes before.”
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or mailto:dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
