Wahiawa Hanami (Flower Viewing)

Korakuen Garden, Okayama, Japan, April 2010

In Japan people go out to view cherry blossoms every spring and sit under its glory to meet and share a picnic with friends. 
 

Vancouver, Canada, April 2009

I never quite understood just how incredible an experience it is to view cherry blossoms blooming in profusion until we were in Vancouver, Canada in 2009.

That was a surprise!  We didn't realize there would be so many cherry trees blooming in Canada!

As we walked under the trees, the petals started falling around us and mom was ecstatic.  She said she'd read about hanfubuki (flower blizzard) in poetry, but had never actually experienced it.  She said she could now die in peace because she had seen everything.  We persuaded her that there was still a lot more to enjoy so she should really stick around.

This weekend, mom said she'd heard cherry blossoms were in bloom in Wahiawa.  Wahiawa on Oahu and Waimea on the Big Island are supposed to be the coldest places in Hawaii.  I'm not counting the top of Mauna Kea (Big Island volcano).   Cherry trees need the cold to bloom.

We told mom we should go out and see it.  She said she'd already seen it once a long time ago and felt she'd already experienced the real thing in Canada and Japan and preferred keeping those memories.

Wahiawa 2012

I checked online to see where the cherry trees were supposed to be blooming in Wahiawa and then we were on the hunt.

First we went to Leilehua High School, but nobody we asked knew where the trees were and nobody saw them blooming.

We went to the Hongwanji Buddhist temple and saw a few trees with only a handful of flowers.

Then we went to the Ryusenji Soto Mission temple and found these trees on the side of the property.  Ummmm......

Yes, there were some flowers on the branches.

The blossoms were lovely close-up.

We have such a profusion of flowers in Hawaii.  Shower trees bloom for several months.  African tulips trees appear to be blooming all year.  Bougainvilleas spread huge swaths of eye catching color in every part of the islands Then there are the ubiquitous hibiscus.

So why the fascination with cherry blossoms, no matter how sparse?

Mom says it's their brevity.  They have such a short time to reach their moment of glory and then they die all at once.  She says that's why the samurai took it as their symbol representing their often brief life and dying at the height of their power.

I don't know.  I wish they'd chosen to plant some other flowering trees all over the place in Wahiawa that would produce a better show for a longer period of time so we could see it more easily.

Don't ask Art though.  He'll tell you they should plant mango trees instead.

Building and Remodeling Show

Art loves Remodeling type shows so of course he couldn't resist the BIA (Building Industry Association) Home Building & Remodeling Show at the Blaisdell Exhibition Center in Honolulu.  Since it was Senior Sunday, we could get in for $2.00 a person instead of $5.00.

We saw some attic fans that looked like a good idea but Art was leery of putting more holes into the roof.

I'm thinking it's something we'll have to revisit to take out the hot air from the attic.

Then we looked at these walk-in tubs.  We've seen them in AARP magazines and it seemed like a good concept and something that might be good for my mother someday.

It's got swirly sauna type jets in it and is small enough for the bathroom.  Plastic seems a little flimsy and I wondered how long the rubber in the walk-in door to the tub would last.  (Remember, this is Hawaii.)  The salesperson tried to reassure us saying the warranty was for 10 years.

That doesn't feel like it's enough.  What happens if it fails?  Also, washing your hair in this tub would cause a lot of splash outside of the tub onto the bathroom floor.

Then he told us the price.  Between $10,000 to $15,000. 

We moved on to the next exhibit.

Here's something that really grabbed Art.  Stainless steel storm doors with epoxy coated mesh screens.  Could this be the answer to our rust?  It was a little pricey but definitely something to look into.

Then there were some bidet toilets that were cheaper than the Toto brand, but I don't know exactly how good they are.

There were a lot of good ideas to consider at this Building and Remodeling Show.  However, knowing us, you know we're going to have to do a lot more research before we decide on anything.

Guavas for the Picking

We like to go out walking in the evening when it's cooler.  It's fun to talk to people as we pass their houses.  There are even people who ask where we've been if we miss a few days of walking.

Last night we passed a house with a huge guava tree.  We'd said hello to the home owner a few times in the past when he was outside working on his yard. This time he stopped us and asked, "You guys eat guavas?"

Art said, "Sure, are they sweet?"

"Oh yeah... sweet," he answered.  "You guys like some?"

"That would be great!" Art told him as we introduced ourselves.

Thomas went into his garage where we thought he had a plastic bag for us to pick some.  Instead he brought out a HUGE bag of guavas he'd already picked.  Then he picked more and added it to our bag.

The only difficulty now was that the bag was so heavy.  Art had to keep switching arms to carry the load of delicious smelling fragrant fruit.

When we got home, we shared some with our neighbor and then called my brother and sister-in-law who said they would love to have some.

Art is now wondering how far we'd have to walk to find a neighbor with a huge mango tree who would like to part with some their fruit in a few months.  If Thomas ever passes our house, I'm going to offer him some lemons.

You gotta admit it is nice to live in Hawaii, especially in January.

Born on the Way Up

This is the story of Jon's elevator birth.

It was late summer and we'd worked all afternoon on the backyard bushes.  We then attended a party at a friend's house in Chicago.  Poor Tiffany was not yet three and all tuckered out by the time we returned home that night and put her to bed.

Then suddenly, around 10:00 PM my water broke when I went to the bathroom.  I couldn't believe it. I wasn't sure at first what had happened.  We called Great Lakes Naval Hospital and asked what we should do.  They said to come on up.  We told them that contractions were starting.  "Don't worry," they said.  "You have time."

We had to find a sitter for Tiffany, but our friends (who were lined up for the birth) were at another party.  We finally had to wake up the Colonel and his wife across the street who excitedly came over to watch Tif until our other friends could return home and take over.

The baby was arriving two weeks before the due date.  "Don't worry," said Art confidently.  "Remember how long it took Tif to be born?  We've got lots of time."

We finally got ourselves together, but we didn't actually leave the house until about 11:15.  Art drove our VW Beetle carefully north for the trip that usually took a little over 45 minutes. 

"It's coming, Art.  I mean it's really coming." I gasped.  We'd taken the Lamaze class and Art kept telling me to breathe like we'd been taught.  I was trying to explain the urgency of the situation so when he stopped at the red light once we got on base I was ready to raise my voice a bit.  He'd reasoned that he didn't want an MP to stop him and delay our arrival even more.

Once we got to the hospital, he ran in to tell the ER what was happening.  They gave him a wheelchair.  I remember a few corpsmen taking a break outside and not moving to help.  Sheesh!

While Art was gone, I stuck my hand down and felt the baby's head.  Therefore, when I saw Art with the wheelchair I told him, "I can't sit in that.  I can't sit in that!"

OK... Understand that the doctor hadn't been too happy that I'd gained 48 pounds during my pregnancy.  I now weighed almost thirty pounds more than Art.  Still, the adrenalin must have been pouring out into his body because he reached in and lifted me out of the bug and sat me on the chair.  Yikes!

"Oh great!" I thought.  "Now my poor baby will have a flat head for sure!"

He rushed me to the elevator.  He was a little stressed then.  He pressed the buttons for the 12th floor.  I think.  Maybe it was the 8th and it just felt like the 12th.  However, instead of going up it went down.  While he was trying to figure out who to call or what to do, I told him to turn around and help me because it was too late.  I removed my underwear.  The elevator finally started moving in the correct direction.

And right then... on the way up the baby was born.  Art caught our new child and we both stared in wonder at this little miracle.  Peaceful and calm, it was such a beautiful moment and we were transfixed.

The elevator door opened.  Art handed the baby to me and we went out into the darkened hallway.  We saw a corpsman (medic in training) come strolling toward us swinging his stethoscope like a pinwheel.  Then he saw us, blanched and ran in the opposite direction.  What the heck!

All we could do was follow where we thought he went.

Nurse Jeanne came rushing over and competently took everything in hand.  She picked up the baby, turned it upside down and sucked out the mucus from its nose.  There was still no crying but just gentle, sweet mewling.  It wasn't until the baby was turned upside down and we looked at all of him that we realized we had a son.  Neither of us had bothered to check before this point.  We named him Jonathan after Jonathan Livingston Seagull who kept striving to improve himself and do what regular birds couldn't.

We were never assigned to just one obstetrician during the pregnancy and as luck would have it, the one I'd hoped would not be there was called.  I had the feeling he wasn't happy to be awakened.  It was a little after midnight.

I had torn during the birth and he began to stitch me up... without any anesthetic.  Compared to the birth, this was pain.  I had to use the Lamaze breathing to bear it.  Nurse Jeanne told me to squeeze her hand at first and then she'd had enough.  She actually yelled at the doctor, "Are you trying to kill her?  Give her something!  Now!"

I've always loved nurses!  From that point on they were my heroes!  I was given Demerol.  It still hurt, but I didn't care anymore.

I saw Jonathan on the cold scale screaming and it hurt worse that I couldn't help him.  Once I was patched, Nurse Jeanne took me to recovery and watched over Jon.  An hour later, I was bleeding.  The doctor had botched the job and had to be called back to redo it.

Jonathan, one day old

The following day, a lot of questions were being asked about what happened.  But we didn't care anymore.  They told me that we'd broken the "curse."  Jonathan was the first boy to be born in  two weeks.

Before we left the hospital, Nurse Jeanne wrote us a beautiful note that really touched me and I have it in Jon's baby book.  It closed with, "Thank you for bringing back the faith."

Jonathan, About a week old

After a week in the hospital because it had been a non-sterile birth, and a bit of jaundice we brought Jonathan home to meet his big sister.  One of our neighbors said we should have named him Otis after the elevator company.

You know, despite the fact that Jon's birth did have a few unpleasant moments, we wouldn't trade it for anything else.  Being able to greet our son all by ourselves in our own elevator universe was magical and beautiful.  

Art will tell you that delivering his own son will always rank as the greatest moment of his life. However, truth be told, Art is still a little irritated that the doctor put his own name on Jon's birth certificate as having delivered him.

As for the hospital, things improved dramatically in the years after that.  I don't know if they were given more funding or what, but we were pleased that things improved so our children would have a good place to go to for their health care. (OK... I admit it.  We always took the kids to an outside doctor also just in case.)

Jonathan?  He's living up to his name, flying everywhere around the world constantly stretching his wings and giving us gray hairs.  There are endless stories of his childhood (and grown-up) adventures that would curl your toes.

I just want to thank all those nurses out there who are advocates for patients and care for us with such dedication.  I am so very grateful.

More Doctor Visits

We went to the ENT at Tripler today.  It was Art's appointment this time.  Lately, it feels like we're there every week!  There was the colonoscopy, blood tests, follow-up visits, Art's physical, etc.

Art has switched from using his Medicare and Tri-Care to get his own doctors to going to Tripler Army Medical Hospital.  It  was just too stressful to try to find doctors who would accept Tri-Care (military)- Medicare payments.  Now Art goes to see Kathy who is my nurse practitioner.

She immediately put him back on the blood pressure pills that Art's outside doctor said he didn't need to take.  She was unhappy that the outside doctor never looked at the stress tests that Art took at Tripler before we moved to Hawaii.  And to think Art has run TWO marathons under such risks.  Sheesh!

Art has been complaining of a runny nose and coughing that he's been annoyed with ever since we returned from Chicago last fall.  Kathy made him go to the ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) doctor.

That's the nice thing about Tripler.  Whenever we need any sort of test, we can get right in.  Kathy makes sure we are all on top of things.

Dr. Healy, our ENT doctor was wonderful.  He was very impressed with the super minimal scarring on my neck from my thyroid surgery.  Dr. Anthony Bentley was my amazing surgeon at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Illinois!  He's now in private practice.  I wish he were in Hawaii.  Oops... I digress.

Anyway, the doctor sprayed Art with Afrin and Lidocaine and stuck a digital scope down his nose.  I got to see all the way down to his glottis.  I'm happy to say his throat looked fine.  The doctor agreed with me.  Juuust kidding.  The doctor said Art did look fine and he couldn't figure out what was causing the problem.

Soooo... we're taking a stab at curing it with a nasal spray and Omeprazoel which is for GERD, just in case that's what it is.

After all that, we stopped at Bravo Restaurant for lunch. 

I had the clam linguine and garden salad.  Art had lasagne. The little buns were drenched in oil, salt and I don't know what else.  I was starving.  I'm sure it wasn't good for me.


It was a happy way to end another day at the hospital.

POSTSCRIPT:  I am working on the story of Jon's birth  in the elevator at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital for tomorrow's post.  I apologize in advance because it will have to be a bit long.

Cutting Costs

In 1981, my college roommate, Gail's parents came to visit us in Chicago.  We loved seeing them again.  Mrs. T was a barber and she cut all of our hair.  Then she gave me some lessons on how to do it myself before they left.

Isn't it wonderful how so many things you learn can impact your whole life in so many ways?

For the last 30 years I've often cut my own hair as well as Art's.  There was a point (probably Middle School) at which the kids wouldn't let me touch their hair anymore.

Now in Hawaii, I cut all of our hair.  This is why mom, Art and I always have the same hair style.  It's true.  I actually do only one style.

Just think of all the money we save every month by cutting our own hair.

Then multiply that by 30 years although I confess there were often times I went to the beauty shop to have it done while I was working.

If Mrs. T had not come to visit us and show me how to be confident enough to do this, I wouldn't have attempted to do it myself. 

We can all be teachers.  We can all make a difference in big and small ways.  Isn't it wonderful?

A Journal for Our Grandchild

I can't remember when I got the idea to start a journal for our daughter, Tiffany, but I know I started one for Jonathan when he was born in the elevator.  I kept their journals on my bedside table along with a journal for ourselves.  It wasn't a terribly onerous task to keep up with them.  Before falling asleep, I would just jot down something interesting they said or did.  It wasn't everyday, but I kept it up until they left home.

When Tiffany was married and had her own child, I gave the precious journal to her.  She says she really enjoys reading about the sort of things she did as she watches her own child discover the world around her. 

I started one for KC when she was not yet born.  We used to call her "Peanut" then.

I've noted that when 3 year old KC came to Hawaii in  2010, she walked into the room and preciously, sweetly said, "Hmmm...This looks familiar."

This is a picture of a ladybug that she drew when we were at the National Parks last spring.  I'm happy to see she got the correct number of legs.

  Maybe she'll grow up to be an entomologist.

In fall, we visited her in Chicago.  I wrote of things she said, did, liked, ate.

I wonder if someday, she'll show it to my great-grandchild.  Wouldn't that be something?

Colonoscopy

I've been delaying my colonoscopy for a couple of years now.  The last one I had was 7 years ago.  Normally, you only have to do this every 10 years, but the doctor recommended 5 after my last one.  It was probably because my grandfather died of colon cancer.  My mother insists it was only because of the zazen (meditation) exercises he had to do as a Zen priest and the terrible conditions in the Siberian prison camp where he spent two years.

Whatever the case, Kathy, my nurse practitioner said she wasn't letting me delay any longer.  I have to get the procedure done tomorrow morning at 8:30.

I didn't enjoy my last colonoscopy.  I remember having to drink a rather foul tasting liquid that I mixed into some 7-Up.  It made me avoid 7-Up after that.

It seems the prep has changed.  I had to take 4 Dulcolax  pills this afternoon.

This morning, I had to put water into this gallon jug (there's powder in it) along with an artificial flavoring that is supposed to improve the Golytely solution.  I couldn't decide which would be best so I mixed a bit of each package and tried them first.  There wasn't a whole lot of difference, but I decided to use the citrus berry.

I then had to mix in half a bottle of the baby simethicone drops.

This was my breakfast and lunch.  Peeled apples, green and yellow jello and calamansi juice.

After 1:00 PM it's pretty much clear liquids although for some reason I can have Coke or Pepsi and any soda.  I can also have my vanilla Popsicles.   Yahoo!

At 5:00 this afternoon I have to drink 2/3 of the gallon of Golytely and at 4:30 tomorrow morning I drink the last third.

I already know the procedure itself is not a big deal at all.  It's the prep that's not exciting.

What I'm looking forward to is tomorrow after the colonoscopy.  I intend to eat whatever I want.  Hmmm... let's see...  What shall I have?

And I'm giving all the left over jello to mom.  She loves jello!

POSTSCRIPT:  It's over!  It really was a breeze.  I was the first patient of the  morning and the very cheerful doctor gave me a clean bill of health and said I'm good for TEN years.  Woohoo!  He also gave me a picture of my colon.  I was so proud of how clean it looked that I almost posted it, but Art said that it might be TMI (too much information)  :-)  

No More Crooked Photos

I've been focused daily on scanning lately.  I feel like I'm coming up for air only to quickly do my post for the day before submerging again in scanning.  I'm on 2002 Portugal trip photos right now.

After scanning almost two thirds of our family photos, I've learned something new on my Microsoft Picture Manager.  There have been a number of photos that were just a little tilted.

 I had no idea there was a simple way to rotate my photo as much as I wanted just by clicking on the Edit Pictures button, and then the Rotate and Flip.

Now you just have to rotate your photo to the left or right until you find the angle you like best.

Then all I had to do was crop it!

No one ever needs to know how I was holding the camera crooked anymore.  I have photos that were way worse than this one.  I just didn't have the time to look for it.

Forgive me, but I have to get back to my scanning.  I'll be checking up to see what you're up to between album scanning.

Until then... have a great week!

Funerals in Hawaii

We just attended a funeral for a dear neighbor and friend, Charlie.  He and his wife, Wini lived next to us and we are forever going back and forth between our houses to chat or share goodies.  Our hearts are breaking for Wini, but she's been an oasis of dignified calm even as we are fully aware of what this loss has been for her.

Although she and Charlie are nearing their 80's, she smiled mistily and said, "I thought we'd grow old together."  Wini organized everything and made sure that everyone was welcomed and knew how much their support had been appreciated.  I am amazed at her spiritual, inner strength.

The funeral service was beautiful.  It occurred to me then while hearing the eulogies that there's so much you don't know about some people until their funeral.  Charlie and Wini were never ones to brag about their accomplishments.  Therefore, Art, mom and myself sat there in awe of all that he had done, all the positions he'd held and what he meant to so many people.

Funerals are different in Hawaii.  When you attend a funeral, you usually bring a Koden which is a monetary gift to the family to help pay for the funeral expenses.  It is especially helpful because funerals here also have dinners for all the people who attend right after the service.  There's also the huge wreaths that grace the church or temple which are extremely costly.

We were also invited to attend the inurnment and there was another luncheon after that service.   I really enjoyed the dinner and luncheon because we got to spend time with neighbors and Wini and Charlie's wonderful relatives.  Art really, really loved it because he got to see people he knew when he was a boy on the Big Island.  Coincidentally, Wini and Art are both from Honokaa.  It's one of life's wonderful coincidences.

I guess funerals are the same as those on the mainland in that you get to reconnect happily with those people you haven't seen in a long time.  I think Charlie is looking down at us and smiling.

And I know he's really proud of Wini.

Recommendations Gone Bad and Good

We were pretty thrilled with Loctite when we applied it to our rusted screen door and mailbox.

For a few months, it seemed to have done the job.  Then, to our dismay, the rust came back.

We are not happy campers about how Loctite performed at all.

On the other hand, the Sodastream Soda Maker appears to actually work.  We bought our machine at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Art was tired of carrying cases of Perrier or San Pellegrino home from Costco and then dealing with the deposits for the glass bottles.

© 2013 Brian Crane, used by permission

I just saw this Pickles comic strip in the Star Advertiser and I had to laugh.  We do now make our own carbonated soda water out of tap water.  We haven't tried any of the flavors that came with the kit because we don't want to add any more sugars to our drinks. 

The flavor is just as good as any carbonated water we've tasted and we really like the convenience.

However, I still haven't been able to fold that fitted sheet!
(I tried doing it like this post I did before, but still can't get it right.)  Sigh....

Beer is Good for You?

From Wikipedia

My cousin, Larry sent me an article he found in Yahoo.  It claims that a beer or two a day can be good for higher bone density and reduction of cardiovascular disease.  Everything in moderation.

I've never much cared for beer, but I'll have to try it now that I know it might have some health benefits.  Looks like I'll have to look for pale ale whatever that is.

 

1. Stronger Bones

Beer contains high levels of silicon, which is linked to bone health. In a 2009 study at Tufts University and other centers, older men and women who swigged one or two drinks daily had higher bone density, with the greatest benefits found in those who favored beer or wine. However, downing more than two drinks was linked to increased risk for fractures.
For the best bone-building benefits, reach for pale ale, since a 2010 study of 100 types of beer from around the word identified these brews as richest in silicon, while light lagers and non-alcoholic beers contained the least.

2. A Stronger Heart 

A 2011 analysis of 16 earlier studies involving more than 200,000 people, conducted by researchers at Italy’s Fondazion di Ricerca e Cura, found a 31 percent reduced risk of heart disease in those who quaffed about a pint of beer daily, while risk surged in those who guzzled higher amounts of alcohol, whether beer, wine, or spirits.
More than 100 studies also show that moderate drinking trims risk of heart attacks and dying from cardiovascular disease by 25 to 40 percent, Harvard reports. A beer or two a day can help raise levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol that helps keep arteries from getting clogged.

I have a feeling, if we wait two months, they'll come up with a study that says beer will give you liver cancer even if you drank it once a week.  Keeping up with these studies is exhausting!

Hmmm... maybe I should get a beer to relax me.

Not For the Better

We've always loved the comic strip For Better or Worse.   We looked forward to it every morning for the past 30 years.  It started the year after our son, Jon was born.   It really seemed as though Lynn Johnston's life mirrored our own. 

This past Sunday, the joke in the comic didn't sit right with me.  I just didn't find it funny.  It felt mean spirited.

I know that the comic storyline ended in September of 2008, just when we left Chicago and moved to Hawaii.  When Lynn Johnston's comic strip life ended, so did our life in Chicago.  She then restarted the strip with a mixture of new and old just as we were beginning our lives in Hawaii.

I wouldn't have posted about this strip except for the fact that later in the day Art asked, "Did you read For Better or Worse this morning?  What did you think?  It bothered me."

I just thought it was interesting that it bothered both of us.  We didn't think it was funny.  We would never say anything like that even in jest.  We may be liberal in politics, but perhaps we're conservative in our comic humor.

Then again, maybe it's just us.

Modeling Behavior

We were talking to our daughter, Tiffany in Chicago and she said she was totally exhausted.  When we asked her why, she chuckled and said she was upholding our family tradition of trying to help others shovel during the winter snows.

During the heavy snows of winter, we used to go out and help neighbors shovel their driveways.  It was always frustrating when we'd be finished just in time for the snow plow to come by and block the entrance again.  However, it was good exercise.

We felt especially good about helping people who lived alone, were elderly or weren't in good health.

"I shoveled the driveway for Auntie Vera and Auntie Caroline," said Tif smiling tiredly.  "I didn't want them to come home to a blocked driveway.  Dad will be proud of me."

We're very proud of her.  Here was one more proof that what we do as parents do make lasting impressions on our children.  How you treat others teaches our children and grandchildren how to be kind  in turn.

Oh yes, we're quite proud of our children.  Tif says KC will readily share her treats with people, wanting them to be as happy as she is.

I love it!

Three Reasons to Come to Hawaii

We just spent some quality time with our daughter and granddaughter on Skype.  I asked Tif when they might head out to Hawaii again. She said 4 year old KC has been working on her dad.  Tif said our son-in-law, Ed asked his daughter to give him reasons why she needed to go to Hawaii and she couldn't count grandpa and grandma because we could go there instead.

KC's top three reasons were:
1.  She wanted to visit her toy closet here in Hawaii.
2.  The warm weather
3.  Rainbows

I told her to give the three reasons that might actually entice her father.  Andagi, shave ice and snorkeling at Hanauma Bay.  Andagi are round Okinawan doughnuts that my son-in-law is partial to.

Ed really dislikes the travel time it takes to get from Chicago to Hawaii.  Since Chicago is blanketed by heavy snow right now, perhaps the warm weather reason might work best.

I told Art if they're not coming, we need to start planning for our trip back to Chicago.

We're still waiting for our son, Jon to tell us when they're coming.

Sigh...

Why Did We Love Johnny Crawford?

In Sunday's USA Weekend magazine of the Star Advertiser there was an article in the Who's News? section about Johnny Crawford.

I had to laugh.  It brought back so many foggy memories.

Then I got an e-mail from my childhood friend, Yvonne asking me if I'd seen it.

Now that really brought out a chuckle.  Johnny Crawford was such a big part of our girlhood.  We were all madly in love with him.  He played the part of Mark McCain with Chuck Connors in the Rifleman series and had a string of hit songs like Cindy's Birthday.

Yvonne reminded me that we rode the bus into Honolulu's Civic Auditorium to see him when he came to Hawaii to perform.  That was a really big deal!  We didn't often go into Honolulu from way out in the country.

My memory might be faulty, but I think he was handing out flyers at the door and my baby finger might have brushed against his hand.   Siiiighhhh....  I don't think I wanted to wash my hand for a week.

My mother was totally perplexed as to why we were all so ga-ga over him.  Almost 50 years later, I'm wondering too.  Was it just a Hawaii thing?  No, I don't think so.  When I mentioned Johnny Crawford to Peggy, in Illinois, she said she had a little crush over him too.  I don't remember my daughter quite going so overboard over a teenage idol.

I think perhaps we were crazy over him because he was so sweet, baby faced and appeared gentle and kind.  He was the sort of boyfriend lots of girls wished for.  He could also sing.

No, I wasn't an Elvis fan.  My heart always belonged to Johnny... 

...until the Beatles came along.

Akulekule

Art's classmate, Morris lives within walking distance to us.  We dropped off some tofu for him after our usual run to Honda Tofu in Wahiawa a few days ago.  We do love our Thursdays.

We spend an hour and a half at Tai-Chi class with some fabulous people that we've really come to love.  It's a highlight of our week.  After Tai-Chi, we head out to Honda Tofu and buy freshly made warm tofu.

Then we go to Costco, buy a few necessities, share a hot dog and have my latte freeze.  We return home, drop off tofus for some neighbors and then deliver tofu to my aunt, Art's aunt and Morris.  It's a real feel-good day.

This time I noticed that Morris and his wife, Jane's house was resplendent with huge swaths of my favorite color, fuchsia.  I couldn't get over how gorgeous it all looked.  I took a few photos, but they didn't turn out well.

Jane saw me taking the photos and offered to give me some plants she had started.  She said they are called Akulekule (Lampranthus).  Art said they are ice plants and he remembers them from Honokaa.  His Aunt Marian used to sew an Akulekule lei for him once a year that was incredibly beautiful and time consuming to make.  I wish I could see one.

Art warned me that we didn't have a lot of area for new plants, but I just couldn't resist and gratefully accepted a couple of plants Jane had potted.

Where there's a will, there's a way.  I planted one under the Mickey Mouse tree and the other in the back.  I sure hope they do well.  Actually, with my brown thumb, I hope they survive.  On the second thought, I'll just let mom take care of them.

A Missing Blogger

I just discovered that Dina from Jerusalem Hills Daily Photo is gone from cyber space!  Blogger has eaten her blog and is not giving it back.  If anybody has a clue as to how contact somebody to help please let her know.

Here's what she wrote me:

Dina

“Kay!   I was just about to write to you!
Last Saturday  Google asked me to sign in to the blog or maybe to the Google Account (are they different?!)    and then they locked me out, saying there was "unusual activity on my account."
I wrote to them for help through their Accounts website but have heard nothing since.

It may be because I have this awful communications problem since November, the first rain.   My telephone is most of the time dead and the Internet goes on and off.  Plus, I am using two laptops.  Maybe Google is suspicious of two IP addresses?  Maybe it's certain foreign hackers who hate Israel?

 Google can't send me some detection code if I don't have a voice phone.  And I don't own a cell phone for them to send me SMS.

Yesterday the phone company put up new overhead cables on my part of the street.   But the phone is still dead.  Some kind of short circuit.  Every winter it happens, from the rain or even dew.   My wires are on the neighbor's roof.

Can you believe??  The black cables were full of little holes.  The technician said woodpeckers made them, thinking it was a water pipe!
The phone company has learned from this and today they make much stronger overhead cables.  I took pictures.   Maybe someday I'll have my blog back and will post them.

On some blogs I can't even comment.

It is all frustrating.   But I try to keep hope and positive thoughts.  Just wish there were someone near to help me.

Is there some way to find a telephone number for Google help, I wonder, to talk to a human?


You be well.
Shalom and love,
Dina”

POSTSCRIPT:  Wow! After a week of being stuck somewhere in Purgatory, Dina's Jerusalem Hills Daily Photo was brought back to life in tact.  I told her how I back up my blog (Kay's Musings) on Wordpress.  However, I do still prefer the Blogspot site.  I get more traffic on it and most of my friends are here.

Still, I like having the insurance of knowing my blog is backed up elsewhere.  There was a very easy way to carry over all my posts and comments from Blogger to Wordpress.

Buuuut, since I've moved what I had over I can't carry the comments over from that point unless I cut and paste constantly so I'm just contenting myself with the insurance of knowing what I posted is not lost.

POSTSCRIPT 2: I just got this message from Dina:
"Dear Kay and Kay's readers, maybe because of all the good luck (good vibes?) that this post produced, I was able to get back into my blog yesterday afternoon.
Yay!!!
But exactly when I wanted to share that great news with you, my Internet connection died. Now the sun is coming up and warming and drying the wires and the Internet is back (but still not my phone).

Thank you all for your sympathy and suggestions!

As the traditional Hebrew expression, common here in Israel, goes, "May you know only happy events.

Mosquito Bite Relief

I have no idea how it happened, but I got a mosquito bite on my tummy.  It became a LARGE itchy bump that started to drive me crazy.  I KNOW I shouldn't scratch it, but I couldn't help myself.  Soon, it was oozing.  I'd put an anti-itch lotion on it, but it didn't help for very long.

I have a feeling I'm allergic to insect bites just like my mom and daughter.  I just haven't been tested with bee bites like my mom.

I found that my blouse brushing against the bite lump was irritating it and making it even more sensitive.

It occurred to me that I should put some Cortizone-10 ointment on a band-aid and stick it over the lump.  What a difference that made!

Now the lump is much tinier and going away. Usually, these bites will last over a week or even two.  This one is almost gone in a couple of days. 

I looked up mosquito bite remedies and found a whole host of them on About.com from toothpaste, vinegar, Preparation H, calamine, aloe vera, etc.

I'm sure they must all work, but for me... I just bought a new box of band-aids, just in case.

Memories of a Roman Holiday

Three years before, when Art came home and asked, "What do you think about going to England?" and proceeded to surprise us with the tickets, it shocked us.

When he came home in November of 1993 and said, "What do you think about going to Rome?"  we were still not quite prepared for him getting tickets for us to leave right after Christmas.  Tiffany was on holiday break from the University of Illinois and Jon was in high school.

The Vatican

That's how we ended up standing in front of the nativity scene in front of the Vatican on December 26th.

It was such an incredible feeling to walk inside the huge Vatican where only the night before, the pope held Midnight Mass for Catholics around the world.

St. Peter's Basilica

We climbed up the stairs of St. Peter's Dome.  Even then, I didn't like stairs and was winded by the time we got to the top.  Art is a runner.  The kids were on the swim team in high school.  It didn't faze them at all.

The view from the top of St. Peter's Basilica was breathtaking.

Colosseum

The following day we were off to the Colosseo (Colosseum).  Getting off the train we were awed by the sheer size and grandeur of the huge arena.  We were all amazed at how history was coming alive and becoming real for us.

The Roman Forum

The next stop was the Roman Forum.  We climbed up Palatine Hills to get this fabulous view.  We saw the spot where Julius Caesar was supposed to have been assassinated.

Kids will be kids.  Jon is splashing his sister with Roman water.

 The days were not long enough for all the things we wanted to see in Rome.  We loved Piazza Navona, the Borghese Museum, the Capitoline Museum, the Pantheon, Piazza del Popolo, and too many other places to name.

The  funny thing is we didn't much care for the pizza in Rome.  We were too used to the Chicago style pizza.  However, one day we had warmed focaccia sandwiches from a roadside stand and the kids fell in love with it.  For many years after that, it was the kids' favorite... along with gelato!

Piazza di Spagna

The Romans told us that they had two weeks of cloudy, rainy weather before we arrived.  The weather was sunny and wonderful for us and it made all the difference I'm sure. We sat on the Spanish steps just luxuriating in the warm Roman sunshine with everybody else.

We also did some exploring in all the Roman alleyways leading into different piazzas.  It's a good thing we had our trusty travel book with maps keeping us from getting lost.

Art set aside one morning for Jon to do his own exploring.  He gave him maps, careful instructions, money and the hotel address in case he got lost.  We synchronized our watches and told him to meet us at the Piazza Navona.  Then we kept our fingers crossed.  Jon told us later that he really felt he had travel in his blood like his dad.  He now wanted to explore more places and learn about different cultures.

Trevi Fountain

We made a stop at the Trevi Fountain and dropped our coins in.  If legend held true, we would all be back.  It worked for Tif and Jon.  They have been back on their own.  Art and I went to Florence later... but that's another story.

Still more scanning to do.