Art in California!

I've been looking at Art's travel photos and I could see where he had a terrific time.  He met his college buddy, Sam who arrived from Tokyo to be at this get-together in San Francisco.
They stayed with more friends from college days and visited a lot of amazing places in that area.

Art says Muir Woods reminded him of Cedar Trail in Glacier National Park and was just as beautiful.

They then went to Filoli House and Gardens in Woodside, California.  This is a photo of their sunken garden.

Then it was on to Napa Valley's Beringer Winery.

Art says they got to sample a variety of wines and they all enjoyed themselves.

After spending time together talking about their exciting college days, Art and Sam left to join Art's sister, Kay and her husband in the Sierras.  It was a long drive to the Mammoth Lake area.

Art says it was so beautiful that it took extra long because they kept stopping to take photos.  They spied this yellow-bellied marmot that really entranced them.

Ellery Lake was spectacular!

They were able to find Art's sister and her husband quickly.  Here is Art and Kay at Gull Lake where they had been fishing.

And here they are at Twin Lakes.  The views are just incredible.  I can see why Kay and her husband love it there!

On another day, Art and Sam went to Devils Postpile which is near Mammoth Lakes.  Art says the formation is like Devils Tower.

Kay invited her brother and Sam to try fishing.

Art hasn't fished much... or at all in the last couple of decades.  Sam had never tried fresh water fishing and declined at first.  However, they convinced him to try his hand at it.

Amazingly, the fish decided to give them a good time.  I was told they caught about 50 fish and let most of them go.   I'm told they were really huge!  Hmmm... this is sounding like a "fish" story to me.  



After that wonderful experience with two patient teachers, Sam was hooked on fishing.

They apparently had a fabulous trout dinner that night.
 

Art's birthday happened to be during that time so his sister made sure they celebrated it royally.

Apparently they had so much baby back ribs that they could barely eat the cake.  But they did!  Art's sister has always watched over her baby brother.

When Art left for college, he stopped in California where Kay was working as a teacher.  She outfitted her brother with appropriate clothes for the Midwest.  Since he was coming from Hawaii with limited finances, she made sure he arrived at school looking presentable.

I've celebrated many birthdays with Art.  I was so pleased that he could have this special time with his sister.  Now Art is telling me, we need to make another trip in the future so I can see everything he's seen and perhaps try my hand at fishing also.

Farmers Market

There's a Farmers Market quite close by and while Art was gone, buddies Joanne and Diane suggested going there for food and veggies.  We went last week and really enjoyed a lot of the food.  Art and I haven't tried any of the prepared foods  before, but since he was gone and Joanne and Diane were trying some, I decided to try a taste for fun.  Yummm!

I bought chicken long rice and teriyaki chicken which they were grilling right there.  Mom loved it!  The portions were very generous.  Mom and I couldn't finish the small size container.

When I went back this time, I bought the large chicken plate since I figured Art would like the left overs and I picked up a box for my brother and his family also.

I was surprised when I went to the stand that sold chicken long rice.  I told the friendly seller I wanted the same thing I ordered last week and before I could say what it was, she actually remembered the container size that I wanted and the extra green onions.  I was floored.  I can't remember what I did yesterday and she remembered my order from last week!

Wow!  I'm going back again next time and I'm going to order the same thing.

Vacuum Cleaner Salesmen

I've been hoodwinked.  I usually don't let people in the house unless I really know them.  What possessed me to let vacuum cleaner salesmen in?

I answered the door and a fellow who looked like he could be a friend's son appeared.  He handed me an air purifer that he explained was wonderful and that they were handing it out to all the neighbors to try.

He said his company, Aqua Systems just wanted to get the word out about their company.

Sounded OK.  He looked trustworthy.  He said he just wanted my opinion about that air purifier.  He said he just wanted to spread the word about their company that they wanted to start in the neighborhood.  He said he was just collecting opinions and the more opinions he got, they could win a trip to Reno.

Sounded OK.  Like I said, he looked like he could be a friend's son. I always help my friends' children when I can.

Then he said he needed to come back to show me what it was about and that it would be brief.  I told him I could only give him a half hour max because I had friends coming over.

He said OK.

That's when his partner showed up with a Rainbow air purifier which was ALSO a vacuum cleaner.  I told him I already had two vacuum cleaners.

He demonstrated how great the vacuum cleaner was.  And it was very good.  It certainly picked up a LOT of dust in what I thought was an already immaculate house.  My mother is very fastidious.  BUT the price tag was $4,000.00.  I told him, "No way."

He insisted on cleaning all of our little area carpet showing us the dust it was picking up.  He insisted on cleaning the sofa too.

It was now well past that half hour mark and my friends arrived to go with me to the Farmers Market.  I told the vacuum salesmen they needed to leave because I could not leave them with my mother and it was past their allotted time.

Well... it took them quite a while to get their things together to leave while my friends waited outside.

The kicker.  The little gift of the air purifier that fellow gave me before, to have me listen to them ... he took it with him as he was leaving!  

The double kicker.  When I was gone, my mother went out to get the mail.  They were still there outside of our house and told her they were thirsty.  She went back in the house to get them canned drinks!

Mom says they cleaned her carpet so it's OK to give them some drinks.

When she told me this, I was alarmed.  I called my brother who works for the Honolulu Police Department and he said that if they allowed me to take so many photos of them, it should be safe.  I have photos of their faces also, but I didn't think it would be fair to post them because they're probably just doing their job.

I've learned my lesson now.  I'm never letting another salesperson or stranger into the house again.  I hope I don't get a call from my son and daughter scolding me if they read this post.

One of my friends who was waiting for me got a good look at both of the fellows and she says she can see why I allowed them in because that first fellow I talked to looked so innocent. However, she gently warned me to be more careful next time.

But you know what?  It was a rather remarkable vacuum cleaner.  Except that I thought they were trying to sell an air purifier.  I'm sure they were perfectly legitimate, hardworking fellows working in a tough economy. However, I feel like I've let my guard down and opened myself to something that wasn't wise.

I was a teacher, and I can also learn.

POSTSCRIPT:  I just checked online and have seen some terrible horror stories about Rainbow vacuum cleaner salespeople.  They appear to prey on seniors.  It also states the vacuum cleaners run from $1,000 to $2,000, not $4,000.  On the other hand, some people have liked their machines.  But, more importantly, a lot more people have been really badly scammed!  Beware!

He's Coming Home!

OK, I did it!  I filled in the nail holes with plaster, sanded it, caulked all the spaces in the trim and painted it and the wall.  I had 18 windows to do.  Thank goodness I kept sample paints for all the walls in the house.  The windows have been on my To-Do list that I just didn't want to do.  With Art gone, and not a WHOLE lot of other things to do, I did them.

I also worked on his family tree project and am nearly finished; just putting in the finishing touches and editing.

Art is returning tonight.  My brother, Dennis will be picking him up at 8:30.  I'm planning to buy some Ewa sweet corn that my friends, Joanne and Diane bought at last Friday's Farmers Market and swear was fabulous.  Art loves corn on the cob.

Other than that... what else is there to do?  Oh yeah... I forgot #3 on my To-Do list.  Cleaning the bathroom!

Mom is looking forward to having Art back.  And yes, me too!

POSTSCRIPT #1:  It's 10:33 AM Hawaii Time and Art has had three delays in San Francisco due to fog.  It's possible he may miss his connection in Seattle and will be back tomorrow.  Sigh...

POSTSCRIPT #2:  We have had the worst problems with Alaska Airlines.  We had all those last minute schedule changes when we went to Yellowstone.  Now they've switched his flight to Delta.  BUT there's a silver lining.  He got a refund on his luggage from Alaska and Delta did not charge him for luggage.  In fact, he was entitled to two Check Ins.  That's amazing!  AND he's now got a direct flight to Honolulu and will arrive 8 minutes earlier.  Sheesh!  Incredible! Since he won't have a stop-over in Seattle now, there won't be any clam chowder for him.  I told him he should get some sour dough sandwiches instead since he's now got a 4+ hour wait in San Francisco.  :-)

POSTSCRIPT #3:  OK...  After the long 4+ hour wait, Art was ready to board the Delta flight, BUT they said there was mechanical difficulties so they couldn't board.  More waiting.

They were then sent to another gate for yet another airplane because they didn't think the plane could be repaired quickly.

POSTSCRIPT #4:  After waiting at the other gate, they changed their minds again and sent them to another gate to board another plane. 

POSTSCRIPT #5:  My mother answered the phone while I was at the Farmers Market picking up our dinner.  Art told mom he was in the process of boarding an airplane.

Instead of being  home by 8:26 PM, he's due now at 10:45 PM.  If there's no other problem, that is!

POSTSCRIPT #6:   He's home!  My brother picked him up and brought him home well after 11:00 PM.  What a relief!

Storm Mayhem

I got an upsetting phone call from my daughter, Tiffany a couple of days ago.  It appears a smaller, but violent storm crashed through the area.  Tif tells me most of the damage seemed to be localized to their house.

I doubt it because I looked online and saw that there were damages in many areas of Chicago.  However, there are quite a few trees on the property and they took a hit.  Art was a Tree Keeper and loves trees.

But lately, trees have been a danger to the house.  When we went back to Chicago in April of last year, our large chestnut tree fell, luckily missing our house.  We planted a smaller weeping cherry in its place.

Now two other trees have been damaged.

The locust tree in the back of the house had a big branch go down.  The limb came down with winds they say were about 75 mph.

Poor Tif tried to move the limb herself but found it was too big and heavy.  

Thank goodness the insurance company came right over and sent workers to fix the more dire things (fallen wires) right away.

Now if this wasn't bad enough, the ash that we planted split into two and came crashing down on poor Tiffany's car.

On the really bad side, her car may have been damaged a bit.

On the plus side (if you want to find anything positive) this is the tree that Tif says the birds were using for a toilet.  They sat on the tree and pooped on her car constantly.

I don't know if that tree can be saved, but the side that had the branches over her car is now gone.

I love big trees.   I do.  I really do....in the forest.

With weather so unstable these days, I'm wondering whether big trees are wonderful to have close to the house.

Did I mention the swamp oak we also have in the back of the house... the BIG swamp oak?

I Have Control...

Remember this intro to Rod Serling's Outer Limits?

"There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits."

Well... with Art gone to San Francisco, guess who has the remote controls?  I've never wanted to touch it, but with Art leaving he had to teach me how to use them.  It's not a matter of just turning it on because we have an attic antennae, not cable.  We have to go through our DVD player to get good reception.  Then there's the accessing of Netflix Instant Streaming, etc.  I had him write the instructions down.

So now here I sit with the controls.  Art likes action, science fiction or high quality drama.  I like ....ummmmm... OK, fine... chick flicks, comedy and happy endings.  He doesn't limit what I want to watch.  I just know he doesn't enjoy it and it dampens my enthusiasm to know he's just watching to keep me company.

I can see why men like holding the remote.  There's a certain sense of power that you get being able to raise and lower the volume, change the channels, etc. all by yourself.  

Art will be back very soon.  I wonder how many romantic comedies I can squeeze in before he returns.  Hmmm... or maybe I could watch Pride and Prejudice again?

POSTSCRIPT:  Did you all see that Netflix is raising their price as of September?!?  They're now splitting their DVD and Instant Streaming so that if you do both it'll  cost you $15.98 instead of $9.99?  If  you only want DVDs or only Instant Streaming, you can pay $7.99.  Good grief!

Browser Quirks

I was running into all kinds of trouble with Blogger the last few months.  It wouldn't let me comment on certain kinds of comment pages.

Even though I knew I was signed in, the options at the top of my blog that should show wouldn't appear.  I also couldn't go to a direct edit from my blog page.

The weird thing is when I use Art's laptop with the OLD Explorer (I don't know which one it is) everything works just fine.  It's the new one that causes me all the grief.

And then Cloudia mentioned the Firefox browser a while ago.  I'm still partial to Explorer, even the new one because I find it easier to  enlarge fonts and I know where everything is... sort of.  I had to do a search to find out how to enlarge web pages on Firefox.  (You use the Ctrl key with the + or - button.)  Waaaaait a minute.... I see the Zoom Out - and Zoom In + button on the left of my Firefox screen.  Was that always there?  Sheesh!

However, doing comments on blogs and working on my own is easier with Firefox.  Somehow, it appears to be more compatible with Blogger. 

Remember that half the time I don't know what I'm doing on the web and I still don't understand half the functions on Blogger.  I'm using the new post editor and it's maybe better, but I'm not positive yet.  It's got new features but I'll have to get used to it.  There's so much to learn and I'm not a good technology learner.

On the other hand... maybe this is good for my brain.  It's certainly taxing what little gray matter I have left.

Oh... and the other thing I like about Firefox.  When I make comments  on other people's blogs, it does a spell check automatically.  Not so with Explorer.  How cool is that?!

POSTSCRIPT 1:  OK... I spoke too soon.  Now my sidebar is acting goofy even on Firefox.  Sheesh!

POSTSCRIPT 2:  I just found a blog called Beautifully Invisible when I visited Nan at Letters from a Hill Farm.  Beautifully Invisible is a new blogger who is keeping her identity anonymous.  However, you do see very quickly that she is technologically advanced.  She gives a very detailed and illustrated HOW-TO on switching from Blogspot to Wordpress.  I found it very interesting.  It still sounds a bit spooky for me and so far... Firefox is working adequately, but if you'd like to try moving, this was very helpful.

July 11, 1991 Total Solar Eclipse

Jonathan, me and Tiffany on the pier in Kona

Twenty years ago on July 11th Hawaii was scheduled to have a total solar eclipse and Art wanted to be there to see it. He scheduled our flight to have us arriving on the Big Island the day before and got our car rental reservations done well in advance. The eclipse was supposed to be best seen on the Big Island at Waikoloa.

However, once we landed in Kona we discovered to our dismay and disappointment that they had run out of cars due to the heavy demand. The island was absolutely packed with excited sky gazers. Waikoloa was also crowded with people, many who had camped there to get a good spot.

The apologetic car rental company took us all to our hotels via a shuttle. There was nothing for us to do but grab dinner and go to bed.  The following morning, we woke up really early and walked over to the pier where we resigned ourselves to seeing whatever we could.


We found a great spot on the pier and sat down comfortably to wait.

Clouds swept across the sky and we thought we'd miss the eclipse entirely, but seconds before it was to start the skies cleared enough to give us a window to the sun. It all happened just as they said. When it was completely dark, the street lights suddenly came on. The birds became quiet and we could hear the crickets chirping. The temperature dropped. It was such an extraordinary, magical experience.

We walked back to the hotel seeing eclipse sun patterns all over the street coming through between the leaf spaces of the trees.

We heard in the news later that Waikoloa was clouded over and they couldn't see any of the eclipse. Even the observatories on Mauna Kea were not able to catch a glimpse of the eclipse because of cloud cover.

It's really incredible how sometimes everything just works out. I've never won a lottery, but that day is a precious, winning memory to cherish.

Who Stinks?

My mother and I were having a breakfast conversation.  Mom said her friend told her that another friend had gently informed her that her husband had an odor.  Mom says it's quite normal.  She'd read somewhere that your body odor changes when you get older.

I told her that I never detected a smell on her friend's husband at all and that I have many older friends and NONE of them have a stronger or odd odor.  Sheesh!  Frankly, I think that friend of the friend might have an olfactory disorder.  I think younger folks who exercise and don't shower have a MUCH stronger smell!

Tiffany and her grandmother

"But it's true," she insisted.  "Why, even Tiffany told me that I smelled stink when she was here last year.  I know it must be true.  I wasn't hurt by it."

"WHAT??!?!"  My head snapped up from my cereal bowl.   "Tiffany would NEVER in a million years say something like that to you!  Neither of my children would!"

"No, she did.  I remember," insisted mom.

Later in the morning, Tif Skyped me and I asked her if she told her grandmother that she stunk.  Tif was floored!

"Of course not," said a very affronted Tiffany.  Then she gave it some thought and remembered something.  "I brought grandma some sachet for her clothes drawer last year.  I saw that she was using moth balls because she liked the smell on her clothes.  I told her the moth balls made her clothes stink and most people don't like it."  (Did I mention that Tif has the memory of an elephant?  She remembers everything.)

This is what it's like at our house.  There is a rather interesting language gulf and it takes patience and understanding to bridge it.  We always keep in mind that nobody would say anything to hurt anyone so that's off the table.

Art and mom understand maybe 70% of what the other person is saying.  Art knows a smattering of Japanese words.  Mom understands more English than you would think, BUT it's not always quite accurate.  Even when they think they're understanding each other, I know they're not...really.  I'm often having to translate to clarify and it's given us some great laughs since we've moved back to Hawaii because Art makes it a point to have conversations with mom every chance he gets.  This is why she loves him so much!

It makes me think of world politics and the understanding it takes to have peace.  I can easily see why it's so difficult with all the nuances of languages and customs.  They must often think the other country stinks.

Gathering a Little Style to T-Shirts

Before

I've been seeing several ladies wearing over-sized t-shirts that have been altered to look more interesting or feminine.  Some women have cut holes in strategic places.  I didn't want to do that.  Any hole in my clothes tend to grow.

After

I was at a Zumba class recently and several women had t-shirts that were gathered at the sleeves and bottom hems.  They said it was a great way to wear over-sized t-shirts that they didn't want to wear.

With Art gone, I decided to try it.  He's probably going to wonder why I haven't started caulking some windows yet.

I've always liked the color and memory this Glacier t-shirt evoked from our trip with Jon about 15 years ago. However, it's too big.  I used to like wearing my t-shirts big a long time ago.  However, lately I've been preferring a more fitted style... not too fitted; just a little less baggy.

It took me all morning to do it.  Gathers wouldn't stay gathered no matter what stitch I used.  I finally had to attach a ribbon underneath to keep everything in place.  It was frustrating until I managed to figure it out.  But, you know what?  I like it.  I might wear this t-shirt now.

Sorry about the picture quality.  With Art gone, it's a bit hard to take my own photo.

Greedy Birds, Up High in the Papaya Tree

Just before he left, Art had one last project to do. Remember how the birds were eating our papayas? We've looked at all the neighbors' papaya trees and they don't have the same problem we do. We know why. We have the sweetest tree in the neighborhood!

It's true. I really think we do. It's been the sweetest papayas we've had so far and even better than the ones from the farmers markets.

The birds know it and are determined to have it.  Art is just as determined to keep his fruit. The birds don't just eat the ripe ones. They've been pecking at ALL of them to see if any might be ready even though the fruit is still green. The last straw came when they actually pecked at the thick stem of the tiny baby papaya and let it drop to the ground.  How nasty and greedy is that?

Thank you, everybody for your recommendations about using the bird net. We didn't think it would work because the holes in the net are too big and the birds would still be able to peck right through. Therefore, Art had the bright idea to make a cover using the sort of material they use for landscaping.  Well... we happened to have some in the tool shed.

First he had me sew a channel into the top and bottom to create a covering for the papayas so that the birds couldn't see the fruit.

Then he got on a ladder and tied the covering on it. I hope it works. The birds can't see the fruit well, but then neither can we so we'll have to keep going up the ladder to check.

Before he left, Art checked his handiwork one last time. "Don't worry," he told mom. "The birds need to perch in order to eat it. This will work."

After he left, she chuckled and said, "I don't think so."

A Quiet House

The house is so quiet.  

My brother, Dennis, sister-in-law, Nancy, nephew, Barry and his wife, Miho were here tonight for dinner.  We welcomed Dennis and Nancy home from their mainland car trip and said goodbye to Art.  After dinner, Dennis and Nancy took Art to the airport which is on the way home for them.

My childhood buddies, Joanne and Diane have invited me to spend Friday afternoon with them going to the Farmers Market and then dinner at a restaurant on Monday. We have line dancing on Tuesdays. 

Art taught me how to use the DVD player before he left and called me from the airport to tell me all is well so far and that he was waiting at the gate.  He'll be boarding the plane soon.

The house is so quiet.

I can hear my footsteps as I pad around the room.  The ticking of the clock echoes against the walls.  The house seems darker somehow.  Maybe I'll go turn the light on in his office.  

Actually, this time alone is probably good for me.  I can try standing on my own feet.  I'll be on my own schedule.  I'll have to make my own oatmeal in the morning.  Maybe I'll learn how to make coffee again.  

But gosh...

The house is so quiet.

Leaving Me

Yup! Art is leaving me. His bags are packed and he's ready to go.

This is such a weird feeling. We haven't been apart since he retired over a decade ago. Actually, it's not like I'm really alone. It's true, Mom is here taking care of me. My brother and sister-in-law are back from the mainland so I can call them if I need anything. It's true. I have friends close by who have offered to help because they know I don't drive farther than I can walk. It's true.

Art is visiting with friends in San Francisco for a week. They wanted me to come also, but to be perfectly honest... there was a cost factor and there was that exhaustion problem. I've barely recovered from the National Parks trip and we're leaving for Alaska next month. I needed time to get back to normal. Art is much more resilient than I am. I also have that genealogy project that I've been working on for a year for Art's family. It needs to be completed.

We also have a trip scheduled later to spend time in Chicago with my daughter and her family and I didn't want to leave my mother by herself more than we have to.

So I'll be alone, sort of.

I do have more work to do. There's the window finishing (patching and painting). I've been putting that off. No excuses now.

Art will be traveling with his good buddy, Sam (flying in from Japan) from college, and will stop to see my sister-in-law, Kay and her husband who are fishing in Mono Lake right now.  It'll be a guy type adventure.  Kay called to say there's a lot of mosquitoes out there.  I never did get that Aspivenin (insect venom sucker outer) like I planned to when we were in Canada.

I hope it's Art and Sam that get bites (from fish) rather than the mosquitoes (from Art and Sam).

I'll be just fine over here.

Lunch at Shirokiya in Ala Moana Shopping Center

Mom heard on the radio that Shirokiya, a Japanese store and restaurant had revamped their food area to make it just like Japan.

"Would you like to go?" asked Art. We thought she'd say no because she hates imposing on us for anything.

"OK," she said.

"Would you like to invite the aunties and uncle?" asked Art.

"OK, I'll call them now." she answered happily.

Now we were really surprised. It sounded like she really wanted to try this place. Auntie Grace said she wasn't very interested because she didn't like the food there very much.

Mom told her it was supposed to have improved with more varieties. Auntie Dorothy said she and uncle were willing to give it a try. Auntie Grace said if Auntie Dorothy was going, she'd love to join her sisters.


There were a lot of little food booths to choose from. They'd added what looked like an artificial wisteria arbor.

But you know what? The food was still so-so. Art's dish might have been the best of what we all chose. I wouldn't go there again.


It was still great to have the three sisters together and we always love seeing uncle.

Art is now excitedly planning our 2012 trip to Japan so mom can have some much better tasting Japanese food in a real Japanese setting.

Mom, who told us she didn't want to travel anymore is giving him lots of ideas for places to see. Mom, who said she can't stand the cold is saying it'll be OK to go in spring because it would be nice to see some cherry blossoms. Mom, who said she prefers staying at home is saying it'll be nice to see her family in Japan again.

"It'll be my last trip," says Mom. As I recall, she said that after our 1st trip to Japan, our trip to the Northwest, our 2nd trip to Japan, and our trip to the National Parks. She'll probably say it again after our trip to Alaska later this year.

We'll see...

Mother of a Los Alamos Firefighter

Four years ago, our son graduated from his firefighter training at Los Alamos. It was strenuous and demanding. We were so proud of Jon when he accomplished his training and attended the graduation ceremony.

In this photo he had just demonstrated to us how quickly he could get into his uniform. We were shocked at how heavy the jacket and helmet were. We were amazed at what it takes for firefighters to carry all that weight plus the hose, etc.


He didn't tell us he was chosen to be a flag bearer. Bald was never a good look for Jon, but he looked just dandy to us.

He was a firefighter for Los Alamos for a couple of years before he decided to go back to school to earn another degree.

I remember when he took us to Los Alamos to see the places he would be assigned to protect. He told us that whereas in other places firefighters will leave if the building is ready to collapse, the firefighters of Los Alamos cannot. They are the last line of defense against a nuclear disaster. Los Alamos is where the nuclear laboratories are housed.

I remember seeing a fellow on TV who looked a whole lot like this speaker at Jon's ceremony. He was on TV reassuring the public that his firefighters were all doing their best.

I was really feeling for all the loved ones of those firefighters these past couple of weeks knowing how worried they must be. I know Jon must have been thinking about the men and women he once worked with.

As proud as I was of Jon, I'm rather glad he's in a different kind of lab right now, researching microbes and such.

There was quite a bit of complaint in many states that they couldn't have fireworks because of how hot and dry it's been. It would only take one stray bit of tinder to ignite another horrible fire.

Please everybody, show your patriotism by respecting those brave firefighters out there who put their lives on the line for you. Skip the fireworks. Have parades, have picnics, have fun and have a wonderful 4th of July!

The Dream

My nephew, Shawn was married to his Jeni this past weekend. My brother and sister-in-law went to attend the wedding on the mainland. We are overjoyed!

Shawn had retnoblastoma as a baby and has been blind from birth, but he has overcome many obstacles in his young life. He had to be closely monitored and endure some painful tests to make sure the cancer did not recur after his eyes had to be sacrificed.

He was blessed with a talent for music and became an entertainer in Waikiki. He's performed in Japan and the mainland. He sings and plays a variety of instruments including the guitar, ukulele and drums. He has four CDs to his name, one of which won a Hoku award for Hawaiian music.

However, he's always wanted to have someone special to share his life with. We are thrilled that he has. Mom gave Shawn her wedding rings to give to his new bride.

Yesterday mom said she had a strange dream. She dreamed that she was at Shawn's wedding and there weren't enough drivers. Shawn came up to her and said, "Don't worry, grandma. I'll drive." He then got into the driver's seat and she sat in the back.

"But, Shawn," she said, "You're not able to drive."

Shawn turned around and smiled. Mom was startled to see that he had his beautiful brown eyes again.

I told mom that I could see a whole lot of meaning in her dream. Now that Shawn is married, living away from his family, and following another path, he is fulfilling his own dreams. He is in the driver's seat now and ready to go where he wants to go. He's truly found happiness and able to see a brighter future.

Mom is often plagued with post traumatic nightmares. It's nice to know that she had such a wonderful dream, full of happiness and promise.

Our best wishes to you both, Shawn and Jeni!

Mom vs. THE Birds

My mother keeps telling Art that it's time to pick the papaya from the tree, but Art likes to let the fruit ripen as long as possible.

When he finally picked the papaya this time, after much hinting from my mom, they were in for a shocking surprise!


The birds had gotten to it! We can't blame just the bulbuls this time. The mynahs, sparrows, pigeons, doves, finches all had their beaks into it. I was surprised at what a clean circle they made. They got right in and ate everything they could! They'd never done this before.


I looked out the window the following morning and found that the birds were already starting on another papaya. Looks like we're now going to have to pick the fruit green before the birds discover it.

Mom would never say it out loud to her favorite son-in-law (well... only son-in-law) but you just know she was thinking... "I told you so..."

National Parks Road Trip Album

I have a feeling that people who know us have no idea what it takes for us to create our Trip Photo Album. If they did, they'd think we were crazy!

Here's what we do:

Step #1: Review all the photos! We had three cameras going full blast so there were a ton of photos. There were approximately 3,280 photos taken. I'm not counting the ones we deleted.

Step #2: I select all the photos I think are reasonable and place them on digital pages.

Step #3: Art goes over and red frames the ones that he feels should be deleted.

Step #4: Review our choices several more times. We have our haggling to do at this time... with gritted teeth (just kidding... sort of). Art remembers every single photo he took and I can't help but be partial to mine. Tiffany is in Chicago so she can't say anything and doesn't care anyway.

Step #5: I format the pages with the photos that we finally agree on.


Step #6: Art writes in the details of the trip; where we were, history, identity of the wildlife, etc.


Step #7: I add speech bubbles to show the gist of what we were thinking at the time. No, don't believe Art. I don't put speech bubbles on every page.

Step #8: We go over the flow of the pages.

Step #9: Take the pages to Office Depot to be printed. (They didn't turn out very well this time, but we no longer print our own photo pages at home because it's just too darn expensive.) I put them into a binder and make the cover.

Step #10: We make pdf and jpeg versions of the album for family (and interested friends, if they want one) and save them to a disk.

Is it worth the craziness? It's taken us nearly two weeks to finish this National Parks album and we were working on it constantly!

I just saw my mother downstairs happily looking through all the album photos and reviewing it with her journal notes. She's called Auntie Grace to tell her we're bringing her copy of the album over tomorrow.

It's well past my mother's bedtime, but she's still awake, able to remember again all the beauty of what she's seeing in the 97 pages of documentation we created for her and Auntie Grace.

Is all that work worth it? It is to us.

POSTSCRIPT (for my Seattle friends): The only food my mother remembers is the Ivar's clam chowder that we had at the airport. She says it was the most delicious food she remembers from the whole trip!

POSTSCRIPT #2: Yes, the cover photo was taken by Art. I conceded that one and even selected it.