Skies of Saharan Dust

My granddaughter sent this photo of a rainbow last week and it really surprised us.

In the 35 years we lived in Illinois, I think we've seen a full rainbow only a handful of times and this is almost.... almost.... faintly a double rainbow. Maybe if you squint.

I was also surprised at the color of the skies. I wondered if KC had manipulated the tints on her iPhone. 

Our daughter explained that the reason for the sky color was probably the Saharan Dust Storm. 

Seriously? From Africa?

This photo was taken on June 21st by NASA.

Tiffany then sent me these sky photos of the eastern and western skies.

I showed mom the photo of the rainbow in Illinois and she was not  impressed.

Well...

She's used to seeing rainbows like these which are pretty common here in Hawaii. We never get tired of seeing them though.

Have your skies been impacted by the Saharan dust storm? Is it causing a breathing problem for you?

Reusing Amazon Mailers

I've been mailing masks and other small things lately to friends and family on the mainland. Prices for mailing USPS flat rate boxes have gone up.

It's now $8.30 to mail the smallest flat rate box.

My masks are very light and don't take up much space so it occurred to me that I could reuse those Amazon bubble envelopes.

I've reused them before to protect my iPad in my traveling backpack.

And sure enough! It cost just $5 to mail 10 masks to Maryland for my grandson and his parents.

I've since asked my friends and family to save those Amazon mailers so I can reuse them if they were planning to throw them out.

However, now my brother is telling me he's been getting even small things from Amazon in cardboard boxes these days.

Ah well. I did save $3.30! Woohoo!

Omiyamairi in Times of Coronavirus

My nephew, Barry invited us to a Miyamairi for their infant son at Kotohira Jinsha Shinto Shrine on Saturday. He also said they would totally understand if we opted not to go because of the coronavirus. They are aware how careful we are trying to be since mom is 90 years old.

"Miyamairi (宮参り, literally "shrine visit") is a traditional Shinto rite of passage in Japan for newborns. Approximately one month after birth (31 days for boys and 33 days for girls), parents and grandparents bring the child to a Shinto shrine, to express gratitude to the deities for the birth of a baby and have a shrine priest pray for his or her health and happiness. The practice is similar to a Christian infant baptism."

We thought hard about it and decided to go since mom hasn't been out of the house much at all since March.

She also loves talking to Barry's wife who is from Japan.

We were assured that there would not be more than 10 people there and everyone would be wearing masks.

So we decided to chance it.

Art and I are very paranoid, but we were relieved to see that the shrine was set up for social distancing. Chairs were spaced in groupings about 6 feet apart. There were also large doors which provided lots of air circulation.

It is pretty much tradition to take a photo to commemorate the event. There was no way for us to social distance, but the photos were taken quickly.

We're glad we went to witness this happy event, and also glad that we took as much precaution as possible.

Our coronavirus numbers are rising in Hawaii also and they're talking about letting tourists and travelers back in so long as they provide proof with a test taken 3 days before boarding the plane that they don't have the virus.

Are we nervous?

Yup.

Pigeon Paranoia

I wrote a post a couple weeks ago about finding out why there were so many pigeons on our street. We saw an elderly lady with a caregiver dropping a big bag full of crumbs on the sidewalk. The sidewalk was covered with pigeons who also perched on the rooftops (including ours) waiting for her to come.

A few commenters suggested I ask them not to do it.

I was reluctant... but when I saw her drop another bag full yesterday, I bolstered my courage and as gently as possible asked them if they could do it elsewhere (like maybe at their house) because of bird mites. We mentioned how we'd been bitten as well as other occasions of neighbors who had experienced similar problems. They were very nice about it and said they understood.

Well, this morning, we saw that indeed the sidewalk was not covered with food for the pigeons (because they're the only kind of birds we see eating it).

But then...

As we walked past. The giant flock of pigeons (maybe 50 or so of them) started to follow us.

This is just a few of them, not counting the ones flying overhead to follow us for a whole block.

I'm sure they just thought we had food, right?

They weren't really planning some kind of Alfred Hitchcock revenge, were they?

Or were they?

My Photo Magician Brother

I posted a photo earlier about Forest Bathing and several blog friends commented that I should frame it.

Here's the photo again that my daughter-in-law sent us.

However, if I was going to have it enlarged and printed, I wanted to run it by my photo expert brother.

So I sent the photo to him.

His first photo suggestion highlighted the boys, but we thought it was a little dark.

So he lightened it, but Art thought it was still a little spooky looking for the boys. Frankly, I liked it.... but I asked Dennis if he could lighten it a teeny bit more.

So here it is. I sent it to Sam's Club to be printed. I hope it turns out OK.

Fingers crossed.

POSTSCRIPT:

Oh yes... It turned out very nicely indeed. Sam's Club did a great job and we're so pleased.

Mask Designs Galore

My mask making group of friends have been texting each other every day for the past 3 months, commiserating, consoling, encouraging, laughing and always exchanging lots of helpful ideas.

When we first started making masks, I tried the surgical mask style.

It just wasn't comfortable to me. Since we couldn't go out, I used tea towels to make it.

I must have the wrong kind of head because the strap over the ear kept sliding down and the bottom one was annoying.

Then my daughter sent me a website put out by Unity Point Health from Cedar Rapids.

The nurses and technicians asked seamstresses to make the Olson mask.

I made it with and without a filter pocket. (This is because some people wanted the mask to wear over their N95s.)

This is the pattern design that I've been using. I added a little more material at the bottom since my son-in-law felt it was a little too small.

I also added a nose wire.

Honolulu Aunty mentioned the origami style so I tried this one which is pretty good. It does give you more nose space, but I didn't add the filter pocket on this since I was making it for my 5 year old grandson. My son felt breathability was most important for him.

This is called the 3D face mask.

The first one is very similar to the origami mask except that you top stitch the top and bottom of the front panel.





This bottom one?

I haven't tried it so have no idea how it would work. Looks good though.

My mask making friends have made this Craft Passion style in a smaller size for the grandkids. I did make it before my daughter moved me to the Olson mask.

It's slightly different from the Olson mask. Slightly.

This is showing head ties instead of elastic around the ears but you can do it either way.

These clear masks might be good for teachers since their students could see them smile.













And then there's this mask pattern which is created by using a round plate.

It's certainly been a trial and error journey of mask creation.

When we went to get our blood tested last week, the (rather adorable, awfully cute) technician taking my blood was wearing a rather lovely mask. Surprisingly, the lab was empty except for us.

He said his mother had made it and showed me a mask ear strap hook that he bought very inexpensively on Amazon.

When I left the lab, Art (who had finished with his blood work quite a bit before me although we went in together) asked, "What took you so long?"

I explained how the technician and I had been talking about masks.

I'm not sure but... did Art roll his eyes, or what?

Ant Killer

We’d been ant free for a long time, but recently, we’ve had an invasion of teeny ants that keep showing up at night.

I’m sure they have a big nest somewhere but we don’t know where. We mentioned it to our Terminex guy and he put down some ant traps but it hasn’t worked in over a month. It almost seemed like we were getting more ants, rather than less.

Art was talking to his sister who mentioned mixing Borax and sugar with a little water. She said she uses 6 parts sugar to 1 part Borax, but when I looked it up online I found this on the Organic Lesson website. He says 3 parts sugar to 1 part Borax with a little warm water. He explains how Borax works by interfering with the ants’ digestive system. He does caution that if you have pets, you must keep this away from them because they will also be attracted to the sugar or honey.

OK... Art has planted these little ant traps around the kitchen. It’s supposed to work within 48 to 72 hours.

We shall see.

I've never used Borax in my laundry. I knew of it, but never bought it. My granddaughter was using it to make slime last year.

Have you used Borax? Have you tried using this ant bait recipe using Borax?

POSTSCRIPT:
OK, even with the 6 part sugar to 1 part Borax (Art’s sister’s husband did correct her and said it’s supposed to be the 3 to 1 part solution) it must have worked. I was going to take a photo of the ants a couple nights after Art put down the Borax mixture, but I couldn’t find any ants. It was really eerie. We went from a carpet of ants to nothing.

Wooow!

I now have quite a lot of Borax left. I wonder what it will do for our dirty laundry.

Puzzlemania

I think it all began in Illinois this February when we went there to see our granddaughter perform in a dance show.

Our daughter, Tiffany, Art and KC began working on a 4 D puzzle which I didn't participate in at first. I was never a true puzzle person.

Eventually, I did help a little and discovered that the 4D puzzle had 3 levels to complete.

It took 3 days to finish it.

After COVID-19 took hold in earnest and we were locked down, Tif sent a 1,200 piece puzzle to Art in April. He began fitting it together on April 28 and finished on May 17th.

To prolong the enjoyment, he'd worked on the puzzle for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. Eventually, he went down to 1 hour for each session. (He never did convince mom to help him.)

So.... What to do with the finished puzzle?

Well, after staring and admiring the completed masterpiece for a couple of days, he wrapped it up and sent it to Tiffany who is now working on it with KC in Illinois. I think.

A week later, look what we got in the mail. Yup. Tiffany sent the  1,000 piece puzzle she had completed.

Ummmm.... And you'll never guess what I got Art for Father's Day.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Since hair salons have been closed for several months, some of my friends have been posting photos of haircuts they've given themselves and their spouses.

Frankly, I think they've done a fabulous job. In fact, one friend said she thinks she'll cut her own hair from now on just as I do.

I hadn't cut everybody's hair for a couple of months because let's face it, who sees us?

We don't go shopping very often and we're always wearing masks. Nobody knows who we are. I think. So what does it matter?

However, since everybody was posting photos of their haircuts, it motivated us to do the same.

Darn! I should have done a Before and After. I shall have to leave it to your imagination.

I've heard that barber shops and hair salons are now pretty booked since the state is gradually opening up. I did see a lady recently (with a mask mind you) who obviously had just had her hair done. She looked beautiful.... mask and all... whoever she was!

Gaggle of Nene Geese

The nene goose is the official state bird of Hawaii. It is endemic to the Hawaiian islands and apparently called the nene because of its soft bird call.

I can count less than a dozen times how often I've seen nene geese in the wild.

We saw one at Mt. Haleakala on Maui in 2012. Here's Keola taking a photo of that rare bird.

I got this from Wikipedia:

The nene is the world's rarest goose. It is believed that it was once common, with approximately 25,000 Hawaiian geese living in Hawaiʻi when Captain James Cook arrived in 1778.Hunting and introduced predators, such as small Asian mongooses, pigs, and cats, reduced the population to 30 birds by 1952.The species breeds well in captivity, and has been successfully re-introduced. In 2004, it was estimated that there were 800 birds in the wild, as well as 1,000 in wildfowl collections and zoos.

So you can just imagine my surprise when my cousin, Lorna sent this photo taken in her backyard on Kauai recently.

There were 14 of them! Can you imagine? Hmmm.... I just noticed something. It looks like that goose at the bottom is tagged. I can see the tags on its leg.

My cousins on Kauai are animal lovers. I'm thinking these birds know a safe place to rest and relax.

Within the main islands of Oahu, Big Island, Maui and Kauai, Kauai does have the lowest numbers of COVID-19 cases.  So yes... Kauai itself is a lovely place to rest and relax. 

Finch Fascination

We have a lot of finches in Hawaii. When we were growing up in Hawaii, I remember lots of sparrows, an occasional cardinal and mynah birds. I don't remember finches. Now we have clouds of them.

Java finches cause quite a bit of problem for homeowners because they will nest under the roof bringing in lots of nesting debris as well as bird mites.

One finch we can't help but admire is the saffron finch. They're always in pairs and their bright golden color make them stand out.

My good friend, Terry recently texted me this photo of a pair of saffron finches engrossed in the reflection they see in the side mirror of a car.

Are they wondering who the other birds in the mirror are? Do they think another couple of finches are locked in the mirror housing? Could they be admiring their own reflection?

The Best Paper Airplanes?

My son and daughter-in-law are taking turns watching their boys while the other works from home. I thought I'd give them a project to do that would be fun. I know my 1st grade class loved it.

I had the class make the standard design of paper airplanes and gave them another one I made from a design that I found in this book.  The class decorated their planes and we went outside for test flights. The paper airplane I gave them had ailerons that they could move up or down to see how it would affect the air flow causing the plane to swerve up or down.

They absolutely loved it!

So I was thinking my grandsons would love decorating planes and flying the different designs too. Now that we have the Internet, I found a LOT more different designs.

I did put a little stamp on them so they could tell them apart. I'm hoping they will spend a lot of time decorating their planes before flying them outside.

After doing a whole bunch of different designs touting to be the best ever for height or distance I found this design to be the easiest and flew just as well as the others.

It really was a ton of fun!

I've mailed the planes to them. I can't wait to see how they react.

Mystified by Metrics

While texting with my tai chi mask making group, we were at first nervous about following certain patterns because the videos showed everything in metric measurement.

Is the U.S. the only country that uses the imperial measurement system? When I was teaching first grade between 1984-2004 we taught both the imperial and metric systems since we thought we'd join the rest of the world and measure things in the same way.

Besides, the metric system just seems easier.

I found this diagram on a site called Ruthless Reviews. OK, I'm sorry I didn't read the whole article which is called The Metric System is Stupid.

Anyway, while looking at those mask making videos from abroad online, we in the U.S. get a little rattled.

I was looking for a pattern with the imperial measurements when Art laughed and reminded me that rulers come with both kinds of measurements.

Of course. I knew that. I even taught that, for goodness sakes!

So once I got my brain to accept that, I was fine.

I really think we should join the rest of the world. Granted we do measure some of our soft drinks by liters.

It's a start.

Chickens, Chickens Everywhere

We see a LOT of pigeons around our street because there's another new neighbor that's taken delight in feeding them. I really wish they wouldn't because we don't have real winters here. There's enough food for them. Maybe they'll eat more mosquitoes and cockroaches if you stop feeding them bread, rice or whatever.

A couple months ago, we noticed a family of chickens looking for food outside a house during our 2 mile morning walk. There were 12-13 little fuzzy chicks staying very close to their mother in early April. By the time I took this photo, the chicks were developing more mature feathers.

We recently saw that family of chickens at the same yard at around the same time. Since the mama chicken is brown and all the chicks are black, I'm assuming that the daddy rooster must be a black chicken.

We were trying to count how many chicks there were but although they were somewhat together, they were venturing apart too far for us to get an accurate count. I counted 9, but some of them might have been behind a bush. Then again, we do have a lot of feral cats too, so I'm surprised this family has survived so well.

Actually, aside from the feral cats, the chickens don't have any natural predators which could account for us having so very many chickens running around everywhere. Hmmm... I wonder if they'd eat the cockroaches around our house.

POSTSCRIPT:

UH oh... Just got back from our walk. Looks like the baby chicks have left their mama and gone off on their own somewhere. They were nowhere to be seen.

AND... I saw why there were so many pigeons down the street from us. A little old lady was dropping a bag full of popcorn on the sidewalk while her caregiver watched. Sigh... I just couldn't get the nerve to ask them to drop it in front of their house instead of walking to our street to feed birds.

Losing My Kindle!

I'm one of those people who have to read to go to sleep. Otherwise, my brain starts running in circles thinking about this or that or even this and that. I turn the backlight on my Kindle Paperwhite down low so my brain doesn't get excited and after about a half hour or hour, I get calm enough to go to sleep.

Well, the other night... I couldn't find my Paperwhite! I remembered taking it into my office to maybe read in the afternoon, but it wasn't there. Art got up and tried to help me. We even looked under the bed, the bathroom, bookshelves... everywhere.

He finally loaned me his Paperwhite. He doesn't need ANYTHING to fall asleep. Believe me. Unfortunately, he doesn't have my books on his Paperwhite. Ah well... I just read something else and did fall asleep eventually.

This morning we started the hunt all over again after breakfast. We even looked downstairs in the kitchen, the bathrooms, closets, under all the beds again, under tables, arrrrghhhhh....

And then...

As I was searching in my desk drawers where I knew I didn't put it, I heard an, "Uh hunh."

Art was standing next to the dresser with a smirk on his face, holding back his laughter. It was in the drawer where I keep COVID-19 supplies. I looked in and remembered checking a mask I'd made recently for Art.

I guess I must have been holding the Paperwhite and put it down to check the mask.

Oh daaaang it!

Talk about being absent minded. Can I blame this on COVID-19 too?

My COVID-19 bag

I usually carry my trusty medium/small bulging backpack whenever I leave the house. It has EVERYTHING I could possibly need from coupon holder, glasses, keys, tissue, sanitizers, hand wipes, pocket calendar, notepad, pens, pencils, cell phone, any medication I might ever need, nylon socks (Who knows when I might buy shoes?) folded shopping bags, wallet, to lots more.

Nowadays, when I leave the house, this is what I carry.

It's a small thermal lunch bag with a long shoulder strap. I don't know where I got it from. Perhaps one of my students gave it to me and I've kept it all these years without using it. I have no idea.

So all I carry now are my mask, hand sanitizer, hand wipes, glasses, keys and cellphone. That's it.

It's my new COVID-19 way of life.

Have you changed what you carry when you leave the house?

Losing Steam

I was happily busy in the month of March sewing face masks. I made over a 100 masks and gave them out to everybody I knew who needed them. All that activity kept me content and super focused.

I have cut out more masks, about 40 of them. However, I just can't seem to find the motivation to work on them. (And I'm not the only one. I've been texting all my mask making friends and relatives who tell me the same thing.)

I guess since most people in Hawaii have masks now, there's no immediacy of the moment to spur me on.

Ah well... Art says I'll have all year to work on them.

Shudder...

POSTSCRIPT: 

I actually wrote this post a couple weeks ago. I did finish half of the masks and gave most of them out. I thought everybody would already have more than they needed. However, now that people are going back to work, it seems more masks are needed since it’s often hard to keep washing your masks each night. So I’ve got a few more masks to work on after all. But after that...

Hmmmm...

Finding Calm in Forest Bathing

It's been a time of fear, anger and turbulence.

Back in Maryland, my grandsons have been at home with my son, Keola and daughter-in-law, Sarah, unable to see friends or go out into public places. Keola and Sarah are luckily able to work from home. They take turns working, Sarah in the morning, Keola in the afternoon.

We love it that Sarah posts photos often for us to see. Every photo makes us smile.

Recently, Sarah has been taking the boys to the forest to play and explore (and maybe keep them out of daddy's hair).

With all the stress that we've been experiencing in recent days, just seeing this photo suddenly pop up on my screen gave me a feeling of calm, of peace.

I see my grandsons, tiny... on the trail, surrounded and embraced by the beauty of nature.

I've read that the Japanese practice shinrin yoku (forest bathing). It's supposed to be good for your physical and mental health.

I've always loved walking in woods and forests. I can well  believe how it would be good for your mental well being. After all, just looking at this photo made me smile and lift my spirits.

An Ordinary COVID-19 Explosion

It was just another ordinary COVID-19 day. Art and I were getting ready to do our early morning walk before the sun comes up.

Really... just an ordinary day.

Then I realized I had two masks and Art said to just leave it on the washing machine outside the house. No, I didn't want to do that so I called mom to take it in.

As we started walking Art huffed in exasperation saying, "For goodness sakes."

And it somehow caused something to snap inside of me. Out of nowhere. Anger grew as we walked. He was actually fine though. He doesn't stay angry very long (which is a good thing.)

It didn't help that he spent the morning downstairs reading the paper and working on his puzzle while I simmered upstairs with a balloon of anger that grew and grew. I tried to reason it out. It didn't work.

When he finally came upstairs, I told him I didn't want to leave my mask where it would blow away. He said he would have pinned it up. Well, he didn't say that. He said he saw my face and realized I'd gotten angry. I said I was angry because he got angry. And so on and so forth.

So we talked and talked and reasoned out that we were both under stresses we weren't even aware of. It was all an insanely stupid argument which is what frightened me.

It took another day of getting over the shock of what we'd gone through until we were back on our usual loving footing.

I look  back on that incident though and am shaken by the remembered explosion of emotion.

Mom mentioned a few weeks ago about "corona divorce" in Japan. Couples who normally didn't spend much time together suddenly found their marriages couldn't stand the strain of being locked down constantly. We grimaced on hearing it then, thinking it was very far fetched for us since we're usually together anyway.

But now we know and we're on our guard.

Why Racism Doesn't Go Away

My group of tai chi friends have been texting each other to help ourselves get through these trying times. I got the following text from my friend, Myra and she gave me permission to post her message.

Kay,

That was such a shockingly informative (to us Hawaiians) blog last Tuesday, "Understanding the Anger." You are so right!  As part of the majority here (Asian Americans) in Hawaii, we do not experience the horrible experiences that are the daily lives of African Americans.  And to think that they just have to accept and live with this kind of unthinking, illogical and just plain wrong prejudices and biases!  It is so sad!!!

I remember years ago when Cal and I were on a Circle-USA tour with a group of locals. We stopped by for lunch at a Pizza Hut in rural Virginia (near Williamsburg). The servers refused to clear our table.  So we all just sat and waited for our table to be cleared and menus to be brought.  After a long wait and no service, Cal and I walked out to go to McDonald's close by. Eventually we were joined by the rest of our group, who said the waitresses refused to serve them.  As they got up to leave, many of the patrons there made nasty cat calls at them. 

Then, as we waited in line at McDonald's, one boy (around 10-11 years old) who was in front of me turned around and glared at me with the most "stink eye" look, which scared me, never having experienced that type of blatant, in-your-face prejudice!!  Made me vow to myself that I would NEVER live in or visit the South again! 

So we are fortunate to live here in Hawaii, yeah?  But we are also insulated and thus are naive as to what African Americans (and Latino Americans and now Muslims) experience daily!  

Such a sad commentary on the why's and how's of children growing up so open and accepting when they are young and somewhere along the way having these terrible prejudicial biases becoming ingrained.  Exactly what you mentioned, Kay, in your blog!

Art and I lived in a more liberal area of Chicagoland, but we still managed to see racism lift its ugly head even there.

With all this going on, you have to remember that the majority of people we encountered were absolutely wonderful. We will always be grateful for the love, understanding and true friendship we found there.

But it only took those occasional instances of bigotry that could put a damper on your day.

It's one reason I really avoided traveling south in the U.S.

I was afraid.

I didn't want to chance what we might find there. Granted, we did go to Williamsburg several times and had an enriching experience. We also went to New Orleans and loved our experiences, but was told by a local person that so long as we stayed in the tourist areas, we'd be OK.

And why do we still see such hateful racism? Why do we still have the south celebrating the confederacy and all it stood for (because it wasn't state's rights)?

It's because it is taught by parents and environment. This video from South Pacific has John Kerr singing "You Have to Be Carefully Taught."

And yet, this hatred and evil can be countered by schools, churches, and government. Kindness and love can also be taught, if not in the home, then by others. Unfortunately, this isn't always done so racism proliferates. Right now, love and kindness isn't happening from the top of our government.

But again.... I'm remembering all the amazing, loving people I've met around the U.S. who have been absolutely wonderful to us. They are there everywhere.

And that is what gives me hope.

Thank you, Myra.

Kauai Cousins

It was such a long time ago. It was the first time my brother and I left Oahu for another island. My grandmother had decided to take my brother and me to visit with our aunt, uncle and cousins on Kauai. My aunt was my father's younger sister. I remember her as a straight talking, fun loving auntie who I always felt a connection to because she was always honest with me.

We lost my cousin, Peter several years ago to leukemia.

All three Kauai cousins grew up to be very accomplished people who their parents were proud of.

I didn't get to reconnect with Lorna and Holly until the advent of the Internet and email/texting.

I loved spending time again with them when we visited with our daughter and her family a few years ago.

And now...

Both Lorna and Holly are also making masks so we were/are constantly detailing our progress with each other. And since we are also of the same political bent, we can often commiserate with each other.

But when I think of Lorna and Holly, I also remember my grandmother who took us on our first adventure. I remember the wet and dry caves, Waimea Canyon, eating pipipi (tiny black snails that cling to ocean rocks), playing with my cousins, etc.

And I'm so grateful for the technology that allows us to once more connect and bolster each others' spirits as we trudge through these stressful days until a vaccine can be created.

The Irony of Kneeling

There was a letter to the Star Advertiser editor yesterday complaining that an editorial cartoon showing the policeman killing George Floyd as being " extremely distasteful...."

The writer goes on to say, "....It's unfortunate that at this time, your editorial staff chose not to provide an illustration promoting reconciliation, understanding and empathy. As with so many issues in our country, this is a time to come together."

I thought the cartoon strongly portrayed the poison of racism that is once more spreading in America today. That is the climate we are living in right now.

When Colin Kaepernick and other players took to their knees during the national anthem to peacefully protest police brutality against African Americans he was criticized and kicked out of the NFL.

From Wikipedia:

"The actions resulted in a wider protest movement, which intensified in September 2017 after President Donald Trump said that NFL owners should "fire" players who protest the national anthem."

Trump (BBC News): "You have to stand proudly for the national anthem or you shouldn't be playing, you shouldn't be there, maybe you shouldn't be in the country."

And then I saw this in the news.

Washington, D.C. police officers were kneeling in solidarity to protect Trump's International Hotel.

Does anyone see the irony in this?

Understanding the Anger

We've had a week of peaceful protests as well as terrible rioting around the country after the killing of George Floyd so soon after that horrible video of Amy Cooper saying she would be calling the police because an "African American man" was threatening her. He was a bird watcher asking her to leash her dog as the sign posted in Central Park stated.

In a time of COVID-19, tensions are already high with the nation angrily glaring politically between Democrats and Republicans.

And into this climate are all the cases popping up of violence against African Americans.

I think it's hard to understand prejudice unless you've experienced it yourself. I grew up in Hawaii where I was part of the majority. I didn't understand what it was all about until I met a black student in the University of Hawaii dormitory. What she told us seemed like another country, another world. We'd heard about it in the news, of course, but to hear someone you know tell you of her experience... it was startling.

Years later, after I married and we moved to Chicago and returned to teaching we were driving out of a parking lot when a trio of mothers pushing strollers yelled into our window, " Lousy Chinks!"

I can't explain the horrible anger I felt. I wanted Art to turn the car around so I could voice my displeasure and instruct them that their destructive hatred would be taught to their babies.

I didn't, of course, but I seethed with the most awful rage. When I was back at work, I mentioned what happened to several black teacher friends. They all hugged me and welcomed me to their sisterhood of understanding. I then heard what they'd been going through...how shop owners would follow them around stores...how some people would cross the street to avoid going pass them.

What I experienced was but an infinitesimal look at what African Americans face everyday their whole lives.

The rioting and looting is obviously terrible and wrong. But the anger, I understand. The need to protest, I understand. Trump has so far not helped the situation with his looting and shooting remark. I was glad to see that former president Obama had a more constructive comment yesterday saying that real change had to come at the ballot box. People need to vote in leaders (judges, local enforcement officials) who would make the needed changes.

So here we are again...

Back into the last century... fighting the fight again.

Drinking Nectar From Hibiscus

When Art and I went for our walk last week, we passed by a plant that looked like a sort of hibiscus that grew near our plantation home where my brother and I grew up. Those buds never fully unfurl.

We used to sip on the nectar after removing the flower from the stem and sepal. Just goes to show you how poor we were that we couldn't afford to have candy all the time. Well, that isn't exactly true because I do recall eating quite a few Look candy bars (which were 5 cents, by the way).

I mentioned this to Art and he said he did the same thing as a kid on the Big Island.

That really surprised me.

We grew up on different islands BEFORE the age of Twitter and Facebook.

How did he and his buddies know about this?

Well, we picked one of the buds for this blog post and Art decided to actually try it. When I pulled the blossom out quite a bit of nectar poured out.

Art says it really was very sweet.

I wondered if I could find out something about this online and by golly! I did.

Hidden Valley Hibiscus stated:

"Hibiscus is one of the many flower species that produce nectar. This nectar attracts bees, hummingbirds, bats, and other potential pollinators to the flowers. If you are not equipped with a long thin beak similar to a hummingbird, you are not likely to experience the nectar from hibiscus flowers. However, every now and then when handling the blooms, a drop of nectar will escape a flower and land on your hand or arm. If you choose to taste it, you will find that it is a pleasantly sweet liquid. It is what bees use to make honey and hummingbirds use for their own nutrition."

I wonder if kids are still doing this.

Probably not. There are too many sweets available these days. And I really wouldn't advise kids to be tasting wild fruits and weeds like we did.

I'm remembering when my daughter was coaxed to try a bitter nightshade berry by a neighbor because he thought they were currants.

That was not as happy a memory as our hibiscus nectar.

POSTSCRIPT: My good friend, Cal (who grew up on Maui) just told me that they did the same thing when they were children.