Ancient Ohia Lehua

About 800 years old or so... At my employer's place.

Drop Me In The Water

Managed to sneak in an ocean swim after a busy day in Hilo yesterday.  Richardson Beach Park is easy-peasey if you can grab a parking place.  Lots of people like to congregate at the water's edge, but once you swim out about 20 feet, it's just you and the turtles.  Mere minutes after parking your car, bliss.

My Puako retreat was blissful too. Which is extra-nice, because my care taking job has been hectic since I returned to this side.  The thing I like about the North Kona/South Kohala area is that you see far less congestion and mayhem--compared to the Kailua-Kona area.  And the best beaches on the island, of course.  My friend took me out for dinner at the Blue Dragon in Kawaihae one night. Still savoring that epicurean memory!  We did most of our dining at the bungalow, either out on the lanai or sitting in the little lounge area on the edge of the ocean. 

At long last, older daughter arrives this week.  This will be her third visit with us in just over two years.  I guess she likes it here!  We are definitely looking forward to her company.  Two weeks will fly by.

I have been utilizing my old Twitter account again, since I figured out how to use the mobile application.  I like it because it's an efficient way to catch up on news, politics, comedic stuff, recipes, etc.  Doesn't seem as shallow (And yet terribly personal.) as facebook did.  But that's just me, no casting of aspersions intended.

I started a somewhat edgier post earlier, but decided to go for the up here in blog land.  At least for today. To borrow a quote from The Big Lebowski, "New shit has come to light, man."  

The Grind

View from the library...

Living and Dying in 3/4 Time

Some thoughts on Sunday:

How the hell did we end up with 5 cats?
Glad we live in Hawaii and have a large lanai, so they can live outside. Spoiled beasts!

Really, really looking forward to my older daughter's arrival in the near future. She's coming for a whole month... Alone!
Poor thing has been through hell--cleverly disguised as love. Bad love is a rite of passage and she will be stronger and wiser because of the wretched experience.
However, very painful to watch.

My new employer and I are a great match.
Not one to believe in fate or cosmic occurrences, but it's a pretty cool thing.
Her husband and son are pleased as well, but the connection with her is so refreshing in the working world! We understand each other, and there is no typical bullshit that seems to be part of working with or for women. Women can be truly brutal. It took some time for that to sink in. I was raised by a divorced and fairly bitter mother, so men were demonized to a certain degree. That made me someone who had issues trusting men for much of my adult life. Better now, thanks to my current relationship of almost 14 years! A record for us both. Over the last few years, my trust in women has been somewhat diminished. Especially groups of women. Ouch. So now, when I meet women with kind and open hearts and no agenda, I am thankful. This job reminds me of my work as a postpartum care provider. That was almost 20 years ago, and the children were newborns, not teens. But the concept is the same: helping the family function smoothly by providing practical and emotional support. It can be absolutely exhausting, like most jobs. But it is exhilarating and meaningful, providing service to those in need. Much gratitude.

Next weekend, we will host visitors we've never met. They're a young couple from Santa Cruz. Both attend the university, and one works with a longtime dear friend there. My friend asked if they could visit us for a night or two. The young woman just got off a boat that arrived from Moorea. Part of her course of study! They are WWOOFers, which means they will work on farms in trade for food and lodging. We look forward to meeting them, and have some projects in mind. Never a shortage, with almost 4 acres of land. I've included a link about WWOOFers below...

Lots more crazy gun-related mayhem since I last ranted about it. Beginning to wonder if that is the new normal? Michael Moore made "Bowling for Columbine" in 1999. And what has changed, beyond many more rampages? But wait, we can't be bothered with him, because he is FAT, right? At least our priorities are in order.

"People who see life as anything more than pure entertainment are missing the point. George Carlin

http://www.wwoofusa.org/

The Stackmeister

That tall stack is just his reggae. Some hobbies become habits. Know what I'm saying?

Speaking of habits, my time to blog and internet has been vastly reduced of late. Poor me! Having more work means some adjustment around here. Even so, I am quite thankful to have found my latest job. Feeling really good about it. I did, however, enjoy the last two years of working only sporadically. Not gonna to lie to you. Adjusting to my new schedule has back-burnered any other outside activity--at least for now.

Today is a break day, which I'm thankful for. Feeding a longtime fixation and watching a couple of my preferred cooking shows, and then it's outside to plant bougainvilleas, French lavender, Song of India, Ti plants, and some coffee cherries, which were picked near my employer's place... From some abandoned 80 year old Waipunalei coffee trees. Spring is in the air. My (lucky) new employers are away for the weekend, seeing Bonnie Raitt on Maui!


On Tuesday night, we watched a Bill Murray movie that I somehow managed to miss. (Bill Murray is another of my fixations. I do love a man, or a woman that makes me laugh!). We both liked it a lot. "Broken Flowers"-- Directed by Jim Jarmusch. Released in 2005. Yet another ideal role for Bill, and his co-stars were well cast. Jessica Lange, Sharon Stone, Tilda Swanton...He plays an aging, selfish dude who is pushed into looking up several women from his past, and quickly learns that age-old adage--that you can't go home again. A fun and poignant film, in my unsolicited opinion.

Anything but 24/7 papal updates! Same as it ever was and will forever be. A-men. There I go with more opinions, yikes! As the man and I like to say, we can be good and kind humans even without religion. And we do try.

Oh! Also needing to bake some Okinawan purple sweet potato biscuits for the man to take to share with his farm class tomorrow. And a few extras, naturally.

Aloha...

Feathering The Nest

Some exciting stuff happened in a week's time, over here on the Big Rock...

I found some additional employment with a lovely local family. I drive their 14 year old son to and from school in Hilo on most school days. That amounts to about 100 miles a day for 2 round trips. In between driving, I help the boy's mama with shopping and light housekeeping. She is dealing with some health issues, and her husband has to travel off-island frequently. Such nice humans, and there is even a six degrees of Mendocino connection!

On work days, I get up at 5:00 a.m. in order to pick up my passenger in Laupahoehoe at 6:30. Which is not that big a deal for me, since I am quite often awake by then. This IS the sunrise side of the island, after all. That and the fact that I am fifty-five! I find that hitting the hay early on work nights is not a problem when one is up before sunrise. And the sunrises I see are such a fine way to start the day.


I still work at the library, and will continue there. I was needing a few more hours of work to help to keep our nest feathered. Would love to retire altogether, but can't quite pull it off.. YET!

The man is almost midway through a 15-week organic farming intensive, offered by the NHERC in Honoka'a. The course was made possible due to grants to promote more sustainable and economically viable farming here on the Hamakua Coast. He goes twice a week, and is learning so much about how to care for and benefit from our land. And returns home exhausted, yet most exhilarated. We are thankful to be gleaning important knowledge that we will pass on to our children, who will (ideally) be the future stewards of this land.

As for today, I am enjoying a day off, despite some vog in the atmosphere... Kilauea Volcano had it's 30th anniversary last week!! Happy Aloha Friday!

What's New?

That's our now two-year-old kitty, checking you out. Taken by a visiting relative last month. Not much blogging happening these days. Could be a trend, could be a phase. The garden has been a wonderful thing. Too bad my camera isn't functional. I miss taking snapshots.

I joined something called boot camp. No, not the military. Don't really like the name, although it is appropriate. We meet three mornings a week on the beach. Serious work outs, in sand. Before work. Finishing my second month of this.

It's nearly autumn. I look forward to that, after another season of Winnebago's and their mostly clueless inhabitants. Youngest child got her first job this summer, and is handling it quite well. I still have a job, as does my man. We know how lucky we are.

Backed out of Burning Man. It's got to be right, and it wasn't. Maybe next year. Other than that, just fighting the dreaded Facebook time suck.

Whats New Pussycat? - Bob Marley & the Wailers

Another World

The guy in the left-hand corner (orange coat) is my lifelong pal, Aiko Jim. He is employed by the California Academy of Sciences. Looks like a fun place to put in a 40-hour work week. The photo made the Chronicle about a week ago. Needless to say, I'm thrilled at my friend's good fortune in the working world. He deserves it.

C.A.S. re-opened in it's original spot in Golden Gate Park last weekend. The San Francisco landmark underwent an extensive makeover, which took about 4 years. That dome with portholes is part of the roof garden. This place is beyond description. Do see it if you are so-inclined. Meanwhile, the above link is well worth your time.

Sunday Scenes

So much to say. The mere thought of it is exhausting! Instead, a few recent and random photos.



This pink beauty looks like an azalea to me. It's dangling blossoms are fuchsia-like. The flowers smell divine. Taken just before sunset yesterday.


We've been enjoying fresh artichokes since we moved in. There is a well-established plant on the side of our place, next to the roses. Nothing comes close to a just-picked 'choke for dinner!


The pale pink roses have been prolific! We also have yellow and long-stemmed red ones. I hope I can treat them in the manner they're obviously accustomed to. All were planted about 20 years ago.


This before photo is the big project right now. Who decided that electric blue cupboards would look nice? I can't stand it! The floor is classic 50's linoleum, with bits of beige, dark red, and black. Hence the red counter tops. (Which are also "vintage" linoleum, in great shape.) I am scrubbing all the cupboards and walls with the dreaded t.s.p. this weekend, so that we can paint soon. It's been slow-going, because I tend to feel overwhelmed lately. The cupboards will be Sudan sand and the walls antique white in the not-too-distant future. Stay tuned.

Thankful For You

Yesterday was a big day in history. Right? Also yesterday, I had a profound realization as to why I blog and read blogs. It's because so many in my real-time world appear oblivious to what is going on politically. Thankfully, the man in my life pays attention the way I do, or we would never have made it this far together. We are political junkies, admittedly.

When I went into my favorite coffee place yesterday morning, a young woman was talking quite excitedly about Obama's nomination. The three young folks working behind the counter were looking at her like she was nuts. One of them looked especially disgusted. Although many young people have responded and participated in this election, there are still far too many that remain apathetic. Which I find pathetic. I ordered my coffee and left disheartened. In comparison, my older daughter called me from San Francisco on Tuesday night. She was crying tears of joy about Obama. That really made made my day. The man and I were also crying during his amazing speech in St. Paul.

But it isn't just the young voters. I work with a great group of people. All are 35-65 years of age. They're intelligent, educated humans. Most, if not all of of them vote. Yet none seem especially informed or interested in the political world. And even if you've grown weary of the same-old aspects of politics in this country, the fact that a woman and a black man are (finally included) in the race make it worth paying attention. But that's just me.

Nobody seemed the least bit excited about Obama clinching the nomination. Granted, we all keep a low profile in the office when it comes to politics, religion, and the like. It helps to keep things calm and productive. Which we all appreciate. I know I do. It still came as a surprise that not a single co-worker mentioned the history-making announcement of the night before. I sighed several deep sighs over that sad fact.

It left me feeling like a stranger in a strange land. Then I realized why I appreciate blog land so much. It's because I can connect with kindred souls here. People that choose to pay attention to politics and what is going on in the world, beyond the same-old surface crap. I appreciate that more than any of you can possibly know. Thank you.
Below: Cocoa Tea sings about Barack Obama.

Oh, and one last thing, regarding politics... where were you, forty years ago today? I was eleven and had been in Appleton with my mother and brother for about two years. I still remember the great sorrow in my mother's long, loud cry. Only two months away from M.L.K.'s murder. What an intense period of time-even for eleven year old me. I was no doubt shaped by such events.

Sunrise Rainbow

These were taken early today by someone I work with. The very first words out of his mouth to all of us? Sunrise Rainbow. Maybe you had to be there, but it just sounded... nice.

Good Times, Bad Times

It's quite overexposed, but this is one of the last pictures of Sunny, taken about a week ago. (That's older daughter, peeking at him.)


Yesterday was a long, tough one. For the last few days, our beloved Sunny Cat seemed to be ailing. He had a tough time almost 2 years ago, when his kidneys nearly failed him. We were never able to pinpoint the cause of this shutdown. After several nights at the pet hospital, we brought him home. The man then continued to rehydrate the poor guy for a week, twice a day, with i.v. drip bags. It was intense, but Sunny rallied. He made it, and we felt so lucky. We were also told that he would never be 100% o.k. after his near-death experience. That turned out to be true. At the vet yesterday, we were told that his kidneys were failing him, and that he had a massive heart murmur.

All this, in a cat just over two years old. As of yesterday, he couldn't hold his head up, and his vision seemed impaired. His appetite was not normal, and he mostly slept. After hours spent at the vet, discussing options, realities, and outcomes, we let our lovely boy go. The sorrow was and is overwhelming. But his suffering was real, and we had to do what was right. The man and I held onto him and loved him and cried, as we watched the life leave his body. Then we brought him home, and he now rests beneath the redwoods. Isn't it amazing, the love we have for our furry beasts? Sunny was family, and we won't forget him. The man and I decided that we will not be getting another cat or pet of any sort. Ever. The emotional investment and risk is too much for us. We have had a bad streak of luck with our cats over the last 7 years. So... we will try and preserve our emotional well-being, and save it for the kids, and our families. It hurts too much, to ever go through this again.



Carnival, in the streets of Venice.


The masks are a huge part of the tradition. (Any time I see this type of mask, I remember the last Kubrick film, "Eyes Wide Shut")


The good thing about yesterday is that my world-traveling son made it home to San Francisco! His voice was hoarse, and he said that he and his band mates got food poisoning in Italy, just before leaving. He sounded fantastic, nonetheless. One thing he made it a point to tell me about was their gig in Venice, Italy. They had no idea that the gig would be during Carnival, which has been going on there for centuries. Apparently, it was the experience of a lifetime. He loved it, and I hope to snag some of their photos soon. Until then, I found a few random shots on the web. The girls and I are going to the city tomorrow, to see him and enjoy a brief change-of-scenery. I start a new job on Monday. More about this another time. Suffice it to say that I am not exactly thrilled at the prospect of being a worker bee again. These two months of me-time have been wonderfully therapeutic, and I am weary of making other people money, while I struggle to get by. i have truly enjoyed collecting the unemployment I earned, while employed at my former job. More about all of that soon, too. It's taken me some time to formulate my thoughts and feelings about all that went on over the course of the 5 years I spent there. It has a great deal to do with why I am weary of being a working stiff. One gives so much of themselves to their work, and what is the return, really? Not to mention all the small minded co-workers that make your life a living hell. I guess what it comes down to is that I am not the people person I was for most of my life. Maybe it's because I have lost hope in my fellow human beings, overall. Nobody seems to care about what matters anymore. Only the endless crap on television, and what to spend their money on. As though they're asleep. It doesn't look good, in terms of the future. I hope to be proven wrong.