OPENING CEREMONIES OF THANKSGIVING WEEK

THE NYC, CA, AND WA FAMILIES AND FRIENDS GATHER IN WA IN 2013

Hoops, kids, food, campfire, and adults = memories galore.  In the foreground is Dave, the daddy of the WA home, and husband of my daughter Alli who is chief organizer of activities.  This photo also includes their two boys, Sam at left, and Ben holding a basketball.  Just beyond Ben is Mary's mom who was able to fly up from the LA area!

Doug (my son) and Mary's sweetie found angel wings at a local shop, and felt right at home wearing them.

Mary and her 1 1/2 year old "fairy" on one of the  trails which heads through an area that's quickly becoming an RV pad for gramma (me) and Grandpa Richard.  At the right is a bull dozer (I think that's what it is) that's doing the heavy lifting of the project.

BUILDING THE RV PAD

Ooops, it's a bit blurry, but it shows that first a cute, but dilapidated shed needed to be removed, along with lots of brush and some trees.  Then came grading, leveling, and deliveries of gravel.

The RV pad is nearly completed, with a stone wall to the left, and behind the camera, along the driveway.  See all that wood on the left?  Alli moved that stack from the area that's now an RV pad, over to the left and masterfully stacked it, with the help of two young guys, Sam and Ben.

GUIDED FISHING TRIP

Huge thanks to Doug and Alli who searched for, and sponsored an amazing fishing trip from Bainbridge Island to a salmon "nest" near Whidbey Island-- a first for Alli and me to ever do.  

A pretty sure bet!

Verrrrry nice, Doug!  Alli?  I guess she's pretty impressed!  :)

It's a biggie for Alli, who is strong, but a little help was a blessing!

Yes, indeed, there was a reason for getting a little help!  

The final count.  I wasn't fishing, just loving taking pictures. You make the guess at who caught TWO salmon!  It was getting hard to smile -- my finger was about to break off from the weight.

 Doug grabbed this picture.  Tossing the entrails in the water attracted a plethora of seagulls who fought for every morsel.

Easter 2011 in Hawaii

When Joseph of Arimathea offered his tomb, he certainly never thought it was going to be a "loan"! 

This video was taken at First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu at Ko'olau, of hula, which might be described as Hawaiian sign language.

Davey's legendary standing rib roast, wine fit for a conoisseur, some clever cross between asparagus and broccoli that I found, garlic mashed potatoes, huge salad, and horseradish sauce made with creme fraiche!

Yes, of course he made his Yorkshire Pudding!!!

The boys are getting old enough now to join the grown-ups to "talk story" during and after dinner.

Tonight included some time with Richard - Sam using his iPad and Ben watching Sam but planning on some story time.  After dinner, the 3 boys (Ben-3, Sam-6 and Daddy Dave) brought out their ukes and guitars and jammed.

The whole day was what Easter is about - time to enjoy family and to rest in the confidence of Jesus' redeeming power.

Doug and Mary - we miss you and Mary's family.

We also miss the rest of our family in CA, WA, South Carolina, and NJ. 

Fun with ukeleles

The day before Easter was made brighter than ever by Eddie and Myrna Kamae who spent the afternoon at Alli and Dave's home.  We had an Easter Egg hunt, dancing to a loud little Ben (3) who was playing the guitar and hollaring out Springsteen's "Waitin on a Sunny Day" while Myrna danced along side him.  Sam and Eddie had a practice session and a neighbor brought her uke as well.  With them, we have honed our pleasure of the Hawaiian phrase "talk story" and can't get enough of it!

In this video, Alli and Sam are singing along with Eddie Kamae to one of his songs composed especially for keiki (children) in 1971 :

   The Aloha of the Kamaes is present wherever they go and they teach by fine example.  Our family is richly blessed to count them as friends.  To enjoy them and appreciate their passions, do pay them a visit at

http://www.hawaiianlegacy.com/

To learn more about them:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Kamae

Aloha Pumehana, Eddie and Myrna!

GOOD FRIDAY AT KAWAIAHA'O CHURCH

This is the first church to be erected on O'ahu, often referred to as The Mother Church.  It was established by missionaries coming from the NE via a 6 to 9 month ocean voyage.  They were well received by the royalty and subjects of Hawaii's monarchy.  Each "brick" is a 1,000 lb. slab of coral that was chiseled from the ocean!  Kawaiaha'o (pronounced Ka-v-eye aha 'o) means The waters of Ha'o named after the Chieftess Ha'o who came here for fresh water from the spring which rose from the desert of Honolulu.

Read a brief history here: 

http://www.kawaiahao.org/index.php/about-us

Each attendee placed a nail at the foot of the cross to symbolize surrendering our burdens to Jesus.

This church has great meaning for Richard and me -- we have been here several times over the last few years and learn more each time about the missionaries who came to Hawaii, and the lives of the monarchs who attended here along with their "subjects".  Richard and I have visited and taken photos in the church graveyard, noting the inscriptions of great faith on the head stones of those whose children died so young.  As Alli noted when she visited, this was well before vaccines could have saved many lives. 

Paintings hang on the balcony walls surrounding the sanctuary, of the Monarchs.  This church continues to minister to its congregants and is engaged in a huge building project.  The services I've attended are in English, but the hymns are sung in Hawaiian which sounds so angelic.  Scripture is read in both English and Hawaiian.  

We felt a "calling" to the Moana Surfrider Hotel, a favorite of ours, after Good Friday services.

Retirement.  I recommend it!