Holiday Tree Trimming

It is Christmas Eve here in Hawaii.  In Europe, it is the night when the Christmas tree is decorated.  We thought we would introduce you to some tree trimming, Hawaii style.

This coconut palm belongs to our next-door neighbor.  We always thought it would be romantic to live under such a tree, but there are hazards.  The coconuts can be dangerous if they fall on your car, your house, or, heaven forbid, your head.  So, a few days ago, it was time to trim the tree - literally.

There are people here in Hawaii who make a living trimming palm trees. They climb up the trees with spikes on their boots - like climbing a telephone pole. Instead of electrical tools, they carry hooks, saws, and an impressive machete. Their job is to trim old or loose palm branches,

and to take off the big clusters of coconuts, like the one that you can see here.

The coconut clusters are secured with a rope, cut loose with a machete, and then lowered carefully to the ground.

Here is another tree guy clearing off the palm branches.  They are really big, and heavier than we thought.  We asked what sort of specialized training it took to be a coconut trimmer.  He said that being an English major seemed to have worked well for him.

As for us, given the recent knee surgery, we decided to scale back this year, so this is our tree... complete with Linus' blanket and one red ornament.  Charlie Brown was good at simplification!

MELE KALIKIMAKA 



Holiday Lights

December 10th was the date for a full lunar eclipse.  Here in Hawaii that event happened around 4:00 a.m.  We got up and went out to watch.  It was much more spectacular than my fuzzy photos would indicate.  Also amazing - being out on the lanai (the deck) in the wee hours of the morning in PJs and bare feet in December.

This is Layden and my Mom, waving from our loft - we call it the mezzanine.  Thanks to their efforts, we have lovely lighted garlands and wreaths decorating the house.  They look lovely with the white walls and the wood, but a little odd with palm trees and waves.  It is interesting to be celebrating a season that I have always associated with frosty weather and mittens in such a balmy climate.  No Jack Frost to nip at your nose here!

The true light of the season, whatever the weather. 

Rainbows in December - every day!

Mele Kalikimaka

(Merry  Christmas)

A Note of Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was a quiet one for us.  No houseful of soldiers or big gathering of family and friends.  Layden and I celebrated quietly and with grateful hearts because my bilateral knee replacement surgery was a success.

This large and sprawling hospital is Tripler Army Medical Center, where my surgery was done.  It is located on a hill above Oahu and Pearl Harbor, and has stunning views - except for my room.  My room had a view of a wall.  It was small and sort of gloomy.  I was in the hospital for 8 days.  I had to walk AND be able to go up and down stairs before I could be released.

Walking was not as easy as I thought it would be - sort of felt like I didn't have a leg to stand on.  Each knee got one of these implants.  I have incisions over each knee and I had 32 staples in each incision.  Ouch!  I am glad that the staples are out, that the incisions are healing with no infection, and that I am able to walk a little better each day.

I started out with a walker, and am working my way up to crutches.  I have managed to do a little Christmas shopping, but I think there will be a lot of on-line shopping this year.  I don't have enough stamina to walk through a store, but I can get a lot done with the help of those handy scooters that many stores have.  I have gained quite an appreciation for what it means to be physically restricted.  Makes me really grateful for courteous people who make way for me, slow down for me, reach things on high shelves, and otherwise offer assistance.  And I certainly could not be making the progress I am without family to take care of me-so grateful for them!  Layden, of course, has been kind and patient and caring and attentive and makes sure I have water to drink, books to read, and a hand to hold when I am uncomfortable or discouraged.  My Mom has been here for about 10 days.  She makes sure we all have something to eat and clean clothes to wear and she keeps me company when Layden is at work.  I wish she didn't have to go home so soon.  Others in my family, along with many friends, have called, sent cards and email, and offered lots of encouragement.  It really makes a difference.  

 

It will take some time and some work before I am back to being independently mobile. I am learning patience at a whole new level.  However, every day is a little bit better than the one before, and so every day is a day of Thanksgiving.

ALOHA

Surf and Sand

BIG Ocean.  BIG wave.  Good surfer.  Layden and I enjoyed watching him from our lanai while we ate breakfast one morning.  We live on the North Shore of Oahu, and in the winter the waves here get big and the surfers arrive.  We don't get the huge competition waves on our beach, but we have seen some good size ones, and they are supposed to get bigger. 

BIG turtle.  This lovely creature comes up on the beach sometimes in the evening and takes a nap.  We have also seen it (her?) swimming by the reef.  Though appearing a bit awkward on land, this turtle is a graceful and powerful swimmer.  This is a Hawaiian green turtle, the most commonly found turtle here in the islands.  The word for turtle in Hawaiian is honu.  Turtles have been revered since ancient times.  They are a symbol of navigation, and also of being able to find the way home, no matter how far the distance.  They also are believed to bring good luck.  Seeing a turtle is a good omen.

Here is a picture of Layden with the turtle - it really is BIG.

As the sun sets behind Ka'ena Point, I am getting ready for a new adventure - tomorrow I am having bi-lateral knee replacement.  I am a bit nervous, but it is time!  Who knows - maybe some day I will be the surfer in the picture. It is possible - I have been the recipient of many blessings, not the least of which is tremendous kindness, love and support from Layden.  And I did see a wonderful honu the last time I went for a swim...

ALOHA

Where HAVE we been???

Did we get on a bus and forget to get off?

No - but you could here.  Oahu has a great bus system that goes all over the island.  You can get just about anywhere here for $2.50 - a pretty good deal.

Did we get swallowed up by a dragon outrigger canoe?

No - but these were fun to watch as they went in and out of the harbor.

Did we lose our way in downtown Honolulu?

No - but we could have.  Honolulu is the capitol city of Hawaii, and behind the beach and the tourist attractions are many government and commerical buildings in a thriving metropolis.

Did we become completely mesmerized by the hula dancers?

No  - well, at least not for too long.  Hula is beautiful to watch, and very expressive of Hawaii culture and history.  Hula dances describe nature and tell stories with graceful movements and lovely music.

Did we get so homesick for Korea that we hopped a plane back?

No - but we really enjoyed time with our first official visitor here in the islands.  Miss Kyong, who was our landlady in Korea and who also became our friend, was here for a few days.  It was great to see her and to remember what a wonderful time we had in Korea.

Did we get so enchanted by the 29th annual slack-key guitar festival that we found in Kapiolani park that we are still sitting there waiting for more?

No - but we could have. It was sheer luck that we heard about this wonderful event.  We spent the entire afternoon sitting under a huge monkey-puzzle tree as one top performer after another entertained us with the unique and distinctive sound of Hawaiian slack-key guitar.  It was wonderful fun.

Did Layden have so much fun surfing that he has quit his job and become a beach bum?

No - though the thought may have crossed his mind.  He did have a wonderful time and now he knows what he wants for Christmas: a long board (one that is 9 feet or more) for surfing the North Shore.

Did we sail off into the sunset?

No - but we did make a long and most enjoyable trip to the mainland to see family and friends and attend the annual LDS Chaplain's conference. 

Were we having so much fun with Sarah's brother and his family that we didn't want to come home?

No - not quite.  We did have a wonderful time, but we had so little time and so many people to see that we had to say goodbye to all of these dear people so that we could go see more dear people.

Did Layden get so busy looking for his memorial brick that he lost his way?

No - but we did spend some considerable time at the Lubbock Veterans Memorial looking for it.  Our son Stephen and his family got Layden a commemorative brick to honor him when he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.  Unfortunately, the brick hadn't been set by the time we got there, but it was still a good place to visit and gave us all a chance to reflect with gratitude on all those who gave and who give so much in serving and protecting our nation.

Did Sarah have so much fun reading to the grandchildren that she didn't want to leave?

YES - but, alas, again we had to say goodbye to these charming and delightful little people and their wonderful and dedicated parents.  This was a hard parting, and we can't wait 'til we get to see them again! 

Was Layden so amazed to see his brother Zane in a position of leadership conducting a congregational church meeting that he was immobilized?

Not in the least!  His brother may think it nothing short of miraculous to find himself in such a position, but Layden was not surprised at all.  He thinks his brother is a fine and honest man, a caring husband and a devoted father (an opnion shared by many, including his wife and children).  The only thing a little odd was seeing his brother in a suit and tie... 

Was Sarah so dizzy with delight to see her sister after several years apart and finally meet her youngest niece that she was unable to walk?

Not quite - though it was great fun and the little girls are charming.  We think it is wonderful that two women far apart in years and locations can feel a close bond and have so much in common.  We aren't waiting another 3 years to get together!

Were we so astonished to see Laydens' father and his wife and Layden's aunt that we forgot to breathe?

Almost - it was quite unexpected that we would have this chance.  Layden especially is grateful for the opportunity to see his father and be able to give him a hug and tell him that he loves him.  It was a chance he wasn't sure he would have.

Was LDS General Conference, the Chaplain Seminar, and the chance to shake hands with Elder Boyd K. Packer, an apostle in the LDS church, so wonderful and enriching and meaningful that we hoped it would never end? 

Yes - it was.  The speakers and the messages we received over a 5-day period were uplifting, informative, and directly applicable in the work that we do.  The highlight for Layden was the chance to present Elder Packer with a commander's coin and get just a moment to shake his hand and express gratitude for the support and encouragement that have come from this great man.  You can read more about this here:

 LDS Church News: We Depend On You

But, like all the other good things on this trip, it had to come to an end.  Which is ok, because if you only stick with one good thing. you miss out on lots of other good things.  We did have a wonderful trip.  We loved seeing so many of our friends and family - we wish we would have had enough time and money to traverse the continent and see everyone.  We did eventually make it back to Hawaii from the mainland.  So, where have we been since then?

This about sums up the last month. 

But it is all okay - there is a rainbow in our backyard almost every day!

ALOHA

Dr. Colby, I presume?

While we were out shopping for hats, Layden tried on this pith helmet.  I think it looked rather good on him.  So did a lot of people in the shop, including the sales clerk, who remarked that if Layden were the model, the shop could sell more pith helemets.  Alas, Layden did not buy it, but you never know what might show up under the Christmas Tree...

No pith helmets has not stopped us from beginning to explore the interesting culture and history of this place.  I started with  a hulu workshop.  Hulu means feather.  Featherwork is a long-standing cultural tradition, and many important items were made from feathers, from leis and capes to helmets and royal standards.  The royal standard is called kahili and was used to announce the coming of royalty or the presence of a royal.  Size was one indicator of status, but color was more important.  Yellow was reserved for the highest rank, as yellow feathers were the rarest and most difficult to obtain.This picture has small kahili at the right and left of the table. 

Each of us in the workshop got to hear a wonderful lecture and then make a hulu hair ornament.  This is mine. 

One day last week, while looking for a gas station at Pearl Harbor, we ended up on a dead-end street with two interesting markers.  This one commemorates the landing site of the Pan Am China Clipper, which made trans-Pacific flights.  I think my grandmother might have flown on one of these. 

This plaque commemorates the sinking of a Japanese midget submarine on December 7th, 1941.  History is everywhere here. 

This is part of the National Memorial Cemetary of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl cemetary.  It sits inside a crater above Honolulu.  It is a beautiful and solemn place. 

There are approximately 34,000 graves here, many of them from World War II.  One of the memorial plaques here included remarks from a Chaplain who said that this place was not a place to mourn the dead but rather to celebrate "a heavenly convocation."

From the cemetary there are stunning views of Honolulu.  This one looks out towards Diamond Head.  From here, it is easy to see that it was once a volcano.  

At our hotel, when the shadows grow long, evening is ushered in by this man. Dressed in a traditonal orange and red outfit, he lights the tiki toches in the hotel garden and along the promenade. Then he blows his conch shell towards the four cardinal directions.

This haunting sound is our call to sit on the lanai for

-SUNSET-

The most spectacular show on the island.

ALOHA

Something Fishy

This colorful fellow is the state fish of Hawaii.  To those of us not from here, it is known as the reef trigger fish.  But if you are from here, then you know it as

humuhumunukunukuapua'a.

That's humu humu nuku nuku a pu a'a

It means "fish with a nose like a pig" and is one of the longer Hawaiian words.  The 1933 song, "My Little Grass Shack in Kealakakua" mentions this fish in the refrain.  You can listen to Don Ho sing it here.  If you are a fan of High School Musical 2 there is a song that is titled after this fish. 

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a grows to be about 8" long.  It inhabits the coral reefs around the islands.  It's teeth are blue! Locals often refer to it as humuhumu. 

More about fish...

One day last week when we were hungry and looking for something besides fast food for lunch, we happened, just by chance, to find this restaurant.  It is located in an unassuming strip mall in a town called Mililani.  We didn't kow what "poke" was but we thought we would give it a try.  We are glad we did!

  First off, we learned right away that the correct pronounciation is poh-keh.  Poke is the word for a dish that features fresh, top-quality fish that has been cut or cubed into bite-size pieces and then marinated but not cooked.  Sort of like sashimi or sushi without the roll.  It can also be lightly seared.  The most popular fish is ahi (ah-hee) and there are many different flavors of sauces. It is usually served with rice.  It is DELICIOUS! 

Apparently we are not the only ones who think this is tasty stuff.  This itty-bitty local spot was featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." 

This is an ahi or yellow-fin tuna, which can be fished here in the islands.  It is not hard to get fresh sashimi-grade tuna here. Almost all ahi here are fished on long-lines rather than netted or seined. Hawaii seems very interested in keeping the fishing industry viable.  We are willing to support this by paying slightly higher prices for fish that are local catch and sustainable.