Monday, January 31, 2005

Strength

A friend of mine is in need of strength today. Her mother died on Friday, and she is being forced to see the world in a different light.

I want her to know that she carries the stength of those who surround her. She has a great deal of her own, having lived through some pretty tough times in the past few years, but at the moment, surrounded by her siblings, she is stronger than she knows.

I have lit a virtual candle for her mother. It will glow for the next 48 hours.

http://gratefulness.org/candles/light5.cfm

Sunday, January 30, 2005


I dont know what this is. My computer just made it for me. Posted by Hello

Cuddle time Posted by Hello

Friday, January 28, 2005

The boy has something to say.

I want to give you big hugs and kiss.
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I've heard from Finding Forrester again!

http://bookcrossing.com/journal/1647509

Who could have guessed that this book would have such an amazing journey? This simply astonishes me.

The Smoke Jumper makes another jump

http://bookcrossing.com/journal/1549634

This is a well traveled book! And it's ended up (for the moment) in Munich. Silly book, getting there ahead of me!

A pretty Nolo. Posted by Hello

Thursday, January 27, 2005


It's a happy Honu! Posted by Hello

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

The world today

The shipwrecked mariner had spent several years on a deserted island. Then one morning he was thrilled to see a ship offshore and a smaller vessel pulling out toward him.

When the boat grounded on the beach, the officer in charge handed the marooned sailor a bundle of newspapers and told him, "The captain said to read through these and let us know if you still want to be rescued."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today has been full of sorrow.
This is a website dedicated to soldiers with ties to Hawaii who have been killed.
Train crash in California
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20050127/ts_nm/crash_train_dc

These stories upset me too much to comment. Senseless deaths.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005


"I'm not asking for the remote--you ask her!" Posted by Hello

The sky was beautiful tonight. Posted by Hello

Monday, January 24, 2005


A circle of love. Posted by Hello

Saturday, January 22, 2005


Awww, now that's a handsome boy! Posted by Hello

Thursday, January 20, 2005

I'm upset today

I haven't mentioned this lately, but our country is being run into the ground by it's current administration. Four years from now we will see what the country will choose. I truly hope that this is the end of the coservative rule.

http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/scp/viewer/index_new2.php?client_id=1172&event_id=14994

This takes forever to load, but it will put a smile on your face!

Wednesday, January 19, 2005


This is the last wedding picture, I promise. I just wanted to show off the snazzy footwear. Posted by Hello

For those who missed the announcement...

My family was lucky enough to have a group honeymoon a few weeks ago.

My older brother became engaged last summer, and they decided to have a small beach wedding on New Year's Eve. My father is ordained, so they asked him to officiate. My mother and I put together all of the food (a picnic feast), my husband and a friend set up the site (Waimea Bay on the north shore of Oahu), and friends of the bride and groom provided the music. Oh, and the bride made her own cake.

As a wedding gift, we purchased tickets for the couple to go with us to the Big Island to hike the volcano. I've lived here for four years and had never been to any of the other islands, and my Mother had stated (well before we knew there would be a wedding) that this would be the year. The trip had already been planned for my parents, my husband, my son, and myself. Adding the newlyweds was fun, and then my younger brother also joined the adventure.

My husband and I married ten years ago, and could not afford a honeymoon. We were instead followed home from our wedding by his brother, who stayed a few days, and then by my older brother, who also stayed for a few days. My husband, sensing a pattern, immediately started calling our family vacation a group honeymoon.

We landed in the morning, had a hearty breakfast, checked into our rooms (a four bedroom cabin), changed, and headed for the volcano. The hike was spectacular, and we were all blown away by what surrounded us. The Kilauea Iki crater last erupted in 1959, but life is still new along the crater floor, and steam still rises from cracks along the path.

Halfway across the crater, my parents stopped, looked at my husband, and said, "This is the place." They asked us to form a circle, and he opened a notebook. After 35 years of love, they had decided to marry. My husband, (also ordained) was the only one they had told, and my brothers and I were all moved to tears as he read the service. At the end of the ceremony, they walked around the circle formed by their children and grandchild, and to each of us they said "With this ring, I thee wed." It was truly the most wonderful wedding I've ever witnessed, partially because theirs has been one of the most amazing marriages I've ever witnessed. It was truly an honor to be a part of their ceremony.

Wendall is reading his own service to the groom. His notes are a grocery receipt. Posted by Hello

Inside the lava tube. Posted by Hello

My parent's wedding.  Posted by Hello

Tuesday, January 18, 2005


Wendall Firefighter sends shakas to everyone. Posted by Hello

Home after one year

Wendall left a few minutes ago to attend the welcoming ceremony for the first few hundred soldiers to come home from Iraq. They include our neighbors on either side. As I write, the traffic outside is increasing, and the lights on the airfield are being turned on. In just a few short moments, families will be made whole again.



A plant budding out of Lava  Posted by Hello

Rescue Heros

This evening, the boy was able to live out his fantasy of being a "rescue hero".

We were off to do some shopping in the rain. We parked the car pretty far from the store (the NEX) and were walking when a car alarm sounded. It did not go off immediately, so I walked over to see what was wrong.

Through the windshield I could see a young boy. Wendall and I tried to tell ourselves that an adult must be in the car with him, but then why would the alarm still be going? We walked closer and saw that he was alone, in the middle of a busy parking lot, in the rain. I stayed with the car and Wendall ran for help. A moment or two later, a woman stopped her car to ask me if something was wrong (seeing the boy and me next to a car which was blaring might have tipped her off). I told her that there was a child inside, but that we had gone for help. After he left, a man walked towards the car. I asked him if it was his, and I thought he said yes. I asked why he had left a child in the car, and he told me that his car was the one next to the car I meant. It turned out he was an off duty military police officer. He pulled out his phone and made a call as Wendall returned. He asked the boy to open the door, which he did, and he waited for a moment to make sure everything was ok.

The boy's name was Dawson, and he turned four in September. Dawson was very happy to talk to us, and he explained that his parents had gone shopping and would be back soon. He said that he did not want to be in the car anymore, but that he was not sure where they were. I told him that he had done the right thing by staying in the car, because parking lots were dangerous places for kids to be. He and the boy started being silly together, and Wendall and I waited. Finally, three police cars arrived at the same time, along with the off duty officer, who came back to make sure all was well. We gave the officers our info and what little we knew, and then the boy's parents arrived. The mother's first comment was "Dawson, what happened, why didn't you stay in the car?" The father told him that it had been his choice to stay in the car, and that he was bad to have changed his mind about wanting to be there. We said goodbye to Dawson, ad left everything in the hands of the police.

I won't get into the fact tha it is illegal to leave a child under 10 years old alone anywhere on base even for a moment (including buckled into their car seat in your driveway while you run into the house for something). How as a parent can you justify leaving your 4 year old in a car on his own while you go grocery shopping??? The parents came out of the store with five or six bags of food. The lot was full, so the store must have been busy. How do you justify the lack of safety? He willingly came out of the car to talk to us. When he stepped out of the car, none of the people around him were in a uniform, or looked like we had been sent to help him. It would have been so easy s\for someone to grab him and be gone before anyone noticed. I stood next to his car for twenty minuted before his parents arrived. Twenty minutes! I have no idea how long he was in the car before he set off the alarm, but I can tell you that 5-6 bags of food, on a busy evening, takes well over a half hour to purchase.

My three year old has told me "Mom, I'll wait for you in the car." on rainy days. There is no way I would ever allow him to wait for me. My judgment as a 32 year old is slightly better than his, and so I tell him I'm sorry, he'll just have to come along. If both of us are there, one might run into a store while the other waits with him in the car, but we would NEVER leave him alone.

Can you tell that this episode upset me?

Monday, January 17, 2005


Kilauea Iki crater. We hiked this on 7 January, 2005 One of those steam vents just past the big mass of rock is the spot where my parents were married. Posted by Hello

The wedding cake toppersfor the beach wedding. Yes, that would be Spiderman and Mary Jane, why do you ask? Posted by Hello

The boy and me on a black sand beach. Posted by Hello

Party!

This evening we had a party to celebrate a friend's promotion. It reminded me of how much I like to have people over. Too bad I tend to forget that on a daily basis.

I am having a hard time posting pictures. I have to do some fiddling, but hope to have some pictures of the Big Island soon.

Sunday, January 16, 2005

this is a test

things are posting funny, so I just need to see if this is working.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Vacation book caught

Hawaii's Best Spooky Tales was journaled after being left at Volcano House on the Big Island.
Happy travels, little book!

http://bookcrossing.com/journal/1914917

Has it been so long?

I've had an interesting and busy ten days. Sorry about the lack of posts, but, well, life's been.

We took a family trip to the big island of Hawaii and walked across a dormant volcano crater. The experience was one which I will never forget. Just amazing, even without the extra excitement generated within my family. Those of you who know, know. I will post more about the trip soon.

My thoughts were confirmed that Hawaii is a place I would like to stay. Since that is not possible, I know that one day I will return. Today we learned that our next home will be in Germany, a few minutes from the Czech border. I know that it will be a huge change, but that we will love being there, as well. My island boy is destined to be a Bavarian Mountain Boy, and I know he will do it with class.

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Happy New Year!

I was locked out of the blog for a week, sorry 'bout the lack of updates. It was the wrong week to be gone, too!

The wedding was perfect. Waimea Bay was cloudy but bright, and there was only one rain shower, which did not last long. The bride and groom were happy, the food was delicious, and a great time was had by all.