Friday, April 29, 2005


Don't forget your towel! Posted by Hello

Details details

We have our travel plans and our packing details.

Our house will be packed on the 6th
Our car will be shipped on the 9th
We leave on the 10th
We arrive on the 11th

Our car and household goods should be in Germany in August. We will purchase a car when we arrive, and the Army will lend us some furniture.

We are all fine, but reeling a bit. Sorry if you don't hear from us in the next few days.
If we aren't getting ready for the movers, we will be taking pictures of the sunset.

Thursday, April 28, 2005

The race is on!

Wendall's orders are in. No real details yet, other than the reporting date of May 18. We will know more in the morning. I will post again, and we will send out a group email as soon as we know more.

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

A second jump for a silly book

http://bookcrossing.com/journal/2500466

Man Suffocated by Potatoes was caught back in February, and now has an anonymous journal entry as well. Yay.

Monday, April 25, 2005


Flat Stanley came to visit.
We had a great weekend with him, and we have the pictures to prove it! Posted by Hello

Who's Flat Stanley? http://flatstanley.enoreo.on.ca/
Take a look!

Thursday, April 21, 2005


Soaring Posted by Hello

Tuesday, April 19, 2005


In memory of Max Posted by Hello

The lei heads for open water. Posted by Hello

Sunday, April 17, 2005

My Uncle Max died today

Uncle Max died today. He was a good man, gentle and ready with a quiet joke at any time.
I will miss him. He will be buried on Monday, and I am hoping for a good sunset as we head to Kaena with a lei.

Max Posted by Hello

Thursday, April 14, 2005

The Era of the Sibs

Today was truly the first big step towards me leaving Hawaii. My older brother hopped on a plane and flew off to his new life. My younger brother went home to the apartment that housed all of my "Sibs", and was able to call it his and his alone.

I am fine, and the boy is fine, but we are both sad that we won't get to be together as a family for a while. He does not understand what an exceptional year this has been, and for that I am truly happy. He saw this year as "normal", because he does not know that this has not happened before, and will not happen again.

I have always described my brothers and myself as three only children who happen to have siblings. We were born in different decades, different states, different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Kurt has never lived with us, other than a few weeks during summers before Oliver was born. Other than that, he has popped in and out for a week here and there--always very much a part of the family, but with his own, very separate life.

I am a classic middle child, classic only girl child, and in many ways classic only and older child. I had a childhood separated from my brother, so my experiences are mine alone, however Kurt is present in many of my memories. Oliver's arrival made me an "older" and took away the small amount of "only" I had, but I was able to remain the only girl. I am the most serious of the three of us, but also in many ways the most protected.

And then there is Oliver. How does the youngest child also get to be an only child? I left home at 17. He was 10, and was able to rule the roost for quite a few years there. He also was the only one of us to spend his childhood in an urban setting, which shaped his personality and his experiences in ways that are present even today. He was, at the same time, the baby of a huge extended family, and has (at times) enjoyed the perks that go with that particular distinction.

So to the past year.

Through a few twists of fate, we have had the chance to live within shouting distance of one another for the past year. We have had the amazing fortune to be able to do this in Hawaii, truly heaven on earth. We have talked more in the past 15 months than in all of the previous years combined. We have been able to support and critique one another's lives the way other siblings are able to do as children. It has been an amazing experience, and I will treasure the past year more than almost any other experience.

Thank you Oliver and Kurt, for being here with me. Thank you for allowing me to be here with you. Thank you for the chance to get to know you as adults, and for giving me the mirror I needed in order to learn more about myself. Thank you for helping me raise my son surrounded by those who love him. Because of you he knows that not all family members have to live so far away.

Beyond all else, thank you for the memories of countless sunsets (must we count? Ok, let's say 200, give or take a couple dozen), of beautiful beach days, and endless summer breezes. My thoughts of Hawaii will always include you, and of this time we've shared.

Mahalo, me ke aloha. (Thank you, with love)

Wednesday, April 13, 2005


The end of an Era Posted by Hello

Monday, April 11, 2005

Like Water For Chocolate

http://bookcrossing.com/journal/1846395

My catch rate is rising, as is my joy in being a Bookcrosser.

Funny funny boy

While driving home I rolled down my window. There was a strange smell outside, and I said "Huh, I wonder what that bad smell is?'

From the back seat came a reply: "That is a bad smell. Smell my finger?"

We managed to laugh silently in the front seats.

Saturday, April 09, 2005

Island of the Blue Dolphins

http://bookcrossing.com/journal/2566021/J_3626863

Yay! I loved this book as a child, and I'm so happy someone grabbed it and let me know that the've enjoyed it as well.

Friday, April 08, 2005

Henderson the Rain King

http://bookcrossing.com/journal/2663530

Caught on a rainy day in Mililani. I'm happy that this one was caught, as it was in honour of the author, who died on the 5th.

Wednesday, April 06, 2005


Family portrait at Todai Posted by Hello

My birthday

I had a lovely day. Thanks to all who sent me messages today, I felt very loved.

I spent the day mostly at home. It was cold and wet, so outside activities were out. For dinner we went to Todai, an all you can eat sushi and seafood restaurant. I have spent 3 of my 4 birthdays there, so was very happy to grind (eat) there one last time.

As one birthday card said--the buggah was ONO! (it was GOOD!)

Tuesday, April 05, 2005


Dark tree Posted by Hello

A Bookcrossing Moment

On Sunday we went to Waikiki for the afternoon. On our way to the beach, I spotted a man digging through the trash cans. I caught up with him as he was grabbing a newspaper out of a bin, and asked him if he might need a dollar or two towards food. He gratefully accepted and we spoke for a moment or two. I asked him if he might need a book and showed him my releases for that day, Snow Falling on Cedars and Hogfather. Neither appealed to him, even after I assured him that they were free for the taking, and that I was planning on leaving them on a bench a few feet from where we were standing. Then he smiled.

"Did you leave The Juror?" he asked
"Nope, not that one, but I know who did."
"And a book about war, I don't remember which one?"

I told him that my husband had left those books. He said he had found them, and had enjoyed them both. I told him that we all tried to leave books that were easy and fun for beach releases, and that I would think of him now when I released in Waikiki. We exchanged names, and parted ways.

His name is Frank, and he made my day so much brighter. I hope I did the same for him.

Sunday, April 03, 2005

A strange, full day

Yesterday contained a number of events which were simply out of the ordinary. At 8am we attended a wedding on the north shore. At Waimea Bay, to be exact. The couple was married on the beach, just a few yards from the water. Some liquid sunshine joined the party, just enough to add a rainbow to the wedding photos. So nice!

After breakfast at Cholo's (OJ instead of a mojito, drat!) we headed home and geared up for a day downtown. We were off to the theater for an afternoon matinee of "Eddie Would Go and "Rell Sunn, Queen of Makaha", two plays regarding Hawaiian surfing superstars who are no longer alive. Well performed, and attended. The boy enjoyed the experience, even if he did not fully understand everything. He sat as still as was possible and was quiet. A perfect boy, as usual.

After the play we headed down to the Aloha Tower Marketplace where we wandered around a bit until the Uncles joined us. Wendall bought me an ukulele for my birthday. It is beautiful, and now I will feel obligated to learn to play, not a bad thing at all. After dinner we went our separate ways, as it was time for the last official Guy's Night Out. I will go down to Waikiki in an hour or so to hear the tales of drunken revelry.

A good beginning to a long goodbye.

Saturday, April 02, 2005


zen breakfast Posted by Hello