Writing

It's not that I haven't been doing a lot of writing lately... it's just that I haven't been doing it here.

I'm part of a writing group that meets every couple weeks here in Pahoa. We take turns hosting and meeting at eachother's houses. It's an intimate group of 8 or so, each with a distinctive style and voice. We usually take turns reading something of our own creation, then gently commenting around the circle, always with respect for the author. Since we've been meeting for several months now, we have a pretty good feel for each other and are able to give and receive useful feedback. Many of us are writing life stories, but we have each had such different lives! Some of us write poetry in various forms. There's a magazine writer who is working on a book of local lore. A retired professor with the heart of a Sufi poet. A performance artist preparing for poetry slams. Sometimes the works shared are humorous, others are sad, or practical, or evocative, or scary... I always come away from our meetings with such a good feeling, growing confidence, and inspired to write more!

I have a dear friend here on the island, but she lives upcountry so we don't get together often enough. Maybe only once a week or so. We do however send emails back and forth each day, and sometimes several times a day. Once in a rare while we'll pick up the phone, but mostly it's emails. We exchange recipes, list what we've done that day, give and seek advice, offer comfort, gossip... all the usual friend stuff. When we finally do get together in person, we're all caught up with each other's news, so it's easy to carry on from there.

My daughters got me started on Facebook a few months ago, and now I'm hooked. Many of my former 4-H kids have found me there, as well as some other Bonners Ferry friends. Several nieces too! I'm finding it a delightful way to keep in touch with those who I might not ever hear from otherwise, like my step-sister (hi Jenny!). I'm not out to collect vast amounts of online "friends", but I do appreciate the ability to keep in touch this way with folks I actually know. It's quick and easy to leave a little note on someone else's page, or to leave a short update on my own. With a few clicks of the mouse, I can check in with my girls and other FB friends. If a longer communication is desired, we generally switch over to email or - gasp! - pick up the phone. All this really helps me feel less isolated here on this rock in the middle of the vast ocean.

And then there's my journal. I still write every night before bed. This is something I started years and years ago, so there are many, many books now filled with a line or two, a paragraph, or pages of what happened each day. I will write a book about all those experiences someday... For now, they come in handy to look back at just when a particular occurrence took place: Was it just 2 weeks ago that we last went to the pool or has it been longer? When was the last big rain? What was the name of that beach where I almost drowned? It can be interesting to reread the days of my life. Sometimes I want to reminisce about my child-raising years, or relive the trips I've taken, or look back on our first weeks after moving here to our new home in Hawaii. And then, I find the right journal entry, and there it is...

But I haven't abandoned this blog either!
Ke aloha,
Liz

Transition Complete

I used to say that this blog was documenting my transition from one life to the other, but that transition seems to be well completed now. This is definitely home, and it feels so good to be back to it!

We were gone for 3 weeks, visiting 2 of our 3 kids: Kerry in Lynnwood, and Chris & Katie & their beautiful kiddos in Bonners Ferry. (Lori's turn next time.) Had some wonderful fun times with Jimmy & Kirsi, our adorable grandchildren who I just can't get enough of. Our good friends, Karen & Weezil, were great hosts, providing us with the whole top floor of their old farmhouse, a minivan to use, lovely fresh produce for the garden, and much solace and good company throughout our 2 weeks there. They taught us a game called Rummikub, which we'd play just about every night before bedtime. We were able to connect with several other friends, too, for which I am truly grateful.

(You will notice a marked lack of news about the rest of the relatives and the old farm; this is not accidental. Most of you already know what happened anyway.)

We definitely lightened our load even further on this trip! Had a huge sale - broke all my old yardsale records! - and now have only a tiny unit with the last few treasures that we simply don't yet have room for here. Much was given away, and a few last armloads of books traded at the best bookstore I've ever come across anywhere, Bonners Books. I managed to use up all my credit there too, which means new books coming over soon! Mike built 4 wooden crates to fill a 4'x4' pallet, 4' tall, which will ship out from Port of Seattle on Sunday and make its way to Port of Hilo within 2-3 weeks. One of the crates is filled with books! Now that we have the dehumidifiers to keep the damp under control, it's not so nerve-wracking to bring our treasured tomes to the island.

Another few days with Kerry, much cooler temps and a really nice time, and then HOME AT LAST!!!!! YES!!!

We gave ourselves a few days to decompress, rising early each morning to watch the sunrise over the ocean (our inner clocks still on west coast time). Hacked back the jungle and mowed the lawns right away - it's just astounding how much things grew in only 3 weeks! Lots of banana peppers, tomatoes & kale in the screenhouse; chickens all healthy and happy (mahalo Ivy & Tim!). Vacation rental guests were nicely settled in (mahalo Willow!). And our studio was just exactly as we left it.

And now life is getting back into full swing. This weekend we will be attending a Gourmet Camp-Out with our International Dinner group. A great chance to try out our new camping gear! It'll take place at Kalopa State Park, way up on the Hamakua Coast. We've never been there before but are looking forward to hiking through huge old trees, visiting & eating with friends, sleeping in our tent, and just generally having a good time.

Lots of grandkid pics will follow, but not today... I gotta get going. It's another beautiful day here on the Big island, after a rainy night and morning, and I want to get outside!

A hui hou,
Liz

Playing Tourist

My mom is in the middle of her 2-1/2 week visit here, so we've been going to all the scenic view points, waterfalls, museums, beaches, shops, and so on. It's been great fun playing tourist, although day after day rubbing elbows with real tourists is rather wearing. Ahh, well - life as a local, eh? ;-)

We had a big Backyard Barbeque Bash on the 3rd to kick off the Independence Day weekend, so Mom got to meet many more of our new friends at that time. That was a fun party and our first big to-do since we moved here! 26 people attended, 3 bbq's and a hibachi, loads of good food & drink, lots of laughs... but no fireworks. In Hawaii, one must buy a permit to set off even the sidewalk variety fireworks or any type of firecrackers (and there are more of them than I ever imagined!); no aerials allowed. We thought of going in to Hilo in the evening for their big display, shot out over the Bay from Coconut Island with the County Brass Band playing accompaniment to the spectacle. It's supposed to be a pretty good show and someday we'll do it. But we had been up at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HVNP) for most of the day on the 4th. We did all the sights around Crater Rim Drive; had lunch at the edge of Kilauea Crater; did the wine-tasting at Volcano Winery. So that was enough fun for one day and we just turned in early instead.

The next day was our regular First Sunday Beach Day. It started out with drenching downpours, but Richardson Beach Park is invariably the first spot to dry out; little by little the clouds thinned out and finally disappeared and we had sunshine before long. It was a great day for swimming in the ocean! Mike stayed out snorkeling for a couple hours, and he has the sunburned back to prove it! Only one big old honu (sea turtle) that day; usually there are a dozen or so at Richardson's.

I guess we needed some kind of excuse to get all the way back up to the Waipi'o Valley overlook. Happy to report the area is as gorgeous as ever. And Laupahoehoe Point is still hauntingly beautiful, with a new information board about the tsunami that wiped out the town in the 1940's. Up in Kamuela/Waimea (yes, the town has 2 names), we were disappointed to find that the Parker Ranch Museum has closed. We peeked in the window, into the darkened interior and it looks stunning; I wonder if they will reopen at some point?

It hasn't all been running around sight-seeing: I scheduled in some relaxing days at home, just hanging out & catching up. We've done the Ahalanui Warm Pond once already and will go back there again before Mom's vacation is over next week. And today I'm baking bread and catching up on correspondence. Later this afternoon, we'll drive up to Fern Forest to see the big Akatsuka orchid greenhouse and have dinner with friends.

Meanwhile, I've also been making all the necessary arrangements for our own upcoming trip back to Idaho one more time. Gotta see those grandkids!! Haven't even met little Kirsi yet, and we are sooo looking forward to seeing Jimmy again, and Chris & Katie, too, of course! We'll be spending time in Lynnwood with Kerry before & after the Idaho portion. So those will be the fun parts of the trip.

The other major reason for going is to retrieve the rest of our belongings from the old farm. We can't keep our stuff there any longer, so we will be doing a ton of transporting, sorting, packing, and I don't know what-all. Neither of us is looking forward to this aspect one bit, but it has to be done so we'll grit our teeth and get through it somehow. Thank you to our long-time good friends, Karen & Weezil, for allowing us to stay at their place for the duration; it'll be good to see them again, too.

Okay, that's enough for now. Write back!
Aloha, Liz

PS: I've added the 'followers' widget to the sidebar, for those of you who would like to know when I've updated here. Plus, it would be fun for me to know who's reading! ;-)

Summer Solstice

It has been interesting to be here in Hawaii in June. Our first time ever! Last year during this month we were in Bonners Ferry & Seattle, and prior to our moving here, our vacation times ranged from the end of winter to mud season. So it really is our first ever June on the islands.

And it has been hot! Well, not today - so far - but in general. Today we're getting a succession of quick rain showers, with bright, already-hot sunshine in between. The trend is generally clearing though, which will be good for the beach croquet potluck party we've been invited to attend this afternoon.

We've been having to skip our morning walks many days. If we don't get started early enough, it's way too hot for our usual 3 mile route. On the days we do get going early, it's a lovely way to get up and moving. Saying good morning to the neighbors and folk we meet along the way is a big part of what makes this so enjoyable.
Our crossing guard friend, Manny, is an elderly local fellow who mans the crosswalks in front of the Keonepoko elementary school down the street. We always wave or talk story with him when he's out there. Now that school's closed for summer break, he's not out there twice a day of course, but it turns out that his morning walking route and ours overlap, so we do get to see him now and then still!
A couple days ago, Joe, one of the maintenance workers for the water system at the top of our street, stopped his rig to hand us a bag of mountain apples, "for a snack while you walk." These are a popular tropical delicacy, very thin-skinned and juicy. The skin can range from bright apple red to pale pink, or even brownish-red. The aroma on first bite is of rose petals! Amazing! And the texture is like a crisp and juicy pear, with one very large brown seed inside. Very refreshing and delicious.

One thing we have really noticed is that the sun moves much further to the north than we thought possible at these low latitudes. Not like north Idaho of course, but still. As the day progresses, the sun will shine through the windows on each side of the house. Good thing we didn't further thin out the kukui tree protecting the northwest window. The setting sun filters through its big green leaves and makes the nicest patterns inside. After today, old Sol will slowly make its way back southward to set behind the flanks of Mauna Loa.

I hope you are enjoying this longest day of the year!
And happy Father's Day, too!
:-)

I'm baaaaaaack!

Okay, okay, I'll try to get this going again. I cannot believe how many hits I got during my long absence!! Awesome and encouraging.

There's no way to fill in all the details of the past 3 months, but those of you who have kept in touch know what's been going on with us during that time anyway. Suffice it to say, winter is long gone, spring has passed too, and we are well into summertime weather. Whoo-hoo!

I love the days when the tradewinds are a-blowing, cooling us and refreshing both air and spirits. When the trades die down, the island simmers in the heat and humidity, and the vog (volcanic haze) rolls down the mountain to choke out Hilo Bay. Fortunately for us, we were led to this wonderful little spot on the east side of the island, where the sun rises first and the freshest air blows. It doesn't take much of a breeze to clear away the vog from here, but we do feel for the folks elsewhere on the island chain, especially when the Kona winds blow from the south-southwest. Then the vog is carried right up the chain. Intersting to be so dependant on the winds and which direction they're coming from.

The garden grows like a weed, like a jungle. And the jungle grows like mad, too! Our liliko'i (passion fruit) vine has been flowering for a while now but only recently began setting fruit. We are so looking forward to bucketsfull of the luscious, juicy, tangy, sweet-tart goodness that is liliko'i. Every couple days we get a owlful of cherry tomatoes, a handful of strawberries, several calamondons. There's plenty of greens each day: bok cho, mizuna, chard, kale, broccoli, Okinawan spinach, sweetpotato greens, and more. We eat pretty well from the garden. We got about a dozen figs in the spring, and are still awaiting any sign of banana flowering. Oh, and homegrown papayas - yummmmm.

The chickens are all laying so well that we have to keep lining up customers to buy the extra eggies. Not a problem. My friend, Devany, is a food writer and will be doing a feature on our hens and their pretty three colors of eggs. I'll let you know when she posts it.

We have a couple weeks in between guests right now, hoping to get some more projects done before Mom comes to visit, before hurricane season really gets going, and before we leave for 3 weeks on our own vacation. Towards that end, Mike is laying pipe out to the screenhouse & chickens so that when the rains stop for a week at a time (or longer) the birds will still have water. Extremely important! Other projects lined up & ready to go are making hinged windows for ventilating the studio better, finishing touches on Mike's shop, and maybe even getting some trimwork done inside... Hey, a girl can dream, can't she? ;-)

We have really settled in here. We do our 3 mile walks almost every day. I've just about figured out how to garden in this climate and with this (lack of) soil. We are finally getting some good friendships going. I feel very happy to be here now.