Gettin older, but still in the groove

Yesterday I became a Great Auntie!! Hard to imagine my younger brother, Max, as a grandpa. This will take some getting used to.

Had a most awesome day..got up early and headed down to the canoe races, the last of the regatta season. It was also Hawaiian club's 50th anniversary. Started with prayer again, then the kids from that club sang a beautiful song and towards the end of their song a helicopter came and did a flower drop. I love when it rains flowers!!

Kiera came in second in her race. My group of ladies missed first place by an eighth of a second. Had they won they would have gone on to States. I didn't race with them this time but did an unofficial Novice A race. Love being out on that water. Glad to have some more time to paddle before I go back to California. I will be able to squeeze in one more practice on Monday since we leave at night.

After my race, I went home to freshen up and began making flower arrangements. Took what I had ready down to our clubs beach shelter. My novice B gals and I decorated with lights and tiki torches and large ginger/hawaiian flowers. Turned out beautiful....

All paddlers and their families came and the festivities began. Everyone brought food to share and after begining with holding hands and a blessing, we stuffed ourselves. Awards were given out and the usual platitudes said..then the real fun began. Starting from the youngest group to the oldest, skits, cheers, jokes and songs were performed. Some of them quite humorous.

My group did a compilation of songs with the lyrics rewritten to reflect our times paddling. Like "we are novice "B", I've got all my sisters and me" sung to the tune " We are family."
We dressed up like bees. Also sang (to the tune of Rockin Robin) "wake up in the mornin, way before dawn...moaning and a stretching and a movin along....all the little kittens and the chickens in the street, move out of our way as we head toward the beach,,,Rockin novice B....B.....B, Rockin novice...B....B....B

Our older ladies group dressed up in house dresses and some used crutches as they did a routine to some Chihuahua song.. The choreography was funny. At the end the ladies took off their over clothes to reveal dancing clothes and then they really rocked. So fun!! They are all in very good shape..

When the premeditated stuff was finished the dancing began. Amazing how my rib / arthritis problems cleared up as the music began....I had waaaaaay to much fun dancing up on the stage with everyone. I more than kept up the pace with the 20 something year olds. didn't need the alcohol to keep me grovin'. Great to have such a good time and not have a hangover or wake up next to someone I hardly know. It is so possible to live a life that is vibrant and fun and moraly clean.

When most everyone had gone, food put away and decorations taken down, my paddle coach took out the ukelele and sang some songs....great way to end the evening.

A glimpse into this week

It is a sad day when you have to borrow money from your children just so the tooth fairy can come to visit. Time for a second job...like so many other Maui residents...professionals by day, entertainers by night. Spent my last $90.00 on Craig's list finds..A large bookshelf and an oak dresser. Now maybe the clothes will stay off the floor. I always enjoy meeting the people who are selling their things.

The kids attended a sports camp held at our church this week. Laci did cheerleading, Levi did basketball, Kiera = soccer, Anthony participated in the 4/5 "rythmic movement" class, and Tessa helped lead cheer.

On Wednesday, Tessa played hookey from her responsibility at camp to be able to go on a trip to Honokowai Valley with our canoe club. It is a place where our canoe coaches Auntie and late husband started to restore some land back to its native vegetation. For the past 10 years they have slowly been working, along with volunteers, to clear the brush and debris to reveal the site of an ancient community that once lived there.

Before we started the trek down the steep ravine into the valley, an Hawaiian prayer/chant was offered letting the ancestors know why we were there. All of our worries/cares of modern life were to be left at the top of the hill. A group of about 60 of us carefully made our way down and were rewarded with a much cooler temperature.

Large trees provided nice shade as our host explained the names and uses for the various plants and trees about us. Some for medicinal purposes, some to make dyes, others to make hooks to fish with, leis to wear, boats to sail, etc.. We tried the fruit of the noni which tasted a bit like apple. A very ripe one smelled like a pinapple mixed with stinky cheese. Some of the kids were reluctant to try it.

We learned about the kukui tree. If you break the stem from a kukui nut off, the sap which forms can be used to treat cold sores and sore throats. The oil from the plant is used as a laxative. The nuts themselves can be burned, hence the other name for this plant is candlenut. The leaves from this tree can be boiled and used as a poltice for ulcers, swollen joints and headaches. The bark boiled to make a red dye... and many other uses for this tree...God has provided everything we need to live an abundant life..it is up to us to discover his hidden treasures.

After our educational session, our group went to work clearing away dried grass, sticks and pulling weeds. Afterwards, some ti plants were put into the ground and watered.

Lunch was provided for all (I don't know who pays for all this), but I do know that the spirit of Aloha abounds within this family who takes care of this place. (They let me borrow a car for a week, not even knowing me).

The day was ended by a refreshing swim at a nearby beach. Crystal clear water, it was fun to splash around with the kids..A unicorn fish swam by..Oh how I love Maui! I am grateful my children are able to live here.

Aloha=love, compassion, honesty, to give freely without expecting in return. Truly a blessing....may I live up to that standard, with God's help.

Friday's Excursion

Had a great day friday. Started out by driving to Lahina with the kids, it was to be Eden's last day visiting us. Robert stayed behind at home to get some work done.
I was a bit nervous about finding parking as we got off to a rather late start. My fears proved to be unfounded as I found a spot right across from the beach. (I am working on living out the verse "be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.)

The beach where surfing lessons begin has some large shade trees, one not to far from the water in which Anthony loves to climb. Other people enjoy the relief from the sun this tree provides including a mid aged lady in a cowboy hat wearing a bikini top, sarong skirt, swaying to the music of what looked like an old transistor radio. Soon she was joined by a late twenty-something guy, hair buzzed on both sides of his head (looked like he had a fight with the razor and the razor won) teeth partially rotted, drinking something concealed in a paper bag. A casting director would have given him a role in the Pirates of the Carribean. He began a conversation with Tessa and I which was strangely poetic about Alice in Wonderland..

This was a wonderful opportunity (though very sad for him) to show Tess what the mind altering consequences of taking drugs can lead to. I told her that movies, tv, and books can be deceiving because the authors can write the endings however they want. Glamorizing premarital sex, drugs, lying to get what you want, and eating jelly filled doughnuts (ok,ok, just had to throw that one in there) does come back to bite you in the end.
The salon where I have had my hair done is right next to the beach and I needed to make an appointment for myself so I took Tessa and Eden with me (left the other kids playing in the surf). Raphael, a midforties jewish man, slim, tan, french accent, (reminds me of my beloved Newport Beach bachelor, Yugoslavian uncle) had no clients at the moment. I asked him if he could color Eden's hair. Very kindly he agreed. Every girl has to have their hair done by a true french man..makes you feel like a movie star :)

Left Eden in good hands. The kids and I enjoyed the sun and surf and the shade of the trees, along with blurts of conversation with the wacky pirate looking young man. After a great while, I went back to check on Eden....almost done....as I chatted with my hairdresser about family life and such, his friend who is a photographer, (also french..just love those accents) unexpectedly popped in and took some video of him finishing up with Eden, who looked blondly fantabulous!!! Some kind of footage for a promotion of Maui businesses.
Robert was now finished with work and came down with surfboard in tow, but by now Eden was not going to pursue her dream of surfing on this day...Can't mess up a newly done hairdoo!!
We were approached by a well tanned surfer who offered to teach everyone how to surf.... no charge, but IF we wanted to we could give him a donation..he flashed the hang loose hand sign..and Robert took him up on it......Eden and I opted to go shopping....

Strolled into all the little trinkety tourist shops and art galleries when a particular picture of a beach scene with a canoe painted in my teams colors caught my eye..It would match Tess and Kiera's navy and teal room perfectly...I chatted with the two ladies running the shop about all sorts of things....the weather, paddling, art, kids, how business was doing, coming back for a glass of wine :)

When I told one of them that I lived in Makawao, she asked me if I knew a well known Maui watercolor artist who has a shop there...I was a bit embarrased as I could not recall seeing it..(you have to realize Makawao town is only about a block in either direction). We went on to discuss what a wonderful location on the island, weatherwise (and topography) it is. She mentioned that this artist, Sheri Reeve, lived there and proceeded to tell me the directions to her home up on a hill and about the beautiful jacaranda trees around there. Well, I see a most gorgeous tree from my home on that same hill and said so...then Jaqueline (the shop attendant) asked if I rented (of which we do) and asked the name of our landlord......Turns out, Jaqueline is very good friends with my landlord and had just been touring our property the other day (I was not at home), She said "are you the one with the many kids?" I proudly said "YES!!" Apparently my reputation is preceeding me....for the good.

Jaqueline told me the watercolor artist lives right next door to me and I didn't even know it.
And if that isn't a small world enough.....the painting that I picked out from all the others and decided to buy was done by Jaqueline herself. There's nothing like unknowingly complimenting someones artwork to brighten their day. God is good.

Returned to the beach to see some very well baked kids..Could have got a good price for these lobsters..they did have fun learning to surf, though!

Finished off the day by buying Eden a cute strapless pink dress... she reminded me of Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde. Very fun! Sad to see her fly home to CA.