Mokihana's Garden

Thank you, Remote Treechanger, for this great idea!

Outside my window… The sun is shining and the birds are singing.

I am thinking… About the first anniversary of mom’s death coming up

I am thankful for… the house I live in with its amazing view

From the kitchen… umm… not a whole lot today; though I made a huge mac salad for a potluck tonight

I am wearing… puka shorts and a T-shirt that says “Haleakala Diary”

I am creating… organization out of chaos. I hope.

I am going… to a church potluck tonight

I am reading… Motherless Daughters

I am hoping… I can get a handle on this chaos

I am hearing… birds singing and a fountain in my office

Around the house… more clutter

One of my favorite things… Veggies growing in the garden

A few plans for the rest of the week: Getting through it

Just last week, our friend passed her five-year, cancer-free anniversary, so I’m reposting this story in celebration. Mahalo ke Akua!

K’den. We got a call from the claims agent at Farmers. She and the agent for the wahine who hit Nolemana both checked out the photos of each kawila. They both listened to the recorded testimonies. And the result? (more…)

Dear wahine who hit Nolemana two weeks ago. Yes, it’s me again. (And my name’s not Margaret, by the way.. apologies to Ray Stevens.) No! Do not throw away this letter! I am watching you. Open it! You know, back home in Hawai’i as kids we’d call it “getting da slippah” when we’d do something bad and our moms would whip off one slippah (on the mainland you call them flip-flops) and whack us with it as punishment. Our moms could move really, really fast! So before I do geev u da slippah, open da damn letter! (more…)

I was reminded of dis story when da wahine wen crash into Nolemana’s kawila two weeks ago. At least dat time wasn’t our kawila!

The only place Nolemana and I can have much of a veggie garden is out on our deck. We used to have a huge garden but right now this is all we can do. Better than nothing, right? (more…)

Dear Mom,

This is the first time ever that you have not called to wish me a happy birthday. I realize that we had our ups and downs, but I also know that you’ve done some really wonderful things for us and that we had some really good times together.

But despite everything, I have been in tears for the last two days because this is the first time I won’t hear you singing the entire happy birthday song to me first thing in the morning. I am sitting here at my computer with tears rolling down my cheeks because the day just doesn’t seem right without hearing from you. I feel kinda lost, actually. It doesn’t help that I never got to say goodbye to you before you died.

Sometimes I even wish I’d recorded your last year’s birthday phone call so that I could have played it today and in the future.

Despite everything, I miss you, mom. Especially today.

Love,

Your dotter

Not my fault my website was down on Friday, so here’s something new. The Aloha Friday question, which I got from An Island Life.

My question is:

Where did you learn to swim? In the ocean? In a pool?

K’den. Pau. Answer if you like. Next time I’ll post on a Friday!

Dear not-paying attention wahine who made a right hand turn from a red light onto the highway: (more…)

So my friend Diane, her hubby, and her maddah stay taking dis road trip, and wen stop in Salt Lake City. She excitedly wen email about dis fantastic Hawaiian café dey wen find… yep! Right dea in SLC! (more…)