Category Archives: ʻOhana
Trip Home From California 2008
A week after we got to Los Gatos, a week after the initial shock of my mom’s death, Leilani and I headed home. We were exhausted. When we’d first gotten to town, we’d stopped by Mom’s house to drop Patty … Continue reading
First Trip to CA After My Mother Died
(As I post this, I saw that the very highway we were on has been closed between Ashland and Yreka because of wildfires. I’m feeling grateful that it didn’t happen with us, but it almost did on the way home.) … Continue reading
Ten Years Ago Today…
It’s hard to believe itʻs been this long, but on this date ten years ago my mom died unexpectedly. She’d been in the hospital for a week with unmanageable high blood pressure/low heart rate, and on the 3rd of July, … Continue reading
Speaking of Tiny Waists…
After writing last night’s post, I suddenly remembered a photo of one of my grandma’s with that kind of waist. Probably corseted to the max, but still. This photo was taken shortly after she came to the United States. I’m … Continue reading
Old Photos from Nolemana’s ʻOhana
I’ve been sorting through envelopes and scanning old photos while preparing the next tree-cutting post. I’v been meaning to scan these for years. It’s really interesting to see the old photos; some I’m having to send to relatives to see … Continue reading
In Which Mokihana Lets Down Her Hair
My sweet hānai nephew, John, was about to leave Hawaiʻi to move back to San Diego. Heʻs been so generous sending me care packages from home, and he called and told me he was going to send me one last … Continue reading
Riding Virtual Shotgun to Colorado, Chapter Seven and Pau.
Well, we salted the curve, and I came back to riding shotgun. How do we do that? I drive the car and Nolemana sits on the tailgate and tosses out the salt. It’s not easy for him as I go uphill … Continue reading
Mother’s Day 2015
Mother’s Day has generally been a day of mixed emotions for me: It has represented sadness and regret at what I couldn’t have with my mother, and happiness at what I can have with my beloved daughters.
Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou
I kinda don’t know where to start. It’s been a bittersweet past six weeks. I love that word “bittersweet”; it’s that kind of word that says it all. Good stuff, not so good stuff, bad stuff. All wrapped up in … Continue reading
Sharing Aloha Far From Home
Last December a child’s face on the Compassion International website captured my heart. I’d been thinking about sponsoring a child after my friend Sara told me what a rewarding experience it was for her. I looked over the hundreds of … Continue reading
