Lucy Lane

Lucy is sick =( not sure what is going on, her whole muzzle is swollen. Plus, just her right nose hole =) is clogged and her right eye is really red and squinty. Send her some love would ya?

Yesterday was excellent. Dan and I drove the 45 minutes to the south side where Aqua Engineers had some tasty samples of what I made. They loved it, so we are on! Roxanna (our friend who hired us for the job) drove us 20 minutes further south to the boat house so I could check out the kitchen.

Aqua Engineers in Koloa

The boat house kitchen we will be cooking in

Dan and Roxanna look out the window as I snap a shot of the working space behind the kitchen

The food will be served, buffet style, out here

The property backs to the ocean

A quick walk and you are at the beach

We were starving so we went into Po'ipu and had some lunch at Merrimans downstairs cafe. Me; north shore mushroom pizza (Dan "are the mushrooms from Kauai Fungi?" Me "Probablly.") and Dan had the Kalua pulled pork sammie, YUM!!

Merrimans is upstairs, we ate outside at the far end

We drove all the way home and got to the grocery store parking lot, when I discovered I left my purse at the restaurant, Doh!! After a quick call to see if they had it, we spent the next 90 minutes retrieving it!

Dan is getting ready to go to work and I am heading out to the farm. Another day in paradise!

Dan in his office at Papayas

Farm offerings

A salad that Eileen made for lunch that fed us as well as some volunteers who happened to be the keyboard player for Maroon 5 and Graham Nash's son.

Cheers!

Yesterday we headed into the afternoon heat with the intention of snorkeling. We decided to do something closer to home instead of driving all the way to the north shore. Lydgate Beach Park is close and we heard it's a great place to snorkel. We forgot it was mothers day so the park was loaded up with folks, the waves were rough and the only place to snorkel was in the "kiddie pool" with a lot of other folks. We decided to go see Iron Man 2 instead. 

As we pull up to the small theater (4 screens) we see a long line wrapping around the side of the building. Deciding to give it a shot, we stand in line. A man comes out and says seating is very limited, we may not get it. So, we head back home. We wanted to do something so we had drinks at our favorite bar the Oasis in the Sheraton Beach Resort. It's completely open and backs right to the beach. Perfect!

 

"Inside" Oasis

Three Mai Tais and several apps later we are making some friends. Early on, sitting at the bar we met Scotty. We had seen him before at the Home Depot and learn he is a DJ for the local community radio station KCCR. His show, Surf Stories, is about surfing. He interviews big time surfers all the time. We are impressed when he says he interviewed Laird. His family, originally from Florida moved to Colorado before coming here 12 years ago. 

Jenny and Joel, the bartenders, have friends and family at the bar. Jenny's friend Amy and Amy's boyfriend Zach are to our right and live in town. Joel's mom Bobbi, sister Jen and family friend Mark (who Bobbi calls her second son) are to our left. We made instant friends with Bobbi who collects sea glass and shells when we gave her some we found earlier in the day. Jen and Joel have dogs and we plan play dates with Bobbi. Jen is an event coordinator and wedding planner at a garden up on the north shore so we make plans to go check that out.

Today is my first day working for the farm, after a quick chat with Jillian I will get to work. At 2pm, Dan and I are driving about 45 minutes south to meet with the folks I am doing the catering job for. They want to sample my macaroni potato salad and poke to make sure it's local style. Then we are heading over to the boat house, where the party will be, to meet with the owner and check out the kitchen. 

I am thankful for my friends and husband who can kindly tell me where I can improve. Realizing that I am a perfectionist and of course struggling with the transition of moving here, I am able to let go. And look, 3 posts in 2 days!

The produce isle at Papayas looking to the left, Dan is getting it mostly local. Jillian's book choy, carrots, beets, kale, onions, daikon, bananas, papayas, dill are on display. Going into the store and seeing produce you've grown and or harvested is as cool as seeing a spot you edited on air!

To the right

Perfection

Jillian and I are rushing to fill the Papayas order. It's hot and we, like the produce, are wilting. "I'm just so nervous about this order, I mean it's for Dan and he is such a perfectionist." I say. To which Jillian replies "Well, look who he married." I don't know if she's saying I'm perfect =) or I'm a perfectionist also. Later that evening, I tell Dan and he suggests that I am indeed a perfectionist. Shocked I defensively reply that I have standards and that doesn't mean I'm a perfectionist. We laugh, I see in essence I am arguing semantics.  Something new to contemplate, I have never seen myself as a perfectionist. But I can see it coalescing in my minds eye, little things that point towards perfection and the desire to get things done right. This blog for example, I have not had the time to write posts that sort of bring you here. I like to describe what I see, feel, taste, touch and smell so that you can feel like you are here experiencing it with me. This takes a lot of time and I have not had that time so I have not posted. Several weeks ago, my buddy John (congratulations on the promotion!) suggested I write shorter posts more often so he could keep up on what is going on. Makes sense and even takes some of the pressure off but...did I do it?

What is going on? A lot! I am trying not to feel overwhelmed, trying to focus on all the beauty. I mean we live in paradise right? As my loving friend Deb pointed out, this is traumatic. I replaced my whole life; "security", everything and everyone I know with something totally different. So, instead of expecting everything to turn out perfectly well, I should relax, enjoy the ride. Easier said than done. I guess I am someone who needs to be gainfully employed, have everything perfectly planned out and busy. I do have a job now, working with Jillian at the farm. Instead of being happy about it (which I am) I am struggling with the lack of structure, something that Deb chalks up to island style or island time. So right now, I am learning how to take myself less seriously. Lower my "standards" (expectations) and go with the flow.

Dan is happily supplying Papayas with as much local produce as possible, being social and making connections, relaxing on his days off or fixing things around the house. We have a lot of plants from the farm or local farmers (avocado, taro, thyme, oregano, and Jamaican lilikoi) that need to be planted.

We are busy, so much going on the details overwhelm me so...none of that. This afternoon we are going to snorkel, have a little fun and relax. Tomorrow, we are meeting with the folks I am catering for in June. Last weekend we celebrated Lei Day (May Day) and went to the 97th birthday of the lighthouse in Kilauea. I am trying to be imperfect and go with the flow. Right now, the flow is telling me to post some pics and get on to something else like a nap or a good book!

Our fellow student and friend Tiana won an award for her lei made with veggies and herbs from the farm, the first time she has ever entered the competition!

Outside the Kauai Museum on Lei Day

Award winning leis

Exotic Ni'ihau (The Forbidden Island) shell leis

How they are made

Inside the Kauai Museum where all the leis were on display

This Ni'ihau lei goes for $2400.00, we saw one for $10,000.00!

You could make your own lei for $1.00!

On the way to the lighthouse Dan stopped and got me a lei

97 year old Kilauea lighthouse celebration. Once a year you can go into the lighthouse, it's closed the rest of the time. In July it will be closed for 3 years for renovations. You will be able to go to the lighthouse, you just can't go inside. We made it in the nick of time!

The view from the lighthouse

The beach in the distance is Secrets Beach. We climbed down that cliff to get there. The houses on the left are the ones movie stars (George Clooney and Johnny Depp at the moment) rent for $6000.00 a night! 

We had our first whale sighting. For 20 minutes we watched a mama and baby breach over and over again until they were out of sight.

Time to go up! The lighthouse was the first thing people traveling from Asia would see.

The 250,000 candlepower Fresnel lens weighs 4 tons and is made of 400 hand ground glass prisms.

Happy Mothers Day!!

May Day is Lei Day

by Michelle Taylor, Guest Author - Linda J. Paul

When most people think about Hawaii, the first vision that comes to mind is a woman wearing a grass skirt and a lei. The lei is actually a perfect symbol to represent the beauty of ancient and even modern day Hawaiian spirituality. This fragrant circle of flowers is a symbol of the spirit of aloha shared throughout all of the Hawaiian Islands.

Aloha is a very difficult word to translate into the English language. It has a similar meaning to the Sanskrit word namaste. Both words basically mean “May the light of the Creator in you see the light of the Creator in me”. Aloha expresses a greeting, a farewell, love, joy, hope, etc. And, in essence the beautiful and fragrant lei is a non verbal expression of aloha.

Many leis are created from fresh flowers including orchids, pikake, plumeria, ohia, lehua, and maile. A lei can also be strung with feathers, foliage, shells, seeds, dried flowers, candy and other materials. A steel needle and string are the common materials used to string a lei, but they can also be braided and knotted.

The giving of a lei is a very special gift. Not only is it given as a blessing, but it also represents the giving of time and love in its creation. Leis are hand-woven with care and patience. Some are intricately designed with patterns of alternating flowers. Leis may be worn around the neck, on the brim of a hat, or even wrapped around the head.

Unfortunately and tragically, the number of indigenous plants and flowers on the Hawaiian Islands is dwindling. So when a person receives a lei made from a rare or unusual flower, it is considered to be a very high honor. Leis made for the huge statue of King Kamehameha at Aliiolani Hale on Oahu are several feet in length and may take many hours or even days to create.

Lei making is an art form that requires practice, skill, and patience. To find the most prized indigenous plants and flowers requires days and weeks of exploration. There are two types of leis that are commonly made today, the more traditional or Polynesian and the contemporary. Traditional leis are created from native Hawaiian plants and based on ancient and specific symbolism. The more contemporary leis are sometimes fashioned from more modern plant varieties, or synthetic materials such as silk, satin, yarn, fake flowers, cellophane and ribbon.

At the Bishop Museum on Oahu there are priceless feather and shell leis on display that date back over a hundred years. Leis made from Niihau or other rare shells can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and are highly prized by lei collectors.

During ancient times in Hawaii, leis were worn as a symbol of rank. High ranking chiefs or queens may have been distinguished by the type, pattern or complexity of their leis. Leis were also worn to symbolize births, deaths, victories, and religious ceremonies. Different flowers and plants were used for different occasions depending upon their symbolism.

Bones, teeth and hair woven together with coconut husk, olona, banana or hau fibers were used in primitive leis. Even in modern day Hawaii, many people still think it is unlucky for a pregnant woman to wear a lei around her neck, as this may symbolize umbilical cord tangling.

The giving of a lei can symbolize love, friendship, affection, parting, good wishes, welcoming, rites of passage such as graduation, marriage, birth, and death. Leis are traditionally messengers of peace. Today, a kiss on the cheek is a customary tradition when a lei is given, although this is not part of the ancient Hawaiian traditions. A lei should fall equally on both the chest and the back. Tradition says that a lei recipient should not remove a lei while in the presence of the lei giver.

May Day or May 1, is Lei Day in Hawaii. Celebrations include the making and exchanging of leis among the local people, music, entertainment and food.

Lei day was first celebrated on May l, 1928. In early 1928 writer and poet Don Blanding wrote an article in a local paper suggesting that a holiday be created centered around the Hawaiian custom of making and wearing lei. It was fellow writer Grace Tower Warren who came up with the idea of a holiday on May 1 in conjunction with May Day. She is also responsible for the phrase, "May Day is Lei Day." At the end of the day, prizes are offered for the most unique or outstanding lei work.

Each Hawaiian Island has it own official lei color:

Oahu – lei ilima (yellow)
Maui – lei lokelani akala (pink rose)
Kauai – lei mokihana (violet)
Hawaii – lei lehua (red)
Molokai – lei kukui (silver/green)
Lanai – lei kaunaoa (orange)
Kahoolawe – lei hunching (silver/grey)
Niihau – lei pupu (white shells)
Molokini – lei limu kala (blue)

Hawaii abounds with ancient spirituality. It is perhaps one of the only places that the ancient world is so totally interwoven with the modern world. 

Gratitude

It’s hot, humid. My cooling system is not ideal and I struggle with the heat. Jillian has put me in the greenhouse today and as I plant cherry tomatoes and tomatillos my mind relaxes. The lush vegetation and birdsong lull me into a meditative state as I perform delicate tasks.

I eat my lunch at Anini Beach. In the shade, a breeze cools me off as I gaze at the ocean. Turquoise water first, then whitecaps and beyond, the clear, sapphire blue waters of Kauai.

I am so fortunate to live here. Everyday I am surrounded by beauty. Driving through tree canopies that open up to vast ocean vistas. My senses are always delighted. Sounds; birds chirping in 100 different voices, roosters calling in the distance, geckos and frogs give their little croak calls, the ocean breaking in on itself, trees rustling, waterfalls and streams, silence. I feel the moisture in the air, a cool breeze on my skin, the texture of seeds fallen from a tree under my bare feet, the hot sand and the cool water. Flowers turn their big happy faces towards the sun and fill the air with their fragrance. The taste of a ripe papaya, it’s delicately sweet juice running down my arm.

The people are just as beautiful, accepting in a way that takes me some getting used to. You don’t have to put on your game face, get all prettied up, have lots of cool things. You are accepted, by strangers, upon first meeting with a hug and a kiss. A big, strong, lasting hug from the heart too. So intimate and welcoming. You become one of the family. Little children call you auntie or uncle. There is laughter, smiles, sparkle in their eyes. People here live from the heart, no agendas, no judgements. All that is required is for you to be real, sincere and honest.

There is a generosity here as well. Folks are generous with what they have, offering something of what they have. A drink, a snack, some vegetables, fruit, flowers, plants and trinkets. They are relaxed, easy and generous with their time as well. You stop to ask a question, they talk story, you talk story and 45 minutes later you are on your way again. 

It may seem pretty fantastic, worthy of hours of daydreaming, the idea of living in paradise. What I have found is truth in the statement “no matter where you go, there you are”. Your good and bad characteristics follow you. Why you smoke, drink too much, eat too much, work too much, exercise too much, do drugs, talk too much, are overly religious. Those are all ways we use to comfort ourselves when the dark side rears it’s ugly head. It shuts us down so we don’t have to feel what is really going on. Mostly fear, fear of failure, not being good enough, not being accepted, of being alone, of something, there is always something. 

I am happy to say I am getting what I asked for when we decided to move here. I am struggling with those things about me that make me uncomfortable, which is what I wanted. Which is healing me, causing me to grow and be stronger, more resilient, able to weather those uncomfortable moments. Reinventing yourself is not easy, living in paradise makes it easier and maybe more acute because you want to make it work, you want to live in paradise forever.

Dan is being his amazing self, he never ceases to amaze me. I give him a year before he knows everyone on the island! Always happy for an opportunity to meet someone and talk story, he is enjoying his new job. He gets to do his thing and has the power, the title, to do it. If he thinks Papaya’s should sell fresh cut flowers and seedlings, he can do that. He gets to meet locals as well as people from all over the world. Last week, he met someone at the coffee shop from Vendrell, the small beach town in Spain where we have close friends. The other day when we were doing laundry, he helped an older man fix a stroller. He is happy and at peace and I am happy to witness his old self come out to play again.

I am having a harder time, being more of an introvert I find it difficult to connect. But, every day is a new day and it is my intention to open up and let people in. Every day I get another chance. I may get a job at Papaya’s in their cafe, I received an email for a catering job (for 50 people), I enjoy my days at the farm and daydreaming with Jillian on how to make her business grow and the possibilities for me there. They are many and include cooking school lunches for about 50 kids, starting a farmers market in Kilauea, running her CSA, creating fliers for the farm, farm dinners and tours, taking care of the farm while she is away on vacation in June. There are some nutritionists wanting to prescribe CSA boxes to clients struggling with diabetes and heart disease. A local company servicing the rich and famous wants to include a box as a welcome gift inside hotel rooms. The dreams are endless, my enthusiasm boundless.