Winter Solstice 2016

My new adventure: in November I moved from the big city of Honolulu to the rural Island of Molokai.

There is a bumper sticker here that says "don't change Molokai, let Molokai change you."

And from one full moon till the next full moon that is what has been happening for me. From sunrise to sunset enjoying the peace and beauty is how I fill my days. 

    

 

Oh yes, I must mention the stars! I love just stepping out my back door and seeing the stars at night.

I have started a small container garden and my new pet is a phalaenopsis orchid, a splendid gift from

friends in Honolulu. And my favorite hangout is the public library – part of wonderful state system

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I did participate in a small art and craft fair at our Senior Center; it was a way to get to meet people. On this small and friendly Island everyone seems to know everyone. Of course that can be expected with a population of only 7,000 people on the entire Island. There are no traffic lights and I was here almost two weeks before I heard a siren. Only 50 miles from Honolulu, it is an entirely different world. I feel very lucky to be here.

 

Winter festivities started out here in Kaunakakai with a Parade of Lights. It seemed that most of the island’s population attended the parade and Festival afterwards.

At the start of the 2003 invasion of  Iraq I designed a bumper sticker --  I think we need it now more than ever. It said:

GODDESS FORGIVE AMERICA    (if anyone wants to print these up, go for it!)

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Fall Equinox 2016

As the days approach balance with the nights I find a calm interlude to give thanks and appreciate all my lucky stars. The universe is abundant.

I have accumulated an abundance of haiku. My goal this summer was to write one a day; some days I got carried away spewing them out. I’ve gathered about three dozen into a little chapbook titled

 “A Scattering of Haiku”.

1000 year old friend

Always advises to boldness

Grab their attention

Here are a few new haiku: 

Haiku syllables 
five, seven, five wrap little 
gift of awareness

Do nothing each day 
letting go of time will give 
abundance of time

Boldness is not brash 
Nor is it rude. To be bold
Is to fill the need
(for Diane, Sept 12, 2016)

Spontaneity
living life in the moment
it all takes planning

And some of my summer favorites:

Snatch and pin them down

Words of iridescent hue

Butterfly language

This is my piece work

Selecting and stitching words

Into peaceful web

Words still can create

Mind ships to carry away

Reader to herself

Lamenting his choice

Clockwise or counter-clockwise

Island biker sits

Photo taken at Honolulu Museum of Art with Guanyin; I am holding Kathy Phillip's delightful book of poetry titled "This Isn't A Picture I'm Holding: Kuan Yin"

Paintings

SUMMER Solstice 2016

And a rare solistice too, first time in 70 years the summer solstice coincides with a Strawberry Full Moon. I plan to celebrate with strawberry short cake! Our longest day of the year down here near the equator is 13 hours and 25 minutes.

I used to write lettters, now I'm an occasional post card or greeting card sender. This blog is my attempt to communicate on a personal level in an impersonal media. Kind of a futile effort that I question but keep attempting. I'm not willing to let go of the idea that there are people in this world who would like to hear from me. I do not know how many people on my blog list actually receive the email blast with this link that I send out when I make a new posting; many spam filters probably toss it out. And I know there are other friends who have decided not to read blogs just as I have decided not to participate in facebook. So if you  are reading this, thank you, mahalo. Comments are always appreciated.

I've had the pleasure of having friends and family visit me this year as well as my getting to visit friends on Molokai - only 40 miles across the channel from Oahu but a whole different world. The peace there is so complete that you can hear the whales breaching and slapping their tails at night. That was a new experience for me. Life is good when I can discover another pleasure that I didn't even know I was missing.

I love all the activity of living in a city, Honolulu offers plenty. However seeing the stars at night and sleeping in a quiet space is also tempting. I'll let you know if I move to Molokai.

     Night on veranda
     Silence broken with splashing
     Whales play in moonlight

Spring Equinox 2016

March 20^th is the official date for Spring Equinox this year, but here in Hawai‘i the day/night hours were equal on the 15^th.

 

I started this season again with fireworks. The Honolulu Festival brings in a fantastic show – better than New Years for sure.

 

This is when the sun rises due east and sets due west.

 

And the afternoon Mānoa Rainbow always pleases me, even in the rain!

 

 

View from my front door.

 

 

Wishing all a lovely spring

 

 

 

New Year's Day 2016

On January 31st I went to visit Guanyin at the Honolulu Museum of Art. She has been sitting in "royal repose" for over 1,000 years, and I always feel like she is expecting me; I'm always welcome to drop by and talk story.

A perfect start to the new year: fire works at midnight in Waikiki; a blessing and good fortune from local Shinto Shrine that opens from midnight to 3AM on the first day of the year;

then couple hours sleep before heading out to view the sun rise at Makapu'u.

With the sounding of conch shells, traditional chants and the driving energy of a Taiko drum we (many thousands of us) watched as the sun rose over Molokai 40 miles across the channel, and Haleakala more than 100 miles away. Sunrise photo by my friend and professional photographer, Debra Casey. (You can't get a shot like this on a cell phone.)

There can be no doubt that these islands are sacred, entitled to reverence and respect. 

Then, to make it perfect, whales were swimming and spouting just past Makapu'u lighthouse.