Still in Paradise …..

Yes, I am still in Hawaii. I had a nice picture to place here but I’m having trouble with this site since they re-did to make it easier or more modern or something. But as kwith so many other programs I would give anything to go bacl to the old style.

I have had two shots but am still reluctant to get on a plane, although I

know I will have to do it probably in October. I am having a little surgery

in September. Then, when I return to Nebraska I am going to be living at

Heritage at Fountain Point in Norfolk. Tomorrow I turn 96. I guess you

would call that a ripe old age. But, to be honest, I don’t feel a bit differ

than I did years ago. Except that I don’t stand as straight and I limp a bit

No question. These are srrange times. I have the feeling I am no longer entirely in charge of my own life. I wonder what comes next. Well, anticipation is more interesting than boredom. Wait, you silly. you know

darm well what comes next. You are 96. 07 comes next.

(Please excuse all eerrors. I have several good excuses and the computer is the first one.)

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Churches in Paradise

We once set out to visit every church on this island. We had no idea how many there were and of course we eventually gave up on that. But we did visit many, starting with this old Hawaiian church across the street from the palace. We’ve been there for funerals too, as we came to know a lot of Hawaiians through the years. Such a pleasant Sunday morning here, with all its windows open and the soft breeze coming through. The room had the pleasant scent of flowers. The choir left the balcony and walked up to the stage, where they invited any of us to join them there for a few songs. Years ago the sermon was given in Hawaiian and English. At the end of the service there were lots of hugs, even among strangers.

I saw a church named Church of the Latter Rain and I thought I had read it wrong so I drove around the block to find I read it correctly. We used to visit the Methodist church on certain Sundays to hear the haunting music of the Samoan choir. The Mormon church is big here and the Catholics, of course. In fact I can’t think of a church that is not represented here.

I don’t go out to church anymore but do sometimes turn on a service online. This last Sunday I listened to nine sermons. It was an all-day experiment. I wanted to know what the ministers were preaching these days. Except for a few modern references I think their message is about the same. Sin and salvation.

Religion has served it’s part in my life and I no longer attend services. If I’m not saved by now I never will be. You know, of course, I don’t really believe we need to be saved. We are not full of sin. We are here on earth to learn and grow through our experience and everyone is doing the very best he can. What we learn here will become part of us and will go with us into our future. Those we call sinners are probably those who have a lot to learn yet and perhaps will have to stay after school until they catch on.

I think if you live long enough you have probably established your own beliefs and perhaps even learned to trust the help of your angels and reached an understanding of your purpose on earth.

I do more writing on these subjects in my second book, My Half of the Conversation. If you know me you know how I do love conversation. I think we sometimes have a better idea what we believe if we talk about it. Sometimes our angels put words in our mouths.

Dining at Duke’s . . . . .

If you’ve been to Honolulu you may have eaten at Duke’s, right by the water. This is where I was on my birthday, but its also where we took our young guests for dinner on their first night here. Reed Markland jason’s son) from Alabama and Cole Schroeder (Jeff’s son) from Norfolk had just arrived to begin their 2 weeks in Hawaii as their grad gift from Grandma Sara

The next day Sara and the boys went out to Pearl Harbor but couldn’t get in to the museum and the ship. So before they went exploring further thy picked me up and we went for brunch at Eggs ‘n Things.. An elderly man and his wife stopped by our table yo visit. When the kids told him I was 95 he took a step back, a long look, and then said “She is stunning.”

Just thought I’d get that in there. Things like that don’t happen often.

Meanwhile the boys have been syrfing and explorig. Waikiki is still very quet. Just a few tourists showing up now.

Not to be outdone . . . . .

Not to be outdone, son Tom sent his sunset in the Florida Panhandle.

I am still in Hawaii and have been here nearly a year because of the pandemic. I should have lots of stories, but I am living a very quiet life. Just me and my computer here in my apartment. Sara is across town and comes over often with her two little dogs who get off the elevator and run straight to my door.

Not to be outdone, I have seen my eye doctor, my heart doctor and my back doctor here in Honolulu, and can report that I am being well looked after and am considered very healthy, although just a tad bit crippled. I feel good and I think I’m standing straight until I walk by a mirror. Well, who among us is perfect?

There are definitely advantages to growing old. Old people get the best chair, are served first, and don’t have to wash the dishes, They can sit in their big chair for hours listening to the news over and over, as if it might suddenly bring good news. Their optimism stems from the fact that they have seen better times. And so they wait for them to come around again. They plan to live forever . . . somewhere. Despite what they were taught.

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My evening view . . . . .

Well, I’m still alive, though leading a very quiet life, here most of the time in my apartment in Waikiki. As you can see, the scenery is great. My last month was a busy one because I had to watch every minute of information, conversation or speculation concerning the election. A;lso had to keep up on virus news, and it continues to tell me to stay here, to not get on a plane full of people. It has been very quiet here but I’m starting to see a few couples strolling the beach. I hope they can keep themselves safe.

(Note to Word: Why do you insist we skip three spaces here? And you won’t allow me to change it. Ridiculous.)

Although my daughter lives here (across town) and I see her often, I do spend time alone a lot because I’m purposely staying home and away from people. I don’t mind being alone. Between TV and computer I keep busy. But I also spend time just thinking. I believe \old people do think a lot, perhaps reviewing our lives, asking what we learned from this or that and if we should have done something different. And putting together our very own personal philosophy.

Finally, in those last few years we are likely to speak up, to say what we are thinking and what we believe . . because we’ve lived the proof and we’ve eaten the pudding. But also because we have become historians, within our own little world, and people sometimes consult us for information.

My great grandaughter, whom I haven’t seen for a long time because she lives in Texas, just had her first baby, a little boy. They named him Jackson. I’m sure she didn’t know that my grandfather was named Jackson. That would be the child’s great great great great gramdfather. a teacher, farmer, and mayor of our town for many years.

This week I was able to break my addiction to TV and the news.

One thing I learned through the historic events of this year: History never needs, nor does it ask for my opinions.

DJM

The things eye do . . . . .

Yes, that needle is entering my eye. Is it fun? No. Yet I go through this every month. Because I am old and so my eyes are old. Shortly after this shot,however, Sara and I went out for a brunch of waffles with lots of tropical fruit and whipped cream.

I seldom leave my apartment. When I came here Jan 1 I planned to be home by March. Instead I have been here over ten months. Planes are flying now but I can’t believe I’d be comfortable or safe on one right now. Still, I can’t complain. What better place to spend a year doing nothing.

I do watch a lot of television and in these times the only way to avoid more bad news is to turn the set to movies and the make-believe world. Last week Sara picked me up and we drove the whole west shore of the island enjoying all the sights I had not seen for years. The next day we explored the opposite side of the island and the north shore and then drove down through the center of the island. It brought back lots of memories and stored some new ones. No pineapple cones at Dole’s, though. as most places they are closed. Needless to say, traffic is lighter than usual these days, with few tourists touristing.

I’m finding my typing is often full of errors that I can’t seem to catch. My vision is definitely suffering from old age, so I hope my readers will be forgiving.

Wherever you are I hope you are safe and still having fun.

DM

Remember September . . . . .

It is well into September and I haven’t written for some time because I have had nothing to write about. I am still in Hawaii because I am safer here in my comfortable apartment than I would be on a plane, close to so many people, even though they are breathing through masks.

Poor Hawaii. Their economy, so dependent upon tourism, is really suffering. Thousands have lost their jobs, many businesses have folded,, hotels are closed, stores are closed. Yet the flowers bloom all over the island. So many kinds of beautiful trees are everywhere. Historical sites remain protected.

Sara and I spent two days driving, first to and along the west side of the island, and then up the east side to the north shore. It was unforgettable. I think it possible that although I have been here every year since 1976 I may not be returning as I age. If you remember, from reading my first book, it was forecast that Hawaii would be important to me in my life. And it certainly has been.

Look. If you have ever dreamed of coming to Hawaii and have never done so, please think of planning a trip here when this horrible nightmare is over. You will so deserve a vacation and Hawaii will so deserve your time spent here enjoying the weather, the sights, the wonderful feelings of Hawaiian culture.

I don’t recommend the cruise because you spend too much time on the ship. To see Hawaii fly directly to Honolulu. Although other islands are interesting I prefer Oahu. On this island there is so much history, so much to see, so much to do. It is absolutely fascinating. If you are ever planningg such a trip and need advice, please contact me.

Meanwhile, I have guests coming to enjoy pizza while we watch the final segment of America’s Got Talent. We will also watch the sunset from my lanai.

D. M.

Happy Birthday . . . . .

Wow. Here’s me at 95. II’m about to start another year. This is my second day. I think I’ll take it easy, not to thumb my nose but to raise my thumb. Yeah. I made it this far. I think I’ll stay in my nightgown or robe all day. No one is coming and I’m not going anywhere. I just had coffee, and I had cake for breakfast How is that for showing the privilege of seniority?

WordPress is changing this website drastically. Suddenly it won’t accept my p ictures . . and I had some good ones to share. Maybe I’ll get it figured out. So today it will just be words and, as you know, I’m always full of them.

This seems like a good time to put together a few notes on things I’ve learned in those 95 years. I’ll start here and maybe add to it as the day goes along.

1.  I think my greatest blessing was family, the one I grew up with as a child and continued to grow up with as an adult. And the family I was given to guide  and, later, to learn from and to lean on. It is an excellent system we have going for  life on earth. If we keep and maintain the love that exists in this circle we will never be alone, we will never be without help, without support, comfort, encouragement. A good system..

• It is easy, however, for one to think he must carry on the family’s dream or the dream a family member has for him. Life will teach that we each come here with our own mission . to do the things we are uniquely equipped to do. Life becomes easier, life becomes more fun when you are doing something you love to do, something that is natural for you. Sometimes it takes a little time to work through things until you fall into your slot.
• Of course to maintain basic health one must eat and drink proper nourishment in proper quantities. We must get sujfficient exercise, good re-newing sleep. Those kind of rules are basic. Beyond that, one must discover rules he must follow that are uinique for him. . . for his body, for his mental health, for his emotional stability. We are all different and our needs can be slightly different. I am lucky, at 95, to be basically healthy.
• If you see yourself as a soul, an individual who lives on and continues to learn and grow, life is so much more rewarding, because you know you will take with you everything you learned in thjs lifetime on earth. It  is yours and no one can take it from you.
• For me, this kind of truth in no way diminishes what I learned through religion. We trust there is a greater force that governs the universe. We believe that jesus came to earth to teach and to help us to progress in the right direction. We’ve been told we have angels to help us and we are often aware of this higher energy that brings us ideas as if by magic, that appears to clear our path in surprising ways. When we are relaxed both mentally and physically, yet focused on a goal, we make great strides.
• I believe we create our own heavens and hells by our thoughts and our actions. We live them here on earth. What happens after we leave here I don’t know. Neither does anyone else. No matter what they say, they do not know.
• I am going to guess that if we do live on, in some form, we retain what we’ve learned so far, as a soul. We may have more opportunities to learn, all leading to making us all we can be.  People who return from a near death experience all tell completely different stories. So the unknown must remain a mystery as long as we live on earth. Maybe because of this  we can keep our minds and efforts on the known . . specifically our very own purpose, the plan for our life and its accomplishments.
• While I no longer go to church it is because I no longer feel the need. I got the message. I understand the truth in the teaching. I put it to work in my life. I have experienced help from my angels, particularly as I put together and published my two books, late in life..
• I remember when after many years in the choir I had to step down and sit with the congregation because the music brought  tears streaming down my face. Then, sitting with family in the pews I found again that the music brought me to tears.  I would have to leave the room. Still, it took time before I realized church may be good but that was not where I was to do my life’s work.
•  A minister once told me that to reach everyone in his congregation he had to preach at about the fifth grade level.  Perhaps that explains my tears and  why I had to move on, to search further, and to find a way to share.
•  I suspect that some of the many people who have left the church have done so because it was time for them to put to work what they had learned and to spend their time doing whatever good work they came to do I would like to think so.

From across the ocean . . . . .

Sara went walking last night in Waikiki. It was quiet. Very quiet. It’s the people who are missing. Still, the trees and flowers are beautiful and Hawaii is still sitting here waiting, as we are all waiting, for the pandemic crisis to be over.

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I had a reservation to fly home early August but cancelled. .  Old people are likely targets for this disease. Anyway I can’t imagine the flight I had scheduled Honolulu to Denver, wearing a mask and looking askance at my neighbors for hours and hours. That means my 3-month usual winter stay here has turned into 8 months. I can’t complain. I lead a quiet life here, much like the quiet life I live in Nebraska.

Because I was lax in checking my telephone messages at home I was late in learning my dear friend Annette had died. She was one of my close friends from college and lived in western Iowa. We had talked recently about the inevitable,the fact that we would be leaving soon. We wondered how it would happen. Probably we’d have a fall, Annie said. And sure enough she fell and struck her head and lived but a short time.

In 1943 we were well into college . . and we were well into war. One night we were called together at our girls’ dormitory and told that the Air Force was taking over the dorm for cadets in training. We were asked to form groups of 15 to be moved into houses the next day.

Of course we chose our friends. Our assigned house mother was a professor from the music department. Her name was Miss Grammer. So we called ourselves The Grammer Girls. Our close friendship there continued throughout our lives. We were bridesmaids for each other, and through the years our husbands became friends and our children became friends. We were scattered but occasionally came together for fun weekends in one state or another.

Now we are down to 2 Grammer Girls, me and Audrey. I called Audrey yesterday in Missouri and we shared Grammer Girl memories. We wondered how we will make our exit. Probably a fall, we said. Meanwhile we both admitted to using a cane. Not because we have to, we both said, but just for a little extra support.

I went to the hospital yesterday for a routine test. In the X-ray department a groups of techs set out to guess my age. They agreed on low seventies. The test turned out okay, I think, and I left there feeling I had gained 20 years of life. But not really.

 

 

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Good morning I think . . . . .

Whee. We not only avoided a hurricane, it didn’t even rain and the wind was the usual breeze. Strange to say I was disappointed but actually it’s been a bit too quiet around here, with people in masks creeping out only to buy necessities and then carefully judging people distance.  Yet there are a few people not following the rules, and it’s because of them we have the rules. Crazy. We met two people in our building last night who were not wearing masks. Sara told them “No, you can’t get on this elevator with us” and closed the door.

Most people are wearing masks made from the beautiful Hawaiian prints .At one time there was little traffic but it’s picking up now. Most stores are strictly monitored, some with greeters at the door to space our entrance, and most with floor markings. Can’t get an ice cream cone at McDonald’s because it must be handled. Shucks.

This morning I listened for a while to Mr.Barr being questioned in Congress. Couldn’t help but notice how many doing the questioning were women. They all had a similar approach. It seemed so vaguely familiar. If I had to give it a name I would call it the Mom approach.  I think as more and more women go into politics we are going to see more of this. It’s the look on their face. And it’s what it sounds like. Here’s what it sounds like:

1.  Be quiet. I’m talking.
2.  What’s your excuse this time?
3.  Don’t answer. Just listen.
4.  Because I said so. That’s why.
5.  You’re going to be so sorry.
6.  Why did you do that thing they  said you did?  Don’t answer.
7.  Next time maybe you’ll think twice.
8.  Be quiet and listen
9.  Because I said so. That’s why.
10.  Boy, are you going to be sorry
11.  Did you hear me?