Leis of Aloha
I am going to be the keynote speaker at a big conference here in Oshkosh were we now live. For some reason when I got the invitation I flashed on what I would wear to show off the lei I would be given. I used to hate singing with the double carnation lei that was so popular during the time when George Ariyoshi was in office. Those leis were so hot! When I sang with the Hawaii Vocal Arts Ensemble I got to choose the leis for the soloists and the director. I'd try and get florist to donate them, but we also paid out of our small budget. The best leis we got were always from Sadie at the A Picket Fence Florist in Kailua. Sadie was always so generous and she took so care with everything she created. Of course there won't be a lei for me as [...]
My Dog Thinks I’m Perfect
We need spring to come! It's been a long haul, and there are days when I'm tired of myself and my attitude. I've grumbled too much about the ice, I've dreamed too much of going home, and my headaches have been worse. I've snapped at people because I'm tired of being stuck in the house since I don't drive in the snow and ice. All in all, it's been a much worse winter than expected. And my skin and hair are awful! This year seems worse because Gary had a total knee replacement on December 21st and a second one on February 16th. That means jumping into the caregiving role and doing tasks around the house that are typically his job. It's absolutely worth it because by May he'll be out of pain and we'll be able to do lots of fun things that he couldn't do with bad knees. [...]
For over four years I did marketing and other tasks for a local rescue shelter. We rescued dogs from a high kill shelter in Kentucky. That's where I got my dog and he's the reason I decided to begin volunteering. Sadly, the rescue closed due to the financial strain of COVID and all that happened after that. I only wrote my book so I would always have money to donate to them and I rushed to release to be able to do one signing. I am pleased to announce I have a new rescue partner to help! Second Chance North rescues dogs from 2nd Chance Shelter in Alabama. They are a foster to adoption group and they are doing wonderful work. Next month I have a major TV interview and four book signings and a few other things happening that I hope will raise enough to rescue more dogs. I'm [...]
A Dog Will Change Everything
Yesterday I was a guest on a podcast about people who are trying to make a difference in the world. The host was a quiet high school student and he was incredibly personable. I loved [...]
Sing
When I was nineteen I developed a massive goiter. They never did find out why this happened to me, but in my second semester of my freshman year of college, I spent a week at [...]
A Man of God and Golf
They may not have been the first three words I ever heard him say, but I probably heard him say "You wanna shot?" over a thousand times. With that face-brightening grin almost like the little [...]