(3of3) The Kama Family Weaving Method with Sam Kama, Jr. Hilo Hawaii

(2of3) The Kama Family Style of Basket Weaving Demonstation Hilo Hawai...

(1of3) Hawaiian Weaving with Sam Kama,Jr. Hilo Hawaii

How To Make A Palm Hat Part 1

How to Make a Palm Hat Part 2.

Beautiful day outside so I decided to put up the Christmas lights.  It's only a couple of days early.  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Country Road - Jack Johnson with Paula Fuga (With Lyrics)

While I was visiting the Howards this song was played regularly while we traveled on the two lane country road which this song is written about. Kam hiway    It is my new favorite.  Enjoy.  (I reallly like the whistling solo, it reminds me of my dad, he always whistled to his favorite tunes)

Trunk or Treat

 Dracula ,  Cruella DeVille   and Super Ninja ....this event is much
more fun than trick or treating.  The families gather in the cultural hall, have dinner, dance and play a game, than we all  happily cruz by all the decorated cars gathering treats and when all is done, have ice cream and choc. chip cookies for dessert.  We had a marvelous time.  The halloween festivities have now begun.  Oh, as for Jaxon, he wasn't dressed up when this photo was taken. 

One small adjustment

 I know you are wondering, "what in the world does this trailer have to do with Verda?"  Well, I have been struggling with the mere fact that I do not know who I am.    And recently I have been formulating a plan to get my answer. It has taken me 6 months to get to this point.   As I was watching this movie the  story being told made an impression on me and I wrote it down.  (By the way, I researched it; the story is true).  I have put this simple idea of "making small adjustments" to use in my everyday life and it has made a world of difference.  Have I figured it all out? mmm, I'm still working on it.  I  am, however, very pleased that I am  making progress.   It is very slow, and at times I get very discouraged, but I want to find my answers more than I want to give up.

Take me out to the ball game...

Introducing Team Lamb.   This year Gary decided to play softball with the guys at work. They play at Pioneer Park on Monday nights.   Let's go Lamb Chops , let's go!

RED, the quad or Verda's ride to work

I've been riding my bike from work because Garrett is taking a summer school class   monday thru thursday.  Gary took pity on me and bought this quad for me to ride instead. I  bought the helmet at the thrift store. My next adventure is riding this during the monsoons.  So far it has been dry.  We will see how long that lasts.  Who wants to go for a ride?

Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun please shine down on me...

One of things I share with my daughters is the wonderment of watching the sun set.  I enjoy watching it most on the ocean.  When I would visit my mother in La Jolla, California my favorite part of the trip was sitting on a bench above the beach and watching the sun slowly drift into the horizon. I 'm generally with my sister during these times and it's so nice to be together quietly  visiting, solving the problems of the day.. There is a peacefulness that accompanies  that time of day.  It's just you, the ocean breeze, the waves brushing up on the shore and the sun.  Depending on the day there would be or not be a display of vibrant color.  It doesn't matter to me, I like watching the sun go down.  It's relaxing and soothing.  Since my daughters have both lived on an island, I have enjoyed this early evening wonder with my grandchildren.  I also like to watch the sun rise, but I don't get around to that too much.  It was something I looked forward to when I taught early morning seminary.  I love the color the sun projects onto the clouds in the early morning hours.  Alaskan sunsets are amazing also.  I have been dazzled by the effects of the setting sun on the ocean and ice. Brad and Kerri always chase the sunset, not matter what the temperature is outside.

Many times we have to pre-plan to have these experiences because you have to drive a ways to find  "just the right spot" to sit and watch.  It is always an adventure and unforgettable.   As you might already assume since I live in the Prescott area that I also enjoy the sunsets in the mountains.  It is not uncommon for me to pull over while I'm driving during the sunset to take a picture.  I have so many photos of sunsets.  They might look all the same to someone else, but I know the difference and remember the circumstance of just about every one of them.

 One I will remember is while visiting Kim and her family we sat on the beach and while waiting for the sun to lower we also had the fortune of watching the whales.  Two for one.    When I visited Kerri just recently we took fun photos of the sunset. Unfortunately my camera is not the greatest and my photography skills are very weak, but the time we spend together on these adventures is priceless.  Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden Sun, thanks for shining for our fam-i-ly!

Abs of Steel or WOW Rylee, that's amazing!

The Easter Bunny brought Rylee to us for a visit.  I have now had the opportunity to spend time with each of my grandchildren.  What a blessing. I sure do  "lubba" my babies.  It's so sad that they live so far away and the time between visits is so long...but i'm grateful for the fun I have enjoyed this last month.

relaxing in Hawaii

This is what you can do to pass the time while you are visiting family on the Island of Oahu

Oh what do you do in Alaska when all the world is white?

Oh what do you do in the winter time when all the word is white:       Do you...     Ice Skate  *   Cross Country Ski.* Soak in the Hot Springs. *Chase the sunset. *Spin in a frozen bowl.* slide on a frozen slide.*.Take pictures with Ice sculptures.*  watch the northern lights dance in the black sky.* watch the reindeer run  *  cheer at the dog sled race*... is that what you do?  So do I  

Snow and Ice/Tropical Rain

I just returned from a visit with my girls.  It was wonderful to see them face to face and give them a hug.  My girls are young mothers and they don't have too much time to themselves, how I remember those days in my own life.  They handle it well.  They are so happy to be "stay at home" mothers even though there are many days when life is monotonous and can be boring.  They simply love being a mommie. Their husbands are supportive and do what they can to give them some free time.  Both girls live for the outdoors and go nuts whenever the weather will not permit them to go outside.

It was fun to go from cold, dry weather to warm, humid weather all in one trip.  I would not suggest this to anyone else.  I had to be very creative packing clothes for this trip.  I do not like to check a bag so you can image how small my luggage had to be for  carry on.  But i did it.  I left my coat with Kerri because it didn't make sense to drag it along to Kim's.  i also packed my clothes for Hawaii in a flat rate box and prepared it to be mailed to Kim while I was with Kerri. Oddly enough the space I used for my coat was the same amount of space i would need for my light weight clothes that were mailed,so I was able to fit them back in my luggage for the journey home.   Next time I will just check a bag, it will be a lot easier.  Or Maybe I will just visit one daughter at a time and space it out a bit.

Home again...

To Alaska, Hawaii to see my grand kids,
Home again, Home again, jiggety jig

Had a wonderful, fantabulous trip.  Pictures and stories will be posted soon

Leaving on a jet plane...

Friday I  begin my journey.  First stop, ALASKA  I will be making a visit to The Call Family. Second stop, a visit to the Howard Family in Hawaii.  I will be gone for about 3 weeks.  I'm looking forward to seeing my daughters.  Of course getting to spend time with the grand children will be fun also.  I'll post pictures when I return.

hair and wrinkles

In my home I am the only one that has a head of hair.  My men are bald.  So all the hair laying on the floor, clogging the drain,  unwanted in the bathroom sink are all due to me.  I have a lot of hair. And to make matters worse, I have decided to grow it out.  Hmmm....more mess.  I have dyed it black to cover my grey.  Since I started working beside a much younger woman I don't want to look any older than I am.  Although many people act surprised when I tell them my age I am, nevertheless, getting older and I  look it. BAHHH  I want to grow my hair longer simply because the length of my hair has not been past my chin for 30 years.  So I thought I would give longer hair a try.  Do not know how long this will last.  I'm very lazy when it comes to "doing" my hair.  I hope it will be long enough to pull up into a pony tail by this summer and if I can last through the summer, I should be able to let it grow down to my shoulders and we'll go from there. My goal is to have it all one length to my shoulders.  Why?  I don't know, just thought i would see if I could do it. I haven't had my hair all one length, to my shoulders since I was in junior high.

On the subject of getting older, I noticed my hands the other day.  Oh my, they are starting to look their age.  I can always tell a woman's true age by looking at her hands.  The rest of our bodies can be fit and trim but our hands tell the truth.  Because I am on the heavy side I don't have many wrinkles. If I would loose about 25 pounds, my neck and face would show wrinkles.  But wrinkles or not, I'm tired of carrying around all this extra weight and it's time to slim down a bit, even if I have to have wrinkles.  No I am not going on a diet.  I'm just going to exercise more often and eat better.

This is my story and I'm sticking to it!

Just keep swimming

Last night when I went to bed I was feeling so trapped.  No matter where I went, what I did,  how I moved, I felt contained.  It was a terrible feeling.  I put my hands on my head and gave it shake. GO AWAY! i said, my thoughts were strangling me.  I finally fell asleep after pleading in my prayers for a simple answer to this negative thought process.  In my dreams I saw a maze.  A huge block wall maze.  It looked just like the one that was used on "Wizards of Waverly Place"  a Disney show I watch from time to time because I love the characters.  Anyways, on the show Alex just used a spell and walked through the walls and found her way out.  My thought, well, I can't wave a wand and walk out of this maze.  Then I said out loud, why not?   I'm in my head  The maze is not real.  No more walls.  Than I was trapped in a large cardboard box, I thought again, there is no cardboard box. The walls fell away. Than there was a prison cell, this one came from a memory of visiting Alcatraz.  I didn't go for that one either. No more bars.   Soon nothing held me.  I could go and do whatever I wanted without boundries.  I do not know why I am struggling with my thoughts so much these days.  I did go to the doctor and she adjusted my meds so I am doing better.  I just try to picture Dorie the little blue fish and I tell myself, "just keep swimming, swimming, swimming, just keep swimming!"

New Solutions

REGRET (ri gret)  to feel sorry about an event, one's acts, etc.

 mourn, bewail, lament, cry over, rue, grieve, have compunctions about, feel conscience-stricken, concern, worry, self accusation, disappointment, dissatisfaction, uneasiness, discomfort, annoyance

cry over spilled milk--kick oneself--looking in the rear-view mirror--spiritual distrubance




Garrett asked me the other day to do something for him...stop being negative about everything.  So I thought it over and decided he is right.  I'm so negative because I am so bitter about my own actions.
This year the only thing I am going to change is the unhealthy way I beat up on myself.  Regrets are and always have been on the forefront of my mind.  I have decided that if I can just push them aside (really, I would rather squash them, send them through a high speed blender, than wash them down the drain) many of my so called "problems" will disappear.  Wish me luck and if any of you can spare the time, pray for my success.