Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Eighth Grade Recognition Night
To celebrate the achievements of the eight grade class at Ottoson Middle School, parents and family members were invited to attend the Eighth Grade Recognition night in June of this year. We watched (while standing--no seats available, which is an Ottoson tradition) as Tim accepted an award for excellence in Drama as well as an award for making it through eighth grade and finishing off his Middle School experience. I'm pretty proud of this kid. He's kind, intelligent, very talented, creative and truly fun to be around. I'm so glad he's MY son!
Tyson's Colonial Days
The traditional third grade Colonial Days happened in June this year. I'm a little late posting the pictures, but I still wanted to share the fun. The kids enjoyed making silhouetttes, sachets; they dipped candles and tried their hand at calligraphy. They learned some dances, played old fashioned games like tug of war and hoop rolling and they even had the opportunity to have a minuteman come and fire off his old flintlock gun. All in all it was a fun and very memorable day!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Just Finished...
picture from Lisa See's website: Lisa See.com.
Dragon Bones by Lisa See was a thrilling mystery. I love Lisa See's style of writing. Previously, I read her novel, Snowflower and the Secret Fan and was impressed by both her writing and the story. Dragon Bones did not disappoint. About halfway through I found I couldn't put the book down and if I did my mind was still stuck in "Bashan valley." And, there are two other books she's written that pertain to her characters, Liu Hulan and David Stark. This novel is actually the third in a series. I'll have to check out the others and I encourage my friends to read along with me.
Learning the Lingo
In Massachusetts we learned to use words such as wicked, Mass Ave, idear (idea), and Aunt (pronounced Ont instead of Ant). Here in Hawaii we are picking up on expressions such as rubbish, Haole (white person), the Tab (tabernacle), Ohana (family), Keiki (child), and Pali (cliff or mountain). These examples are only just a few of the new words we are are learning to add to our vocabulary.
*Just for fun I'll throw in a story about the use of the term Haole...
Tim's church youth group is assigned to take the sacrament to the local retirement home one Sunday a month. Tim's awesome piano skills have gained him the role of accompanist for the meeting. Zac, Tyson and I tagged along for his first time.
There were at least thirty people in attendance. As the youth entered they went along and shook each individual's hand. The people loved to be greeted by the youth! Then the young men began to set up for the meeting and the meeting began with a song and a prayer. Afterwards, the priests blessed the sacrament and began to pass a tray of broken bread around the room.
One sweet Hawaiian woman, probably hard of hearing, said aloud (shouted actually), "I'm going to take the biggest one." Shortly after that, she "whispered" to her neighbor, "I took two!" Already everyone smiles began to emerge from all. Then, however, she looked over to the piano where Tim is quietly sitting waiting for the sacrament portion of the meeting to end. She took a good look at him and said aloud, "Look a Haole Boy!" Pause, and then, "Oh, he's blushing." The youth, as well as the rest of us, couldn't help but laugh.
Needless to say, us blondes stand out. In fact, one gentleman at church, when talking about fitting in, told Tim, "Don't worry that you glow in the dark." Ha! It makes me chuckle.
Here's a picture of my neon Haole boy on his first day of High School to finish off the post just right.
*Just for fun I'll throw in a story about the use of the term Haole...
Tim's church youth group is assigned to take the sacrament to the local retirement home one Sunday a month. Tim's awesome piano skills have gained him the role of accompanist for the meeting. Zac, Tyson and I tagged along for his first time.
There were at least thirty people in attendance. As the youth entered they went along and shook each individual's hand. The people loved to be greeted by the youth! Then the young men began to set up for the meeting and the meeting began with a song and a prayer. Afterwards, the priests blessed the sacrament and began to pass a tray of broken bread around the room.
One sweet Hawaiian woman, probably hard of hearing, said aloud (shouted actually), "I'm going to take the biggest one." Shortly after that, she "whispered" to her neighbor, "I took two!" Already everyone smiles began to emerge from all. Then, however, she looked over to the piano where Tim is quietly sitting waiting for the sacrament portion of the meeting to end. She took a good look at him and said aloud, "Look a Haole Boy!" Pause, and then, "Oh, he's blushing." The youth, as well as the rest of us, couldn't help but laugh.
Needless to say, us blondes stand out. In fact, one gentleman at church, when talking about fitting in, told Tim, "Don't worry that you glow in the dark." Ha! It makes me chuckle.
Here's a picture of my neon Haole boy on his first day of High School to finish off the post just right.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Gasoline Prices...TOO MUCH!!!
I just paid $4.11/gallon for gas. Ridiculous! Enough already! Will there be any relief? No, I don't see any in sight. In my opinion, the whole problem with our economy revolves around the rise of the gas prices. Shipping items costs more because of higher gas prices, which trickles down to consumers because producers and then retailers raise their prices and pass the cost of shipping on to us. The problem is, we can't hardly afford to buy anything else to help sustain a balanced economy because all of our spending power goes into our own car's gas tank. The rising gasoline prices should take priority as our government leaders address how to help adjust our economic crisis (in my humble opinion).
I guess I'll step off my soapbox now.
I guess I'll step off my soapbox now.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Book Report Time
I have read two books in the last month that I think are worth sharing. Here are my book reports:
Mother Had A Secret By Tiffany Fletcher
Tiffany Fletcher and her husband Sean are actually good friends of ours. I was so excited to hear she had published a book, a memoir of sorts. Due to school, it took me a year to finally get around to reading it, but I'm so glad I did. Tiffany's story is a heart-wrenching tale of her life dealing with her mother's multiple personalities disorder and how she learned acceptance and compassion. Tiffany's words are real; her descriptions are easy to picture and interesting to read. As I read, I could almost hear her reading the words aloud to me.
One fascinating element of the story was her difficulty in admitting hate. Hate is an emotion we all seem to feel, but find difficult to express because it is such a negative response. As I read through these hateful sections, I reflected on my own conflicts of hatred and how I dealt with them. Tiffany's story allows for the reflection, encourages it as well as identifying good ways to deal with it.
I also appreciated her explanation of dealing with disorder. She writes: "Though I considered myself a perfectionist, I found that perfection was a relative thing" (so true), she continues, "In the areas that mattered to me, I was meticulous and strived to maintain that aura of flawlessness. However, when it came to organization, I was less concerned. I had lived with disorder all my life, and my mind had learned to ignore it, perhaps in order to maintain a certain level of sanity. Our minds do that; they adapt and shape themselves in such a way that allows us to continue functioning in the most inhumane conditions" (48). I find Tiffany's statement to be plain and honest. Her description of how the mind adapts to uncomfortable or unacceptable situations is interesting and realistic.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I'm glad I read it. I highly recommend it to all my friends. But I must say, be prepared for a tear-jerker section (or two).
The Book of Tomorrow By Cecelia Ahern
The other book I recently finished reading was Cecilia Ahern's book, The Book of Tomorrow. She is also the author of P.S. I Love You, which was made into a movie of the same name starring Hilary Swank. However, this fact is not the reason I picked up this book (I only saw the movie--never read the book). I came across this particular book at the library when I was searching instead for a book by Lisa See (I'll get to that book eventually). In this instance, after being unable to find what I wanted, I literally grabbed a book off a shelf, glanced over the description on the back, deemed it suitable and took it home.
At first, I found it hard to delve into, a spoiled-rotten teenager doesn't float my boat, but eventually I became engrossed and quickly finished the book in a few days. The mix of fantasy and realism is a perfect combination to suit my taste.
The story takes place in a quiet countryside in Ireland, near a ruined castle. I enjoyed picturing the ruins and the lilting celtic airs that must whistle through the wind (haha). But honestly, the setting is fascinating and still unique. Ancient meets the present day; Ahern often includes modern day references to tv shows, food and familiar characters, etc. It's a book about the temptations and struggles of today but hails to the idealistic architecture of yesterday.
I only have one real criticism. the main character, Tamara, is somewhat annoying. As I mentioned earlier, she is a spoiled teenager, which translates into a foul mouth, bad attitude and selfish disposition. But, because she is such a person, the lesson she learns (humility, understanding and consideration for others) is greatly accentuated.
Coping with grief is another situation this story illustrates. Tamara has lost her father as well as her possessions. She learns to mourn and deal with the complication of the emotions she feels. The book helps depict this unnerving process. Although, the subject matter is fairly sad, the overall sentiment is rousing. Who doesn't like a happy ending?
Mother Had A Secret By Tiffany Fletcher
Tiffany Fletcher and her husband Sean are actually good friends of ours. I was so excited to hear she had published a book, a memoir of sorts. Due to school, it took me a year to finally get around to reading it, but I'm so glad I did. Tiffany's story is a heart-wrenching tale of her life dealing with her mother's multiple personalities disorder and how she learned acceptance and compassion. Tiffany's words are real; her descriptions are easy to picture and interesting to read. As I read, I could almost hear her reading the words aloud to me.
One fascinating element of the story was her difficulty in admitting hate. Hate is an emotion we all seem to feel, but find difficult to express because it is such a negative response. As I read through these hateful sections, I reflected on my own conflicts of hatred and how I dealt with them. Tiffany's story allows for the reflection, encourages it as well as identifying good ways to deal with it.
I also appreciated her explanation of dealing with disorder. She writes: "Though I considered myself a perfectionist, I found that perfection was a relative thing" (so true), she continues, "In the areas that mattered to me, I was meticulous and strived to maintain that aura of flawlessness. However, when it came to organization, I was less concerned. I had lived with disorder all my life, and my mind had learned to ignore it, perhaps in order to maintain a certain level of sanity. Our minds do that; they adapt and shape themselves in such a way that allows us to continue functioning in the most inhumane conditions" (48). I find Tiffany's statement to be plain and honest. Her description of how the mind adapts to uncomfortable or unacceptable situations is interesting and realistic.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I'm glad I read it. I highly recommend it to all my friends. But I must say, be prepared for a tear-jerker section (or two).
The Book of Tomorrow By Cecelia Ahern
The other book I recently finished reading was Cecilia Ahern's book, The Book of Tomorrow. She is also the author of P.S. I Love You, which was made into a movie of the same name starring Hilary Swank. However, this fact is not the reason I picked up this book (I only saw the movie--never read the book). I came across this particular book at the library when I was searching instead for a book by Lisa See (I'll get to that book eventually). In this instance, after being unable to find what I wanted, I literally grabbed a book off a shelf, glanced over the description on the back, deemed it suitable and took it home.
At first, I found it hard to delve into, a spoiled-rotten teenager doesn't float my boat, but eventually I became engrossed and quickly finished the book in a few days. The mix of fantasy and realism is a perfect combination to suit my taste.
The story takes place in a quiet countryside in Ireland, near a ruined castle. I enjoyed picturing the ruins and the lilting celtic airs that must whistle through the wind (haha). But honestly, the setting is fascinating and still unique. Ancient meets the present day; Ahern often includes modern day references to tv shows, food and familiar characters, etc. It's a book about the temptations and struggles of today but hails to the idealistic architecture of yesterday.
I only have one real criticism. the main character, Tamara, is somewhat annoying. As I mentioned earlier, she is a spoiled teenager, which translates into a foul mouth, bad attitude and selfish disposition. But, because she is such a person, the lesson she learns (humility, understanding and consideration for others) is greatly accentuated.
Coping with grief is another situation this story illustrates. Tamara has lost her father as well as her possessions. She learns to mourn and deal with the complication of the emotions she feels. The book helps depict this unnerving process. Although, the subject matter is fairly sad, the overall sentiment is rousing. Who doesn't like a happy ending?
Friday, September 16, 2011
Perpetual Summer
Every morning around 6:30am I eye the thermostat in the car. It somberly, but consistently, states 78 degrees, which later develops into 87-88 degrees by late afternoon. Perfect weather--right? Well, yes. The sky is always blue, give or take an occasional cloud dropping a light rain shower, and a breeze often accompanies me throughout the day. The humidity is a bit much for me at times, but a decent fan or a ride in an air-conditioned car takes care of those sorrows, but what is really starting to get to me is the fact that the weather does NOT change. It's September. I keep looking around for signs of fall, but alas, autumn is not to be found in Hawaii. I miss pulling out the long sleeves and light jackets. I long for a pair of socks higher than anklets. Oh to see the leaves change colors. I am missing out. I feel sad. I'll just have to go swim with some more turtles and find a way to properly deal with my perpetual summer.
Happy Fall Y'all!
(Turtle Bay on the North Shore)
Happy Fall Y'all!
(Turtle Bay on the North Shore)
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