Such a Learning Curve
I am so grateful to those of you who actually read this blog, as I have to confess, I just about had enough of wordpress. Learning a new program or a social network, or any other virtually supported mode has, while challenging, never gotten the best of me like wordpress has! I don’t know what it is, I just can’t put my finger on it. However, after receiving a couple of comments on my post, I feel challenged to LEARN IT! So, please be patient….I will get better, and thanks again for your visit! Otherwise I do have my blogspot www.islandbuzzy.blogspot.com
I guess you CAN teach an old dog NEW tricks!
Exploring Charleston
A beautiful old Charleston Building
I had been told, but could never imagine the impact the beautiful architecture and history of this town would have on me.
French quarters
I am so glad that I took the advice of that young bartender who said to me “if you leave South Carolina without visiting Charleston, you will always regret it”. Being from Hawaii, the odds of having this chance again are zero to none, so I decided to go for it!
Traditional Courtyard Garden
The next morning, me, my rented car and my trusty gps made the 120 mile each way, trek.
Gravestones dating back to the 18th century
I cannot say that I was completely fearless, but thus far, my gps had been faithful…and I really wanted to explore!
There are a lot of high end bistro type restaurants near Market Street, but I wanted to eat at a local hole in the wall…and I believe I done good!
The “Cuban” one of their specialties…omg, ham, corned beef, cheese, pickles…perfect lunch to shop on!
USPS Building
Classic architecture. I don’t have it in this post, but did you know that Pirates landed in Charleston, and there is a Pirate hanging ground there? I knew about the Civil War..but Pirates? Arrrggghhh!
The Round Church
Ton’s of churches, oh yeah, forgot,I was in the South!
The Court House courtyard. I thought to myself that if I lived and worked in Charles Town, I would make this my lunch getaway place….
Even the 120 mile drive back to my hotel was pleasant…look who accompanied me along the way =)!
I now have another wonderful memory to think back on as well as to share with my grandkids. This memory is dedicated to my Pop, Scott Robertson, who was admitted to the hospital that day…and his next stop was his final one. I miss him dearly!
To Market To Market to Buy a……
Filthy Farmgirl Soaps Made in Kalapana Hawaii www.filthyfarmgirl.com
There was a time, not that long ago, when it was difficult to find a decent farmer’s market, much less imagine that they would actually grow to the point of being competitive. Good for the consumer, for sure! On the East side of the Big Island of Hawaii, where I live, there are several great farm to you venues, each one unique. This particular day I visited the Maku’u Farmer’s Market, located in Puna Hawaii.
Filthy Farmgirl Soaps is a small “all natural, handmade soap” company run by a wonderfully energetic young couple. I was told that they started their company, while on vacation at her parents home. They experienced such success during their debut, that they decided to turn it into a business. Their soaps are great, even on sensitive skin…they farm as many ingredients as they can themselves, and use all sustainable and natural practices in production of their fine soaps. Their attitude? Get this: Filthy Twirp, Filthy Mustache, Hyper Mocah Mix, Super Hippie Princess….some of their SCENTS? Jasmine, Basil, Tuberose, Tangerine, Rum Spice…so much more, 52 at the time of this post.
Orgnic Farm Fresh Produce from the Big Island of Hawaii
The produce is fantastic. There are several people there that sell locally grown bananas and one woman in particular that has been selling her delicious Apple and Williams bananas for years. Her price is normally around 75 cents a pound and her bananas are so sweet!
Le Magic Pan Crepes
When on the Big Island of Hawaii, a Sunday at the Maku’u Market is a must!
A live Volcano in my Backyard
The historic Volcano House Lodge is pictured in the background, I am standing at the edge of Halema’uma’u Crater. The steam is rising from natural vents on the crater’s edge.
Three of my grandchildren standing at the crater’s edge, you can see the smoke from the active volcano in the background. This particular morning it was approximately 55 degrees and windy, and it was the official first day of Summer!
A view from the edge of Halema’uma’u crater’s edge, you can see the floor of the crater off to the right. We were there early on a weekday morning, so this usually busy area was very quiet, in fact we were the only ones there. This is the time of day I prefer to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the only sounds are those of the native birds, the air is usually clear and there is a sense of tranquility that leaves me with that “peaceful, easy feeling”
Turn around and growing against the rather harsh landscape are these beautiful, delicate Ohelo berries, a native Hawaiian plant that the native Nene goose feed on, They also make delish…pies!
Tip Toe Through My Hawaiian Garden
My compost pile with fresh lawn cuttings that will provide nitrogen necessary to accelerate break down of composting materials.
Green, yellow and red peppers..popping up, of course the colors won’t show until they mature.
One of my gardens…eclectic, adhd? Just like me….
I love growing herbs they seem to stay beneath the “vog” radar..
A friend gave me these Tahitian ti’s when they were only stalks, she didn’t even know what kind of ti’s they would turn out to be….I scored! They are so pretty!
Taro…Kalo
Bananas
Earth and Grandson Friendly
Pizza after football practice
It seems to me that kids have to live in such a grown up world today. Perhaps one of the negative aspects of technology and all of the communication they are subjected to (ignorance is bliss!). One of the projects my grandson and I decided to tackle today was our every other month recycling of “redeemable bottles, cans and plastic”. Just so you know, we do recycle even the non-redeemable containers, paper, cardboard and everything else our local redemption centers will take…not to mention donations to the local non-profits. I digress…we (he) made $22. on the redeemable items and as we walked away from the cashier at the redemption center, he asked if I could take him to the local Goodwill Store…how could I ever refuse this request?
He promptly proceeded to the back of the store, where the shoe rack is, apparently he knew exactly what he was looking for, and found a new pair of DC shoes. For those of you who don’t know this is a popular brand of better made athletic shoes with the kids. This particular pair had suede sides, definitely one of the more expensive styles. They fit him perfectly! One of the other items that he had mentioned wanting, to my surprise, was a visor, I guess he had been thinking about this one. As it turns out, he finds a brand new, official Carolina Panthers visor. What is so exciting about this? Well, it just so happens that the flag football league that he just finished a season with is named the Puna Panthers, Puna after the district in which he lives and Panthers…yes, you guessed it, after the Carolina Panthers. Finally, he was drawn to a book of poetry for kids, he will always intrigue me!
My day was filled with so many “to-dos” my house work, garden, business…but nothing was so fulfilling and satisfying as this time that I spent with my grandson.
Size Matters
There seems to be a little controversy over the definition of what a small holder or a small holding is, but in general this term refers to a small farm or an owner of a small farm that earns an income outside of the farm and primarily uses the “fruit” of the farm for their family’s provision.
I am glad that I stumbled upon this term as it has helped me to focus on what I see for my little piece of heaven on earth. My style of farming is totally eclectic, in that I mix and match several different crops in each one of my garden plots. In one garden you will find strawberries, green onions, oregano, thyme, mint, Okinawan sweet potatoes, tomatoes and a had of cabbage. I refer to myself as the ADHD gardener, I just don’t think I could ever bring myself to do the row after row of exactly the same crop thing! I would get bored.
It isn’t unusual to find flowers blooming alongside of my herbs and veggies, the same goes for ornamental house plants. I am convinced that plants want to be a part of an ohana or a family, and they thrive when in that environment. Of course, this could just be indicative of my character, which I am imposing on my plants. Come to think of it, that may be why my dogs, cat and chicken are all good friends…they don’t know any better!
Today I harvested what I believe to be the seeds for my Chinese Parsley or Cilantro and Garlic Chives, the only plants I have ever seeded on my own are tomatoes, so I am excited about this. I also just introduced bell peppers in three colors and am hoping to experiment with broccoli within the week.
My compost pile has even given me returns, I am no longer buying potting soil…what a conquest for this ex-city-pat! Hopefully, the “fruit of my labor” will be edible!
This Country Life
There are times when I so miss being able to jump in my car and drive 3 minutes to the nearest shopping mall or to Starbucks. Spending hours perusing Ross’ as a way to relieve stress, taking the time for my weekly manicure and pedicure….ahhh city life.
The City
But then, when I turn off those voices, I hear the birds chirping so clearly. The tomatoes that I planted during the rainy winter time are now popping out all over the place and they are sweeeeet!! Basil, thyme, oregano, chives, green onions, rosemary, mamaki tea…all blooming and at my finger tips.
Cuban Oregano
Henny Penny, the Rhode Island Red that was “rescued” from the neighborhood dogs now rewards me daily with a fresh, large organic egg. As if thankful for being rescued, she is the sweetest bird, follows me around the yard, loves my dogs…Honey and Sukoshi, they are the sweetest.
Dog-Honey and her friend Penny
Grass stains on my jeans, rubber boots for shoes, the sound of the breeze for company, I do believe I’m falling in love. I knew when I made the move that adjusting wouldn’t be easy, however this new life has been kind, so I am giving it time.
My Peeps
I find it really interesting and also a blessing the number of young women that have come into my life over the past couple of years. The first whom I worked with a few years ago and eventually I ended up caring for her child, Tyson-Alexander, for a year. On the day of his first birthday party, they asked me to baptize him. This “opened the doors” for me to share the Lord’s love with the entire family that attended the baptism at a local beach. Since then, she has had a second son and has asked that I do the same for him in about three months.
Girly Girls!
Another young woman who worked at the same company, continues to call me occasionally and Facebook me daily. Last night she instant messaged me and asked if I would take her and her two young sons to church next week Sunday…looks like He has an assignment for me…and I had better choose to accept it!
An Aunties Love
Then there are three other young women who were part of the staff at a small cafe that I helped to get started. Although most of us are no longer there, they all continue to keep in touch with me, primarily via Facebook. One of the girls is leaving for college in a couple of weeks and has asked me to a girls “sushi” get together in her honor…not too difficult a decision for me. Another one of the girls is currently applying for a position that would really be a stepping stone in her career as a cook and she has asked me to please pray for her regarding this situation. The third young woman who worked at the cafe is a graphic artist. She and I keep in touch over our common interest in the arts. In fact I was able to connect her with Tyson-Alexander’s mom who is a bookkeeper….hope that works, very cool.
Rock Solid
Two weekends from now I am having a clothing exchange get together at my home..you know, it’s a girl’s thing. I am hoping to have most of these young ladies there along with some friends and relatives. There is another young woman, a college student who heard about the event from my niece and has asked to be included..yeah, another sister!
For the past couple of years, I have had a dream of building a little “retreat” type dwelling in my back yard. My vision for this dwelling would be the creation of a place where women could come together to encourage and support one another, a place where healing would occur.
If you are reading my blog and you are a praying person…I would so appreciate your support!
The Summer Story I Promised
Okay, some of you may think this is a totally wierd story to be writing in a mature woman’s blog, but in honor of Summer and the carefree attitude that should be attached to this special time of year, I am going to write it anyway!
Growing up, I had (and still have) a best girlfriend named Goldie. She lives 2500 miles away now, so we don’t get to see each other, but will always be connected in our hearts. She and I would spend every moment we could with each other, and of course that included spending the night at each other’s homes. I loved staying at Goldie’s house, because she lived in this cool place that was once her grandma’s pre-school. Because of this, her home came with some unusual design features such as built-in cubby holes, large, open living spaces and an accessible ramp…yep, grandma was thinking way back then! This uniqueness made her home so cool and so special. Somehow, just being in a building that once housed hundreds of little people created an enchanting environment where learning and discovering always seemed to be a natural occurence.
I guess you could say that at times, Goldie and I took that learning and discovering to the extreme..as I assume all creative young people do. This particular summer day, it was a few weeks into the summer as we were already getting bored, we decided that we would make a batch of biscuits. Her parents, like mine, both worked full-time, so we spent a lot of the day by ourselves, which made us pretty competent at preparing our own food. If you know anything about making fresh biscuits, part of the fun is being creative with the left over dough. She and I definitely took it to a new level as we experimented with food color and shapes. But, as you can imagine, too much experimenting left us with a glob of ugly brown dough…which we both agreed looked exactly like doggie poop. As you can imagine, this opened the doors to all kinds of pre-teen ideas. After 
craftily shaping the dough into a”pile of poop”, edible poop, may I remind you, we now felt the need to do something with it. And, like the perfect opportunity, it all came togther..neighbors not at home, front porch calling to us….yep, you got the picture.
The neighbor’s reaction to the poop on their porch was priceless. Goldie and I layed on her bed watching everything from a great vantage point and laughed until our sides split. I only wish there were portable video cams in those days because I am positive that we would have won the $10 thousand dollar grand prize on Worlds Funniest Home Videos. Oh, good old summer time!
