Sixty-two years ago......

A letter from my cousin to our grandmother (whom he called Mom), during World War II. It is dated July 23, 1944 and is a little over 62 years old. He mentions that he was in a battle, but he cannot say where or what happened. On the second page, he tells her how much he would like to have one of her chicken dinners. I have written before of her chicken and dumplings; they were legendary in our family. I don't know if he ever got to eat her cooking again, but I sure hope so.

The young man who wrote this was killed in a motorcycle accident just about a year after he wrote this letter. He was home on leave from Pearl Harbor. I wrote about him before, and you can find his photo in my post for Feb. 3, 2006.

I have two more of his letters and I cannot bring myself to throw them out.

My favorite place on Earth

Edited re-post from January 2005



Photos (clockwise from the upper left): One of the canyons seen from the helicopter in Kauai. A scene in Kauai. Me on the beach in Lihue at the Marriott on Mother's Day 2001.Tall red ginger growing at the Marriott.

My favorite place is Hawaii; specifically Kauai and the Big Island. I went to the Big Island 21 years ago, and it was love at first sight. We were there with 3 other couples for a week on the Big Island at Kona, and then we went to Maui for a business convention. The Big Island is a most diverse place: it ranges from utter desolation (at new lava flows) to lush rain forests with bamboo as large around as a body. Akaka Falls is not to be missed; it falls 400+ feet and is surrounded by lush vegetation and huge flowers.

We stayed in a condo just outside of Kona proper; it's name was Hale Kai O'Kona, which means "house by the side of the sea". We rented cars and went all over the island. My favorite place was Volcanoes National Park. Kilauea was quiet the day we were there, but it started erupting the day we left for Maui and it has been erupting for the last 21 years. I felt deprived at not seeing it erupt, as that has been a desire of mine for a long time, and still is.

Another good spot is Hilo, which is on the east coast of Hawaii. It was the scene of a horrible tsunami back in the 40's, but no damage is visible from that time. We had the best meal in Hilo. It was in a small restaurant with a koi pond in front and on the wall were signs from all the associations and clubs in the area, saying "Elks meet here on Monday", and "Kiwanis meets here Tuesday", etc. They served us a meat or seafood, 2 veggies, salad, dessert, bread and beverage for about $4 each. That was in 1985; who knows what it might cost now. My mahi-mahi was superb, and I have never again had fish that good!

We went to Kauai in 2001 and stayed at the Marriott in Lihue. Our younger daughter took us on this trip. Kauai has some of the most beautiful, spectacular scenery on the planet. Many movies are filmed there, as well as TV shows. If you ever have the opportunity to go to Kauai, make certain you drive through Waimea Canyon, which rivals the Grand Canyon scenically, but has the added attraction of much vegetation. Another wonderful place to see is the top of Mt. Waialeale, known as the wettest place on earth. I saw wild hydrangeas and calla lilies here, as well as lantana growing like hedges. The overlook down to the ocean was clouded over when we got there, but the weather here can change in a heart-beat, and before we left, the clouds lifted and the sun shone on the most beautiful lush, green canyon, down to the turquoise sea. The beauty of it brought tears to my eyes and all I could think was to thank God for allowing me to see it.
My daughter and I also went on a helicopter tour of Kauai, which is the easiest way to see the almost totally inaccessible cliffs on the north west side of the island; the Napali Coast. I smiled during the whole hour. I simply could not believe I was there, seeing this beautiful scenery from a helicopter. Leaving that island was a bad experience for me, and I would move there if I had no family left on the mainland.




We had drinks at a resort on the west coast of the Big Island. I cannot remember the name of it, but it was super fancy and the landscaping was phenomenal when you realize that it was placed on top of a lava flow, where nothing grows for many years. They had to ship in all of the building materials, sod and plants, and it is truly amazing what can be done! I guess all it takes is money and determination.

In Maui, we stayed at the Marriott on Kaanapali Beach, next door to the Hyatt Regency. Both hotels are good, but the Hyatt was spectacular at that time. I am sure it has changed considerably, but back then it had a "zoo" on the premises, along with many, many treasures from China, such as porcelains, statuary, etc. They were museum quality and probably should have never been allowed to leave China. They also had a lagoon where black swans swam, and it was right beside a restaurant. It was wonderful to sit there in the open air and watch the swans.

I'm Mad....and I'm just about to the point....

where I won't take it anymore.

I checked my bank statement on-line today and saw a $2 service fee. I had no idea what it might be for, so I called the bank. The clerk said it was a fee for "receiving the images of my cancelled checks in my printed statements." I had no idea they were beginning to charge for that. They have tried to get me to give up printed statements - but I am not about to do that. What if my computer crashes and I am without one for a while? I need those paper statements!!

I mentioned that because I am over 65, and we also have a charter account with that bank, I was not supposed to have any fees charged to my account. She said no other fees apply, only these (and I presume any others they think up later on and tack on without my knowledge.)

I asked her to remove that fee, since I had been unaware of it - and gave her permission to stop sending the images of cancelled checks monthly - as long as I am able to see those check images on-line. She assured me I would be able to, but she couldn't remove the current $2 charge. Grrrrrrr.

I know how they communicate new fees. They print it in the smallest and faintest letters possible and stick it in a remote corner of the statement, so most people never see the warning and most won't bother about calling for $2. They get rich that way. 

We are not talking about a lot of money now, but if they continue to think up ways to charge more for all/any of their services - it could eventually amount to a bunch! What is next?  

I told that clerk  (she referred to herself as a relationship banker)  that her bank was slowly forcing me to close that account and bank through my credit union account only. It will cause some extra paperwork and phone calls (to change automatic deposits and bill-paying, which I have been loathe to do) but I'm reaching the point where anything will be better than having to fight them for additional fees nearly every month.

Have you had similar problems? 

A Floral Tutorial

Prompted by a question I got last week from a fellow blogger:

When you receive a flower arrangement, first make sure there is enough water in the container, especially if the flowers are arranged in Oasis (green foam). Take a photo of the flowers, a close-up, if possible.  Place them in an area where they will not be subject to cold or hot drafts and direct sunlight. Add water as needed (usually once per day). Some flowers drink up water more quickly than others, so check the arrangement several times. 

If, on the next day, the flowers look wilted or have "bent-neck", call the florist as soon as possible, to lodge a complaint. But first, take another photo of the arrangement, showing the problem. That way, you will have a basis for comparison, and can offer to email both photos to the shop. 

The shop should give you an immediate replacement, or a credit. If the flowers were a gift, you have to decide if you want to let the sender know that they were not good quality. Most people won't want to tell the sender, but I think you should, so they can complain and receive a credit. They might be embarrassed or mad about it, but they are certainly not to blame - especially if the flowers were sent from a distance and the sender had no way to judge the quality of the florist shop. Otherwise, they will think you were pleased, and will call that same shop for future deliveries. 

Over the course of my career, I have worked for 7-8 different shops; most of which had a liberal credit policy, especially in the face of poor quality.  Florists cannot always tell when flowers they receive from the wholesaler/shipper are not good quality. They expect to be called out for delivering poor quality flowers and in many cases, they can receive a credit for their purchase (or may already have).

The few florists I know who send out poor quality flowers and/or refuse to repair a problem like this are allowed to remain in business because people do not complain promptly or tell others about their experiences. You are doing everyone a favor when you don't let them get away with it!!

Happy Mother's Day


to everyone who is a mother, grandmother, stepmother, surrogate mother, wanna be mother, etc. 

quote

If what you are getting online is for free, you are not the customer, you are the product. 


Jonathan Zittrain, professor of Internet law (b. 1969) 

*****

Those who cannot forgive others break the bridge over which they themselves must pass. 


Confucius, philosopher and teacher (c. 551-478 BCE) 

*****

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. 


Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobel laureate (1875-1965) 

Extreme Foundations...

No, not  the kind needed for super-tall buildings - the type a woman of a certain age needs when she is dressing for a fancy party. In other words:   ultra-strong, industrial-strength girdles. 

I sure do wish I had invented Sp*nx. I don't know what they cost to manufacture, but the prices are way up there!  I suspect the woman who came up with the idea is making millions, or soon will. 

Part of my trepidation about paying those prices is whether or not I can manage to wear it the entire night without heaving it into the nearest trash can, as I did one hot night in DC, 25 years ago. We were attending the 25th Georgetown reunion and the party was staged in a room that held hundreds but wasn't equipped to cool the place if more than 50 were present. And to add to the misery, the temperature was still in the 90's at 7pm, with humidity to match. I think I wore the girdle until 9pm, but then I simply couldn't stand the heat and compression any longer and I took myself off to the nearest ladies room, removed the girdle and tossed it into the trash. I never looked back or regretted that either, until the next time I needed to wear one and had none. 

Last year I bought a knock-off version of the better brand and it wasn't large enough. I could barely take a breath when I had it on and it was so difficult to get on and remove that I had to make sure I didn't need to use the restroom while I was wearing it  (an impossible situation for those aforementioned women of a certain age) amiright?  

So let's hope that the one I bought today is bearable for the whole evening. You see, I need it three nights in a row......lol