Hobbits and Corgyn

"TUDOR" - is 8 weeks old and is waiting patiently for his ears to perk UP

Corgi dogs (plural, Corgyn) and
Hobbits have several things in common, particularly Corgi PUPPIES!

• They obviously have short legs
• They are fond of snugly, cozy places
• They believe mealtimes are critical
• Meal times for both are identical
• They love many occasions to frolic.
• They know naps are very important 

Happy Birthday to Me!

TUDOR - age 7 weeks

It is probably true that some birthdays are more memorable than others, but this one was spectacular in ways even I, as a consummate organizer, could have never anticipated. As our blog readers will know, recently we got to be surrogate parents as our young corgi, "I'I Lani" had four adorable puppies. During the process, we decided that we really would like to keep one...but which one?

"Mom, I can help you with these boxes."

As the puppies were fully weaned, we were able to see them safely transported on Sunday to the breeder so they could be adopted...all except for the one we chose to keep, "Tudor." He is named for Tasha Tudor who wrote and illustrated children's books featuring corgi dogs, (Corgyn) of which she had several. So, awakening on Monday (my birthday) I got up early, made coffee, and while the rest of the family (Phil and our other three corgyn) were still sleeping, I got to play with the new puppy...who had fun not only with his toys, but with the boxes and wrapping from my birthday.

of course it ain't this big...YET!

My friend, fellow artist and weeding partner, Kate arrived around 8:30 along with our dependable yard guy. As a team of four, we managed to cut of a big limb from a dying ohia tree, weed a shady area called "The Terraces" (all of our landscaping beds have names,) and plant a bunch of anthuriums, hibiscus, and a new Jacaranda tree near the sculpture described in the previous blog.

After cleaning up, we were delighted by visits from friends and then off to Pahoa Village for a late lunch. Then another unexpected thing happened. A couple blogs ago, we showed a photo of what we envisioned for a structure to go on top of the lava outcropping near the front of the property. Well, a new neighbor had a large pile of wood left over from their project and offered it to us at a good price. The best part? It is already sanded and stained -- exactly the color of the photo in our previous blog!  (Thurs, July 20th)

I got a lovely large solitaire peridot necklace from Phil, and lots of cards arrived in the mail -- some from people I've not heard from in some time. All in all, a fabulous birthday -- including homemade, tart lime bars from Penny who lives one block over, and a rousing party with the "Girlie Girls" who meet every Tuesday evening.

All In Good Time (papamanawaa)

Elsewhere in a blog entry I mentioned my favorite sign along Mango Road on the way to the ocean, swimming pond at Ahalanui and boat ramp at Pohoiki. 

4 years ago -- felling dead tree & beginning excavation 

4 years later -- the root takes its place as garden art

Although the sign is no longer physically there, it read simply, "It is only a matter of time." Being a fan of (Science) Science Fiction, black holes, dark matter, and quantum cosmology**, the message continues to make me smile. 
 (**One of our many landscaping beds is called "Cosmic Dancer."


When one of our first grand ohia trees died, we excavated a particularly sculptural, twisted root, setting it aside for possible garden art; that was four years ago. Being fond of all things reptilian, I saw its u-shape to be snake-like. I leaned it up against some lava and it sat along the driveway for over a year. 


Eventually, Phil got the idea to turn it upside down and hang a wind chime off each end -- and, since I'd not done anything with it I said, 'go for it.' Since then that heavy root has been relocated numerous times as other tasks took priority. 

Just recently, I uncovered an area of thick moss that I pulled up and saved in the greenhouse -- not knowing for sure where it would go. This week, however, I realized that our beautiful root would look wonderful as a garden sculpture covered with moss. 

The two photos above represent a visual example of how art percolates over time and how time sometimes has its own independent structure so to speak. The first photo is what this 15x12' area looked like after we had begun to whack back the invasive trees, vines and bushes. The second is what it looks like now, with the new moss covered root mounted on where an ohia tree once lived.

Pictured is another example of "all in good time" -- one of the first things we bought was a unique hybrid hibiscus called "Gabriel" -- which promptly succumbed to a common plight here in Hawaii -- leaf mites. It has been severely pruned three times and treated for three years and FINALLY (given time) it is now healthy and blooming. (I almost tossed it out numerous times.)

Note: In Feb 2012, we bought a house in Puna on the Big Island -- while on vacation without really having a plan for the future as such, or even a time table -- more an abstract image of what could be, and a deep trust in our creative power. We discovered two ideas of time in Hawaiian cosmology. The word "papamanawa:" Papa is the Earth-Mother-Goddess -- so we chose to move into the that space, allowing things to flow (while we put in the hard prep-work admittedly.) Another Hawaiian concept is a notion of "vertical time" -- when time stops because we are living in the moment of Nowness. Interesting to see both the philosophical and practical applications