Saying Goodbye

If you remember either your grandparents or parents review of the newspaper obituaries, you are not alone.  This was particularly true for Phil's mother, Margaret, who grew up in a very small rural community in Michigan -- and where she lived all her life until she passed last year at age 96.  She knew everyone, and knew when the kids graduated and got married.  She knew which parents passed locally run businesses on to their children, and when grandchildren in the community were born.

Our First Corgi Family

Reaching this age, Phil and I are finding that we too are saying "goodbye" to various members of our community and friends -- most of whom we consider our ohana (family in Hawaiian.)   This last month two very special friends have passed, and as is our custom, we pulled out our collection of photos and memorabilia of those we remember.  We decided to set up our "All Saints" altar early this year, to honor those who had an impact on our lives. My former husband and our adopted daughter passed away many years ago, as have both of our Best Persons at our wedding.

This last week, however, my dear yoga teacher and friend, Elsa Rubio, passed peacefully in her sleep.  As we began to assemble some of the many keepsakes, we also pulled out the collection of dogs tags all strung onto one of their old collars -- in remembrance of our four-legged family too.  (Chauncy R. Valentine, Abbey Ennis Puddin'chin, and Dexter Dinkums Wigglesworth III.)

...and we open our hearts to all the memories of these beloved ones especially as we draw closer to All Hallow's Eve, (Christian) Hallowmas, All Saints Day (Catholic), or Samhain (Gaelic/Celt) -- or the more familiar/secularized "Halloween."   Many of these traditions also include a celebration of the year's harvest with special feasts.

Rainbow Memories

When Phil was a little boy, he often spent time at his grandma's house (Mabel Scott) where he would take his afternoon naps on her big bed. As he fell asleep, he remembers watching rainbows dancing around the room. A number of years ago, Phil's mom graciously gifted us with the very same lamp that Phil remembers and a leaded cut glass window from the same old family home in Charlotte, Michigan.


For many years this beautiful old lamp (now wired for electricity) hung in our library in Eureka, California, where an east facing window reproduced the same results.

This lamp was one of the many treasures we carefully packed for our relocation to Hawaii.  It has taken a while to determine just where it should go in our Hawaiian hale, but its time has come.  We have asked our contractor to install electrical wiring in our beautiful stairwell -- where much of our art will be displayed.

On January 11th I posted a blog about how the light moves through our house, passing from one corner to another at different times of the year.  At THIS time of year, as we approach the Spring Equinox, the sun is coming directly through the east windows where it hits prisms hanging in the window -- splashing rainbows through the whole open floor plan of our house.