Adventures in Paradise - Part 4

We woke early on Thursday, October 8 to meet the van in the hotel lobby for the Home of the Brave Tour at 5:30 a.m. Even in the summer, it’s still very dark at that time of the morning. Besides Len & Luanna, another couple from the Hale Koa hotel joined us on the tour. For the next week, it felt as though we were following each other around since we seemed to be at the same places at the same time.

We made a couple of other stops to pick up additional passengers before the actual tour began.

Our first stop was Fort Shafter, the headquarters of the US Army of the Pacific. During WWII, this was the center of Pacific Operations.

We arrived just before dawn and exited the bus just in time to see the raising of the flag, escorted by an honor guard. In addition, the cannon was shot in salute. What a fitting beginning to a day dedicated to the events of December 7, 1941.

Our tour guide, Olav, was a true student of the story of the Pearl Harbor attack. As the day progressed, he walked us through the events of that morning. He concentrated on the stories of individual participants in the activities, making the story personal and meaningful.

Next, we went to Pearl Harbor for the Navy tour of the USS Arizona Memorial. We had intended to visit the memorial on this trip. Len and Lu had taken the Home of the Brave Tour about twenty years earlier and wanted to do it again, so we opted to go with them. It was one of the highlights of the trip.

The USS Missouri is now a museum, and we saw it from the Navy transport on the way out to the Arizona, but we did not have time to visit this time.

We were able to take additional notes while on the memorial for our next Agapé Jones mystery—the major reason for taking the tour. Visiting the memorial is always a moving experience.

On we went to Wheeler Army Airfield, where many aircraft were lined up for storage on the morning of the attack. The Japanese strafed the field and destroyed most of the aircraft. However, several pilots were able to get to planes into the air and engage in aerial battle.

Next, we went to Schofield Barracks, home of the 25^th Infantry division, where we ate lunch. We arrived on the day when the division celebrated its birthday, so the troops marched in formation through the base as we watched, forming a lasting memory.

After lunch, we visited the museum and learned even more about the location and its history.

We drove to “The Punchbowl,” the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Unfortunately, due to vandalism, tour groups are no longer allowed to leave their vehicles to walk around the memorial. Fortunately, we have visited the place on several previous tours

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Our final stop was at the Home of the Brave Brewseum. Downstairs is an amazing collection of WWII memorabilia—including the old motorcycle shown here. Many of the items have been donated by the families of WWII veterans.

Upstairs, the owners have a microbrewery.

Altogether, the day was educational, emotional, and moving. I was once again reminded of the sacrifices of those, including our fathers, who gave several years of their lives in order to assure the safety of those at home.

I highly recommend this tour if you are ever in Honolulu.

Adventures in Paradise - Part 3

We arrived at the Hale Koa Hotel on Tuesday afternoon, October 6, after picking up the van and the Rughs. We settled into our room, and then got something to eat at the snack place at the hotel. Unfortunately, the food was less than satisfying.

Fortunately, the hotel itself is beautiful. We were so grateful that the Rughs invited us to join them. You have to be military (active or retired with a military ID) in order to stay there. Non-military people have to be sponsored by a military person.

Then we went back to our rooms to rest and settle in. Each of our rooms had a small balcony with a view of the ocean.

We got dinner and made it an early night. The Rughs had just arrived after a cruise, and we had spent the previous week on Maui, so we all needed the rest. Unfortunately, I coughed all night.

By the next morning, I was truly ill and felt as though I was running a fever. Larry dragged me to the walk-in clinic in the building where the old Planet Hollywood used to be. We called first to make sure the doctor was in.

He confirmed I had bronchitis (not flu), so he prescribed yet another round of antibiotics—this time a double dose for six days. Unfortunately, there isn’t a pharmacy in Waikiki. (Long’s is opening a store in the two-story space where Planet Hollywood used to be, but it won’t open for another year.)

I dragged myself back to the hotel, trying to keep up with Larry. By the time we returned, I was exhausted.

We checked in with Len and Lu, and told them we had to go to Long’s at Ala Moana to fill the prescription. They needed a few things, so we piled into the van and headed for the shopping center.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t find it. (Ala Moana is a MESS. It was torn up the last time we were there, and it’s worse now.) We asked a construction worker where Long’s was. She said it had been moved upstairs, but it would reopen on the first floor soon. She wasn’t even sure either location was open. But she told us WalMart had a pharmacy and gave us directions for how to get there.

Off we went again, and this time, we found the WalMart easily. I turned in the prescription and waited for it to be filled. Len and Lu and Larry wandered off to find other things they needed. We finally collected all our items.

I needed makeup, so we went to Ward Warehouse, where Merle Norman was supposed to be located, but when we arrived, we found a sign on the door saying they had moved. Fortunately, the daughter of the owner caught us and told us exactly where to go. As we were talking to her, the mother saw us and drew us a map.

We followed directions and wandered around until we found the new store. They had what I needed, thank goodness!

On the way in, we saw Kua Aina Burgers in the same center. We always ate at the original in Haleiwa, so we decided to have lunch there.

I took the first pill and hoped I’d feel better soon.

We returned to the hotel where we took a nap. We had a special trip planned for the next day and I needed to be in better shape to go.

I had a container of yogurt and a banana for dinner. Larry joined Len and Lu at the hotel restaurant.

The next day, I was determined to go on the tour we had planned. It was the highlight of the trip, and I’ll tell you about it next week (with photos, I promise).

Adventures in Paradise - Part 2

Rain started on Sunday afternoon, October 4. After lunch, we went back to Suzi’s and took a nap. Loved hearing the rain on the roof and dropping from the eaves.

In the evening, we watched one of our favorite movies, The Princess Bride, while the rain continued. Very cozy.

On Monday, after breakfast, we drove to Kehei to visit the Kalama Heights retirement home. We had mentioned it in our latest Agapé Jones mystery, and Suzi arranged for a meeting with one of the people who works there. It reminded me of Del Obispo Terrace where we do Care and Share with the residents. It is the perfect place for our character to have chosen.

Following our visit, we went to the Five Palms Restaurant to meet the guy who is the inspiration for Agapé Jones. We met him in 2005 at the Maui Writers Conference and immediately decided we had to write a character based on him. Because he is a retired detective, we can’t use his real name, so I’ll call him ‘Agapé.’ We decided early on that we are ‘ohana’ (Hawaiian for ‘family—blood relations or not). Every time we get to Maui, we try to see him. Suzi has read our mysteries and indicated she wanted to meet the ‘real’ Agapé Jones.

We were seated when he arrived. As soon as he spotted Suzi, he said, “Well, hello!” Turns out, they already knew each other. Suzi just hadn’t recognized his name. (I told you, she knows EVERYONE on the island!)

We had a lovely lunch, and enjoyed spending time with our friends, as always.

We returned to Suzi’s early in the afternoon to prepare for the big Celebrity Password party in the evening. She had invited friends (a couple of whom we had met at First Friday or at the show) for the potluck supper and to play the game. What fun!

She told us ahead of time to think up the names of eight famous people ( living or dead, real or fictional, from any sector) whom everyone would recognize. We had noted our choices ahead of time in order to be ready.

Before the party, Suzi heated her main dishes and Larry prepared his famous pineapple boats.

When the others arrived (with their dishes), we all wrote down each of our names on a separate 3x5 card (printed horizontally) and folded them so about ¼ inch of card remained on one side for ease of opening. Then we put them in a big bowl for the game.

We started with the main course and salads, and we got to know our fellow players.

Then we divided into two teams of six each. Larry and I had to be on separate teams so there were ‘newbies’ on each team.

A representative from each team drew a token to see who went first, and one of the players from the starting team grabbed a handful of cards from the bowl. When the timer (from the opposite team) gave them the start, they had one minute to get their team to identify as many names as possible. In the first round, we could use as many words as we wanted to describe the person as long as we didn’t use any part of their name.

As each name was correctly identified, the player threw the cards onto the floor. If they didn’t know the person, they could use charade-style clues to try to get the others to get to the name. When time was called, any remaining cards (including a last one not yet guessed) were returned to the bowl.

The cards on the floor were collected by the team.

The same process was repeated on the other side. Player by player, the cards were opened, clues given, and names identified until the bowl was emptied. Then each team tallied the names they had identified. (My team won the first round.)

Then the second round began, only this time, we were allowed only two words to identify the person. The advantage was we had already heard all the names at least once. (Some were duplicated, so they were even easier.) Gestures became more important in this round, which my team won again.

Then we took a break for dessert. I got the makings for Chiquita Valdez sundaes--a favorite dessert from CF Braun & Co in the '70s and '80s (coffee ice cream with crushed pineapple and chopped bananas, topped with whipped cream). In addition to Larry’s pineapple boats, we had homemade cookies and pie and other goodies.

Thus fortified, we started the last and final round, where we were allowed no words, only gestures. Larry found this round much easier, for some reason, and his team took the round.

It wasn’t about winning or losing. It was about all the laughing and fun.

By the end of the evening, my cough had returned with a vengeance (no doubt, spurred on by all the laughter).

The next morning, I started feeling badly again. We caught a morning flight to Honolulu to meet our friends, Len and Luanna Rugh. By the time the plane landed, I knew I was ill again. Rats!

More about the Honolulu portion of the trip next week.

Adventures in Paradise - Part 1

We returned Tuesday morning from nearly three weeks in Hawaii. 

Paradise is as beautiful as ever—with a few disappointments. (I’ll write about those later.) However, I had been ill for several weeks prior to the trip. My doctor had prescribed an antibiotic. When it didn’t help after two weeks, she prescribed another plus cough medicine (which was useless, BTW).

So I left on the trip confident that I was on the way back to health. Well, I was—for a few days.

Fortunately, we spent the first five days in Maui with our good friend, Suzi O. She and Larry attended high school together, and I was a couple of years behind them. We have been in touch for many years, and she often makes our house her headquarters when she visits So. Cal. She has been after us to stay with her for several years. This time, it worked out perfectly.

We arrived late on Thursday evening, October 1. Suzi already had a full schedule planned for us.

After breakfast on Friday morning, we took a walk on the boardwalk in Kihei. My knee was feeling better, so I really enjoyed the visit. The walk of about a mile contains information about the local flora and fauna plus a terrific view of the ocean.

We followed the visit with a drive to the end of the road in Wailea with lunch at Cheeseburger at The Shops at Wailea. We had eaten here when we attended the old Maui Writers Conference (sadly, now defunct). The place did not disappoint. Good food at reasonable prices.

We returned to Suzi’s house for a rest before venturing out again to First Friday in Wailuku. Several blocks are reduced to pedestrian traffic for the evening. A great Hawaiian/reggae group played for dancers at one end. In the middle, a combo provided the music, while a rock band accompanied dancing at the other end. In between, lots of vendors had set up stalls. Many of them sold food along with local crafts and other products. After we scoped out the choices, we settled for delicious pork served in soft rice rolls. Then Larry went in search of desserts. He found several—all very good.

It was here that I discovered Suzi knows everyone on the island. She published a newspaper there several years ago, and in the process met lots of people. We couldn’t move three feet without someone greeting her. She’s a very popular lady!

As the evening wore down, we returned for a good night’s sleep in Suzi’s lovely guest room with a great king-size bed.

After breakfast on Saturday, we headed for the Maui Swap Meet at the college.  It was HOT with high humidity and no trade winds. We bought a few t-shirts and I found a really nice long dress. But we spent most of our time getting ice water. Larry bought a couple of fresh juice popsicles to keep cool.

When we left, we drove to Paia to see the big waves, with a stop at Café Mombo for lunch.
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Suzi had gotten us tickets to see the play Noises Off at the Iao Theater for our anniversary. We joined several of her friends for dinner at the Arias Restaurant, about a half block from the theater. Good food and delightful company.

The play was wonderful. We had seen it on stage and had also seen the movie version with Carol Burnett. We had thoroughly enjoyed both versions. This was a romp with a great cast. We laughed the entire time.

We discussed going to church on Sunday morning, and Suzi had located several in the area. She said she had attended the Unity church, and we decided to go there with her. What a wonderful morning! The service began with the blowing of the conch shell and a chant. The music was fabulous, and they also had a terrific hula presentation. At the end, Suzi signed “Let There Be Peace On Earth,” and then the whole congregation sang the chorus of “Aloha’Oe” in Hawaiian. The whole experience was absolutely perfect.

We ate lunch at the Kahili Restaurant at the golf course. Gorgeous views of the ocean (between rain showers), and great food. Then we drove by the Frank Lloyd Wright house (also known as the Marilyn Monroe house). Great architecture. It’s a spectacular building, now used as a clubhouse and for civic events.

Monday was party day! More about it next week.

Healing

When you think about it, the human body is truly amazing. We can treat it badly, but it still attempts to heal itself. And it can!

On May 5, I woke up with pain in my knee. At the time, I didn’t remember doing anything to injure it, but I figured since I’d been quite busy preparing for a big party, I’d probably tweaked it.

During the next week, the pain grew. I tried ‘doctoring’ it myself, but it just got worse. I stopped taking my long walks so as not to further injure the joint. After several weeks, I finally gave up and went to the doctor.

The first X-ray showed arthritis, but the MRI showed two tears in the meniscus and a Baker’s cyst in addition to the arthritis. However, the cartilage and tendons were intact as was the ACL. Huge blessings.

Between the x-ray and the MRI, my doctor prescribed physical therapy. It didn’t help.

Since the pain was growing worse, and I was no longer able to sleep through the night, I scheduled surgery.

We were planning our 50^th anniversary celebration for September 5, so I had to work the surgery around that date. I finally scheduled it for August 6, a month before our party. I naïvely assumed I’d be fully healed by the big day. Not so.

This was my first major surgery. Others who have had the same kind assured me it was a ‘piece of cake.’ What I didn’t realize was that these folks had experienced many surgeries in their lives. Given the context, this probably was easy—for them!

It took me a couple of weeks to recover from the anesthesia. I’d sit at my computer and stare at the screen. I had several editing jobs to finish, but I just couldn’t concentrate for any length of time. Since I am usually able to focus in on my work, I felt very disconcerted and confused.

Since I still wasn’t sleeping comfortably at night, I began to drop off on the sofa several times a day.

The pain in my knee continued, despite elevating and icing. I saved the painkillers for nighttime, and they began to allow some drugged sleep, but I was still walking gingerly, icing, elevating, and hoping the pain would go away.

Can you say, ‘unrealistic expectations’? Even though the doctor had said it might be three months or more for complete healing, I thought I’d be one of those who bounced right back. Not so.

I managed to get through the anniversary party okay, but my knee still ached.

Three days after our big bash, I caught what I thought was a cold, but I now believe was a bad case of the flu. Not only did I feel terrible, but the pain in my knee felt worse.

The doctor called in a prescription for antibiotics, but the illness persisted.

A couple of weeks ago, I was so discouraged, I sat down to talk to a good friend who is a nurse. She has also had several knee surgeries, including replacement. What a helpful conversation.

She pointed out that recovery time depends on lots of factors, including the extent of the work done, personal healing time, stresses, immunity, etc.

My surgery had been scheduled for one hour, but took over half again as long. I was also under the stress of planning and carrying out a big party. Larry had surgery two days before the party for a basal cell carcinoma, and I was worried about him. (He, too, has had little surgery in his life.) By the time I talked to my friend, Larry had developed an infection at the site of the surgery. So no stress at all!

I finally went to the doctor again, and she gave me three prescriptions: another round of antibiotics, cough meds, and steroids. I have been trying to avoid using steroids for the knee pain, but this time, I agreed.

What a difference a few days has made! The flu (or whatever) symptoms are finally diminishing. The cough is lessening. And for the first time since May, I can walk at my normal pace and climb up and down stairs without pain!

I am so grateful for medicine for discovering all the great treatments and drugs which allow our bodies to heal. But the major miracle is that they do it at all. I finally feel back to about 90% of normal and can foresee the percentage increasing as the days pass.

Isn’t the body’s ability to heal wonderful?

Guest Interview with Marilyn Meredith

Today my guest is one of my favorite authors and good friends, Marilyn Meredith. Her latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, Not as It Seems, is now available. I realized we have something in common, so I’ve asked Marilyn to address this common theme.

When we were talking about this visit to her blog, Lorna asked the following questions: “We wrote our historical novel, The Memory Keeper, from the POV of a Juaneño Indian. What is different in writing from the POV of Tempe, another Native American, from writing your non-Indian characters? How do you research the information on your local Indians? How does Tempe’s Indian background affect her worldview, and how she goes about her work?

Here are my answers:

At the beginning of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, Tempe knows very little about her Indian heritage. The part owner of the local inn, also an Indian, takes it upon himself to educate her. In each book, she learns more and more about her heritage.

Her point-of-view isn’t much different from non-Indian characters. In fact, though the detectives she often works with think she should be the one to investigate crimes involving Indians, she is still an outsider to those living on the reservation.

I’ve met many of the local Indians, researched by going on the reservation, but as I often tell them, what I’ve done mostly is borrow from them rather than actually writing about a particular group of Indians who live on the res. Even the fictional reservation in my series, though it has many resemblances to the real reservation, has some differences.

This particular book is set in Morro Bay and the surrounding area and deals with two different Indian tribes, which I had to research—and was quite surprised by what I discovered.

Because of Tempe’s previous contacts with the dead and the spirit world, she has some unique and sometimes unsettling experiences while trying to locate a missing woman. I don’t think her Indian background has as much effect on her worldview as her supernatural encounters.

Not as It Seems Blurb:

Tempe and Hutch travel to Morro Bay for son Blair’s wedding, but when the maid-of-honor disappears, Tempe tries to find her. The search is complicated by ghosts and Native spirits.

Character Naming Contest:

Once again, I’ll name a character after the person who leaves a comment on the most blogs.

Tomorrow I’ll be stopping by John M. Wills blog http://jwillsbooks.com/blog-posts/and talking about the setting for Not as it Seems.

Bio:

Marilyn Meredith now lives in the foothills of the Southern Sierra, about 1000 feet lower than Tempe’s Bear Creek, but the area much resembles the fictional town and surroundings. She has nearly 40 books published, mostly mysteries. Besides writing, she loves to give presentations to writers’ groups. She’s on the board of the Public Safety Writers Association, and a member of Mystery Writers of America and three chapters of Sisters in Crime, including the Central Coast chapter.