Daily Update, March 27, 2023

    I apologize to my email list for this update. When I was starting to write this update, Val decided to jump up beside me and start walking on my keyboard. He somehow managed to send a very unfinished version of this update out to everyone. I'm afraid I pushed him off the table while I thought he'd deleted it, though he has no idea what he's doing, I'm sure. Then I found it in sent items, where I could copy it, so I didn't have to start over. I felt so bad, he got extra treats in apology, though I really don't think he was hurt. It wasn't that far to fall for a kitty. {rueful Smile}

   Auntie Barbara called at the end of breakfast. She wanted to come into town to visit two members of our church who'd recently gone to the hospital. One, a gal named Anita who I'm not well acquainted with, is still there. The other is a dear family friend I know pretty well. Auntie Barbara suggested that I go with her, and I agreed. {Smile}

   I managed to get yesterday's daily update before Auntie Barbara came - so little before, I again didn't get the door unlocked in time, which Auntie Barbara has told me many times she gets upset with. I I really need to find a way to start remembering to open it ahead of time for her. (rueful smile}

   Auntie Barbara came in and visited with Mom first. We sang a few songs. Mom mostly just listened, but she sang the first and last lines of Happy birthday at the beginning, and she sang most of the last song, too. Then Auntie Barbara asked about taking some magazines. I'm not ready to get rid of some of Dad's National Geographics like she first suggested, but I found four Discover magazines, and took them with us. {Smile}

   When we got to the hospital, Auntie Barbara and I checked at the front desk about Anita. we got her room number but were told only one of us could go up, because someone was already visiting her, and they have a strict two-person limit. Since auntie Barbara knows her and I don't really, I gave her the two magazines I'd picked out for Anita and told her to go on up. I waited in the lobby. Auntie Barbara soon came back, saying Anita and our priest were deep in discussion, so she didn't stay long. Anita had apparently had some kind of health incident this morning in the hospital, so she might not be going to rehab as soon as we thought.

   Next, we went to Hale Anuenue, the long-term rehab facility where another friend is. When we got there, I realized my red purse was missing, so we went back for it. It had already been turned in to the front desk, so I got it from them. We met our priest at the door and talked with her a bit about visiting. She encouraged us to visit Anita now that she was gone, but Auntie Barbara felt Anita had looked too tired. I just followed Auntie Barbara's lead. {Smile}

   Then we went back to hale Anuenue, where we checked in, and learned our friend's room number. It was a long way back to her room; auntie Barbara commented on all the walking she was getting today. Of course, she walked to Anita's room as well as our other friend's. I just walked to our other friend's room and back. when we got there, we found two of our other friend's daughters with her, one who I think might be in that residential car home herself, and the other, who was visiting, but clearly settled in for a long stay. I gave our friend the two magazines I'd brought, pointing out the kitten on the cover of one that made me think she should get that one. She thanked me, and we had a nice visit. She really misses church. It's such a big part of her life, and really means a lot to her. She told us about her accident, too, when we asked, and showed us the brace that is helping hold the bone in place while it heals from the operation to reinforce it. {Smile}

   I ate dinner with Mom and read to her before it. I started with scripture and thoughts about it and continued with more from her niece's long family letter from 2019. Then I read a story, "The Open Road." It was from the Wind in the Willows, all about how Ratty and Mole visited Mr. Toad, and Mr. Toad got them to go caravanning in a gypsy wagon he'd gotten. That didn't last long, because a car ran them into a ditch, and Mr. Toad promptly feel in love with the car. Then I read six short poems. The story and the poems were from 365 Animal Stories and Rhymes. I finished up by reading the March 27th story from 366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year. Mom said she liked it all. {Smile}

   After yesterday, I made certain to do my head exercises tonight. I also did all eight of my arm swinging exercises. My right arm was mostly okay. it twinged momentarily in some, but not enough I felt I should stop. {Smile}

   When I got back from visiting our friends with Auntie Barbara, I ate lunch while reading some comics. Then I headed out, taking Uber to the class for Bereavement at church. That went pretty well. I got the teacher's contact information, both for myself, and for the leader of the disabled picnic, since she'd mentioned wanting to get something going along these lines for us if we're interested. {Smile}

   When I came home, I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming, where I found Kitten all ready to team up.  We did and ran the first mission of a story arc together. I also talked with my RWBY friend, but the game didn't let us add him after we'd started. When we broke up so I could read to Mom, I suggested breaking our team so they could team with our RWBY friend while I read to Mom and ate dinner. {Smile}

   After dinner I started with a little bit of writing and a lot of notetaking for this daily update. Then I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming. There, I found Kitten. It was slow getting their attention, but I did. We tried to team up, but I remembered that I needed to feed Val. They said to do that, and I did. They'd spoken recently when I got back, but I couldn't get a response out of them, and they eventually went offline. I think they timed out. Next, I noticed Azurette was on, so I started chatting with her. and joined her for a couple of missions. During the second, Phonso invited us to do a task force with him. Azurette needed to go to bed too soon. She had time for only one or two more missions. I dropped out, though, to join Phonso. He actually ran two related task forces back-to-back, and I did both with him. {Smile}

   After that, I did a bunch of paperwork I noticed I needed to do, especially on the character I teamed up with Azurette on. Then I worked on writing this update, completing the notes, but even more, turning them into full paragraphs. I also read another comic. {Smile}

Daily Update, March 26, 2023

    Yesterday, I was late to church. I thought things were going normally, but when I got out of the house, i realized it was just a few minutes from ten, when the service starts. However, I get going any earlier, and I so hate to miss it, so I called Uber, and arrived during the gospel. So I did get the full sermon and communion. It was a nice service. I sat with Auntie Barbara and Michelle. {Smile}

   I had lunch with Auntie Barbara, Scoot, Michelle, and a parishioner whose name I forget. We had a nice, long chat that roamed enough, it felt like a few chats with the same people. Ed and BJ took me home, and we had a lovely chat all the way. {Smile}

   I ate dinner with Mom and read to her before that. I read scripture and thoughts about it, then continued with the next part of her niece's long family letter from 2019. Then I read the next part of Cotillion by Georgette Heyer. Then I finished up by reading the March 26th story from 366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year. Mom said she liked it all. {Smile}

   I somehow didn't get around to the head exercises I meant to do. I really need to work harder at that. {small smile}

   I finished Saturday's daily update when I got home. I decided to post on my old blog, which I haven't done a thing with in years. I'm thinking of doing that regularly. My blog is at Anne's Notes (aeb-anne.blogspot.com) https://aeb-anne.blogspot.com if you want another place to read these updates. {Smile}

   Then I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming, and found both Div busy with his base, and my RWBY friend eager to play. We all teamed up, and I managed to slip into the base to see a bit, but Div was still busy building new, and my RWBY friend really wanted to play, so my RWBY friend and I ran a couple of missions while Div continued working on the base. The contest entry deadline is pretty soon, so Div wants to get it done if he can. We were able to use the team for a bit of chatting. Div left first, and my RWBY friend and I continued with another mission. Then my RWBY friend left for dinner, and I just did paperwork and solo badge-hunting until it was time to read to Mom. {Smile}

   I came back after dinner and started today's daily update. Then i read some comics before going back into City of Heroes: Homecoming. I tried to chat with Austin and Jag, but Austin was unresponsive, and Jag was tired. Then I joined a giant monster team - one of two working on the same monster. I talked to both leaders about getting them into a league, but Someone went at the monster, and we ended up taking him down before we could. I talked to leaders, trying to encourage them. The one for the team I was on found this helpful enough to thank me, but the other accused me of being nasty and told me to get lost. I don't know what got him into that mood, but it ruined my mood for teaming with strangers. So, I soloed some work on a badge again and started talking with Azurette. That improved my mood, and we teamed up for a few missions. I chatted with kitten a bit over the day. I tried to chat with Nox, too, but they responded when they were heading to bed, so we mainly said goodnight. I wanted to solo one last mission after Azurette left, before I wrote my daily update. It was tougher than expected and went slowly at first. Then my RWBY friend came on, surprised I was still playing. I asked him to help with the mission, and he happily helped me finish the mission. That was good. Not only was it longer than I expected, but it had two separate parts that felt like separate missions but had to be finished together. I barely had time to make notes about today's update and had to write it properly the next morning. I just started doing that a couple of days ago. It really helps me remember stuff the next day. {Smile}

Daily Update, March 25, 2022

    This morning, I called Uber, and they took me to Life Care Center for physical therapy. I had a nice session, and I learned my therapist owns my veterinarian's office, and works there on his days off. I suspect he's helped carry Val for me. His father owned it until the father died; I think he founded that office. {Smile}

   I took Uber back home, and got a nice, chatty driver with a "trainee driver" in the bucket seat. He'd talked about the perks of driving for Uber enough, one of his neighbors signed up, but wanted an introduction, so I he was helping her. It was nice to talk to both of them. {Smile}

   I ate dinner with Mom and read to her before that. I read scripture and thoughts about it and continued with the start of her niece's long family letter from 2019. Then I read the start of Cotillion by Georgette Heyer, who I think is her favorite author. When we used to ask who her favorite author was, she'd mention two out of these three: Anne McCaffrey, Andre Norton, and Mercedes Lackey, but she'd always mention Georgette Heyer, too. Then I finished up by reading the March 25th story from 366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year. Mom said she liked it all. {Smile}

   I didn't do any exercise beyond physical therapy. He said to take a break from my own exercises on the days I actually work with him. {Smile}

   I read articles over lunch and wrote a lot of yesterday's daily update after it. Then I went into City of Heroes, homecoming, and found div, who showed me the latest developments in the base. it's really coming along and is pretty close to done. he says he won't do another big base, but this is the second base out of three which has grown like this. the middle one just stalled. We'll see what happens. My RWBY friend joined us, and admired all the progress since the last time he'd been in. Then I teamed up with my RWBY friend for a mission or two, then read some comics before I broke to read to Mom. {Smile}

   After dinner, i read a few comics, then hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming again. Jag didn't respond, and Austin and Shen Dragon were busy, so I collected badges on my second-best badge collector for a bit, and worked on some harder badges, too. Then I noticed a chance to do a task force my third best badge collector needed for a badge. So, I joined it, and learned they were doing the sequel, which was the other one she needed for the same badge. I did both, and she got the badge. While I was doing that, i chatted with Azurette. We hoped to get together afterwards, but by the time we were both free, she was too tired, and went to bed. I looked into working on another badge on my third best badge collector, but that was tricker than I realized. However, I found several other easy badges, and got them. She has lots more to get, but I found she was at 799 badges, and couldn't resist grabbing one more for an even 800. Then I switched to my second-best badge collector, and worked on a couple more badges, alternating with reading comics until i caught up with the current comic series I'm reading. I chatted a little with Kitten over the day, as their work allowed. I also wrote most but not all of this daily update; I finished up after church and lunch the next day. {Smile}

The Great White Lion

I found an old "silly kitty story" about Alban, Valentine's predecessor. I thought I might as well share it. {Smile}


The Great White Lion


Back when we used to play AD&D regularly, we had a particularly... INTERESTING AD&D game. {wink}

In getting ready for the first encounter, Dad arrayed a bunch of monster counters on the table. The monsters were promptly attacked by a humongous white lion: Alban decided to sit on them.

We chuckled over Alban's "attack", and chatted and such for a while, partly because we weren't ready to start, and partly because we couldn't see the monsters for the first battle. {grin}

Eventually, Alban decided to get up and go visit some of the nice people who were obviously sitting around the table just to admire him. With the monsters free, we got out some of the figures for our characters, and started to arrange them to show our marching order.

The party was promptly attacked by a large white lion. I cannot understand how Alban can stand sitting on a bunch of lead lumps with poky parts sticking out in various places. Alban insists there is no problem. Now what? We couldn't see our figures to see where we were or who we were fighting. Not with Alban on top of most of them. I started pulling out the ones I could see, and Gabe got a couple further underneath. We had to endure dirty looks and dodge a few bites, but we got them. {BIG GRIN}

Since we had two sets of characters that night but were only really using one, Alban still had lots of nice figures to sit on, but not the ones we were using. Of course, since they weren't the ones we were using, Alban lost interest in sitting on them part way through the battle. He wandered over to sit on Mom's stuff, so he'd be really convenient for petting.

We heaved a sigh of relief. Now we could see the battlefield much better without Alban in the middle of it. Mom decided to bribe Alban to stay with her by giving him lots of nice "fishy treats" while we continued the battle. Alban obligingly ate up his favorite snack. Then he got up, and strolled back to the figures, which he sat on again.

Gabe carefully arranged THE CHAIR to be even more enticing than usual. Not only did it have that nice cushion, now it had kitty toys and fishy treats on it, and was right next to Gabe, and pulled out to be ever-so-easy to jump down onto.
Alban gave it a disdainful look.

Gabe smiled, patted it encouragingly, pointing to the fishy treats and the toys. He even took a fishy treat, held it so Alban could sniff it, and put it back on THE CHAIR.

Alban was not going to be bribed.

Pulling one or two figures farther from him so people could see their characters and opponents, we continued the battle. The rest of that battle, several days' march, and a few minor encounters later, Alban finally decided to get up and stroll over to claim Leonora's chair. Amid much laughter, which Alban did not condescend to notice, we moved his chosen chair and got Leonora another. Gabe also brought the fishy treats and toys from THE CHAIR. Alban did eat the fishy treats no that they were convenient.
Luckily, Alban had finally settled down for the rest of the night. The rest of our game proceeded without any more encounters with the Great White Lion. {sigh of relief, REALLY BIG GRIN}


Anne Elizabeth Baldwin

Racism, Prejudice, and a Challenge

{sigh} I've been hearing a lot about racial prejudice and discrimination. An awful lot of it framed as Us vs. Them, where Us are People of Color, and Them are The Whites. I've even heard people say that as a white, I can't help but be Part of the Problem.

Nonsense.

I'm a Baldwin. My relatives have been fighting against racial discrimination and prejudice for at least a century and a half, sometimes risking our reputations, our jobs, and even arrest to make things better as we can. I haven't had the opportunities my ancestors did, but I'm ready for my turn.

I am not part of the problem, but when folks tell me I am... it's tempting to be what they so obviously expect. It's really tempting. {bite lips} Fortunately, this ally is pretty stubborn. In fact, I'm stubborn enough to ask for a way to be part of Us, and not Them, despite being white. That's my challenge to anyone and everyone who's been pushing this dichotomy. Find a way to stop shutting me out.

 

I'm not an enemy here, and I don't appreciate folks trying to turn me into one. {determined look}

 

 

Anne Elizabeth Baldwin

The Woman in the Moon and Rainbow Falls

The Goddess Hina was very upset. Her husband was so lazy! Not only did he expect her to make him fine kapa to wear, but he expected her to fish, and keep the garden, and even do all the cooking! She loved making kapa, and was very good at it, but cooking was a man’s prerogative, and fishing and gardening were normally shared. Yet her husband demanded she do it all while he napped.

She decided to run away, but how?

One day, she spotted one of the many rainbows the falls by the cave she made her home in were named for. It looked solid, and she was goddess enough to go up to it and start to climb. However, as she climbed, it got hotter and hotter, for she was getting closer to the hot sun. It got so hot, she had to turn around and go back.

Back to her husband, who was as lazy as ever. He still demanded she do his work as well as her own. Running away looked better and better, but she had to make sure she escaped this time.

One night she spotted a moonbow by the falls. With no sun out, it shouldn’t get as hot, she mused. She went over to it, and started to climb.

Her husband came out of the cave, and ran towards her, demanding she come back. He leaped towards her, and caught her foot before she’d climbed out of reach. She struggled to get away. With a great kick, she pulled free, making him fall back to earth… but wrenched her ankle in the process. She wasted no time, hobbling high out of reach before he could recover and try again.

She climbed right to the moon, and there she stayed. You can see her when you look up at the moon, sitting with her wrenched ankle in front of her as she pounds her kapa. When she spreads it out to dry, it forms white clouds, complete with the original emphasis on her husband’s laziness. (No, that wasn’t my idea. J )

 

 

I don’t know many legends by heart, but I know this one well enough to tell it from memory. It’s stuck with me ever since I heard it at a storytelling at Kea’au library when I was a kid. This was one of the stories, illustrated on a felt board.

The Goddess Hina was known as the mother Maui. The Hilo area said she lived in a cave behind Waianuenue, or Rainbow Falls.

 

So here’s Rainbow Falls courtesy of Google Street view: https://goo.gl/maps/pqvnSmU2CiR2

And here’s another view from them: https://goo.gl/maps/ZL9WP3RGZy62

 

Do you see what I see?

Or rather… do you not see what I don’t see?

I don’t see any cave. Well, unless you count the backwash beach behind the actual falls, but that’s subject to continual spray from the falls. Besides, that kapa she made was a paper-cloth; the fibers were literally pounded together with beaters until it formed a flat, somewhat stiff sheet that people would wrap around themselves. If you got it wet, it went to mush that couldn’t be worn. So a backwash beach home is one you can’t get dressed in, or even keep your clothes in.

Now this is a spot on the Wailuku River. There are enough caves with underwater entrances, a known way to drown is to get caught in one, and not be able to surface for air. Having one with an air pocket would be unusual, but far from impossible… but you’d still have to store your clothes outside to keep them from going to mush.

No, the cave needs a dry entrance for Hina’s kapa.

 It’s a very well-hidden entrance indeed, isn’t it? ;)

A legend of Kahuna Falls

Kahuna Falls is the other large falls in Akaka Falls State Park; the one you also see if you take the entire loop, and don’t just go down to Akaka Falls and back. One of the reasons it was called Kahuna Falls (The Priest’s Falls) is that there’s a pool right at the top of the falls that’s supposed to heal ills if you bathe in it. People were supposed to take their sick family members to it in stretchers and everything so they could bathe in the pool and be healed.

Sounds a lot like a lot of healing springs and pools around the globe, right? There’s just one little difference. They won’t let me embed from Google Maps, so here’s a link to the best picture Google Maps' street view seems to have of it.

https://goo.gl/maps/idoMmmvNako

 

If you’re have trouble figuring out the picture, the falls comes from about 5/6ths the way up that cliff, where slightly gentler cliffs up to the top of the ridge from there. I think most healing pools and springs are a little more accessible, especially since you really were supposed to climb up from the bottom of the falls. {pause}

My first impression is that anyone who can climb up there didn’t need much healing, but it’s not that simple. Especially not with stretchers and lots of relatives with good, strong backs to make that climb, and help pull their sick relative up it. Because in Lilo and Stitch, Disney understated the importance of family in Hawaiian culture. If Auntie is sick, they’ll get her there. It may take a lot of amicable bickering while arranging the ropes and the stretcher and all, but they’ll do it for Auntie.

P.S. I’m sorry this one doesn’t have more of a story, but this is what I had time for after making the last chair cover and fighting a suddenly difficult mouse (unsuccessfully so far). {half-smile}

Lili'uokalani Park and Gardens

I just discovered that Google Earth has many of the walking paths of my favorite park in their street view. A friend just taught me how to link there, so here’s a link.

    https://goo.gl/maps/YUuTd7U8Pyw

That should take you to the street in front of the park. You can go around the streets of course, but I hope this is pointed at a torii, a sort of doorless gate arch. (If I’d linked to the sidewalk, you’d be too close to admire the torii. {wink, Smile}) If not, turn around you find it. Then head straight towards the torii, then thru it into the park itself. I think you’ll pretty much be stuck to the handicapped accessible walkways, like I am in real life, but do it anyway. This is supposed to be the biggest Japanese-style garden outside of Japan. So you can only see the tide pools, bridges and many of the stone lanterns from a distance. There’s still a lot to see here. {Smile, BIG SMILE}

Anne Elizabeth Baldwin

A Pleasant Encounter

Something nice happened while Dad was picking up dinner at Maui Taco's the other night. (He was alone because my balance was too unsteady for me to go in with him.)

Dad was struggling with trying to carry dinner while walking with the crutch these days, when a boy about ten came up to him, and said he'd like to carry the bag for Dad. Then a woman came up as the boy's grandmother, and repeated that they'd like to help by carrying his bag.

Dad thanked them, and accepted their help. They walked with him out to the car. The boy carried our dinners, and put them in the trunk of our car when Dad opened it up.

As they left, the grandmother said "God bless you."

Dad replied in kind.

Dad says where else would that happen besides Hilo? I don’t know, but it happened here, and it lightened a difficult day when it did. J

Anne Elizabeth Baldwin

Visiting Dad's Cousin, Part 2

The next morning after dealing with the skunks at Dad's cousin's place, I went down to have breakfast in the main house. Getting there, I walked in on an interesting conversation. Dad’s cousin was beginning to lecture her husband’s granddaughter. Apparently she was here for the summer in part to work for her Grandpa and Dad’s cousin. {pause} You see, Dad’s cousin was such a great animal lover, she not only fed skunks, she raised animals for a living. Specifically, she and her husband raised epileptic mice in a home laboratory they ran. They ran their own experiments on them, and also sold them to other researchers. Apparently their mice were somewhat prized because their epilepsy was closer to human epilepsy in several key measures than most epileptic lab mice at that time (mid-1980’s).

The lab was actually pretty interesting, as I learned later, when the granddaughter gave me a tour later. The mice were kept in drawer-like cages on one wall. To get in, you simply pulled out the cage and reached in from above. There was also a large table in the middle, where they could work with the mice, and a counter off to one side with a fish tank set up as an observation tank complete with a video camera, so you could put a mouse in, start the video camera, and get about two hours of observation on tape.

Anyway, the granddaughter was staying with them so she could work as a lab assistant for them for her summer job. There had been a problem in the lab the previous day. The granddaughter had put a mouse in the observation tank and set the video camera to record. You could see her leave thru the door at the beginning of the tape. A short while later, the door opened again, and one of Dad’s cousin’s four Siamese cats jumped up on the counter. It was “Ghirry,” which was short for Ghiradelli, one of my cousin’s favorite chocolate companies. Ghirry wasted no time at all on the wall full of cat-proof cages. He went straight to the fish tank with it’s open top. He checked inside, found the mouse, picked it up in his mouth, and left. That mouse, of course, was never seen again. {Smile, wink}

“Well, if you’re upset as Ghirry,” the granddaughter started to say.

“No. We are not upset at Ghirry,” Dad’s cousin corrected, “Ghirry was just behaving like a cat. He was just following his instincts. He didn’t do anything wrong. You left the door open,” and Dad’s cousin began describing the extra chores the granddaughter needed to do because of this oversight.  

I was really impressed with her attitude. So was Dad. It’s nice to see that someone understands that are some things you just don’t train some animals not to do; you don’t train a cat not to hunt mice. {REALLY BIG GRIN}

Anne Elizabeth Baldwin