I admit it, I kind of dug it.
On the way back, Saw yet another set of blades on the Freeway.......
Saturday, April 21, 2007
SB 838.....Almost there.
Had the pleasure of being able to go to Salem this week and testify in support of Oregon's new Renewables Legistlation. I got to read the Association of Oregon Counties Support Letter, and toss in a bit of Hood River as well.
I admit it, I kind of dug it.
On the way back, Saw yet another set of blades on the Freeway.......
I admit it, I kind of dug it.
On the way back, Saw yet another set of blades on the Freeway.......
Friday, April 20, 2007
The Funeral. The Wedding.
The Funeral
The day of my Mother's funeral came. Kind of couldn't get around it. I woke up and that was the thought in my head.
Rites of passage are like that to me. There's a sense of inevitability. Here it goes. Deep sigh. I brought Jan and Julia and Nathaniel back for the funeral, we stayed at Mele's. We could only get tickets that kept us in Hawaii for a week (I know, unintended, fun side benefit)
Tried to concentrate on the task at hand. Dress the kids, get the this's and thats, carpool. George Kahumoku Came to play music, and was with us. He arrived the evening before bearing Poke' and sashimi, and within about five minutes had a (then, third) meal out for me, and the guitar ready to go. World Class, Grammy Award Winner practices his Slack Key Guitar while I pig out on Raw fish at 11:30 the night before my Mother's funeral. Jet-lagged, Sated.
Oddly, perfect.
Kids were ready to go, and off we went to the last church service my Mother would ever have. Her service was at the church where she and Pop were married, and where she, for a long time, went to church every morning.
The Hearse was waiting for us. We put our gloves on and carried her into the church, for her viewing. The lid came off. It was very powerful. So much happened in the next couple of hours it was tough to process it all. I held Nathaniel and explained alot to him. He took it all in pretty well.
Emma was fabulous. Cold to the touch, which was slightly alarming, but I gave her a kiss and whispered to her, just like I did when she was alive. She looked better than she had in a long time, like we were about to go out for some Dim-Sum or something.
People poured in. I never took a photo of the service, but it was full, literally and physically. I spoke, I can't remember what I said, Moana sang, and generally we tried to keep it together. It wasn't tough, but we were so seeped in the moment, so inside of what was going on, so engrossed.
The Service ended, and we have a nice lunch at the Country Club. I laugh because when things were not so good for Emma and Harry, I had to cancel the Country Club membership, all over $90.00 a month. I couldn't afford it, they CERTAINLY couldn't afford it then, but it sure looked like a good move then, when $90.00 a month was the difference between the rent or not.....all over, and water under the bridge now.
Boy was that club beautiful.
Later we went to the Valley of the Temples for the final ceremony. I was exhausted.
Manu, her final chant.
We carried Emma up to her grave next to her sister Aima. Some words, some signing. Nathaniel hung out with my Brother in Law Michael. So comfortable with his Uncle and Aunts.
And then it was over.
I remember her as I last saw her, missal in hand, leis, a few white roses, perfect hair and looking so relaxed. The lid of the Coffin was so finite when we nailed it in place. I saw the slight clearance and I imagined, and Imagine now, how she looked as the last person to see her would imagine her in the casket. Quiet, tight. Simple. For a long, long time.
We spent the next bunch of days in Hawaii. Ate some food..........
Went to the beach.......
Dinner with everyone..........
Had Easter.......
The Wedding
We came home for one day, then went to Jay's wedding (my nephew) We went to Scottsdale, and pretty much dove right in.......Jay and Caroline's wedding was off the hook!
We went to Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's Winter camp. A pilgrimage to be sure. Pretty amazing place......
We went to the Pacheco manor. Amazing home, amazing party.
The wedding was incredible! Complete with Firewords at the Silverleaf Country Club, a giant tent with room for 200.
Harry Danced,
Molly and Mihana and Moana were in shock.......
And it was a very, very wonderful time!
From one end of the spectrum to the other this month........
The day of my Mother's funeral came. Kind of couldn't get around it. I woke up and that was the thought in my head.
Rites of passage are like that to me. There's a sense of inevitability. Here it goes. Deep sigh. I brought Jan and Julia and Nathaniel back for the funeral, we stayed at Mele's. We could only get tickets that kept us in Hawaii for a week (I know, unintended, fun side benefit)
Tried to concentrate on the task at hand. Dress the kids, get the this's and thats, carpool. George Kahumoku Came to play music, and was with us. He arrived the evening before bearing Poke' and sashimi, and within about five minutes had a (then, third) meal out for me, and the guitar ready to go. World Class, Grammy Award Winner practices his Slack Key Guitar while I pig out on Raw fish at 11:30 the night before my Mother's funeral. Jet-lagged, Sated.
Oddly, perfect.
Kids were ready to go, and off we went to the last church service my Mother would ever have. Her service was at the church where she and Pop were married, and where she, for a long time, went to church every morning.
The Hearse was waiting for us. We put our gloves on and carried her into the church, for her viewing. The lid came off. It was very powerful. So much happened in the next couple of hours it was tough to process it all. I held Nathaniel and explained alot to him. He took it all in pretty well.
Emma was fabulous. Cold to the touch, which was slightly alarming, but I gave her a kiss and whispered to her, just like I did when she was alive. She looked better than she had in a long time, like we were about to go out for some Dim-Sum or something.
People poured in. I never took a photo of the service, but it was full, literally and physically. I spoke, I can't remember what I said, Moana sang, and generally we tried to keep it together. It wasn't tough, but we were so seeped in the moment, so inside of what was going on, so engrossed.
The Service ended, and we have a nice lunch at the Country Club. I laugh because when things were not so good for Emma and Harry, I had to cancel the Country Club membership, all over $90.00 a month. I couldn't afford it, they CERTAINLY couldn't afford it then, but it sure looked like a good move then, when $90.00 a month was the difference between the rent or not.....all over, and water under the bridge now.
Boy was that club beautiful.
Later we went to the Valley of the Temples for the final ceremony. I was exhausted.
Manu, her final chant.
We carried Emma up to her grave next to her sister Aima. Some words, some signing. Nathaniel hung out with my Brother in Law Michael. So comfortable with his Uncle and Aunts.
And then it was over.
I remember her as I last saw her, missal in hand, leis, a few white roses, perfect hair and looking so relaxed. The lid of the Coffin was so finite when we nailed it in place. I saw the slight clearance and I imagined, and Imagine now, how she looked as the last person to see her would imagine her in the casket. Quiet, tight. Simple. For a long, long time.
We spent the next bunch of days in Hawaii. Ate some food..........
Went to the beach.......
Dinner with everyone..........
Had Easter.......
The Wedding
We came home for one day, then went to Jay's wedding (my nephew) We went to Scottsdale, and pretty much dove right in.......Jay and Caroline's wedding was off the hook!
We went to Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's Winter camp. A pilgrimage to be sure. Pretty amazing place......
We went to the Pacheco manor. Amazing home, amazing party.
The wedding was incredible! Complete with Firewords at the Silverleaf Country Club, a giant tent with room for 200.
Harry Danced,
Molly and Mihana and Moana were in shock.......
And it was a very, very wonderful time!
From one end of the spectrum to the other this month........
My Mom and I
Lots to catch up on.....as always. Before I get into that, I'd like to tell you about my son who is interviewing me about my mom.
"what else did you and your mom do?"
"well, we talked alot and hung out......."
"hmmm........I can't draw that daddy."
"Ok....Well, we hung out outside a lot......Like at the beach"
(Nathaniel Draws a pune'e, with my mom sitting on it, under an umbrella.)
"What Else?"
"The Beach, remember?"
(Nathaniel draws a scene of me at the beach, next to my mother on the Pune'e)
"We went to the Pool sometimes, and she would throw coins into the water, and I'd swim down to get them"
(Nathaniel draws a pool, with coin at the bottom, and a figure of me swimming in it)
"What Else did you do?"
"We played cards for M and M's like you and I just did"
(Nathaniel draws a picture of me and my mom playing cards)
"What about the M & M's?"
(Nathaniel draws a small tray of M & &'s on the table)
"what else?"
"We went to church a lot...."
"Is that the big building with the bell on top?"
"yes"
"I don't know what that looks like inside daddy"
"Draw the outside then. Everyone knows that my mom will be inside.."
(Nathaniel draws a picture of the church)
"What Else did you and your mom do?"
"She took me to the supermarket and we went shopping"
(Nathaniel Draws a picture of my Mom with me inside the shopping cart)
"and....?"
"she drove me to school..."
(Picture of a car.....)
"I gave it stripes. You can have a striped car..."
"OK"
"and she would read books to me.."
"and we would walk and hold hands...."
(Nathaniel Draws Mom and I walking and holding hands, and Her, reading a book to me)
"I'm running out of space dad..."
"I know. We could do another page you know...."
"one last one for this page ok?"
"OK"
"we ate Dinner together alot..."
(Nathaniel draws a dinner table with Plates and hot dogs and drinks)
"Daddy?"
"yes?"
"I've got to go pee-pee now"
"Ok............"
Cormac Mccarthy Won the pulitzer this week for the road. One of the saddest and most beautiful books I've ever read. More so given the last few Months........
Nathaniel Returns.
"So...Daddy. What kind of thing did you have in your house?"
"we had the clock..."
(Nathaniel draws the clock)
"Oh......I get it now, it's that noise, the tick tock, that you like?"
"yep"
"I like it too"
"Daddy?"
"Can I stay up until Mom comes home?"
"Depends"
"Can we do something else? Like a puzzle or read a book or something"
"Sure"
"Let's talk about Star Trek"
"You are your mother's son, did you know that?"
"I know daddy."
"what else did you and your mom do?"
"well, we talked alot and hung out......."
"hmmm........I can't draw that daddy."
"Ok....Well, we hung out outside a lot......Like at the beach"
(Nathaniel Draws a pune'e, with my mom sitting on it, under an umbrella.)
"What Else?"
"The Beach, remember?"
(Nathaniel draws a scene of me at the beach, next to my mother on the Pune'e)
"We went to the Pool sometimes, and she would throw coins into the water, and I'd swim down to get them"
(Nathaniel draws a pool, with coin at the bottom, and a figure of me swimming in it)
"What Else did you do?"
"We played cards for M and M's like you and I just did"
(Nathaniel draws a picture of me and my mom playing cards)
"What about the M & M's?"
(Nathaniel draws a small tray of M & &'s on the table)
"what else?"
"We went to church a lot...."
"Is that the big building with the bell on top?"
"yes"
"I don't know what that looks like inside daddy"
"Draw the outside then. Everyone knows that my mom will be inside.."
(Nathaniel draws a picture of the church)
"What Else did you and your mom do?"
"She took me to the supermarket and we went shopping"
(Nathaniel Draws a picture of my Mom with me inside the shopping cart)
"and....?"
"she drove me to school..."
(Picture of a car.....)
"I gave it stripes. You can have a striped car..."
"OK"
"and she would read books to me.."
"and we would walk and hold hands...."
(Nathaniel Draws Mom and I walking and holding hands, and Her, reading a book to me)
"I'm running out of space dad..."
"I know. We could do another page you know...."
"one last one for this page ok?"
"OK"
"we ate Dinner together alot..."
(Nathaniel draws a dinner table with Plates and hot dogs and drinks)
"Daddy?"
"yes?"
"I've got to go pee-pee now"
"Ok............"
Cormac Mccarthy Won the pulitzer this week for the road. One of the saddest and most beautiful books I've ever read. More so given the last few Months........
Nathaniel Returns.
"So...Daddy. What kind of thing did you have in your house?"
"we had the clock..."
(Nathaniel draws the clock)
"Oh......I get it now, it's that noise, the tick tock, that you like?"
"yep"
"I like it too"
"Daddy?"
"Can I stay up until Mom comes home?"
"Depends"
"Can we do something else? Like a puzzle or read a book or something"
"Sure"
"Let's talk about Star Trek"
"You are your mother's son, did you know that?"
"I know daddy."
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