6 November 2025

Back in July 2013 when I started this blog, I named it in honor of a medical publication – MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the CDC), calling my blog FFWR (Flora and Fauna Weekly Report). Instead of looking at what is killing people and making them sick this week, I’d look at what is breaking out in flowers or flying into my kitchen this week. But last week got unavoidably medical. This week, too. If you are squeamish, this is not an issue you want to read to the end.

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The water authority very kindly sent us another water truck

with about 16,000 liters of water for the eight homes dependent on the tank on our hill. Last time they sent the truck, about half the water was lost almost immediately to one neighbor’s leaky tank. We learned our lesson. This water has been so carefully conserved! Now it is raining – and with luck our pump and watershed will be adequate.

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Masi is here and Eroni is back. The two of them are very enterprising, and Keith is totally on board.

They loaded up five large jackfruit and three feed-sacks of kumala (sweet potatoes). This was all that was left after 3 hours at the market. Another vendor came over to offer half-price for the remaining kumala, and they took it. In all, they made $120 in the three hours and were very happy for their haul.

***

GUESS THAT FRUIT

Vina showed me this fruit, challenging me to guess what it is

I guessed MANGO

I was wrong.

She showed the stem….

It’s a PAPAYA !!! What a weird shape for a papaya!

***

So now for SICKIE CORNER

First true story – the funny one. Somehow connected to that flu, one day I had laryngitis. Couldn’t talk, could only whisper. So I’d whisper, and in response the person would whisper back. I can’t hear them! I’m deaf. So I’d whisper “Please speak up” and they’d whisper back “Okay.”

The other true story – the painful one. Somehow connected to the flu and to stress – Lily ended up with shingles. UGH!

Pharmacy meds were slow and painful to apply. Enter Doctor Tekaeti !!

Tekaeti called home to Kiribati and talked to family. She and Akka cooked up the i-Kiribati medicine.

First you shred a mature coconut and cook it over slow heat until it becomes activated charcoal. Then put the charcoal into coconut oil. And apply it to all the blisters and surrounding areas. Tekaeti took it even one better – she had a soft goose feather and used that to apply the oil. Talk about having a feather touch !! Within a day, the shingles stopped spreading and the pain and itching was gone. Now it is just a game of waiting for the skin to heal, and avoiding underlying nerve pain.

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Have a healthy week, everyone !

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30 October 2025

Highlight of the week

Keith and friend Alipate go to the pond across the field – and bring home enough fish for lunch.

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The rest of the week

FLU

Yeah. Ashmita had it. Then guest Kelly and I got it. The rest of the house seems to have dodged it, but my niece Lily got home yesterday, and it looks like she’s getting it. This damned flu seems to have a thing for the girls !!!

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Better luck next week 🙂

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23 October 2025

Austin went to Suva with the chainsaw and cut down the cinnamon tree that was beside the property line and somehow bothering our neighbor. He brought back the logs.

He has scraped off the outer bark (foreground) and is now going for the fragrant inner bark.

After a few tries, he is able to take the bark off in long, even strips.

As the strips dry in the sunshine, they start to curl. They smell heavenly.

***

Eighteen years living in Sigatoka Valley, and I’d never gone to see the windmills. Akka wanted to correct that.

Yep – those windmills would cause a nosebleed if you stood on the top of them. My ears were popping to get to their base.

I loved the view from the hilltop and was glad to see eight windmills in operation. Thank you, Akka, for taking me.

***

Tekaeti had a special guest this week – a part-Kiribati friend, Alice, who is an experienced seamstress.

Alice demonstrated making Bula shirts, and then Tekaeti made her first one. I’ll do a fashion spread of Tekaeti’s creations next week, and show one of them soon.

***

THAT CORN !!!

:Last week I husked it. This week it took an army to finish shelling it.

This is part of the corn-shelling crew. Top left – Junia. Top right – Masi. Bottom – the youngest shellers, neighbor John (?) and Keanu. Not shown: Eroni, Tetaake, Austin, Lily and me. (Lily and I watched rom-coms and shelled)

We now have four feed sacks of shelled corn – not including what Lily and I got shelled last week.

Junia mentioned to me that all this corn grew from 1/2 of a Ziploc bag of corn seed. Man oh man was that corn seed productive !!!!!

***

Last night we had a Holy Day celebration here. Vina cooked chicken and the yummiest lamb curry ever. The boys hung lights, and Vina brought over Diwali flicker-candles. Anyhow, I only took two photos.

These ladies are four of my earliest, dearest friends in the neighborhood – and it’s been awhile since I noticed all four here at the same time. Left to right: Indu, Popo, Lallee, Vina. They are each holding a flicker candle.

When they arrived, they were surprised to see “Brother Austin:”

He wanted to surprise them with a creative way to hold flicker candles. Ha ha.

Also – the shirt Austin is wearing is the first Bula shirt that Tekaeti made 🙂

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Happy week, everyone!

***

16 October 2025

Ka-POW !!!

One afternoon in January 2022, Austin and I thought we heard animals running on our tin roof. When it got a bit louder, Austin checked on line and found out that there was a massive volcanic eruption in Tonga FORTY-FIVE MINUTES EARLIER (talk about “speed of sound!” !!!) The noises got even louder. The Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano was the biggest explosion since 1815 – the Tambura explosion – it was even bigger than Krakatoa. Anyway…

This week Austin found this hunk of black pumice on the shore. It is a different kind of pumice than he has ever seen. It is darker, chunkier and heavier.

Our friend Masi says that they found pumice hunks as big as large ice chests out in Moce. The pumice comes as a flotilla that makes noise as chunks bump together – and it chases the ocean fish in front of it – free meals for the islands blocking the pumice’s path.

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I came home a week ago yesterday to a mountain of corn.

It took me more than eight hours to shuck it all.

Like an idiot, I did this in short sleeves and a skirt, thus ending up with a corn rash on my forearms and my thighs. Itchy! How do I forget these things?

As much as I love shelling – my hands cannot handle the stress of that anymore, so I have delegated shelling of everything except the forty best cobs to those who are willing.

Thank you, Lily, for 4 big Ziplocs of shelled corn so far (maybe 10% of the total).

This bag is going to our neighbor this afternoon.

***

Highlight of the week was the visit of Canadian friend Val Hilliker who is a puppeteer/ventriloquist and magician who loves kids and works with the Virtues Project. What a treat!

Val, puppet Lily Duck, and assistant Keanu

Val, “Buddha money,” audience and assistant Keith,

Val not only entertained neighbor kids all Sunday afternoon, she also gave Kiki the props for two magic tricks and mentored him in magician showmanship.

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CHICKEN CORNER

For those who never get enough chicken news….

Farm manager Junia just showed up with a box of chicks, freshly-hatched and fluffed up.

Believe it or not, there are about 7 dozen chicks in this box. They go from the incubator in the hatchery to a large heated box in the sales room.

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Last note – Grammy brags. I was happy to give Val a ride back to Lautoka because I was hoping to see granddaughter Joyce. Daughter-in-Canada Lua had helped me find a good gift – a princess outfit with tutu, tiara and wand.

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Happy week, everyone.

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9 October 2025

I thought things would slow down when I got to Hawaii, but we were Go Go Go for a whole week. Finally, on Sunday, I was able to rendezvous with my airplane friend Lori. We met up at Bishop Museum where Lori has a membership and Clara took the kids to get her own membership..

Here we are at the front door. Lori never really got much further – she got me in on her guest pass, and we sat and visited for half an hour. She brought fragrant leis for Clara and me.

I did not know the flower. Clara told me it is puakenikeni, which means “ten cent flower.” It was introduced to Hawaii and used widely in Chinatown, which is how it got the Ten Cent name.

We found a tree, but had trouble getting a good photo.

Puakenikeni lei and tree

Puakenikeni branches with flower and Austin-laiali

Moving along, we went to a dinosaur exhibit – lots of animatron. Kids loved it; I sat outside and read my book. They came out and climbed on the nene.

sitting goose, plus three passengers

We did not hang around long enough for the planetarium show nor did we go to the Pacific Islander museum (of more interest to adults), but instead we spent most of our time in the children’s science museum.

LOTS OF HUGE TOYS – like a wind diplay where pounding a drum makes the tile curtain ripple. A big, interactive board game. Good guy/bad guy insect costumes. Lots of bugs. And a three-story volcano, with DIY lava.

in the dark sea under the volcano

Bishop Museum is only 10 minutes from Clara’s place, so she looks forward to getting a lot of use of her year long Patron-Membership.

As we were leaving, Clara noticed something behind one of the counters.

Now we know where Wilson ended up!

***

Sunday night, we shopped. I really wanted to visit the grave of my dear friend Cherie on Kauai. But what to take to visit a grave? Well, it needed to be flowers – but Cherie loved “tacky” stuff – the queen of kitsch. So plastic flowers? Decisions, decisions. But there was a beautiful half-dozen of deep coral roses. Oh, and I needed to give something to our friend who was driving – so a bouquet of pale coral carnations. And for tacky – a mylar balloon. Clara chose a modest little mylar “Thank You”

Monday morning – it rained just as we exited Clara’s apartment building. There was a huge bright double rainbow as we drove to the airport. After we returned, Clara decided that the rain and the rainbow were Cherie celebrating that we were coming.

our flowers in transit on the Magic Carpet (free flight)

Going through security, one of the roses got snapped. That was ok – the broken head would provide loose petals.

Friend Liz drove 45 minutes to give us a ride. She gave us leis and friendship bracelets – and then pulled out her wire cutters to shorten the roses for a good display.

Cherie’s decorated grave. The stone is wet because we had to wash the bird poo off. We’d brought the Scrub Daddy along, and then realized that THAT was the “tacky element” that was needed for her grave, for three reasons: 1) it is cheerful and colorful and funny (i.e. tacky. Love it!), 2) Cherie loved cleaning. A LOT. Made me stand on her counters once to clean the top of a cabinet. good grief! , 3) That Scrub Daddy will surely be used by someone else to clean off their loved one’s headstone – and that’s perfect. Cherie was very generous. She and the Scrub Daddy could not be happier.

The fun thing about Cherie’s grave – I had to see for myself. It was more subtle than I expected.

Mother of Five. “I told you I was sick”

Ha ha ha. Cherie was sick for a long time with trigeminal neuralgia -unimaginably painful condition … and she never lost her sense of humor. So here is where I tell you that the mylar balloon I wanted to get was a big floaty one that said “Get Well Soon” … but Clara talked me out of it. Scrub Daddy was better anyway.

Clara and Liz went around the cemetery, laying flowers on the graves of everyone they’d known.

Bye, Cherie!

We left with a prayer and a couple of chants..

Thanks, Liz

A short drive and we were back at the airport – a mere two hours on the ground. Hooray for airline jobs!

***

Monday night I crawled into the kids’ top bunk to comfort one of the kids who was scared he could not breathe.

Once up there, I realized this was a good use for TAPPING. (My kids think I’m a bit unhinged for promoting tapping). About 6 minutes in, my grandson calmed down and took easy breaths. It would have happened eventually anyway – but it was a lot quicker and easier with tapping.

***

So anyway – Flew out Tuesday morning, arrived Wednesday evening. Came home to a drought. We have water hours and cannot do laundry at the house. My traveling clothes got sent out this morning to the Ashimita Laundry Service. They are clean, dry, folded and here already. This drought isn’t going to be that bad!

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Happy week, everyone!

***

2 October 2025

I was in Canada for a week – didn’t take a single photo… but in my final hours, good friend Linda took me out to lunch.  She got pix, and  I grabbed this one from her FB post.

She took me to her mum’s favorite restaurant (Beaver something) on the water near the Vancouver seaplane base.  Linda’s dad used to work at logging camps, and he would take off from here.

The atmosphere was lovely, the food fantastic, and the 3-hour visit priceless.

From here I went to the airport to fret about getting a seat on the nearly sold-out flight.  Made it 😃

***

Back in Honolulu in the vertical village known as KPT – building B.

There was a peace festival on my last visit and my heart was warmed by the flags.

Old Glory (USA) is shoulder-to-shoulder with Fiji, and at the extreme right is Kiribati, Tekaeti’s homeland.   My family, my flags.

(I’ll get Clara to get more pix for next blog  😃)

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Happy week, everyone !!

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25 September 2025

Clara and I took the kids to the aquarium.  This is my favorite photo

Three-year-old granddaughter Azalea and the gigantic grouper.

***

I’m in Canada for a week — ah, flight benefits!

See you next Thursday when I’ll be back in Hawaii on my way home.

Have a happy week, everyone.

***

18 September 2025

I started the week still in Japan. What joy!

I’ll pick up where I left off… Guy’s chicken house. I took lots of photos – his automatic door closer, his homemade chicken waterer and chicken feeder, the ramp from his enclosed chicken yard to his chicken house… but the only one that is truly photogenic is his INDOOR LIGHTS

These are just soda bottles filled with water and some bleach. Sunlight difuses throughout the hen house by day. Beautiful!

***

Every Saturday, an elderly couple invites all the neighbors for “Radio Execrise” in their driveway.

a beautiful, traditional yard.

and some of us doing the stretches.

The first weekend there were twice as many – but last week was the 6-monthly Community Preparedness meetings, kids had school for safety drills, and adults had things, too. Such an organized society.

***

Biggest adventure of the week is that my dear friend Kyoko-san wanted me to come for a sleepover. Her Engish is basic and rusty. My Japanese is about 5 words. Oh gee whiz.

But three things made the sleepover turn out great! 1) Kyoko’s sweet sweet spirit, 2) she planned lots of activities, 3) Google translate 😀

Cooking

The first meal was lunch. She had friend Hoda-san (green apron) here for that meal. She had an apron for me too. Together we prepared lunch, dinner and breakfast. Each meal was exquisite snd beautiful… could turn me into a foodie.

We also went shopping.

Before breakfast we took a walk. (She’s my Healthy Lifestyle guru)

But the most amazing activity was after dinner. She gave us each a blank paper and a pencil (please remember the language barrier). She told me thst I’d draw Fiji, she’d draw Japan, and we would be exchanging papers from time to time.

I drew a Fiji bure, covnut tree and hills. She added rice paddies, more stones and an airplane.

She drew a traditional Japanese house, mountains, and girls foing radio exeercisr. I added a coconut tree, rooster, and body in a hammock.

Then we passed them back snd fkrth for coloring, which is how my thatch ended up.rainbow-colored. Ha. Anywa, she gave the pictures to me, and I plan to frame them.

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Last pictures from mh camera this week: persisetence in a childriod of gadget deprivation.

Grandson Kenn age 5, took a stick yo knock a persimmon out of the tree. Didn’t work. He got a leaf rake. Didn’t work. He got the fruit pucking pole with the lever and snipper. He couldn’t get it to work. So he went and got a chair ro stand on.

That still didn’t work. His dad came home, told him off for taking the tree trimmer, and picked the persimmon for him.

***

There was lots more, including sweet, misty farewells at the airport … but this one-figer typing makes me keep it short.

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I arrived at daughter Clara’s in Haonolulu on Monday. It’s been busy. And I’m especially pooped for one reason:

ZUMBA !!!

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Happy week, everyone !

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11 September 2025

So…. still doing a one-finger blog from my phone in Japan.

When I arrived at son Guy’s home, there was a very pretty new shed.

But what?

His new chicken house!

***

I took a walk in the neighborhood.  I saw the strangest animal cage beside the road.

It’s clearly an animal cage, right?  I asked Guy why.

It is for garbage sacks, and it keeps the animals OUT.   Ha ha.

And this little garbage-sack cage services around 20 houses.  Pick up twice a week.

Obviously, this culture does not generate trash the way most of us do.

***

We went to the beach.

Guy collected some flora and fauna for me to share.

Sorry I didn’t take a better photo.  The crab legs are obvious, but the seeds from the rhombus plant are not.  They are angular and hard.  Tradition has it that ninjas used to throw down these seeds to slow down people barefoot or in thin shoes from chasing them 😀

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One of the first things I noticed inside Guy’s house this time is a new bathtub in a repurposed room.  An electric controlled one — very nice — and pretty!    I was also taken with how there is always an effort to make things pretty. 

The string light in the corner has this beautiful bamboo shade.

“Did you buy it?,” I asked.

Guy just laughed at me.  (That was a no.)

When we went for a gathering at the family center, I saw this:

So cute.

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Same day at the family center, during a hike in the woods with the littlest kids….

Grasshopper!  Grandson Kenn tried to catch it.  It hopped like 2 meters.  Whoa!

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Speaking of Kenn…. our preschooler

Everything is so dang CUTE.  This school has kids in little yellow shorts and polos, with red caps and beige plaid backpacks.  They ride on special red buses with small seats and cartoon characters.  It just makes one cringe with happiness to see it.  Too cute!

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Final images for this week.  Mami asked the boys and me to collect chestnuts in the yard.

This is Noah with one of the best chestnuts.

We each had boots and tongs.  That “fur” is like porcupine quills, maybe even sharper!  Mami showed me how to step hard on a seed case to get it to open, and try to encourage it to spread open with my feet.  Then reach in with TONGS to get the nuts, and throw the spiny cases into a crate, also with tongs.

But the nuts are so creamy delicious, they are totally worth the pokes.

***

Last night I went to a kind of pajama party – one of my best experiences ever.  I’ll tell you about it next post.

I hope you all have a very happy week.

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4 September 2025

Gong show week on the road

On 30 August…

Victor, Keith and I left Teitei, heading to Nadi.  We were meeting Austin, who was flying in from Tuvalu.  Then Victor and I would be getting on our 10:30 pm flight, and Kiki would keep Granddaddy company on the drive home. 

All went fine until… there was ZERO SPACE for stand bys (me and three others).  Victor flew without me, and I called Lily who is staying in Nadi, and I got to stay at her BnB.  Stretched-out sleeping and a hot shower – YAY.

Breakfast at the Ideal BnB is amazing.

Real bacon, sausage, omelet, pancakes.  I ate the fruit plate before I thought to take the photo.

Anyway, I got out the next day because Clara re-routed me to Vancouver through Honolulu – her place.

Flight to Honolulu was half-empty and very pleasant.  I landed to another great sleeping spot and another hot shower.  YAAY !!

Next evening, flying out HNL,  the new flight to Vancouver also became all sold out.  The three sad-sack standbys trudged back to departure desk to collect our checked bags.   Glad I was in a city with family.  Nigel drove me home.

That cheeky pigeon walks all the way into Clara’s living room now.

Anyway, getting to Vancouver this week is clearly hopeless, so we regroup.  I’ll have a longer holiday at Guy’s house.  There are 107 open seats on the flight to Fukuoka.

It’s a looooong day when flying west, but as of yesterday,  ta da, I’m back in Japan.

I get out the presents that Nicole and Ashmita sent.

I tie Rakhee as Ashmita’s proxy

And stuff some of the barfi (Indian fudge) she sent into Guy’s mouth, and then into the mouths of my grandsons.

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This blog is typed with one finger on my phone.  I’ll try to do better next week.

Y’all have a happy week!

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