26 March 2020

Happy New Week!

I don’t have much to share, but will at least show up.

This is a photo of a flower in that park I visited with Clara awhile back.  These flowers minus the hair reminded me a lot of a photo we are all seeing lots of.

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This was me visiting my niece and her daughters in the neighboring house – with basic info on our Viral Friend.

Social distancing.  I spoke from here, and they stood in their door.

(If anyone wants a copy of the 3-page fact sheet Austin and I put together and update daily, let me know.)

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FINALLY – something FUN.

Akka and I went to Suva yesterday and saw a friend who is probably Fiji’s premier herbalist.  Akka noticed this sign in her compound.

We both cracked up.  Akka was thinking “weed” as in “pot” …. I just thought it was darned funny that anyone would cultivate particular plants and still refer to them as “weeds.”

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Have a lovely, safe and spectacular week.

I’ll be back … with Something to share.

Lots of love.

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19 March 2020

I got home last night.  First Covid19 case in Fiji confirmed this morning.  Panic erupts.  So this blog needs to be about ANYTHING that is not THAT.

SO –

Here is Daisy nursing her three kittens last night.

And here is a happy shot of a ladies picnic from last month that Monica sent me.

It may be awhile before we all sit so close together again.

Monica and Kiki (Keith) are out in the Yasawa Islands visiting her sister.   It may be awhile before they come back.

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Happy week, everybody.  And I’ll be back next week with more of “Anything that is not THAT” !!

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12 March 2020

Well, I didn’t get a photo-laden letter this week, but I did get some news, and I have a Fijian word to share.

First off, though – here are two photos Akka sent me a few weeks ago.

Him feeding the critters – chickens and sheep.

and

A humongous dragonfly – you can tell the size by the bench it is on.   We like dragonflies – so this is a happy sign.

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Now, the news.    Rest in Peace, Tarsi Dog.

You lived a long life, outstripping all our expectations.    May you run happily in heavenly meadows, and have a lot of younger dogs there that you can boss around.

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FIJIAN WORD of the WEEK

I learned this here at my daughter’s house and it may be just slang from Tailevu, but it comes up a lot because of my 3 year old grandson…..

polo (pronounced just as in English) means “male private parts”

It’s a good word to know – to know not to say by accident.

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Happy week, everybody.  🙂

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5 March 2020

My sweet daughter-in-law sent another farm update.  There was one bit of news that surprised me a LOT.

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Dear Mom,

We’ll start with our Ryu news as promised.  No one came again to fuss about our Horse so they realized it was false alarm. ha ha ha.    (Great!)

Last week we celebrated Uncle Jeswan’s life..isa… Akka and Junior said a speech on behalf of the family.I teared up. .isa Uncle Jeswan.

(She sent a lot of photos from the funeral – at top is one of a few of the people saying good-bye, and below is of a bouquet she took to the funeral made of flowers that were growing on Beamer’s grave.)

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To take us to happy thoughts we welcomed lots of new borns from kittens (2 weeks ago), chicks (always), duckies (frequently)   AND we finally found Winky and her puppies (WHAT ????  Winky had puppies ???)

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…we finally found Winky and her puppies inside an unsafe pile of bouganvillea with sharp thorns by the pool tank.  It was hard work taking them out and now they’re in safe hands. especially cleaning Winky’s open wound on her breast. Ouch

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(here Monica made a montage of the terrible delivery spot, circled in orange, with pups in boxes and Winky’s injured nipple)

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(and a happy photo of Winky with pups in a box.  It looks like she had four…. or four survivors.  This is the girl who had a litter of ten just last July.)

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A few days ago we welcomed our new volunteer Clement from France and a Chef by profession.

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(Monica really knows how to get people working effectively 🙂 )

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Lemeki harvested lots of cassava so we decided to bake cassava cakes.  Turned out so good especially for this fasting season, although Dad has yet to taste his piece — his opinion we’re waiting for on this one!

(Just torture me, why don’t you? ….  it looks so yummy delicious!)

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Driving home there was a bird fighting for his life by the road side.  He was brought home, fed and looked after for the day before he passed on…isa…

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(Such a cute bird – and Monica did another montage here.  You can see the bird from two angles, and also the makeshift bird cage they made out of a red laundry basket.)

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And for the Happy News WE are all very proud Uncles, Aunties and cousins to our our Sweetheart Zayn in Hawaii!

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(This little kid is the reason I am in Hawaii right now.  He is factory fresh at 5 days old.)

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We are soooo excited and looking forward to meeting him in the near future!

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Dad planted dwarf sunflowers at Beamer’s grave and now they’re blooming perfectly and I like to mention it’s all loving thoughts for our handsome nephew.

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(So this is the dwarf sunflower from Granddaddy and Monica for Baby Zayn)

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That’s about it from Home.  We Love You and We Miss you Mom.  Big Lolomas and prayers of Love n Strength during this special season of the Fast.

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Loloma kei na Masu,

Monica (Tinai Keith).

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Wow!   What a week!

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FIJIAN LANGUAGE REVIEW

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Loloma kei na Masu – means “Love and Prayers”

Tinai … –  means “Mother of”

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I’ve got another new Fijian word I will share soon.

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If you want to know a bit more about Baby Zayn, his brother Little Austin, what is happening with me here in Hawaii, I’ve cranked up my other blog and am putting those matters there:  https://ffwrcelebratebahaicalendar.wordpress.com/

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Happy week, everybody.

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