Barnes and Noble Lahaina and It's a Small World!

I got so carried away describing my grandsons that I failed to give you all an update on my book signing at Barnes and Noble. What a great day it was! Again, I met such lovely people. The staff (s awesome)and all of the locals and those on vacation. The funniest was three people stopped by and one woman picked up my book. She said it looked familiar. So, we all started chatting and upon examining the back cover her friend said, "you live in West Seattle? So do I!" Haha we live about two miles away from each other on the same street! So, we determined that the first friend had seen my book in the West Seattle Herald when it was first published. Small world. The GM there told me that I could come back any time and sign books! Such an example of aloha spirit.

The Face of God

Aloha, I just got back from two weeks on Maui where I was able to travel with my cousin John and his wife Jeannie. We had a great time. They only stayed the first week. Then, Keili flew over from Oahu in time for my birthday celebration. It was wonderful...but the absolute highlight of my trip was spending time with my two BEAUTIFUL grandsons. Keawe is so tall and skinny now. He has really changed so much just in a few months. He plied me with kisses and hugs every day. The baby Keoni is so sweet and peacefilled. Looking in to his little face is like seeing the face of God. He doesn't fuss or cry unless he is in need of sustenance or a diaper change. What an angel baby! By the time Keili and I left he was starting to smile and coo. Such a treat! I cannot wait until I can get over there full time. It's in the works so please pray for us that we can get our house sold and get moved over there before too much longer. Aloha!

New Life

My new baby grandson was born a week ago. He is beautiful and amazing. I can't wait to meet him in person. Which, I will do when I head to Maui in a few weeks. Keoni is named after my father and his father. What a special tribute to my dad and grandfather. That name is of course his middle name. His first and last name come from his daddy. His daddy is still over the moon! A happy healthy sweet natured little guy. God is great.

Going Back to Barnes and Noble in Lahaina on Maui to sign on July 16th at 2pm

Aloha to you all... I am fortunate to have been invited back to the Barnes and Noble in Lahaina. It is the only bookstore left on the island of Maui. When I signed books there in May I met people from all over the island. So, I am thrilled to be going there again! The aloha spirit guides me back and I am loving it.

Hope to see you there!

Aloha!

A Pink Ribbon Lady

Well, as my luck would have it...I am now a pink ribbon lady. That doesn't mean I am going to sign up for the three day walk or anything...my heart will always be first and foremost with the children who have cancer and their families. But, I now understand a completely different side to dealing with the dreaded "C" word. I had my surgery on the 31st of May. What a trip that was! I was lucky to have my sister Rita by my side. She picked me up at 5:30am and escorted me to the hospital. First I had to answer a bunch of questions...then, I was gowned up and put in a wheelchair. A really nice guy named Dale pushed me to another part of the hospital so I could get wires placed in my left boob so the surgeon would have an easier time of removing the diseased duct. Well, the wire thing was probably the most painful of all experiences that day since I had to be awake. The radiologist was the same lovely woman who did my first large needle stereotactic biopsy. I love her. Dr. Halum is her name. Then, they wheeled me back to the other side of the hospital where I hung out for a while and then, they took me to another location where I met the anesthesiologist. His name was Craig. What a kick! The nurse who inserted my IV was an angel. I didn't even feel it. And she put it in my hand! Rita and I chatted and laughed until they came to fetch me. They could not figure out how it was that I have a blonde haired blue eyed sister. No one ever asks outright though. Which is hysterically funny to us. The nurse said to me, "so which one of you is older?" hahaha. I laughed because Rita is about five weeks older than I am. And she will always be older than me! So, I proceeded to tell them about our relationship and next thing I know I am bobbing awake in the recovery room. I was home by 2:00pm. I thought I was pretty coherent but that was a joke. My other sister had shown up while I was in surgery and so when I came to there were two of them. I was kind of confused at first - those drugs are pretty potent. Anyway, I won't bore you with the rest of the details just know that I am sick of my couch... I have read five books in a little over a week...you shouldn't try to go grocery shopping too soon after surgery cuz no matter how good you feel when you leave home that energy level can drop like a rock! I got kinda wobbly and woozy in the middle of Fred Meyer. But the best news is that I went in for my follow up and my lovely surgeon Dr. Tierney told me that all of the bad cells were gone. I don't need radiation or chemo and I praised the Lord cuz I know that I dodged a gigantic bullet on this one. Enjoy your life because it can turn in an instant. I learned that with Cory's diagnosis and now I am a pink ribbon lady...whether I want to be or not!

Book signing at Barnes and Noble in Lahaina Maui went well!

Aloha to all of my friends and readers. Just got back from a trip to Hawaii. My daughter Keili graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and we were there cheering as she pranced down the aisle in her bare feet to receive her diploma holder. There was a huge crowd on hand for the 1500+ undergraduates. The lei ceremony afterwards was cool too! By the time it was over Keili was lei'd up to her chin. If I could figure out how to post photos I would show you but if you are a FB friend of mine you can check my photos there. Then, we went off to Maui for a week to see my other daughter Brie and her family. We had a baby shower...made wedding planning visits to bakeries and a fabulous florist. When I find the cards with their names I will update this post. Steve and I looked at real estate upcountry and found one we really liked a lot. Keep your fingers crossed people! I did a book signing at B&N, which is now the only bookstore left on the entire island! So sad the Borders in Kahului closed down. The people at Barnes and Noble were wonderful. I met so many nice people...customers and staff. They even invited me to come back and do another signing. I hope to get there in August...I will post the dates when I know. So, the really big news since I last posted is my upcoming surgery...tomorrow. The surgeon will be doing a lumpectomy. It is a day surgery so no worries. I just hope I can tolerate the anesthesia. Well, until later ALOHA!

"The way you spend each day adds up to the way you spend your life."

I love this quote. I found it amongst my dear friend Phyllis' desk items when helping Lola pack up the condo after Phyllis left us. It is in her handwriting on a tiny scrap of an index card... and I taped it to my PC monitor stand. I look at it each day and it reminds me of my beautiful friend and her amazing spirit. I miss her and wish I could talk with her about breast cancer. She was extremely private and rarely even mentioned it. She relapsed several times and it finally mestastized to her brain. I feel so blessed that mine was caught EARLY and I have nothing to fear really. For me having a diagnosis of BC is just a blip and a pain in the okole timewise but I am truly lucky compared to my friend and others like her who have had to endure a much worse protocol. I choose to spend each day of my life living with the knowledge of how blessed I am and trying to spread positive energy in the world. Tomorrow is Mother's Day. For many it is a holiday where moms are celebrated. For me it is a sad day - a reminder that another year has passed since my little guy died. Don't get me wrong...I am grateful for the time we were given but even after all these years I still miss him...his smile...his sweet nature and his mischievous sense of humor. Even though he is gone and I miss Cory I choose gratitude and to acknowledge that being his mother was a privilege. Happy Mother's Day to all mamas!