Virginia Macdonald - Hawaiian Pioneer

Upon meeting Virginia Macdonald, don't let her white hair fool you. She was a firecracker with a lot of spunk and energy.

Upon meeting Virginia Macdonald, don't let her Caucasian face fool you. She was Hawaiian at heart with much aloha for the keiki and the aina.

Upon meeting Virginia Macdonald, don't let her grandmotherly looks fool you. She was a glass ceiling breaker, a pioneer in a field dominated by men!!

I first met Virginia Macdonald in the mid-80's in Volcano. I loved to talk story with her, to hear about her adventures, to learn about her ideas about architecture that was made for the Hawaii / Volcano climate, to learn about passive energy and solar considerations in building construction. She mentored me when we had questions about creating a camp for children and families. She worked on Camp Timberline and had some good advice such as using available public facilities to "try" out the camp program. We did so and ran the Maluhia Enrichment Camp for three years in Volcano.
Her ideas about passive solar and home construction are a factor in the construction of our Volcano home. She was my mentor when I was the principal at Mountain View Elementary and needed someone to revise our master plan. She did the architectural plans for the Mountain View School cafeteria.
She was an inspiration to women who were looking to try new things. We bid aloha 'oe to a grand lady who had so much to do with altering people's ideas in Hawaii whether we are talking about architecture, hiking trails, children's education, the environment. Her passing will be marked by the things she did that remain alive today. Kealoha piha e Virginia.

Small Kid Time Treats

Our book club just got finished reading the novel, Water for Elephants. As is our regular practice, we try to bring snacks which are relevant to the topic of the novel or its geographic location so I was considering what to bring to the event with a circus theme. In Hawaii, the first consideration is a bag of boiled peanuts spiced with five spice. If not that, then we have to consider the Maui County Fair's candied apples - crunchy-juicy apples slathered with red sticky-gooey colored sugar. (This was a favorite back in the day but now with teeth worn down by life, not something one would want to eat on a daily or weekly basis.)

There are also the nostalgic candy bars like Big Hunk, Hershey's chocolate bar, Butterfingers, Almond Joy, Mounds, or the Hawaii favorite - Tomoe Ame with its little gifts. Tomoe Ame candy was wrapped in gelatin paper which we could eat...sweet, chewy gelatin blocks from Japan.

Popcorn is always a favorite and nothing can compare to the Wailuku Kress Store's red and green sugared popcorn. The smell of the popcorn would fill the store beckoning us to the front where the popcorn machine stood guard at the entrance.

I ended up buying boxes of CrackerJack which were a kid-time favorite. It seems however that the cracker jack then was more crunchy and there were more peanuts in the box with some fabulous (or so we thought at that time) prizes. I used to love getting the whizzing whistles are prizes.

What were your childhood treats from your hanabata days? Do they measure up to your memories? Perhaps this is another subject for discussion and reminiscence.

School's over...for the students

I come in early to see a deserted island of empty parking spaces.
I choose the one closest to my office.
It's so quiet, I can hear the birds chirping to each other.
School's over...for the students.

Instructors and staff meander over to the cafeteria.
I scan the horizon and don't see any of my compads.
A long line alerts me to the fact that there is food
Biscuits and gravy...Southern food in the Southernmost State.

The classroom looks stark and lonely without students lurking close by.
I turn on my computer to just a few emails.
Now this is weird, what to do, what to do in the hours till pau hana.
Somehow the noon hour sneaks up...time for a chatty snack.

Rice of various sorts grace the makeshift dining table.
My yogurt and fruit look out of place in this Asian paradise.
Pearls of laughter ring in the empty room, are we too loud?
A secret slips out of my mouth...my friend is astounded.

School's over...for the students and we carry on.
Perhaps we can go to Yogurtland to celebrate.
I praise God I am no longer an English teacher!!
It seems like such a selfish comment...but I'm out of here!!

Amazing Bentos, Minimal Time

One of my co-workers is pregnant and she is craving rice balls. Since she has treated me to lunch several times, I decided to make an old fashion homemade bento for lunch. The night before, I went to Blaine's Drive In to buy their boneless Korean Chicken which was on sale. Luckily, we had Sunday Supper leftovers of spam stuffed eggplant which was cooked in the Korean jun sytle. That is mixing an egg batter and fry your eggplant, beef, or fish.

Early in the morning as soon as the bed was fixed, I dashed downstairs to wash the rice and turn the rice cooker on. After my shower, I toasted the nori on the stove.
Turn on the stove and put the sheet of nori (laver) on the element until it gets crisp and bumpy. It might take a few seconds on each side.

In the meantime, the rice is cooked. Assemble a couple of bowls - one for water and the second for salt. You will need a rice bowl to toss the hot rice. Wet the inside of the rice bowl with a little water and salt. Put a scoop of rice and toss it around so that the rice is salted. Wet your hands. Cut the sheet of nori in half for those who are frugal. For those who are rich, use the whole sheet. Put the rice from the rice bowl into the sheet of nori. Mold it into a triangle by cupping your hands and turning the rice ball around - corner to corner. (Japanese make round rice balls only for funerals)

Assemble the parts of your bento in a container. Don't forget to get small plates and utensils for lunch and you'll look like a fabulous friend.

Whatʻs in a name

At our recent book club meeting, we discussed the novel, The Calligrapherʻs Daughter and got a chance to talk about each of our names. I was surprised that many people had their personal stories about their names. I found other people who made decisions about their own names. Which name is the primary name. Wishing to have another name. The family choice of names and their stories.

it is interesting to consider what names people would choose for themselves. It is also interesting to see how names define people. How some names seem to foster certain times of personality...or levels of energy. I would be interested in hearing how people would name themselves.

When I was a kid, I thought I would name my daughters after gems such a Pearl, Jade, Rudy, etc. But what really happened was I ended with daughters whose names end with y...Cathy, Sunny and Becky. How original is that? All of their names are exactly the opposite from my name...Muriel. Whatʻs up with that?

Fretting Versus Decision Making

Why do we often torture ourselves with overanalysis? Why do we have to have a repetitive stream of consciousness that keeps bringing up the series of things we cannot resolve?

I had a problem having to do with my health and I needed to make a decision. First I was wrought with denial. "Oh no, I can heal myself." The more I worked on it, the more I had to deal with pain.

Then I started to gather information to make a decision. "What questions do I need answered? What if I did not like the answers I got? Who else should I ask? Who can I talk to?"

I packed my data in a bladder bag of overwrought anxiety and nerves. It sat and trembled. Bit by bit, I pulled information out and laid them down like pieces of an almost impossible jigsaw puzzle.

Eureka!! The answer was so clear, so logical, and so singular on what I could possibly do. I made up my mind. I talked to significant people and related my decision. Some took my decision with acceptance, others with tears, and still others with a sense of frustration. It is done. My decision is made. I feel liberated.

Ozoni Traditional Japanese Soup

On New Yearʻs morning, most Japanese families eat ozoni which is a soup with mochi (Japanese rice cakes).

Recipe
1 small can clams
1 soup base from the ramen package
2 c water
10 slices of kamaboko (Japanese fish cake)
1 cup mizuna (cut into 2" pieces)
1-2 mochi, cut into fourths

Empty the can of clams and juice into a sauce pan. Add water and the soup base. Bring to a boil.
Add in the kamaboko, mizuna, and mochi. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until the mochi is very soft.

Serve.