Hendersaurus

The whales are back!

2012-01-08T20:03:00.000-10:00

Even to those who have lived here all their lives, the return of the whales every winter is an exciting part of life that is anxiously awaited. And they are here! The first sighting was back in November, but we went out on the dive boat on January 2nd (the first day everyone - Bruce, Laurie, and Scott had the same day off) and we were treated to a "whale" of a show. Taking their picture is a little tricky, but I did manage to get one classic tale picture and while we were going from the first to the second dive site, a pod of dolphins came to play. Also included is a picture of Bruce's new fins (he got them for Christmas). They are almost as long as he is. He says he can chase stray divers better this way. (Some people just wander off down there). I'm planning to turn the whale and dolphin pictures into paintings. We'll keep you posted!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T17:31:00.000-10:00

Hopefully all of you have received your Henderson Christmas newsletter. If you didn't, send me an email and I will send it along. If I missed you, it would be because I didn't have your address, or I lost it, or I couldn't find it because our spare room isn't quite set up for an office yet and papers are still everywhere. In any event, MERRY CHRISTMAS! to everyone and we hope you all have a wonderful New Year.

It's amazing to think that it's almost January. Living where the season stays virtually the same all year, I can't figure out if time goes by faster because there is no change, or slower because there is no change. And it does seem strange to have the windows open and the sun shining warm for Christmas, but I'm satisfied with the little tip of snow at the top of Mauna Kea for now.

I have a couple of pictures for you. The first one is Bruce being interviewed on the local radio station, promoting the Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures Dive Shop where he works now. It was pretty cool for him and for Scott, too, to meet the dj's they listen to on the radio in the morning. Scott and I listened on the radio while Bruce did his 'gig'.

Then we have Scott, taking a break after washing the dog on Christmas Eve.

Next is Rama with his Christmas bone. It was almost gone by the time we came home from church!

The last one is Amy on Skype. We were able to talk with her for about 45 minutes this afternoon and wish her Merry Christmas and listen to how she's adjusted to being in Boston. We miss her terribly, of course, and some moments are better than others. We're already planning our trip there to pick her up when she's done.

Amy prepares to leave on her mission.

2011-10-05T20:42:00.000-10:00

Amy arrived last Friday night to spend a little over a week with us before she enters the Missionary Training Center in Provo in preparation for her mission to the Boston, Massachusetts, Spanish speaking mission. We are very excited for her, but we will miss her so much! As part of each missionary experience, she went through the temple before leaving and we were so glad she wanted to go to the temple here. As it happened, she went through on the evening she arrived. Here we are in front of the Kona Temple just before going in.

The finished house!

2011-10-05T20:31:00.000-10:00

We moved in in July, but we just finished the landscaping. I can hardly wait until the palms are taller and all the flowers are blooming.

Where do we find the time?

2011-06-28T07:05:00.000-10:00

Sorry, no pictures this time. Just some thoughts. I don't know how we do it. I don't know what drives us to keep going, to push harder, and reach our goals. As if we didn't have enough to do what with Bruce spending every spare moment at the house working to get it finished, diving at least twice a week (which takes from early morning until about 2:00 in the afternoon), and working at the Nut House (the macadamia nut company where I work) on various carpentry projects that they keep coming up with; if that weren't enough, we spoke in church on Sunday last and Bruce is now spending his evening and nights with the scouts at scout camp which is about an hour drive away and usually cool and raining (not great conditions for camping). In the meantime, I'm still working full time, leaving the house around 7:30am and coming home around 5:00pm in time to change clothes and go over to the new house to do whatever I can - usually touch-up paint and cleaning at this point. I also prepared my talk for church, and tonight I'll be doing my part-part-time job as board secretary for the village association board meeting. In between my comings and goings, I manage to do the laundry and some housework (although not nearly enough). And this weekend, Denise and her dance team arrive for a week-long dance camp which is being organized by the bishop's wife, but they will be staying with us. And somehow, it all seems do-able. As each thing gets done, we move on to the next and talk and laugh about the day when we can sit on the lanai in the evening and not feel pressured into needing to get something done. Yet, I know it will never be like that. As soon as the pressure of working on the house is done, I'll start thinking about painting, or beading, or sewing curtains, or something. It's the way we live. It's always been the way we live and we should just figure out that it will always be that way. We can rest when we're dead. Until then, here comes the sun and here we go...!

Getting closer all the time

2011-06-12T19:55:00.000-10:00

If it looks like a lot of work; you're right! But slowly, we're making more progress. The tile is almost done. We've got some things to finish up the electrical and the plumber will hopefully show up this week to finish installing the plumbing fixtures. The appliances are in the garage waiting to be installed and the washer, dryer, and grandma's fridge will be delivered the end of the month, along with the carpet (cross your fingers). We still have all the outside to do; but this is getting us closer all the time. At the end of the pictures is the rental house we moved into temporarily. Amy complained that she didn't know what it looked like. The owners are letting us stay as long as we need to, so no worries there. And Bruce and Scott got haircuts this evening, because I wasn't going to listen to them complain anymore about how hot their heads were and couldn't watch Scott with his hair in his face anymore. So here are the before and after pictures of them. Enjoy!

more progress

2011-05-22T13:56:00.000-10:00

First, I want to thank everyone for their comments after my last post. I was truly feeling sorry for myself that day and you all made me feel so loved and remembered that I felt ashamed that I thought you weren't there. Even Tomoko wrote from Japan to say she reads the blog and even though she wasn't sure what I was talking about, she thought I was sad and wanted to make sure I was okay. I love you all. Thank you again.

For those who are keeping track, I've posted a couple more pictures of the house project. We're getting pretty excited. The next step is countertops and tile. The carpet has been ordered, the appliances are sitting in the garage and Scott is out of school after Wednesday, so he'll be able to help more. (Although he's already lined up a job starting the end of the week).

And for those of you who thought Scott was always going to be the "baby" of the grandchildren - he's going for his driver's permit this week! Do you feel old, like us? We'll let you know if he gets it.

One other thing to mention: Bruce and Scott are on a crusade together and won't cut their hair until we move into the new house. They both can almost get their hair into a proper ponytail. It's quite the contest. Pictures will be posted as "before" and "after" when the big day finally comes.

The last picture is of the afternoon rainbow yesterday. I love rainbows and, of course, this is the land of rainbows. The thing I love about this one is the blue sky in the background. Normally, there is a dark cloud behind the colors, but here we see rainbows even with a blue sky. Sorry, just one of the things I love about Hawaii...

Confused, but trying...

2011-05-11T05:27:00.000-10:00

"Hello, hello! Are you there? Hello!" Do you remember that from Dr. Seuss?

I think I don't understand the purpose of a blog. I guess it's supposed to be a place to voice your opinion, speak out, and show off. The part that throws me is the comments section. I keep expecting people to react to what I put on the blog. But I guess there's Facebook for that. I have such a short amount of time to communicate this way, communicate at all with anyone outside my circle of activity. I don't follow Facebook and I rely on the blog for little bits of someone's thoughts about what I've decided to share. I know there are those of you out there who read it. I like to read your blogs, too. I will try to post my comments to you more often as well.

I think I wouldn't feel so neglected if they didn't offer the 'comments' option...are you out there?

Progress - making time for the new house among all the other things we do...

2011-05-08T20:42:00.000-10:00

Scott's room

Looking down the hall from the garage door

Master Bedroom

The "Blue Room" (office/spare room)

view of the Great Room from the hall

View of the Great Room from the dining area (boxes are cabinets yet to be assembled)

Main bath vanity

Master bath vanity

Tile to be used in Master bath - Bruce is planning something creative

Tile in Main bath - sorry it's so fuzzy

Carpet for the bedrooms - the one we chose is in the second column from the left, 4th up from the bottom.

We've put in some long days and long evenings getting this far. For all our intentions to have Bruce working on only the house, he started his Dive Master program and is diving several times each week and took a part time temporary job at the Nut Factory (where I work) taking care of the office remodel. It's turned out to be a bigger job than they originally said, so it is taking more of his time than we planned on. This week the electrician and his wife and baby arrive to do the finish work on all the electrical. It will be exciting to have lights in the house. Then there's the rest of the cabinets to be assembled, the tile floors, the carpet to be installed, the tile in the bathrooms, the countertops, the nailing of the lanai decking, the rest of the baseboard to be put in and painted, the driveway to be poured, the landscaping to be started, and the finish plumbing...well, we've got a ways to go, but we are making progress!

Scott's latest sport - Track

2011-04-10T16:19:00.005-10:00

We finally made it to Scott's track meet on Saturday and took this footage of his 400m heat. He's the one in blue shorts and blue/white jersey. Final time: 57.47. He also ran the 800m with a time of 2:18. Didn't get that one on video, but he started middle of the pack and pulled out in front in the back stretch of the second lap to pull ahead and win his heat. It warms my heart to see him run because my father was a runner and his best event was the 800. Harry thinks he has great potential if he really wants to work it and we're hoping he'll give Scott some pointers this summer.

a new temporary home

2011-04-06T05:26:00.000-10:00

Amazing things happen all around us. In January, our landlord telephoned to see what our plans were regarding the expiration of our lease the end of March. At the time, the wiring for the new house was scheduled and we were fairly confident we could have the house close to being finished within the two months, if all things went well. We decided to go ahead and terminate the lease on schedule. (We're such optimists!) Bruce left for Utah right after the electrician finished and when he returned, not only had nothing been done, but we were delayed another four weeks after that getting the inspection passed on the electrical work. This, of course, meant that we couldn't move forward with anything other than the painting of the outside of the house. Our friend of many years, Todd Wilson, came out the end of February and helped Bruce do just that, but at the end of that project, with the electrical inspection still not passed, the framing inspection to go, and the inside of the house still looking like it did in December, our hopes of getting it to a point of moving in by the end of March was pretty silly. We told everyone we knew we were going to be homeless the end of March and put out feelers for a temporary place to stay. Several people came forward with offers, including our friend from church who lives in a 2-bedroom condo, our sheetrock contractor (who didn't even know us), and a woman I work with who owns a house in Waikoloa that would be available at precisely the time we would need to move (her tenant of 8 years had just given notice). Because the renter had been in the house so long, they knew they would need to re-carpet, re-paint, etc. so they offered the house to us for the same rental price and allowed us to bring the dog (which normally wouldn't have been allowed). They also said we could have the place as long as we needed it, month-to-month. What a tremendous blessing! We moved in last weekend and now all the pressure is off for getting the house done - except, of course, for the pressure we put on ourselves. Here are the pictures of the new house (not the new rental) so far.

One great day diving

2011-01-16T17:50:00.002-10:00

Diving Saturday started on the boat at 9 am. As we left the harbor we were greeted by a pod of dolphins playing in the waves and riding the pressure wave at the bow of the boat. On our first dive we were treated to a visit by an 8' hammerhead shark and an array of many colorful fish. On the surface we saw whales playing in the distance and some of them came quite close. The second dive was equally beautiful and on return to the harbor the bottle nose and spinner dolphins were playing and jumping. A great day to be on the water.

Mele Kalikimaka

2010-12-17T21:40:00.000-10:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....well, Hawaiian style! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...!
It looks pretty good from 12,500 feet away. Merry Christmas everyone!

Spear fishing

2010-11-28T17:01:00.003-10:00

I think this will be a new friday after Thanksgiving tradition. We don't have it all figured out yet but we had a lot of fun. So far the fish are winning. Scott, Rob and I went and hope to go again soon. Lots of fast fish. Or maybe we were just slow after our big dinner the day before

2010-10-31T21:40:00.001-10:00

My new office is located at the north end of the Kohala Coast, overlooking Kawaihae Harbor. I've gone from working upstairs, alone without windows, to working in an office with three other people, my own office, and a view of the ocean. The work is an easy transition (all my accounting and bookkeeping and HR experience is paying off). The people are friendly, easy-going, and the pay is generous. In my first week the payroll service company was pretending to recruit me (after I spoke up at a meeting with them) and the people I work with were telling them to leave before it sounded appealing to me. It's kind of fun being fought over so quickly. I've sent along pictures of my office and the view. My office is just inside the little building. The other building is the processing plant and visitor's center. The two corner windows on the left of the picture are in my office. The picnic table is for the office personnel and looks out over the water. The other view of the harbor is the view from my office window. Yeah, this is the life! The last picture is of Bruce at the hospital last night. We think he touched his eye with pepper juice and it caused an abrasion. They had to irrigate his eye and he is on antibiotics for a week. I hadn't seen him in this much pain since the kidney stones. :( Today he is better.

With Bruce being able to work on the house full time, we should be able to move in by spring. Every month we don't have to pay rent is money in our pocket! And with Rob Malouf here for a couple of months to help with the framing, we are hoping to have it closed-in by Christmas. I can't wait! The view at the new house is better than the one at the rental; we can see the ocean, Maui (on a clear day) and the Kohala Mountains. I hope everyone is planning to visit sometime. I can't believe it's November already.

New job!

2010-10-22T11:54:00.000-10:00

Just an announcement! I have a new job. I start work on Monday, October 25th. I will be an assistant to the finance manager for the Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company; cleverly disguised as a "bookkeeper". I am very excited about the position. I won't be doing dailies anymore (someone else does the accounts receivable, accounts payable and payroll). I'll be working with job costing and projects related to bottom-line boosting. It's full time and comes with benefits. Take a look on their website: google Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company. (Don't be confused by their address in Kona. The office where I'll be working is located in Kawaihae which is about 16-17 miles from here and relatively close.) I'll be working days, Monday through Friday, so I'll have my weekends off and be home by 5:00 everyday.

I've attached my latest painting. I'm not giving up on art; but this will help while Bruce is building the new house.

Garden Update

2010-09-22T13:23:00.000-10:00

How does your garden grow? Ours is going gangbusters! We are so excited so see how well our garden is doing. I can't believe Bruce and I have finally found a compromise between my childhood experience of a garden (tomatoes on the deck) and his childhood (1/4 acre of garden). See the progress:

Our first official visitor

2010-09-14T21:01:00.000-10:00

After nine years, our first visitor to Hawaii was Tomoko Ino and her sons. Many of you may remember Tomoko. We met when she came to America at 15 years old as an exchange student. It was another one of those times when we were in the right place at the right time. She stayed 3 weeks that first visit and we became family. She called us Mom and Dad and we called her our Japanese daughter. She visited several times after that, even joining us in Florida in 2000 when we took the family to Disney World. The last time we saw her was the summer of 2001. After 911, her new husband didn't want her to travel to the U.S. It was too dangerous.

We have known her now for 18 years. Now that we are in Hawaii, travel for her is so much easier and she asked her travel agent (a former student of hers) to watch for a travel deal she could work around. She e-mailed us the middle of August, just before Amy went back to school, that she could come from the 20th to the 30th of August and would that be okay. Of course! We were thrilled that she would come to see us so soon after our move. She told us she would be bringing her two boys. What a treat for us. Their names are Reima and Ryoma.

When she arrived, she announced that she was pregnant. Three children in Japan is a big family. We are very happy for her. She is hoping for a girl this time. We met her adorable boys. They warmed up to us quickly and when we asked her what she wanted them to call us, she said 'grandma' and 'grandpa'. We were hoping she would say that!

She stayed with us for most of the time, staying at a local resort for a couple of days so her boys could enjoy the amenities there. We did lots of shopping, went to the beach, went to the zoo and the famous Big Island Candies company, and took the boys snorkeling. Bruce had a great time playing grandpa. She cooked for us twice and brought our favorite goodies from Japan.

Saying goodbye was just has hard this time as it was every other time she visited. We would really like to go to Japan and see her. Her invitation was very gracious and if we get the house done next year, we may just have to plan a trip there. The idea of an eight hour flight seems so much easier to take than 14 hours.

We miss her already.

Our First Square Foot Garden!

2010-08-29T18:06:00.000-10:00

Denise and Cory should be pleased to know that they have inspired us to build our own square foot garden and here is the result.

We used old wood that Tom wasn't using and gathered our supplies from local home improvement stores. We bought some small plants and some seeds. It is very satisfying when after only 4 days the beans are 2" tall! We built the garden boxes about 2 weeks ago and see how well it's doing now. We already have a tomato about the size of a marble and the three older pepper plants have multiple peppers beginning to grow.

We can hardly wait to enjoy our first harvest, which may be sooner than we thought!

A View from the Top of the World

2010-07-19T13:39:00.000-10:00

We made it to the top of Mauna Kea, the tallest peak on the island and actually, the tallest peak among all the pacific islands. It is quite the view. There are several observatories up here, one of the four most important observatories in the world. It was a spectacular sight of stars after the sun went down.

Sitting at almost 14,000 feet, we were cautioned about altitude sickness, of which I experienced a little. I thought for a minute we would have to leave before the sunset, but the ranger there told me about 'pressure-breathing', which helped to oxygenate my lungs better and I was able to stay. It was a very weird feeling; feeling like I was going to be sick for a while and very light-headed. I was glad it passed.

The visitor's station sits at 9,200 feet and we didn't have a problem with the altitude there. On our way down the mountain, there was a car accident which closed the road and they sent everyone back to the visitor's station. Because we had to go back, we were able to sit in on a 'star tour' and look through the telescopes they have there. We saw a great view of the moon; like you could reach out and touch it. Bruce saw Saturn and was able to see rings and a couple of moons. I was farther down the line and it disappeared behind the horizon before I could look. I did see a star cluster, though, which with the naked eye looks like one faint star, but when you look through the telescope is actually many stars. It was cool.

It was also cold. We were actually wearing coats and were very glad to have them. It felt pretty funny needing coats in Hawaii, but if you ever plan to go up there, be prepared!

The other pictures are of the beach when Bruce and Scott and our friend, Ken, went diving. Ken is out here for a couple of weeks working with Bruce. The weekends are for playing, though, and they did!

After being so cold last night, it was pretty nice to go to the pool this morning and enjoy the sun and warmth. I always feel like I'm on vacation the days I can go to the pool. Pretty fun.

Getting settled in our new (temporary) home

2010-07-11T06:57:00.001-10:00

We have been rather spoiled for the last 15 years or so, not needing to live in a rental house while we built another house or remodeled one. The last rental house we lived in was on Bridle Hills Drive when Lisa was in first grade. That's been quite awhile ago.

Finding a place to rent in Hawaii was a much bigger challenge than we thought it would be. It wasn't that there were limited places to choose from or that the rents were so incredibly high (although they are a lot higher than in Logan); no, the hard part was finding someone who would allow the dog. We follow generations of people who rented houses and brought with them un-trained dogs and poorly behaved dogs. Many landlords simply say no, no matter what.

We were offered the opportunity to house-sit for a family in our ward while they were on vacation on the mainland. This gave us another two weeks to find something and, of course, it was at the very last minute that we decided on a house (the only house left that would take all of us). We moved in the night before Bruce left for Utah and Nevada to do the fireworks show, but didn't sleep in the house until after he left and the people in whose house we were staying came home. It's a 3 bedroom/2 bath house with a 40x8 foot screened-in lanai and an ocean view. We agreed to do the yard work in exchange for a discount on the rent.

The day before we moved in we saw a sign in the village for furniture for sale. It turned out that the furniture was used furniture from a hotel complex. And everything was garage-sale priced. It isn't what we would have picked out in a furniture store, but it will certainly do for now and until the rest of our furniture is here from Logan (whenever that may be). We bought a sofa-bed, a bed for grandma, a large side chair, a couple of nightstands and a couple of other pieces. Combined with what Bruce had already scavenged before I arrived on the island and we have almost all the furniture we need. We also bought a new bed for ourselves; the only thing we've bought new in the way of furniture. But now we can welcome anyone who wants to visit!

The pictures are of the outside of the rental house. I'll take more pictures inside when we've got everything figured out. We're still working on a couple of tables where I can sew and/or bead and/or paint. I'm anxious to start a new painting. The water here is so inspiring! I may just do a couple of landscapes or seascapes to begin instead of flowers.

Arriving in Hawaii

2010-06-20T10:19:00.000-10:00

We are finally here and working on finding a new home. In the meantime, I thought it would be nice for anyone interested to see where we have been and where Bruce and Amy were living for the two months before Scott and Grandma and I arrived. We moved last Thursday into a temporary situation; housesitting and dog-sitting while a family in our ward are on vacation on the mainland. They are gone for two weeks so we need to find a place by the time they return.

The pictures are of Tom's house, an old farm house on a pretty big piece of land that we may have considered renting if they had allowed the dog. But the house was expensive and I'd really rather be in Waikoloa; it's warmer and not so damp.

The beach shots are of Bruce and Scott's first shore dive from Puako. They call it Disneyland for divers. They saw a bunch of fish and a shark. Scott also saw an octopus. It's great now that they both have all their own equipment. Bruce will have to post his pictures separately.

We are loving the climate, the people have been very friendly, and we are getting connected to the ward very quickly. I start working for Tom on Tuesday, putting his books in order after over a year of him not having a steady bookkeeper. I hope it won't be too grueling.

Once we have a place to live, I'll post more pictures of where we will be. We are hoping to rent a place for a maximum of 6 months and build a house in the meantime. We have a lot picked out, but haven't finished the deal yet, so no more about that until it's a done deal.

Amy's hard at work full time at the hospital and tutoring three mornings a week in English for a high school student in Waimea. It's great to see her use the skills she learned last winter for something productive.

We miss Lisa; she's doing well in school and staying focused. I'm always glad for her calls to tell me what she's up to. We look forward to her visit at Christmas. (which seems like a lifetime away at this point.)

More later...

It is done.

2010-05-31T18:08:00.000-10:00

We are officially out of the house! I must say it took a great number of people hours and hours to get us ready in time, but here we are, staying with friends now while we take care of some small but important things before we can leave the valley.

I am grateful for the people who came to help, especially Sara and Eu de la Guardia and Cindy and Jeremy Ollis, the Bohmans, Mary Sharp and Emily Gehring. They saved me at the last minute when it didn't seem like there was so much to do and I kept finding cabinets and rooms with more stuff.

My nemesis, it seems for this move, was cleaning supplies. I kept finding more cleaning supplies! And with the condition of the house, you would think I never used them. :P I threw out much of the bottles and cans and various containers of cleaners, but when the container is full, how can you just throw it away? Every time I turned around, there were more cleaning supplies! And when we come back next year for all our stuff, there will be at least five boxes of nothing but cleaning supplies!

I keep thinking I'm going to dream about cleaning supplies. And as it turned out, I only used a handful of my favorite cleaning supplies to clean the entire house. What a perspective shift. It has caused me to re-evaluate my compulsion to buy the latest and greatest newest cleaning item whether I needed it or not. In my new house, you will not see shelves of multiple brands of the same type of cleanser. There will be only one of exactly what I use and I plan to use them more often than I have in the past.

By the time we left the house today, it was clean and the people moving in were so anxious to get settled, I felt so grateful even to them that they are the ones renting the house. I know they will take care of it. I'm anxious myself to get on the road. The closer I get to the coast, the closer I get to Bruce and Amy.

And so it begins. The adventure really started some time ago, but for me, leaving the house was the first major step to getting there. Hawaii, here we come!

Aloha!

The Things You Find When You are Cleaning Out

2010-05-16T11:25:00.000-10:00

Desiderata:

"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy."

Found in Old St. Paul's Church, Baltimore, dated 1692.

Isn't it amazing how applicable it is even today, 318 years later.

2010-05-14T05:38:00.000-10:00

"It is not the critic that counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcomings. Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even through checkered by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." --Theodore Roosevelt

I am proud to be married to the strong man; doer of deeds; who dares mighty things...

My last day of work

2010-05-07T18:30:00.001-10:00

Today was my last day working for Volocron. I am hoping it is my last day working outside my home for some time to come. A few years ago, when I worked for the school, I worked from home and my time was very flexible. I always had holidays off and at least a week during the summer and a week during the winter. If I wanted to run to the store or run a load of laundry, work didn't get in the way. Once I started with Volocron, I was much more tied down since I worked in their offices, not from home. It was a difficult adjustment and after being there for a year and a half, I am quite glad not to be so tied down. I will always be glad of the things I learned there. Each job has given me new education into the accounting/bookkeeping field.

But now I would like to leave bookkeeping behind me and focus on my art. I may need to do some part time bookkeeping to help that to happen and that's okay. I just don't want to be working so many hours that I don't have time to do things at home and work on my art. I'm looking forward to painting hibiscus, plumeria, and other native Hawaiian flowers, as well as fish. I have some fun ideas for painting fish and I can't wait to get started.

While I've been cleaning out the office, I've also run across several stories that I've written. One is mostly done; one is in the editing stage; one is started; and the last one is only outlined. I really need to get back to my writing. That's another goal of mine once we are settled in Hawaii.

Every day I get closer to the time when I get to go out there. Everyday something gets done. Once we have a new car, I won't be quite so uptight. I'm sorry the Grand Prix was totaled from the accident. I'm just grateful no one was hurt and it wasn't my fault. I count the days off the calendar. We're about half way there from the time Bruce left. There is much to do, but I feel mostly calm about all we are doing. Maybe I'm getting so used to eating elephant that it just comes natural now.

I keep looking at my suitcases and thinking that when I leave here, that's all I'm taking with me. Bruce said the boxes we shipped earlier arrived today. It's hard to believe that everything I will need for the next year at least is gone and I still have a full house to pack up and/or sell. The garage sale is slated for May 22nd. I'll be glad to have all the garage sale stuff gone.

Now I enter a new phase of our journey. Here I come!

2010-04-21T18:01:00.000-10:00

The culmination of months of beading have finally led to my first jewelry sale coming up on Saturday. I am hoping to sell most of it, but I'll be happy to sell even some of it. Here are some samples.

The first step

2010-04-18T17:11:00.001-10:00

Bruce has arrived in Hawaii today. He called after picking up his rental car and stopping at one of our favorite restaurants for a bite. It is perhaps a bit surreal at this point, but when he gets into the swing of things with work and we know for sure where we will live, AND we are together again, it will become our life and we will live it. Making the change is difficult; a challenge that I think some wouldn't want to tackle. I am grateful everyday to have the Lord with me as I plan and prepare. Sometimes I look at what must be done and it seems so simple. Other times, it seems so complicated. I suppose this is my elephant to be eaten, one bite at a time. And each day I take another bite. Everyday I accomplish at least one thing and everyday I am one day closer to the day when I arrive in Hawaii, too. Thank goodness I can still sleep at night.

We are apart, but we are one in spirit and vision.

Aloha

Every Baby Grows Up

2010-04-13T06:32:00.000-10:00

With my parents heading off the mainland and me heading into school, it seemed appropriate to have a place of my own where people can follow what I'm up to.

http://versatility1701.blogspot.com/

It's official

2010-04-01T15:48:00.001-10:00

Yes, official. We are moving to Hawaii! Wow. As we sort out the details (and try not to let our brains explode), it looks like we'll be there by mid-June. I've already given notice at work and we're in the process of selecting flights that are cheap and work with taking the puppy. No time now for sitting around. We already started going through our stuff to see what we keep and what we take, and what we sell.

We will live in Waimea, or nearby, which is in the center/north part of the Big Island at around 2500 feet elevation and 10 miles from the nearest beach.

Everyone is invited to visit, just let us know when you're coming!

For Amanda

2010-02-15T05:26:00.000-10:00

Lets go diving. Scott is getting certified so lets plan a family dive trip sometime. All divers or snorkelers welcome also any spectators that don't want to get in the water. The reason this is for Amanda is when we were at Ambers reception Amanda said I should post more pictures. So these are for her. Also I hope it wets her appetite to go diving. The picture on the dock was his first open water dive the air temperature was about freezing but the water was 92 so he didn't spend much time changing.

Right of passage

2010-01-17T10:23:00.000-10:00

It is a great day when a young man needs to shave the first time. We have been talking to scott about needing to shave for a few weeks but when some friends at school mentioned it he finally agreed. Also a few pictures of Rama at 5 months about 35 pounds. He is growing fast.

Newest addition

2009-11-05T07:03:00.000-10:00

Please welcome the newest member of the family. This is Rama, he is 10 weeks old. He is part Golden retriever, part Border collie and part Lab. He looks mostly like a Retriever. He has a very easy temperament. Scott finally wore us down and is doing a great job with him. We will keep you posted on his progress. Rama is the name of the wolf in Jungle Book.

Good Books

2009-09-16T17:33:00.001-10:00

I am on a search for good books. I'm trying not to overwhelm myself with classics that I'm going to have to read for school anyway. I'm talking about "good books" that are fun, interesting, and have some meaning to them. Nothing hard core in any respect and nothing too terribly dull. I'm not really specific on any genre. But I'm looking for something age appropriate that will engage my interest. I haven't read a good book for a long time.

Drum roll, Bagpipes,and a few tears

2009-09-01T17:46:00.001-10:00

I was not ready for how strong my emotions were when the music started. It was great to be surrounded by fellow Scots.

Old fashion work

2009-09-01T17:21:00.000-10:00

The old man and the kid show them how to do it. It was fun to show Scott how we did it in the old days.

2009-09-01T17:13:00.000-10:00

After many hours and a week at scout camp Scott has earned his Life scouting award. And just 5 more merit badges to Eagle. By the way who is the old grey haired man he is shaking hands with

2009-08-30T08:28:00.000-10:00

School has started again and the world sort of works its way back into that routine of busy-ness that comes with the end of summer. I've spent the summer beading and making jewelry, the latest hobby I've embraced. It's quite fun and keeps me occupied in the evenings while we generally relax with a movie. Amy calls, texts, or chats with me online frequently and we've picked up where we left off last year. With her being in her own apartment this year, there are new experiences in store for her; we'll see how she handles them. Scott started at the Jr. High, the first time he's been in regular public school since 2nd grade. He likes it. He likes his teachers and is happy to be near his friends.

My work is looking like it will be picking up as we implement a new software program and I learn how it works. I'm looking forward to being busy there. Bruce is picking up jobs here and there and still working on what the winter may bring.

We attended the first annual Scottish Games and Celtic Festival in Cache Valley yesterday. The bagpipe music always touches my heart. I love the parade and the dancing. We spent the entire day, watching the athletic events and enjoying the entertainment. It's nice to see that sort of thing here, where pioneers have dominated the scene for so long.

And now, back to life....

History Repeats

2009-08-23T13:04:00.000-10:00

Well, history does repeat: I'm down at college again. Wahoo! I have a room to myself complete with computer, bike, double bed, nice hat, books, and pictures already on the wall. And I find myself excited for the opportunity to cook. Now I'm sure that everyone reading this is mumbling to themselves that "that won't last long" but don't steal my thunder; let it rain on itself. I'm excited that I have a bike to get around because my range of where I can go is much larger now. First year: nothing, second year: bike, third year: ? That depends on where my parents are. (wink, wink) School actually starts tomorrow and I'm slightly nervous about it. I realized after looking at my schedule that I have only one class on Monday and Wednesday, nothing on Friday, and classes from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and then one from 5 p.m.- 7 p.m. Tuesday, and from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and from 4 p.m.- 5 p.m. on Thursday. Sufficed to say, I won't be doing much on Tuesday/ Thursday. And I'm pretty sure that a lot of my free time on Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday is going to be for homework for my Tuesday/ Thursday classes. Oh well. I'll adapt. Well, Aunt Denise complained that no one wrote on the blog so, I am! I may write often, I may not. In the mean time, I'll talk to everyone soon!

If everything is fine, why am I discontented?

2009-06-26T06:40:00.000-10:00

Not really, sad, you see; but not terribly pleased with the way I spend my days and where I spend them. We've never been ones to settle for 'just okay'. We've always had something to do and somewhere to be.

Our trip to Hawaii with Mom was a good trip; with a little glitch as she was ill for two days and didn't fully recover until we came home. We enjoyed the island, Bruce thought the diving was great, the volcano was fascinating, and the differences in topography and vegetation made you wonder if you were really on just one island. Changes in elevation were portals into new regions and if you closed your eyes for 10 minutes, you would think you had made a wrong turn. The temple was beautiful, of course, and we were privileged to hear a fireside presented by Steven Kapp Perry and his wife, Joanne. They were great. I could definitely spend more time in Hawaii.

After coming home, we started right away preparing for our garage sale which is scheduled for this Saturday. It makes me uncomfortable to see how much 'stuff' we have that we don't use, how much money we've spent for it, and how little we'll be able to recover in costs. But it does somehow feel good to get rid of things that just crowd our home and our lives. We've finally been able to discard items that, even though they are still in good shape, we can now admit that we'll probably never use. And if we find we need something we've thrown away or sold, we can either do without or replace it. Garage sales should be a form of cleansing, but right now, as we continue to price items and organize the tables, it just feels like we've wasted so much of our time and money. And we have already decided that this is just the first garage sale - there will be at least one more, because we simply ran out of steam and time going through the house.

The next project is to get the office cleaned out; old papers destroyed and filing caught up. Not too much fun, but another cleansing of a sort.

Why is it that I cannot be happy doing art or beading or writing until I feel as though all the work is done or caught up? That darned work ethic! And when I allow myself an hour to do something I want to do, it's always late at night when I'm already tired. Somehow I need to change this. That is my goal: to be able to do what I want, when I want, and not have it interfere with what needs to get done. Perhaps it's only a pipe dream, but we must have those dreams to keep ourselves going!

It may come as a surprise to some, but we are thinking of moving again. Those who know us will merely shake their heads with disdain. We just can't seem to stay in one place. Or maybe we haven't found that place that makes us stop and stay. As the economy and the nation face new crises everyday, we are driven to find a way to get off the "grid" and be more reliant on ourselves for things that a couple of years ago didn't seem that important. One thing that has become increasingly more important is the weather. Growing up in Oregon, we just accepted the weather for what it was and worked with it. Living here in the sunshine has been a real treat most of the time, but the cold, snowy winters and blazing hot summers are starting to lose their appeal and for some reason, we don't think we should be required to deal with it anymore.

Amy has gone away to Pennsylvania to work as a counselor at a rich kids summer camp. The culture shock of dealing with people from around the world who look at the world differently than she does sent her reeling at first. I think she's landed on her feet, but I don't hear from her very often (no cell phone service at the camp and she's limited on her use of the computer for e-mails), but the few times I have spoken to her cause me to re-think our view of Scott finishing school here. When you wish to keep safe from the water, there are two ways to deal with it: stay out of the water, or learn to swim. We have always been from the "learn to swim" club. I worry that Scott, living in Logan almost his entire life, won't be prepared for a life anywhere else.

So if our next post says we're moving to New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, or Hawaii, don't be surprised! (They are all in the running).

Profound Thought for the Day:

2009-06-08T12:52:00.000-10:00

Why do we put up defenses against the whole world when one person does us wrong? Are we expecting that because one person wronged us, now everyone we meet will trample our trust, abuse our hospitality, and walk over our love so that they can claim success in crippling our faith in humanity and destroying our self worth? Don't you think that gives that one person a little too much power? Don't let the pains of the last person you've met on the street interfere with the promises of the people you have yet to meet.

--Amy Henderson

2009-05-25T09:25:00.000-10:00

The gathering of family is usually for three reasons: weddings, funerals, and reunions. How wonderful it is then, that the most recent gathering of family was for a wedding; a happy occasion for the union of Lisa and Drew.

Family started to arrive Thursday and continued into Friday. Everyone was so helpful, ready to do whatever needed to be done at a moment's notice. We are indeed grateful for everyone who came to help, witness, and participate. These are some of the pictures I liked the best.

Mothers

2009-05-10T04:31:00.000-10:00

I've never really liked Mother's Day. I had taken the point of view that if mothers were treated properly, there was no need for a special day to single them out. My family always told me how grateful they were for the things I did for them and on Mother's Day, I only wished for peace and quiet and no cooking.

Through the years, because our family was relatively small, we occasionally opened our home to strangers who then became family.

First, we hosted a Japanese exchange student, Tomoko, when the girls were very young. Tomoko was the oldest of two daughters in her family. She was the perfect exchange student; she tried very hard to speak English, she interacted with the family whenever she was at home, and she helped me with the girls when they wouldn't behave. In return, we took her everywhere with us and as was tradition, gave her a gift before she went home. But instead of taking her to the Made in Oregon Store like the other host families, I made her a dress with fabric she picked out. But more than all that, a connection was made and when she went home, we cried. After only three weeks in our home, she felt like family. And amazingly enough, we stayed in contact and she came back to visit us several times over the years.

Many years later, we hosted a birth mother through LDS Family Services. Kristen was about 5 months pregnant when she came to live with us. She needed a home for the remainder of her pregnancy and we were happy to help. She had had a rough go of it before she came to us and when she found our home clean, un-judgmental, and welcoming, she allowed herself to become a part of it. She helped cook, clean, and interacted with the family every evening. She took all her meals with us and it felt like she was a part of the family. We helped her buy a car and taught her to drive a standard transmission. At the end of her time with us, we invited her mother, who was traveling from New Jersey to be with her at the birth, to stay with us. We invited her sister and brother-in-law to come visit her anytime they could and when the doctor she was seeing didn't address her fears of childbirth, I was on the phone to help find her someone who would. We were there for her after the baby was born, Bruce gave her a blessing, and she asked us to be with her when she placed her baby with the adoptive parents. It would be reasonable to expect that someone who had gone through all that would not want to remain in contact with people who would always remind them of such a dark time of their life. But Kristen was grateful and sometimes she needed to talk to someone who knew so she would drop in or come for dinner. And when we had eye surgery, she was there to help take care of us (we both had surgery the same day). She even moved back in with us for three months while she waited for the timing of a move to Salt Lake. She called us her Utah parents and we said she would always be a part of our family.

Over time, we frequently think of our Japanese daughter and our New Jersey daughter, though they have gone on with their lives. Pictures of Tomoko's two little boys and the times when we could get together with Kristen for dinner because we were going to be in Salt Lake kept us informed of what was happening in their lives and allowed them to catch up with our family, too. They were special moments that kept us connected.

About two years ago, my Christmas letter to Tomoko came back un-deliverable. The e-mail address I had for her went through, but I received no response. My heart was sad that we had lost contact. Then, last Thursday, she telephoned! Quite out of the blue, she called to say hello and wanted to get our e-mail address. Our lost connection was secured again. I'm sure she had no idea that her timing was so close to our American holiday, Mother's Day. What a wonderful gift; the best kind - a daughter calling home.

Kristen telephoned the next day. Often times, when Kristen would call, she would call Bruce; they have a special connection. But this time she called me to say she would be coming for Lisa's wedding in two weeks and wanted to know if there was anything she could do to help. She told me of her plans to take at least a day off work and come up early. She didn't need a place to stay, wanted to make sure she could bring her fiance (to which I responded that he was now family, too), and I insisted that she plan to at least take her meals with us. The next day, yesterday, flowers arrived at the door. A Mother's Day bouquet from Kristen and Cody!

I love my children. As with most children, they don't always bring me joy, but today, at this time of my life, they are about as good as it gets. Lisa's wedding is bringing family from across the country for a reunion that hasn't happened for a very long time. Amy is home from college for a short while, bringing with her all the drama that defines her. And Scott is successful in school, playing soccer and taking swimming lessons, and trying very hard to avoid the teenage boy traps that make other boys so unpleasant. He still gives me hugs.

This Mother's Day is one of the best.

Spring Fever

2009-04-26T06:12:00.000-10:00

First, I think Amy needs a vacation! Oh, how the demands of college fry the brain. Just looking at her post confirms my suspicions that she needs to take a break. I hope she gets through the next week. She has only a few finals. She did manage to survive her powder puff football game yesterday (she alternated between "rushing" the other quarterback and playing quarterback herself). Considering the fact that she was never exposed to American football growing up, this came as a surprise to us. Her team didn't win and she came home with bruises. She apparently showed her temper a bit, but she impressed some of the boys and, after all, that's what it was really all about.

I really dislike growing old. I have been suffering from shoulder pain since October and after seeing the doctor on Thursday, we now have a bit of a plan to try to improve the situation. I contacted an orthopedic doctor friend of ours who is currently serving a mission in Bogata, Colombia, who actually called me from there and through a series of questions, gave me a "second" opinion to the doctor I had been seeing here. Upon returning to my original doctor, we agreed of a course of action - a shot of Marcaine (I don't spell medical words well) and a treatment of anti-inflamatory medicine for two weeks. The shot was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. I have been fortunate in my life not to need the doctor much, usually just for illness that is treated with an antibiotic and over in a couple of days. So I haven't had a lot of exposure to different kinds of medicine. Before the shot, I could only lift my arm in front of me to about waist level (not very much) before there was considerable pain. The same was true if I tried to lift it out to the side. After the shot, the doctor cleaned off the injection area and put on a bandaid, then asked me to lift my arm. I lifted the arm straight to the ceiling without any pain! It was like magic! It made me feel like I had been pretending before, even though I hadn't been. The really bad part was that the medicine only lasted a couple of hours. It is used as a diagnostic device as opposed to a real treatment. So, within a few hours, the pain had returned and I was left with following the anti-inflamatory treatment for the next two weeks. I am hoping it will be better by the time Lisa gets married.

Wedding plans are proceeding as expected. The dress is ready for the zipper and then the hemming. Once that is done I have only the overskirt to complete. It is quite the dress. Grandma is making Amy's bridesmaid dress and the flowergirl dress, which are matching, in a sparkly green satin. My goal is to have the dress done a week before the wedding so I don't have to worry about it once everyone arrives. Anyone seen 27 Dresses? Well, this bridesmaid dress can't be cut off and worn again! But it will make an interesting Halloween costume, expecially for the little one, as long as she fits it. Are you curious now?

Spring is trying really hard to come to Cache Valley. Every year we forget that winter holds on so tight. Yesterday, Scott's second soccer game of the season was snowed out. (Big, heavy flakes that covered the soccer field to the point where the city closed the field). I was just as glad as I was not looking forward to sitting on the sidelines in the snow. We have had a couple of days of pretty weather, just enough to make you mad when the snow comes back. But Scott is also taking swimming lessons at an indoor pool which area is warm and humid. I like taking him to swimming! Sometimes it's the only time of the day when I am truly warm. Me and Sam McGee are kindred spirits.

The painting is my first oil, done as a commission for a friend of my brother's. It was done for her cabin in Montana and is of a Montana mountain scene.

The Bells Tolled...

2009-04-24T08:02:00.000-10:00

Today, I have put the pencil down. Aside from my 3 finals next week I am finished with my first year of college. (Please hold your applause) I no longer have to waste away in a lecture class that I despise, have a teacher ram ideas of good nutrition down my throat, or worry about whether or not I will complete my pointless busywork before it is due two days ago. I am finished. Today is the mark of an epic beginning (or a frightening beginning depending on how my finals turn out next week). And now the only question is: What am I supposed to do for the next week?

Sharks up

2009-04-19T12:18:00.000-10:00

Hello one and all. I am Scott, a hendersaurus in training. I am here to tell you about the catching of this shark. While in Hawaii, we decided to go on a sharkhunt. We went out in a boat and headed out to open waters. After having our rods out in the water for about half an hour we got a bite. I headed over and began to reel in the shark. After working on the shark for about 7 minutes, I was able to reel in the shark. After catching the shark we then let it go and continued with the hunt.

My World of Art

2009-04-19T07:57:00.001-10:00

This is my latest watercolor. I finished it in January. The original reference photo was taken at the Portland Rose Gardens in August. Obviously, this is not a picture of roses, but it is wonderful to see blue and lavendar hydrangeas because where I live, they only bloom white or light pink. (It's the soil and the water).

I took it to the monthly meeting of the Cache Valley Chapter of the Utah Watercolor Society and received many gracious compliments.

This painting is a portrait of the son of our friends, Eric and Debi Aalto. His name is Mikael and although he is Lisa's age now, I loved this picture of him when he was little. This painting, too, is watercolor; a great medium for portraits. I wanted to post it because I'm not sure anyone saw it before we gave it to Eric and Debi.

In my world, art is usually the last thing I allow myself to do, after everything is put away, cleaned, and done. But sometimes, I just have to paint or I'll go crazy. Since our visit to the Rose Gardens I now have an unlimited supply of reference flowers and plan to paint in watercolor, oil, and acrylic. Since flowers are the subject matter that draws me in most, I love having so many choices now.

However, portraits are wonderful, too and I have completed a painting of Lisa when she was 2 years old, and I have reference photos waiting on the sidelines of both Amy and Scott when they were about the same age. There's just something about children...

So as new paintings are created, I will post their images here and if you like something, tell me!

Temple carvings

2009-04-19T05:47:00.000-10:00

This is the carving on one side of the top of the Temple. Each side has a carving of a different dispensation. It was so awesome to be working on the Temple and to see the work up close. The only thing that I didn't like was the stress of not doing damage to the carving with the pressure washers. Each side took about 2 days to clean the paint off. The view was great up there, it is also fun to be at the top of a Temple. It was difficult to see the Temple being gutted inside. As we walked inside after the demolition I wondered what the new finished product would look like and how spectacular it will be. Maybe I can go back for the rededicating. Would any one like to join me?

One great day in Hawaii

2009-04-19T05:29:00.000-10:00

This was taken when Scott did his first scuba dive. It was so cool to be there and see how comfortable he was in the water. One of reasons I like this picture is you can see my pink fins. I get a lot of flack about a big guy and pink fins,but I like them. After all pink is my adventure color.

Greetings!

2009-04-12T08:16:00.000-10:00

I'm Lisa! Another Hendersaurus. But not for much longer! My wedding is nearly a month away. I will try and post every once in a while, but I make no guarantees. You can look at my soon to be husband's and my blog at:

www.drewandlisahamblin.blogspot.com

I Exist

2009-04-12T07:37:00.000-10:00

Bruce and Laurie Hendersaurus had children. In case you wanted to know. I'm Amy and I might put up a post every now and then in between my classes, friends, and dating (it comes and goes). But this is mostly for attention; I want people to notice I exist.

Trip to Hawaii

2009-04-12T05:55:00.000-10:00

It is, for me, the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The people are so friendly and the Aloha Spirit is alive and well, and real. I love the way the Hawaiians describe Aloha, because it is the way I wish to live my life. As follows:

A is for Akahai, meaning kindness, to be expressed with tenderness.

L is for Lokahi, meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony.

O is for Olu'olu, meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness.

H is for Ha'aha'a, meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty.

A is for Ahonui, meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.

"Aloha is the coordination of mind and heart...it's within the individual. It brings you down to yourself. You must think and emote good feelings to others." - Pilahi Paki

Here is a place where everyone accepts you for yourself, without preconceived ideas about your ethnicity, religion, economic status, or personal appearance. You are you and they take you just as you are. They are as warm as the climate, with showers of rain and showers of smiles.

Our trip was short and sweet. We are already planning the next one.

The Age of Dinosaurs enters a New Era

2009-04-12T05:41:00.000-10:00

Be it known to all those who access this blog that at least 95% of the information herein is the creation of Mrs. Hendersaurus with much gratitude on the part of Mr. Hendersaurus. We're sure you'll be able to tell the difference! We may be a little slow getting started, like most dinosaurs, but once we know what we're doing, we hope you enjoy our comments. We will surely enjoy yours.