Labor Day, COVID and photos of happier times

Today is Labor Day in these United States and many people are flooding the lakes, rivers and beaches to gather with friends and families.

With COVID-19 still thriving everywhere, I can't imagine going out where there are crowds of people, but some people are in denial about the danger of this virus. One man said to me recently while I waited, social distancing in line, " I'm so tired of all this. It makes me mad that Bill Gates made this virus and sold it to the Chinese." Where on earth did he get such a wild idea? I am sorry to say that many in my area seem to think the virus is not real, not dangerous to them and only affects old people. These people will not take any precautions to help stem the spread. So, I stay home hoping to avoid people like this man. Of course he was not wearing a mask. 

We have been fortunate that the death rate from this pandemic in our small county in North Carolina has been two so far. Both were older people like me. I'm sorry for their families. In other counties around us many more deaths and positive tests have been recorded. 

All summer I felt I had very little to look forward to as restaurants closed, we could not meet in person for our writing groups, and I was leery of even being with family. But I feel more positive now. Fall will be coming soon, I hope, although it is still quite warm here. I always feel better,, mentally and physically, when the weather is cooler. 

This morning I awoke earlier than usual and took my little dog, Lexie, for a walk. Because it was in the low seventies at that time, I enjoyed being outdoors. I saw more traffic than usual and know tourists from south of us are here this weekend because of the lake. I hope they did not bring the virus with them, but we are warned that this weekend could cause a surge in the coming weeks. 

In some parts of the country, autumn has already begun coloring the leaves. In Canada, fall is upon them. Oh, how I wish I could be in Nova Scotia at this time. I can almost feel the cool breezes and smell the ocean.  Isn't it great to have such an imagination? My memories are spurred by photos of places I have visited and enjoyed. Thanks to a husband who never went anywhere without his camera, I can revisit trips we made over the years. And thanks to Stu, my sister's husband, I still have photos taken when I travel with them.

 Nova Scotia

Near Estes Park, Colorado

In Front of Bell Museum - Nova Scotia

 Hawaii 

Coastline of  island of Oahu Hawaii

My favorite photo from vacation in Colorado - Barry Beall

 So many photos fill boxes and albums, but they are not on my computer at this time. 

Poi donuts?

Go to Hawaii when you are young enough and strong enough to take in the water sports, stay in the hot sun on the beach, enjoy the night life and the tropical drinks. My sister, Gay, worked for Western Airlines back in the sixties. She had the opportunity to travel to these beautiful islands several times from her home base in San Francisco, California. 

I met a young woman from California who had just come over for the weekend. It is a four hour flight I believe from there. She and I were the only two in the reflection pool one evening. Such a delicious evening. As night fell and the small lights around the pool brightened, the sky became the focal point of my interest. Tall palm trees grew around the pool. As I looked up the moon hung directly over me between the slow-dancing fronds of the palms. I was not sad, although we were leaving soon, but I felt tears forming and wondered why. Have you ever seen something or felt something so out-of-this-world perfect you cried? 

The Ko Olina resort is near Kapolei, named for the volcanic cone Pu'u o Kapolei which is translated to mean hill of beloved Kapo. Kapolei is a fast growing second city and I imagine it will take some of the traffic from Honolulu which needs relief. Rush hour around the big city is terrible. Kapolei is an affluent city spread out over what was once sugar cane and pineapple plantations. I wish I had seen it before commercialism took the beaches. Don't get me wrong. I loved the resort and enjoyed every minute I was there, but it seems the old Hawaii is gone or at least hard to find now. A few years ago, I went with Gay and Stu to Kaua'i another of the Hawaiian islands that is not as commercialized. We saw farms and rural areas and not so many high rise hotels. Both are lovely but very different from each other, I think.

Gay talks about how much it has changed since she visited as a young woman. She had the opportunity to visit with a native family and said that was great except she had to eat poi and that was really hard to do. I gave poi a try once and it is AWFUL to me. But Gay discovered a wonderful way to eat poi. Donuts! Yes, that purple pasty stuff is not the only way the taro plant is used. The stem that is mashed and tastes so bad to us can be dried and made into a flour and used to make donuts. I ate one, glazed, and it was almost as good as Krispy Kreme. I think that was the best thing about this trip for Gay. 

The purple ones are Poi Donuts - so, so good

When I was on Kaua'i, I bought a muu-muu at a festival. I think I paid 14 dollars. It is a loose colorful cotton dress that I wear at home all summer. It is comfortable and cool. I vowed if I ever went back to Hawaii, I would get another one. So one day we ventured into Honolulu where I had found Hilo Hattie, the brand name in my dress, had two stores. Hilo Hattie sells shirts, pants, dresses of all kinds, and cotton muu-muus. 

I was so afraid the style had changed and I would not find my dress, but there it was, red with white flowers and 100 percent cotton! Wow! I decided to get another one if I could find my size in another color. Sadly they are making many of the clothes in synthetic fabric now. But I found a navy blue with white flowers down the front. Tacky, I'm sure, but I wore it home on the plane. It was comfortable, cool and not binding anywhere. I might even wear it to Ingles here in Hayesville one day. Nobody looks at an older woman. We are all invisible. But that dress might draw attention. It definitely says Island wear..

I now know I can order from Hilo Hatties online. They have grown into four stores now and on other islands. 

Let me tell you about Hawaii

I have been away on a much needed vacation.
My sister and brother-in-law gave me a free vacation in Hawaii for a week. We stayed at the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club on the island of Oahu. Our suite was on the 16th floor and wow, did we have a view. The sunsets from our balcony were awesome as the sun dropped into the blue water of the Pacific.

I had to pinch myself every day to be sure I wasn't dreaming. Although Barry and I had some wonderful vacations in the past, this place was the most perfect, I believe. I called ahead a few days before we left to ask that no fragrance or scented products be used in our rooms. Tatyana in reservations made sure my request reached the housekeepers and Marie Joy, the maid,  followed my instructions. I slept extremely well and had no problem breathing. No allergy symptoms inside or outside unless I happened to be near someone wearing perfume.

Although the nine hour flight was hard, I made it fairly well. I did get up and walk a few times, but Delta leaves hardly any aisle space as they cram people into the tiny seats. If Delta took as much care with their customers as Marriott does, I would love to sing their praises. 

I hate few things in this world, but I truly hate public restrooms. On the flight over, every time I had to go, someone had been before me and wet the seat and the floor. I can't imagine why that would happen, not only once, but two times to me. The first time I reported it to the flight attendant. She put on her gloves and cleaned up the mess. But the second time she was nowhere to be found and I had to clean up the mess with no gloves. As I said, flying is not fun for me nor is it for anyone else unless you can afford first class. 

We rented a car at the airport in Honolulu and Stu, whose idea it was to pay for my airline fare, drove us a few miles out of town to the area where several resorts spread along the coast line. 

Stu driving the rental car

It was not until I stood high above the three pools and the restaurants and shops that I realized it would require lots of walking for me to get around here. I gave it my best effort when we went down for dinner that night. But walking back was harder. I had to take it slow and rest often.  

Looking down at the Reflection pool and the beach area 

We saw the sunset every afternoon from our deck. One could almost believe she had left her world and now lived in a totally new one. 

The next day we used our time to get over the long trip. We rested and slept most of the time. I developed a deep and abiding love for my bed at the condo. It was the best I've ever slept on and I could have spent the entire week right there. But, I didn't. 

I found the secret to getting around the large resort and even accompanying Gay and Stu on a hike. More about that later.

Folkmoot? We went to see what it is all about.

Written July 24.

Although having been in existence for over 30 years, the Folkmoot USA international festival held in western NC is not known as well as it should be in other parts. When I told friends in Hayesville and in north Georgia that I was going to Folkmoot, I was met with the question, "What is Folkmoot?"

I learned that over 600 volunteers work to put on this beautiful and worthy endeavor which is home based in Waynesville, NC. I also learned from the emcee at the Flat Rock Community College that someone from Haywood county went to Europe with a group of Appalachian cloggers to perform at a festival over there. This man, I believe was a physician, came home and said why can’t we hold a festival here and invite performers from other  countries. He found a community that believed  in this  idea and funding from locals to get started. Soon the Folkmoot USA festival became a reality and has continued with dancers, musicians and performers from all over the world descending on Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Asheville, and several other towns in this region every year in July. This year the events scheduled were from July 18 – 27.

Not having been to Folkmoot before, I had no idea what I’d see at the first event. I found that performers from five countries and from our U.S state, Hawaii, would be on stage. Romanian dancers led off and were followed by Trinidad, Russia, Colombia, Taiwan and Hawaii entertainers. The costumes, colorful, authentic and expressing the culture of the people of each country, kept my eyes glued on the stage and the dancers.

I learned this is really a folk dance festival, but the instruments used in making music for the dances are unique to each country. The men and women from Trinidad played large drums standing before them on stage. Some of the drums were large steel barrels. The sounds emanating from them changed from loud and strong to soft and beautiful.

The Taiwan group was my favorite. The instruments are diverse and unlike those I have seen before, and the delicate young women who dance seem to float over the stage. They move together, hands and  arms graceful and flowing like a quiet mountain stream. In one number they carry and use pastel green parasols made from translucent material to enhance their story told in dance movement.

Hardly anyone would expect to see this diverse cultural happening in the mountains of Appalachia coming together each year to share awareness, respect and caring among our citizens and those from other countries. But it is occurring and reaching children, and local people of all ages as they learn and teach through volunteering to work with Folkmoot.

My sister with two members of the family group from Hawaii

The guide for the folks from Hawaii, a family group of singers and dancers, says she spends twenty-four hours, seven days a week with this group while they are here for Folkmoot. That  is dedication. She sleeps and eats with them at the Folkmoot Friendship Center, an old schoolhouse that has been given to the non-profit Folkmoot organization and which has been converted into dorm rooms, cafeteria, and rehearsal space. I visited the center one afternoon. Performers, some  in costume, walked up and down the halls and sat chatting with each other. If only the leaders of these countries could sit down and chat with each other, get to know each other and how much we are alike in our goals and our needs.

Folkmoot seems to me to be a wonderful exchange of cultural traditions, opportunity to make lasting friendships with people who live worlds apart, but have the same love of music, dance and performance. Many of them are young, talented and curious men and women who want to know more about our customs and wish to share their own with the people of the United States.

If you haven’t attended any of the Folkmoot events, I urge you to mark your calendars now and make it a point to see at least one next year. Enjoy from a seat in the audience, but also take time at the break to meet and talk with the talented performers. Check www.folkmootUSA.org 

I am now a fan and hope to be back  next year.

Colombian dancers were terrific

BLUE HAWAII - Green and Yellow and Clean

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to the state of Hawaii as the guest of my sister and brother-in-law. Gay and Stu had been there before, but they gave me the experience of seeing that far off land I’d never seen and will not likely see again. The plane trip is far too hard to get over. 

We arrived in Honolulu and stayed one night in a hotel across the street from a beautiful Hilton. Because of my problems with indoor air pollution, I dreaded entering the Ramada Inn, thinking they would likely have sprayed chemical fragrance in their lobby and in the rooms. But I was surprised to find the hotel smelled clean -- not artificially deodorized with chemicals. No scented soap or personal body care products bothered me in the room. My first impression of Hawaii was great.

We flew to the island of Kauai the next day. We arrived at the airport in Lihue. My hosts said this was the least commercialized of all the islands. I loved the drive to the Marriott on Poi Pu Beach. Tall grass grows wild on the roadsides. I was told it was cane grass or buffalo grass. We passed wide open green fields with fat cows and sleek horses. We drove through a tunnel of trees and some small towns before reaching the coast. So much green, so many shades of green, and I didn't see one beer can on the side of the road.

It seems the residents of Kauai know the value of a clean ocean, clean air to breath and the natural world in which their native people depended upon for many generations. Never have I seen people so dedicated to recycling and caring for the environment.  

Plastic bags are banned on Kauai. 

Can you imagine that? If a store uses bags, they use paper and it is plainly printed on the side, Recycle.

I found the best method of recycling is a little fabric item called a market bag made by a lady selling them in a booth. It unzips and opens to a bag as big as one of the tote bags we find at the grocery store. This market bag can easily be refolded, zipped and carried in my purse so I will have it with me all the time. I wish I had bought several of them. 

Some retail stores in Kauai don’t offer bags at all. If you buy a blouse, you take it home in your hands – no plastic to fill the landfills and clutter the rivers, streams and oceans. Coincidentally, I heard tonight that our oceans are so dirty, oysters are dying out. The oyster farmer said this is like the canary in the coal mine. If the oyster goes, other things dependent on clean water will go also. Yes, I know he didn't say it was plastic in the water that was harming marine life, but all the junk adds up.

sunset on Poi Pu Beach

Gratefully, I breathed in the ocean air of Kauai and gazed on the blue water as I watched birds, some familiar, but most unfamiliar, in the sky, on the ground, and lighting in boughs of yellow and orange hibiscus bushes, and the multitude of flowering shrubs everywhere. 

It was easy to forget my responsibilities and worries. I couldn't have been more removed from reality--unless I had landed on the moon. 

Sister, Gay, is back from Hawaii

My sister, Gay, has been gone to Hawaii and I really missed her. She is my rock along with my sister, June, my nieces, Lee and Lyn, and their mates. June's husband, Charlie is a generous and kind man who I also love dearly. Gay and Stu flew over and took the Hawaiian cruise around all the islands. Gay, Lee and I had lunch today and I heard a little about the trip.
Although they had a wonderful time, Gay said she couldn't help but feel sad when she remembered all the trips Barry and I made with them and how much fun we had. She said she kept thinking of Barry and how he would have loved going on this vacation. Stu said they visited a little town and he thought of me. He said it was a place he knew I'd enjoy.
Family - there is nothing like family when we have troubles. I was at Wildacres while they were on vacation in Hawaii. We were all where we should have been, dealing with grief in our own way.
But one day, I hope to go over to Hawaii, myself, and maybe Gay and Stu will want to go back. I can't imagine going on vacation without them.
Because I asked, Gay kept a journal while on the trip so she brought a little of the islands  back with her. She always brings me a gift, and this time was no exception. A tag-a-long bag with the islands, in bright colors, on the side and a new journal I can fill up with thoughts I'll look back on in ten years, I hope, and see how far I've come.