An Island That Prays Together... 'Bettejo Dux' (Vintage Bettejo)

Bettejo Dux has lived on the cosmic Garden
 Island of Kaua'i for over 40 years.

Bettejo is a regular opinion writer in the Garden Island news
 and is the author of the famed novella, "The Scam." 
 Her latest fiction"Children of extinction"
 is now  released and available on Amazon!

www.bettejodux.com

www.amazon.com

Bettejo at 84 years young taking time
 out of her busy day for one of many
scheduled book signings.

An Island That Prays Together

Bettejo at the Martin Luther King Jr.
festivities at Kukui Grove back in 2013

Headlines. 
The Garden Island newspaper, Monday May 4. My goodness. "Their National Day of Prayer signifies unity across people in the United States of America and it signifies a special day, no matter what faith group you belong to..." Jeffrey Pears, chairman of the Interfaith Round-table of Kauai said. "It crosses all barriers, all faith groups, and brings all of us together..."
http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/an-island-that-prays-together/article_6ff150f6-d61c-5193-b6ea-e59bb44d2728.html
Such a beautiful thought. I love Jeffrey. I've laughed with him on many occasions. I love to laugh. We share the idea that there's little more healing than a really good gaffaw. We meet last at a large meeting of the Jewish community. I can't remember when I've felt so happy and at home in a crowded room. The best and the brightest on Kauai, in my estimation, were there. We laughed. We listened. We learned. We also snacked. But nobody prayed.

As I read through the TGI article I note there are two organization. Jeffrey's IRK and KIM-Kauai Island Ministries- organized by Niles Kageyama, who has invited all Christian churches across the island to join their event with different pastors, John Zimmerman of Lihue Missionary Church and Pastor Larry Matsuwaki from Faith Christian Fellowship. They share the same theme "Hear Our Cry" and meet at the same place, on the same day, Thursday, May 7, at the Civic Center Rotunda in Lihue. IRK goes first from 9 to 11 A.M. KIM  takes second billing, 11:30 to 12:30PM.

"No Buddhists, no Zoroasters, no Islamists, no Hindus..." My friend Monroe Richmasn, reminds us, are invited to join IRK.

Debra Valentina, who leads the Center for Spiritual Living, and will attend the IRK meeting, says, "It doesn't matter to me that there's two."

Seems odd to me, but that's the way the wafer crumples.

Also, we're told, the National Day of Prayer began in 1775. My search revealed:

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.  A privately funded organization, whose purpose is to encourage participation on the National Day of Prayer, exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, to create appropriate materials, and to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America’s leaders and its families. They represents a Judeo Christian expression of the national observance, based on our understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible.

I'm reminded of a story about a  visitor to California who had the misfortune to experience an earthquake. "I'm scared," she cried. Her friend, who'd taken shelters in a door way, hollered, "I'm from California. We always get under a door way." "I'm from New jersey," cried the scared lady,  "where do I go?"

As a devout non believer-more agnostic than atheistic, I mean, I don't know- who doesn't go to church, doesn't pray, ask, "Where do I go?"

P.S.
This blog appeared two days later on May 8,2015 in the Kaua'i Garden Island news;"Pray all you want, but where should I go?"
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/pray-all-you-want-but-where-should-i-go/article_f42712c8-3260-5231-baeb-55bc457b306c.html

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"A Rabbi and a Priest..." 'Robert Bitos Gandia' (Source)

Guest-blogger,Robert Bitos Gandia

.Robert is an avid cook (ono gandule rice) and always laughing!!
Robert lives in Kekaha on Kauai's west-side and loves football!!

A Rabbi and a Priest 

 A Rabbi and a Priest are driving one day and, by a freak accident, have a head-on collision with tremendous force. Both cars are totally demolished, but amazingly, neither of the clerics has a scratch on him.

After they crawl out of their cars, the rabbi sees the priest's collar and says, "So you're a priest. I'm a rabbi.
Just look at our cars.

There is nothing left, yet we are here, unhurt.
This must be a sign from God!"

Pointing to the sky, he continues, "God must have meant that we should meet and share our lives in peace and friendship for the rest of our days on earth."

The priest replies, "I agree with you completely.
This must surely be a sign from God!"

The rabbi is looking at his car and exclaims, "And look at this!
Here's another miracle!

My car is completely demolished, but this bottle of Mogen David wine did not break.

Surely, God wants us to drink this wine and to celebrate our good fortune."

The priest nods in agreement.
The rabbi hands the bottle to the priest, who drinks half the bottle and hands the bottle back to the rabbi.

The rabbi takes the bottle and immediately puts the cap on, then hands it back to the priest.

The priest, baffled, asks, "Aren't you having any, Rabbi?"

The rabbi replies, "Nah... I think I'll wait for the police."

Sunrise therapy can be seen daily on 

James "Kimo" Rosen's
Facebook Timeline. 

Hana Hou, Encore) Shared From Facebook

'I really hate feeling good..." 'Kimo's world #70' James "Kimo" Rosen

James "Kimo" Rosen is a retired Professional photographer
 and publisher. Rosen lives on the  beautiful Garden Island
 of Kaua'i with his best friend Obama Da Dog. 
Rosen also posts the Sunrise daily on his Facebook Timeline.
Photo above, James Kimo Rosen on the far left with the  cast of
Baywatch Hawaii back in 1999

Kimo's World #70

I really hate feeling good.‏

Everything was going right.

My doctor took me in 15 minutes early since there was a no show.  My ride to pick me up shows up 15 minutes early, ironically I finished 15 minutes early.

I went to McDonald's to buy a fillet o fish, although almost 3x's more money than the dollar sandwiches of chicken or burgers, I decided I wanted to treat myself. There was no line, they did not give me a hard time when I asked  them to double toast the bun in lieu of steaming it.  There was nobody else in line. 5 minutes into eating my sandwich the line is 20 deep. Great timing or what?

On top of everything,  good news form the doctor!

This meme was used on Facebook
to promote this blog! 

The Jewish soul in me is always suspicious when things go well. For some reason I really hate feeling good. I am always afraid of what will happen next? Many times it's the calm before the storm? I am hoping to somehow break this theory, hoax or whatever it's called.

This past year I have had my fare share of setbacks, and G-d knows we have all weathered our portion of storms.

Well, so far so good!  As my friend Sam Clemens would  say, "Woot, Woot!'

I finally made it on Wikipedia!

wink emoticHana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...

"Is 60 really the new 50..?" 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst New York.

 and has worked in the ophthalmology
 field of medicine for over 30 years

Is 60 really the new 50?

Is 60 really  the new 50..?

Turning 60+ yrs old somehow brings new emotions and goals to the table. 

When I was living through the 50’s I felt I had all the time in the world to reach my goals, retire and lead  
a leisurely life for the second half  of my time on this earth.  Since turning 60, oddly enough we have lost  several friends and family members in the same age group.  

Losing my last parent recently, my dad who  was 95 yrs old , at the time he passed, I have become more than aware that time is limited and fleeting.    

I have decided to take a positive step forward and take charge of my working hours; I now have  shortened my work week and am finally off one day a week.  It may seem like a small effort but it is  
extremely useful for much needed appointments,  relaxing, meeting with friends and even such a small  thing like taking the car for an oil change.  All these things can’t be accomplished on the weekends and  has made me feel much more relaxed.  

 I love the health field I have been working  in for over 35 years  
but now it is time to use my skills in other ways.  We have begun to travel more, spend more time with family and make our second half of life count more.   

Even though we keep on top of our health, we cannot foresee the future.  So many times people we  know are snatched from us at a younger age than we ever expected.  They are working much longer  hours and putting their health on the back burner.  There is a time to save and a time to enjoy life.  It’s a  delicate balance to  accomplish  both.     

Life is short, live each day to
the fullest!

My mom passed away at 70 yrs old; she had health issues most of her life and she definitely got it.  She  knew her life would not go on as long as my dad’s of 95 considering her life was full of ups and downs  and his was not complicated by any health issues.  They traveled in their mid life years and made the  very most of each day. 

Judith's parents, Rita & Bert Meyers

I am now able to put myself first for a change; I am still able to be a  guide  for my children which will be  forever but now I have more free time and a quiet house to enjoy.  

Is 60 the new 50? I’m not sure that is true.  Some days I feel 60 and when I get home from a 9-10 hour  day, I am good for nothing but putting my feet up on the couch and taking a nap.  Getting up at 5-A.M. is  definitely not as easy as it was 20 years ago.   

 I hear people’s stories all week, many spend hours going to their doctors offices, many have downsized  their homes and have gone condo or spend half their year in a warm spot.  I do look forward to some  day spending some of my cold months in a warm spot but am not quite ready just yet…still have to work  a bit longer.  It is nice to day dream about the near future though.  

My message here is to enjoy your pre-senior years, not everyone lives to be 95, as my dad did.  Do  not  stress the small issues, spend time enjoying your friends and family and chill.  Above all, keep on top of  your health issues; they are warning signs that to insure a healthy future you must preserve the present.  

Judith & Steve on their wedding day!

Life surely is a present and not to be taken for granted.  Take time and plan that trip you have been  dreaming about and take it…don’t count on tomorrow being there.

  

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"Sharing a room with a snorer..." 'Obama Da Dog' (Source)

Obama Da Dog  is a life long resident of Kapa'a Hawai'i.
Obama can be seen running along James "Kimo" Rosen's
bicycle. Obama Da Dog turns 7 on Christmas day! 

Sharing a room with a snorer

Some retired deputy sheriffs went to a retreat in the mountains. To save money, they decided to sleep two to a room. No one wanted to room with Daryl because he snored so badly.

They decided it wasn't fair to make one of them stay with him the whole time, so they voted to take turns.
The first deputy slept with Daryl and comes to breakfast the next morning with his hair a mess and his eyes all bloodshot.

They said, "Man, what happened to you?"

He said, "Daryl snored so loudly, I just sat up and watched him all night."
The next night it was a different deputy's turn. In the morning, same thing--hair all standing up, eyes all blood-shot.

They said, "Man, what happened to you? You look awful!"

He said, "Man, that Daryl! shakes the roof. I watched him all night."

The third night was Frank's turn. Frank was a big burly ex-football player; a man's man. The next morning he came to breakfast bright eyed and bushy tailed. "Good morning," he said.
They couldn't believe it! They said, "Man, what happened?"

He said, "Well, we got ready for bed. I went and tucked Daryl into bed and kissed him good night. He sat up and watched me all night long."

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...

The Fun of being 84..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Vintage Bettejo)

Bettejo Dux has lived on the cosmic Garden
 Island of Kaua'i for over 40 years.

Bettejo is a regular opinion writer in the Garden Island news
 and is the author of the famed novella, "The Scam." 
 Her latest fiction"Children of extinction"
 is now  released and available on Amazon!

www.bettejodux.com

www.amazon.com

Bettejo at 84 years young taking time
 out of her busy day for one of many
scheduled book signings.

The Fun of being 84

It's been a busy morning. Fed my beloved old horse, Aristotle. I prepare him a warm mash, salt, carrots, bran and molasses. He loves it. My handsome movie star vet, Scott Sims, says horses don't have a sense of taste. I reply, "Well don't tell Ari, he hasn't read that part of the book." Since I was five, I've bribed horses with sugar cubes. Amazing what you can get a horse to do with some sugar cubes in your pocket.

Bettejo and Aristotle enjoying
another day in paradise! 

I was taught, as a little girl, a good horse
 soldier feeds his horse first.

My first riding instructor was General Cress- the Tiger of Luzon-a total pussy cat. He said I was a natural, which pleased my father. His daughter, Cornelia Van Ness Cress, was a brilliant, patient teacher. A lesbian I learned from a gossipy friend of my mother's. It made no- never- mind to me. I always got to ride her dressage horse, Indian, on foggy wet morning jaunts through the Mills College Campus. She said I wasn't a 'lemon drop' because I was one of the few kids who showed up for lessons on a rainy day. I loved the fog. Still do. Even 'voggy' fog on Kaua'i. I love the smell of sulfur dioxide in the morning.

Bettejo with her grown up puppy
 'Boots,' one of her many best friends.

Next, two growing up kittens-Reba and Rosa-and my grown up puppy-Boots- get their fare. Today, Duke, the noisy Macaw, who greets me every morning with a cheerful "Hi",  got fresh water, a  bowl of  parrot food- raisins, peanuts, a crumpled cookie, he has a decided sweet tooth-and  two slices of bananas.

Don't forget to watch
'Aloha Vet' with Kaua'i
Veterinarian Dr. Scott Sims.
Every  Saturday,  3:00 P.M.
HST on Nat Geo Wild.
 Channel 561or HD 1561
or  stream for free at ;
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/aloha-vet/

Then I turn a feral hen, and the chick she's trying to raise, loose to wander and scratch their way into a long day's journey into night.  Mama is teaching her baby to eat worms and insects and other goodies they find in every pile of fallen leaves. Every day her baby gets smarter and bigger. Fluffier, too. This morning she's teaching it how to fly. She jumped up on a raised bench and clucked, "Come on sweetheart, try your wings." Today it did. I don't know if it's a boy chicken or a girl chicken, but it's sure cute and, I think, precocious.

A Kaua'i Sunrise in the Vog...

Then it's my turn. A cup of coffee-organic, no GMOs-and half a slice of croissant. No butter. It's drippy and voggy out and I love watching yellow leaves swing and sway and waft their way to earth.

looking back a few years.
 Bettejo playing checkers
 with her nephew, Tom.

At 84 ripe I love looking back. There's a lot to look back on. I love being here.  There's a lot of here. And I love looking forward.

I love learning. The mother hen is teaching me as well as her baby.

A lot can be learned from a
mother hen...

I love time. I love space. We worked hard, my husband and I, to acquire the space. My jungle, which I love. The time, which I got but could not share with him. I love the time I have now to think about our life together. I love to wonder if he would approve. He'd be happy  I'm having fun.

Bettejo with another one of her many
animal friends.  ;-)

P.S.
Science Shows Something Surprising About People Who Love to Write;
http://mic.com/articles/98348/science-shows-writers-have-a-serious-advantage-over-the-rest-of-us

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"Nobody is going to live forever..." 'Kimo's World #69' (Please tell us your views on burial?)

James "Kimo" Rosen is a retired Professional photographer
 and publisher. Rosen lives on the  beautiful Garden Island
 of Kaua'i with his best friend Obama Da Dog. 
Rosen also posts the Sunrise daily on his Facebook Timeline.
Photo above, James Kimo Rosen on the far left with the  cast of
Baywatch Hawaii back in 1999

Kimo's World #69

Nobody is going to live forever

Nobody is going to live forever. Our days are numbered here on earth. It doesn't matter if your 15, 30, 50 or 80, nobody is guaranteed tomorrow. There is no doubt that one hundred years from now, nobody reading this will still be alive, unless of course there are major medical breakthroughs.

I am approaching the Big 6-0 and constantly thinking of how I want to be laid to rest. My religion of Judaism believes in burial since the body will someday resurrect when the Messiah finally comes. The Dilemma is, I do not like the idea of my body deteriorating with bugs eating me through a wooden casket. Orthodox Christians believe similar in that the body should not be cremated.

Rosen at his portrait studio in
Homer, Alaska 1984...

Intellectually cremations seems like the perfect way to leave this earth. You are not taking up expensive real estate that will become scarcer and scarcer each year. You will not pollute the land with expensive coffins. Coffins are very expensive on top of that the morticians put gallons of embalming fluid, and tons of metal and exotic hardwoods from coffins into the ground.

Throughout the United States there is increasing interest in natural burial as a way to honor lives that have been lived with care for the planet.

Natural burial, also known as "green burial," was the standard practice in our country until the Civil War, when it became common to preserve the bodies of fallen soldiers in order to make the long trip home by train from the battlefields. Since that time, natural burial has continued to be quietly practiced in the United States by members of Jewish, Muslim and some Christian faith communities. 

There are all kinds of funerals and services for the departed. The concept of celebrating the person's life and having a party verses a traditional funeral has become very acceptable.

Religion can dictate whether you are buried  or cremated. My friends in Alaska  burnt on a stake their departed friend per his request.   There are also wartime burials at sea.

Rosen with 3 silver salmon
1983, Rocky River, Alaska...

 I believe the Hawaiian Paddle out is the most romantic way to go, religion aside. The Hawaiian paddle out has my endorsement and is the way I wish to go. A beautiful ceremony where friends and family paddle your remains out to sea. When all the canoes and kayaks are gathered a touching ceremony of spreading the ashes along with flowers and leis  is so touching that I every time I witness one of these I get chicken skin.

I am not concerned with man made rules of religion. I am more concerned with a personal relationship with the Lord my God.

"If you eat one apple a day for 80 years, you won't die young." Blackie Sherrod

Rosen at friends farm on Kaua'i with his sister Linda
and brother-n-law Marvin back in 2008...

   

This meme was used to promote this blog on Facebook!

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...