"The Honeymoon, 20 years later..." 'Obama da Dog' (Source)

Obama Da Dog is a lifelong Hawa'iian, born and raised on the cosmic Garden
Island of Kaua'i. Obama and her master have a regular column it the Garden Island news
every other Monday.

The Honeymoon, 20 years later

A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier.

Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules, so the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day.

The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address, and without realizing his error, sent the email.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband’s funeral. He was a minister who was called home to glory following a heart attack. The widow decided to check her email expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted. The widow’s son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To: My Loving Wife Subject: I've Arrived Date: November, 24th; 2013
I know you’re surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I’ve just arrived and have been checked in. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.
P.S. Sure is freaking hot down here.

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

"SELF HEALERS..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Classic Monday)

Bettejo Dux a self proclaimed self healer, she talks about her journey of self healing
in today's blog.  Bettejo has lived on the Cosmic garden Island of Kauai for over 40 years.
Bettejo has a weekly column in the Kauai garden island news
and is the author of the famed Novella "The Scam."
www.bettejodux.com

SELF HEALERS

“Do you know,” she set the stage, “there are people who’ve learned  to heal themselves?

“Not.”

“Yep.”

“How can you possibly know that?”

“‘Because I’m one.”

The silence was deafening.

“That’s’cause you’re never sick.”

“That’s half the answer,” she replied. “But I had to learn  to get well and stay well before I learned the art of self-healing.”

“Art. Bah.”

“Nope. It is an art and it was years in the making. Paid off, too.”

“Might’s well  sit down. She’s gonna expound like it or not.”

“You can leave.”

“Nope. Food and wine and goofy conversation are  too good to miss.”

“Especially the food and wine part.”

She fluffed her hair and took center stage. “Do you know there are very few people who've ever experienced good health? They chug along with aches and pains and ailments. It’s kind’a what they become. One big ache, pain and ailment. Symptoms galore. Ignored until they run to  the pill pushers to relieve them.”

“Pill pushers. She means the doctor.”

“Yep. They treat the symptoms. Out’a sight, out’a mind. Ignore what caused ‘em. To learn the art of self-healing you go for the gold. Why do I have this dam headache anyway…”

“Have another glass of wine.”

“…well certainly not because I lack aspirin.”

” We’ll give you that one.”

“When the self-healer sets out on her long lonely scary journey, she stops labeling symptoms and focuses on what happened to her body that caused the symptoms to appear in the first place.”

“How does she do that?” This skeptic crunched a noisy cracker.

“That’s the kind’a talk got witches burned in the Dark Ages.”

“True. But understand, I’m not a healer. I can’t heal you, you have to learn  to heal yourself. We’re not gingerbread men. What keeps me healthy is not gonna be what keeps you healthy. And what keeps me healthy will change as the situation changes. I try nutrition first, that’s the number one rule. A fast is often good. Clean out the toxins. You gotta learn how to do that. At first it’s kind’a scary. Since I started this life lesson I've had to ‘pull’ myself through three nasties and every time I said, “This is the time I ain’t gonna make it.”

“Guess we can discount a ‘positive thinking’ attitude.”

“Religion and spiritual dimensions too. I  just had a bout with a really fierce scary. I knew I was gonna croak. I dressed up in a pair of two hundred-dollar cashmere sweats, had ‘em for ages. My husband bought ‘em for me years ago-pass me some of the good smelling stuff-and I've been  really good about not wearing them out to clean the barn. You know what else? I hauled out my new manuscript Children of the Extinction and my red pencil-I love to edit- figured I’d go out in style. Prob’ly look a mess but a classy mess. Drama is my style and it’s almost as good as dying with my boots on don’cha think?”

Resounding ‘yes’.

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

"Reading newspapers like our ancestors did..." 'James "kimo" Rosen'

Obama Da Dog enjoying the newspaper! 

This blog also appeared
as my column in the Kaua'i Garden Island news on 12-02-13"
with the title "Please, hand me the paper so I can relax..."  

Please click on link and  then click on recommend in the upper left column.  It helps show the editors that people are reading my articles....
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/please-hand-me-the-paper-so-i-can-relax/article_3f481ed4-5afa-11e3-b695-001a4bcf887a.html

Reading  newspapers like our ancestors did

By the way, (BTW)can you imagine your grandparents having  read the newspaper and seeing abbreviated  comments like,"IMHO , LOL, and WTF?" Let me start by saying that "WTF" does not stand for Wednesday,Thursday and Friday, and In my honest opinion (IMHO) I have never told anyone I am Laughing out loud (LOL) except maybe my BFF (Best friend forever)

For your information (FYI)a  recent survey  stated more people get their news from the Internet than from newspapers — and more ad dollars went to online outlets than to newspapers. This trend is growing  toward electronic journalism and in the near future  we may not have the luxury of choosing to read a real hard copied newspaper which in itself would be a 
travesty.

I have been reading the Garden Island News online for almost ten years now. I use to comment to the stories I found interesting and after a few years quit commenting because of the venomous hate from other commenters should you disagree with them. To quote Paul Simon,"there was slander, libel and words I never heard in the bible" These were the commenters that preached aloha, that's if you agreed with them, if you didn't agree with them, they were out to get you.

A few months ago I decided to subscribe to the Garden Island newspaper, the real thing, the hard copy. The way I read the paper in my youth and as a young man. I forget how wonderful reading the newspaper can be.  I was not tempted to comment to a story with the potential of being verbally abused  by another commenter that may had disagreed with me.  I do not have to worry about spilling my coffee on my computer and having an expensive repair or having a virus stop me from reading a particular article.

Just relaxing with the Garden island News with my morning coffee, in my favorite recliner, dog at my side, is a comfort and luxury of life  I had forgotten. 

Reading the hard copy, I do not see all the varied opinions expressed through the comments board. It is comforting reading the newspaper without  other readers chiming in.  I just read the paper without talking back. It's relaxing and feels wonderful to just read the paper like our ancestors did many years ago.

For anyone trying to save a few bucks by reading online, there is still nothing like the Sunday paper.  There are many inserts not available online that are only available with a real hard copied  newspaper that  can save you enough money to pay for the subscription itself. I  found  coupons  for  free taco's  and  two for one dinners that I never would had found reading online. I was also able to read the comic section in color on Sunday, Charlie, Lucy and Snoopy are still around  to make me laugh, sometimes even out loud.

With all the political hate and social media hoopla out there--along locally on Kaua'i  with bill 2491 which has torn a community apart. It  finally  feels awesome to read a newspaper uninterrupted again, without commenters chiming in and  ruining the  experience and enjoyment. With all said, there are still those that enjoy commenting with one another, to each their own.


I had forgotten the beauty and  fun of asking  others in the living room or coffee bistro ,"could someone please pass me the sports section, or better yet  please hand me the forum page.

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

"Thanksgivingkah…a new word in our vocabulary…" 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

Some call it Thanksgivekkah, some call  it Chanukah, others call it Hanukkah
 and still others call it Thanksgiving. On Kaua'i  we call it Chanukaua'i.
Judith calls it Thanksgivingkah. No matter what you call it, the bottom is  we
all have  something (s) to be thankful for. Gobble Tov!
Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst N.Y. and has work in the ophthalmology
field of medicine. for almost 35 years.

Thanksgivingkah…a new word in our vocabular

This will be the first and last time we will see such a word that has been going around the universe this week; the clashing of the two holidays, Thanksgiving and Chanukah happened many thousand years ago and will not again happen in our lifetime .  

Our unusual celebration with family and friends started with lighting the Chanukah candles and enjoying the traditional turkey festivities.  Along with our turkey, stuffing and squash came latkas and Chanukah foods.   Both joyous  celebrations to enjoy!

So for this year and this year only…Happy Chanukah, Thanksgiving and Thanksgivingkah to all our friends Jewish and non Jew alike …enjoying the Festival of Lights.

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

"What I have..." ' Shirili Green' (Re-posted in memory of Shirili on this Thanksgiving day, this blog originally ran Thanksgiving day 2011.)

Shirili, Mia and Derrick Green

Please note that  that Shirili passed away on June 17,2013.
What a beautiful soul and spirit. She will be sorely missed.

From Shirli's  Facebook page on June 17,2013, her husband posted the following: https://www.facebook.com/shirili.green?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

This message is from Derrick;
 "I would like to thank all who have supported us and been amazing friends during this extremely difficult last few years. Shir lost her battle with cancer today but I am happy that she no longer has to suffer, either from cancer or the treatments. I appreciate all the love and well wishes. Mia and I look forward to you all being a part of our lives for years to come."

This is one of Dakinetalks most read blogs with over 10,000 hits.

In memory of Shirili on this Thanksgiving and Chanukah we would like to revisit and share Shir's story on this day of thanks.

This blog originally ran Thanksgiving day on  November  23,2011

Shalom and Aloha

Thank you to Anchorage Daily News and Marc Lester the photographer who documented Shirili's moving essay with his moving photos as well...
http://community.adn.com/node/158745 (Please watch this slide show) I am not allowed to publish the pictures but am allowed to link you to this, it's powerful,www.adn.com/whatihave

 Shirili, daughter Mia and friends rally for  a cure for cancer...

 In 2007, Shirili Green was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was just 33 years old. After years of treatment, including a double mastectomy, she discovered the cancer had returned in 2011. It  spread to her liver and bones. The cancer, stage IV, is terminal. Shiri writes about the experience of living with the knowledge that she's dying...  May G-d Bless Shrili and her family... Shiri also narrates the enclosed video documentary of her situation; http://community.adn.com/node/158745

It's been nearly eight months since my breast cancer made its return. Eight months ago, I was -- or so I thought -- a healthy survivor. Life was somewhat normal, occasionally interrupted by routine checkups and doctor visits. Though I was aware of the chances of recurrence, I was miserably unprepared for its vigorous come back. Just as my body and psyche were recovering from my first bout with this invasive disease, the cancer was silently spreading over my bones and nesting in my liver. It's a very elusive enemy, I've come to find out.

Four years earlier, I fought cancer for the first time. At 33, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). My breasts were removed and I went through an aggressive chemotherapy treatment to eradicate an unequivocally aggressive cancer. The invasion of cancer derailed my life, together with the lives of my family and friends. It sent a shock through my physical self, but it didn't stop there. It took everyone for a ride. Our lives would never be the same.

My daughter, Mia, who was just shy of her fourth birthday at the time, learned about cancer and its implications at that very tender age. Of course, at the time, we had one plan and one plan only: to fight and to win. My dear daughter inevitably became an integral part of the effort to rid mommy's body of cancer, and though we did all we could to protect her and provide a stable, normal routine, the cancer was fighting back, and it was insisting on making its vicious appearance. It took several forms, but most were expressed through the ugly side effects of chemotherapy.

In addition to frequent vomiting, there was the endless nausea and fatigue. Soon after I started chemotherapy, my hair fell out. My young daughter who used to play with my long, thick hair now had to get used to mom's bald, shiny skull. Derrick, my husband, who loved my hair, had to watch the woman he loves lose the physical attributes of her femininity. My father's face was filled with agony. My mother and sister put on a brave front for my sake. My friends kept saying I looked great, and though they clearly lied, it was a fib I was happy to hear.

In the next few months, my parents and sister cared for Mia as Derrick and I focused on treating and healing. For a while, the cancer made us think we had won, but we hadn't.

Nearly four years later, the cancer viciously came back. The diagnosis was shocking. Cancer on every bone from pelvis to skull. Cancer in the liver and cancer in the eye. Stage IV. Terminal. Just when I thought I had my life back, the heavenly jurors changed the verdict. Recovery is no longer an option. It's the death penalty this time around. I started to spin, but then I decided to fight.

I was outraged. This can't be! I've done everything I could! It wasn't supposed to come back. But it did, and I had to start living the rest of my life. I had no idea how to do so. How do I move on? How do I find the strength to wake up? But the next day, I woke up. And from there, life took control. I started chemotherapy for the second time, only this time, there wasn't as much hope. There was my indescribably strong will to live, but living seemed less likely and dying inevitable.

About a month after diagnosis, things took a devastating turn. My lungs and the sac around my heart were filling with fluid. It seemed like the end, but it wasn't. After cardiac surgery and a procedure to remove the fluid from my lungs, I began to see some light, and the chemotherapy began to work. Systematically, my body started responding to the chemotherapy, and hope began to rise. Then, four months later, another devastating blow. The cancer found its way to my brain. It spread so fast through my cranium that in four months, I went from no brain metastasis to having too many lesions to count. My brain was literally infested. Once again, we thought it was the end, but, thank God, and thanks to Whole Brain Radiation, it wasn't.

Life must be lived regardless of the cards we are dealt. I never thought I would have to deal with dying in my 30s, but I do. Every morning that I get to wake up, I have to remind myself that it may be my last day. And I want to live each day to its fullest -- I really do! But just as always, life dictates the pace. I've been dealt a death sentence, but for now, the show must go on! Yes, I am fighting cancer, and yes, I will eventually die. For now, however, I get to take my darling daughter to school almost every day. I get to sleep in the arms of my loving husband at night. I get to spend more time with my aging parents, and celebrate life with all those who are dear to me. Can I ask for more? I think so, but I must also be satisfied and fulfilled. The only alternative is to be miserable, and I refuse to go there. I'm determined to enjoy the rest of my life.

I'm still here, and I get to write, and read, and see the leaves turn. I get to change my tires to snow tires. I can go out to lunch and joke with friends (who continue to graciously compliment my appearance). I get to correspond with my daughter's teachers, and sign permission slips for days of fun. I get to see my dogs run in the yard, enjoying the golden falling leaves.

I get to snuggle with my daughter as I put her in bed at night, and sing with her and listen to her sing. I get to play board games with her, and watch her growing up. One day at the time. One day and another and another . . . I get to choose clothes at the store with her, and do homework every night.

I also get to be upset at times, and I even get to be disappointed and sad.

Most importantly, I get to be alive!

For now, I get to live my life.

~ Shirili Green
All photos courtesy of Shirili Green...


May Shirili's soul rest in peace.

T
P.S. This year the Jewish holiday of Chanukah happens to fall on Thanksgiving. Many are call it Thanksgivekkah. Check out the enclosed uplifting Youtube music video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xKomL1j9OI&sns=em

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

Curiosity..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Pronounce Dukes)

Bettejo Dux has lived on Kaua'i for  over 40 years and is a regular columnist   for the worlds greatest
newspaper, (The Kaua'i Garden Island news) Bettejo is pictured above with friends at Costco
Outdoor cafe.
www.bettejodux.com

Curiosity

"Curiosity killed the cat."

Doesn't that kind'a cliché, sound bite, kind'a make your teeth itch? Who comes up with this stiff? Who spreads it around? It sounds cute, except for that poor little cat, but hey, do you know a dead cat is the most valuable thing in the world?

"What?"
"Nobody can put a price on it."
Fast curtain.

Don't worry, we'll get back to the  furry feline before this is over.

Curiosity is, actually, one of the most delightful of human traits. Think of bright young minds. They ask a zillion questions. Why is the sky blue? Do fingers on both hands always add up to ten? How far away is the moon? Will it fall down someday? Do skyscrapers really scrape the sky? If they don't, why do they call them skyscrapers? Is there really a Santa Claus ? Where do babies and old people come from? Is 2X3 always six? Where'd you hide the cookie jar?

After a few hours of this, I can sort of understand an exasperated adult, in despair, screaming out the dead cat thing. But we mustn't ask our kids to take it seriously. For goodness' sakes don't kill the desire to ask questions. I think that's what we're here to do: inquire. Imagine. Create.

My American Heritage Dictionary, which bumps my shoulder at my desk, defines it as: 1. A desire to know or learn. 3. An object that arouses interest, as by being novel or extraordinary. 4. A strange or odd aspect. It goes on to more esoteric definitions which are interesting, but, did you notice, I left out 2?

There's always a dark side. 2. A desire to know about people or things that does not concern one: nosiness. A gossip.

Someone said, "Bright people talk about ideas, mediocre minds talk about things, simple minds talk about people." I'll buy that.

Scrolling down the page I see Curitiba. Whats Curitiba? A city in southeast Brazil southwest of Sao Paulo. It was founded in 1654 but did not grow rapidly until the late 19th and early 20th centuries when German, Italian and Slavic immigrants began to develop the surrounding area. Population 1,024,975.  That's 1992.

In 2010 it had a population of 1, 760, 500.Wow. Today it is a gorgeous city with a luxurious **** Sheraton Four Points Hotel. The food looks delicious. The city also has one of the World's Greatest Attractions, their Botanical Garden, Jardin Botanico Fanchetta Rischbieter. I'm taking the

tour, smelling the flowers, I'll be right back...

...Oh my gosh.Glorious. Stunning architecture. That Green House...

"Hello, Bettejo?"

"All right, I'm back. What were we talking about?"

"Curiosity."

"Yeahbut you should've seen that city! That hotel. The lobby. The bars. The restaurants. Rooms. Spas. Food..."

"See any cats?"

"I'll go back and look."

"No.

Okay.I was born with an overactive sense of curiosity.  Drove my mother nuts. It's never left me and it's never let me down. Cats or no cats-dead or alive-never step on your kids' inquisitive mind.

I'm outta here. Gonna  miss my flight. Curitiba here I come.

P.S.----Meet disfigured man kissed by pope
http://www.kitv.com/news/national/meet-disfigured-man-kissed-by-pope/-/8905418/23168498/-/12ssp9nz/-/index.html?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=kitv

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

"Much to be thankful for..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst New York and has worked in
the ophthalmology field of medicine for over 30 years.
Happy Thanksgivekkah!

Much to be thankful for

This year we will once again gather with good friends and family to celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving and also Chanukah which hardly ever happens on the same day; it won't happen  again for more than 90 years from now.  

We will greatly miss sharing our holiday thoughts and prayers with our dear mother and mother-in law that have since passed away.  Having just returned from California to lay my mother in law to rest, we feel the emptiness more than ever this year.  We are more than thankful for this holiday to share with the people that mean the most to us and want to wish everyone a happy healthy holiday season; we have much to be thankful for.

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