Part 1: Motoring to San Diego, enroute to Hawaii, 05.01.10 *****
Part 2: Washington and Oregon, Enroute to San Diego & Ship 05.01.11 ****
Part 3: Klamath Lake, and then on into California, 05.02.25 *****
Part 4: The Ship ms Ryndam, Holland America Line, 05.02.26 ****
Part 5: Starting the Sea Voyage to Hawaii, 05.03.05 *****
Part 6: Hawaii at last. Sea Turtles and Picasso Fish 05.03.20
Today I picked up 2-1/2 yards of 45" wide cloth to make a cover for the cushion
on the 5 foot long white trunk at the top of the stairs. It's the one our granddaughter Jenny used to sleep on when she was a little child. Ben likes the design of orange and golden Bird of Paradise flowers, creamy orchids and pale silvery green and blue leaves against a pretty navy blue background. We bought t-shirts for three little grandchildren.
Ben's going to wear his Hawaii Airlines t-shirt tonight at dinner to fulfil the
request for clothing suitable for Hawaiian night. I don't even remember what I
wore. No doubt something Hawaiian-ish. We were provided with lovely leis made
of fresh white and purple orchids strung together into necklaces. It was easy to keep them fresh by giving them water in the bathtub and then hanging them up till it was time to wear them again. Three days later when we had a ceremony and threw our leis overboard to ensure a return to Hawaii ours were still in good shape. I would like to return, but only to explore quieter islands and smaller places. We saw a few indications of things we could find interesting if we
were exploring by ourselves.
The most astonishing thing that happened for me was when Ben unexpectedly boughtme a beautiful ring from the Maui Diver's shop. I had to choose an oyster from
some in sea water in a some big deep plates. Before I even knew what he had in
mind I had seen a big dark one, hairy with bits of seaweed, that seemed to look
special to me for some unknown reason. I chose that one. When opened,-- why
lo and behold! -- it contained a black pearl with a very slight irridescence of
green. A second pearl was a gift from the store. I chose one I felt the same way about as before, and when it was opened it also proved to hold yet *another*
black pearl! There were many other possibilities, such as pink, white, creamy,
and so on. My second one was only very slightly smaller, and has a very faint reddish irridescence. The colour on the darkness of the pearls is subtle. I was
glad they were't a perfect match because nothing is exactly the same in nature,
either. We had them set together, one above the other at an angle to each other
in a gold ring. I was so surprised and touched. Ben said it has been such a long time since he bought me any jewellery. I love it. It's unusual, and very elegant, and it will always remind me of his love and generosity, and this trip.
You may be interested to know that these are Tahitian cultured pearls. It is said that pearls are among the world's most coveted gems. Ancient Greeks believedpearls symbolized love. That's one reason many a bride here still wears her grandmother's or mother's pearls on her wedding day, even if she doesn't realize that's the reason for the custom. Royalty prized pearls, and named them the "Queen of Gems."
Hawaii's King Kamehameha I recognized the pearl as a powerful symbol of good health, and mother-of-pearl shell was valued as decoration for sacred bowls and sculptures. Tahitiansadmired the display of iridescent colours on the black pearls'
surfaces and linked their creation with rainbows. I asked for and brought home
the shells from my pearls. They are rough on the outside but the inside mother
of pearl is radiant. Presently I keep them in a large, clear vase filled with
shells, on a sculpture plinth in the front entry.
There are supposed to be *huge* swells on the way here from storms at points north. There were strong warnings being given to people living near the shores at
Maui to evacuate from their homes and shops. Ben and I seem to be about a day or two ahead of storms on this trip, and our good fortune in this way continued on our drive home from San Diego to Kelowna. Blizzards, floods, mudslides, storms, all happened a day or two *after* we passed through. Too bad for the people
who had to experience it, but it was great for us!
The next seminar aboard was called "Love Your Future". How do you like this quip from that seminar? "There's no point in choosing sides on a round planet!"
Now isn't *that* the truth?
*********
