We live in a beautiful place. For us it is paradise. Certainly like everywhere, we feel there are too many people and too much traffic and too much pollution affecting our land and sea. Yet the beauty, nature and spirit that surround us keep us loving our life and home. I walk the beach as much as possible and sit out in the evenings for sunset with the clouds turning all shades of color around us.

I continue diving and underwater photography for fun. I hope to put together a few more diving photo web pages soon.

We have not done any traveling since January (why, when we live in paradise.) We are thinking about traveling again for the holidays but until then we enjoy visits from family and friends. My sister Pamela and her husband Chris are finally coming to Maui to celebrate their grandson Quentin’s sixth birthday in October. And my mom, Audrey, and her husband, Bill, are coming later in that month to celebrate her and my birthdays. She did have to remind me that this is the big five-oh coming up for me. 

I am scheduled to go on the Norwegian Cruise Line as a marine naturalist presenter in December. I will do four to six presentations on the Norwegian Wind, and then get to enjoy the ship and ports the rest of the cruise as it sails from here to Fanning Island and back. Of course there have been several months of preparing presentations and coordinating with other presenters from Maui Ocean Center. (The first presenter goes on a cruise in September so the presentations had to be ready early.) The 11-day cruise departs December 9 and returns December 20 to Honolulu visiting all the four main Hawaiian Islands plus Fanning Island, Republic of Kiribati. Mom and Bill are looking into booking the cruise; anyone can consider coming.

I have to admit I have gotten started on doing the Sudoku puzzles. Finished a few books. I like the number puzzles better than crosswords. I still play cards with Peggy and Pualani a few times a month. And I get to see Quentin often. For a while it was every week but now that he has started first grade and his sister Sophie is in pre-school, they don’t get to come to this side as often. I drove out to Hana to play with him one day before he started school but the four hour drive time makes a long day. (Quentin and his family do this long drive fairly often because all the shopping and services are on this side.)

Neil and I are happy and healthy. Neil has always eaten incredibly healthily while I slip occasionally with a craving for McDonald’s fries and ice cream. We have been taking whole food vitamins for years but have just made the commitment these last few months to eat organic and vegetarian. I still slip in the sugar area once in while feeling I need a treat. I justify eating the dark chocolate because it is organic.

My family is doing well. Mom and Bill are happy newlyweds. Dad and Jane will be celebrating 15 years together in November. Pamela and Chris are happy ministering at their Baptist Church in Lawndale, California. Jason got out of the Army (thankfully) and got a position as a customer service rep with a company that contracts with Cingular. He will take college courses in the evenings. Melanie and family will complete a year in Washington DC area in November. I think it has been a challenging move for them but they are doing great. Madison is a senior and working at Gold's Gym. Will has met friends on his street that he can ride bikes with and hang out. Warren is in a rough spot in his life but is working on his challenges.

Neil's mom Jean and husband Morley still happily live in the house next to us. Jean has been visiting grandkids in Iowa and Minnesota for the last few months and Morley will be joining her for a month now that it is cooler. Neil's niece Stephanie and her son Jonathan visited Grandma in April and we had a lot of fun playing with them. We just got sad news this last week that Neil's dad Wilbur has stomach and bone cancer. They are beginning treatment this week. Neil's daughter Mailea has one more year of university at Sonoma State. Greg, her husband, will finish this semester. His band is doing great. You can check out the Turbo Justice website and order their CD. And you can see them in concert in September at the Sacramento Star Trek convention! Neil's other daughter Ari just ran her first Marathon in San Diego after only 4 months of training! She is going to Costa Rica this semester for study and field work in biology. She leaves mid-September for a few weeks of travel and then her course begins.