Sending aloha in a shoe box

Calden Kaeo and Kea Aiona from Kamahameha School's Keaau Campus do some back to school shopping.


Kids on the Big Island are learning something surprising about back-to-school shopping—it is not just a time to fill their book bags and closets, it is also a great opportunity to fill shoe boxes to help children in need around the world.

It may seem like an unusual addition to the annual back-to-school shopping spree, but through Operation Christmas Child families can make a real difference to a child in need by simply keeping the box from their new school shoes and filling it with small gifts. Operation Christmas Child plans to hand-deliver shoe box gifts to more than 8 million struggling children in 100 countries this year. An effort that massive means the project needs the help of Big Island families, not only during the holidays, but also right now.When Back-to-School shopping remember that just a pencil, and a notebook could mean a child in need can attend school this year. Such a small gift can make a big difference!.

Operation Christmas Child, a project of international relief and evangelism organization Samaritan's Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, encourages volunteers to fill simple shoe boxes with toys, necessity items, school supplies, candy and hand-written notes of encouragement. The gifts are then shared with children worldwide who are suffering because of natural disaster, disease, war, terrorism, famine and poverty. For many of these children, the shoe box gift will be the first gift they have ever received, letting them know they are loved and not forgotten.Why now—months before the holiday season?Operation Christmas Child is not limited to just a few weeks a year. It is a year-round project, requiring months of organization and preparation to reach millions of kids around the world.

Here on the Big Island keiki and adults have been working with our local team to send aloha to hurting children all over the world!

How can I help? It's Simple!

PREPARE—Help enlist families, churches, scout troops, community groups and businesses to take advantage of back-to-school sales by collecting discounted school supplies for shoe box gifts.

PACK—Fill shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, hard candy and a letter of encouragement.

Step-by-step shoe box packing instructions are available at www.samaritanspurse.org.For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call Nell Quay (808)987-7373 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org. National Collection Week for gift-filled shoe boxes is Nov. 15-22; however, shoe box gifts are collected all year at the Samaritan's Purse headquarters in Boone, N.C.

You are beautiful

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL

Tropical Oasis

Kohala Estates

I usually don't advertise on this blog much, but this was just too good not to share!
There are only 3 homes for sale in Kohala Estates! This is a 4 bedroom 3 full bath home with a private guest quarters,a private, 1,600 sq ft 7 hole putting green, private in ground pool, office, extra storage area, up dated kitchen, and so much more!

You get all the luxury of a resort on your own private 1.30 ACRE estate! Fee Simple! NO MONTHLY OR YEARLY ASSOCIATION DUES!! LOW TAXES! This beautiful home has sweeping ocean views! It is near white sand beaches, resorts, restaurants, shopping, world class diving, snorkeling, kayaking, sailing, and world class golf. Priced to sell at $939,000! Call me Sunny (Riley) Petropoullakis RS at Hawaii Land Realty Corp. (808)959-1117 for more information on this amazing estate.

Shiny happy person

Photo by Sarah Ko

Shoe Box Seeds!

Operation Christmas Child: Shoe Box Seeds from Joe Benson on Vimeo.

Through Operation Christmas Child, Samaritan’s Purse impacts kids and their families all over the world. For some of these children, the shoe box gift will be the first and only gift they will ever receive. Packed with simple items such as toothpaste, soap, toys, candy and school supplies, these gifts are a reminder that they are loved, and not forgotten.

Poison & Wine

FOCUS

Beautiful photos, fuzzy and otherwise, via Bliss, and sfgirlbybay.

Sometimes a blurry photo is OK, lovely even.

Sometimes my life is like a blurry picture. There is always the hope that someday it will come into focus.

Eat, Pray, Love

I have been reading "Eat,Pray,Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I think I need an agent.Are there any publishers out there who want me to write my memoirs? I might call it, "Eat, Pray, Aloha". First you may pay my way to Paris, Jerusalem, then back to Hawaii. My book will be truly tragic, less narcissistic, very dramatic, a tear jerker, filled with hope, good food, and enlightenment... I hear a croissant calling me...

Merrie Monarch Festival 2010

We were privileged to attend the Merrie Monarch Festival last night, thanks to Dorren and his lovely wife! Thank you Noelle for setting it up! All of the dancers were beautiful.
Mahealani Mika Hirao-Solem of Hula Halau 'O Kamuela won the Miss Aloha Hula title last night.

Less than 4 hours from the ocean to the pan!

Mmmmmmm...aholehole

What I almost missed.

A charming man was "troing net" at Shipman Beach today. He is the soccer coach of one of the boy scouts. He caught almost a hundred of these lovely fish called aholehole. The kind fisherman gave us some to have for dinner tonight. I am so glad I got out of bed today.

Cherry Blossom Festival Waimea 2010

Waimea Feb. 6 2010

Sonnet LXV: Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea

by William Shakespeare
Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea
But sad mortality o’er-sways their power,
How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,
Whose action is no stronger than a flower?
O, how shall summer’s honey breath hold out
Against the wrackful siege of batt’ring days,
When rocks impregnable are not so stout,
Nor gates of steel so strong, but time decays?
O fearful meditation! where, alack,
Shall time’s best jewel from time’s chest lie hid?
Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?
Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?
O, none, unless this miracle have might,
That in black ink my love may still shine bright.

hello?is anybody home?

Detroit photo by kevin bauman

It was about 2 years ago when I discovered the ghettos of Detroit. From the safety of my computer, I stumbled upon the most amazing photos and videos of what was once a booming,industrious city.I am drawn to these photos again and again. The images are haunting. The strangest things will remind me of those images. Detroit now has a ghetto about the size of the city of San Francisco, with about 12,000 abandoned homes. When I first came across images of the ruins of Detroit, I felt sick to my stomach, and I am moved to tears. What happens when all the lights go out in a neighborhood, or the mail is no longer delivered? I wish I could have been there in the heyday of the city.I try to imagine the people going in and out. Where did they go? I think some of my feelings come from my love of America. Deep down, I want to hold on to the feeling I had as a child, listening to my Dad talk about Chevy and Ford. That was when America sparkled and shined like a new Mustang. It was an America that didn't have a ghetto the size of San Francisco.

Kevin Bauman is selling limited edition series called 100 abandoned houses.A portion of the proceeds will go to an organizations doing positive work in Detroit, Habitat for Humanity, and The Greening of Detroit. To purchase one of these photos, visit Kevin HERE.

Is there hope for Detroit? I am sure there is. Imagine how lovely it would be if a new industry popped up, and these neighborhoods were repaired, a small section at a time. These homes are not the ugly cookie cutter,same same,tract houses we see everywhere. They have character,and style.
Thank you sfgirlbybay for reminding me of Detroit once again.

The Masonry Oven Finished!!!

Isaiah with the completed oven

Finally I have an "After" to go with the before photos. We fired the oven up for the test run taking 3 hours to get to 500 degrees F. We put potatoes, and chicken in to bake, and closed the door with extra oven bricks. After one hour it was down to 175. I ended up finishing up the baking in my gas oven. Good thing we called it a "test" because we were not too discouraged. Our friend Jimmy put another layer of cement on the dome, and fixed the chimney. We are ready to test it again. This time PIZZA!!

Starfish Project

Sunny and Kealani selling Starfish Jewelery Thursday night, at the Elevate Church in Hilo

The Legend of the Starfish


A vacationing businessman was walking along a beach when he saw a young boy.
Along the shore were many starfish that had been washed up by the tide and were sure to die before the tide returned.
The boy walked slowly along the shore and occasionally reached down and tossed the beached starfish back into the ocean.
The businessman, hoping to teach the boy a little lesson in common sense, walked up to the boy and said, "I have been watching what you are doing, son.
You have a good heart, and I know you mean well, but do you realize how many beaches there are around here and how many starfish are dying on every beach every day. Surely such an industrious and kind hearted boy such as yourself could find something better to do with your time.
Do you really think that what you are doing is going to make a difference?"
The boy looked up at the man, and then he looked down at a starfish by his feet. He picked up the starfish, and as he gently tossed it back into the ocean, he said, "It makes a difference to that one”.



-Author Unknown

Check out Starfish Project's Valentine Sale! Buy a gift for your Valentine, and help stop human trafficking at the same time! 100% of proceeds go to provide a better life for the women of the Starfish Project. Let me know if you would like to sell Starfish jewelry too.

Haiti

Samaritan's Purse is now offering text giving for #Haiti relief! Text SP to 85944 to make a $10 gift. Spread the word!!

Haiti...how can YOU help?

If you want to know how you can help through a trusted, reliable organization, click HERE