Darling Annette and Martin...

First of all, we have to pronounce their names correctly. It's like Annetta and Marteen. This tiny couple from Wiesbaden, Germany had been married only three years. Cute, fun loving people, engaging, and smart. She worked at a bank, and he worked for that little company called Microsoft.

They loved Bob's fresh bread. And the Almond Poppy Seed muffins. They were amazed at our Microwave POPCORN. And they loved us like mom and dad. Everything Bob suggested as a place to visit, they went to see. When we invited them to The Green Church Sunday morning, they came along with us. They were Roman Catholic, and were used to entering church quietly and reverently. So their eyes were wide open as they watched the people greeting each other with a hug and "Aloha" as they gathered for the service. Then, as was customary, the leader asked all the guests to stand, to give their names, and tell where they are from, and what church they attend back home.

By the time 15 or 20 people have introduced themselves, and sat down, everyone is mellow. The leader asks everyone to go greet each one and give them an aloha hug. So, for a few minutes, people are stepping across the aisles to hug and greet each other. Annette and Martin heard someone at the back of the church say they were from somewhere in Germany, and attend the Catholic church, so they went back there quickly to greet them, and then stayed there. :-)

After church, Alice and Don (an earlier blog) suggested we all go to The Dolphin Restaurant in Hanalei for lunch. That's the first place you come to on your right, when you drive down from Princeville. Great fresh fish chowder, wonderful salads and bread sticks, and lots of other good stuff. We took pictures of all of us on the green, where people can be served at picnic tables on a clear day, with a beautiful catamaran docked there on the Hanalei River. This was one of those rainy weeks I wrote about earlier, and there was threat of tsunamis coming up river and washing away boats anchored in the Hanalei Bay, so the owner of the boat had brought it upriver.

Then, Alice and Don invited us all to come up to their place on Anini Beach, to play the card game, "Square 9," and stay for the TV program "Touched By An Angel." Annette and Martin were eager to join in on the fun. Of course, Alice insisted on making her famous supper, called "Awful Waffles." (Also, an earlier blog). They loved it.

The following year, 1997, Bob and I got to travel to Germany, and stayed with our daughter Joanne and Scott, who were stationed there in the military. They took us to Wiesbaden to meet Martin and Annette, who treated us to a fine lunch at a quaint Tudor style house made into a restaurant in the forest. They gave us a tour of Wiesbaden, and took us shopping for goodies to bring home. Then they took us to their beautiful condo, and served us two delicious home made cakes, and coffee. We brought them a case of Microwave POPCORN from Costco, and Joanne brought them a big jar of Peanut Butter from the base, for their "Awful Waffles."

We were just amazed to be in the home of someone in Germany whom we had met half a world away on the tiny island of Kauai.

We still exchange letters and now get pictures of their little son Kim via the internet.

Microsoft most likely.