One year later...

One year ago, at precisely 10:00 this morning, my beloved Bob was startled awake by Someone I couldn't see. He said quickly, "Amen! Amen! Amen!" and when I asked him if he was answering someone, or was praying, he didn't answer. His attention was focused on two different areas above him, and a few minutes later, he let out his last breath and passed from this earth into heaven above.

I know Heaven is above, because everything in the Bible talks about God coming DOWN to earth, or going UP "where the clouds received Him out of their sight. "

Kauai was probably as close to heaven as we could get while on earth. So, even though Bob had begun his chemo therapy for cancer, and had endured the indignation of a catheter for a time, the doctor said he could go to Kauai in May, 2004.

Other than getting tired more easily, and preferring to drive on errands rather than walk, he could have fooled anyone who didn't know the facts. Here, he is being a SCREEN SAVER.

He could literally run up the two flights of stairs, and could work a ten hour day as always. He made his delicious breads, and muffins, and kept the conversation at the breakfast table divided equally so that everyone had a chance to tell his story or adventure for the day. (He was always a gifted listener).

He would be touched by our tears today, as we remember his last day on earth, but he would not want us to stay there. He would give us permission to go where we want to go, and do what we want to do. Life is short, so flip the coin and see where God leads you today. Proverbs 16:33

The best Champagne...

In the middle of serving eight people breakfast, the phone rang. It doesn't happen often. It was from Illinois, the mother of a bride, calling to ask us to provide a beautiful bouquet and a bottle of the best Champagne for the newlyweds when they arrive on their honeymoon the next day. She wanted it put on her charge account, not on the room account. OK, we can do that.

I went back to the table, and told the guests what the request was, and told them we know nothing about Champagne. What should we get?

David from San Diego got up and went into his bedroom, and came back out with a chilled bottle of some kind of "Dom" Champagne, and told us this was the best. He owns his own pharmaceutical company, and claims to be a connoisseur of wines and Champagne in particular. No reason to doubt him. Everyone discussed their favorites, and made their own suggestions.

After the guests had gone on to their activities for the day, Bob and I went to Foodland, the local market in the Princeville Center (there is no actual liquor store) to try to find the Champagne. As we were standing there before the chilled wines, a youngish man volunteered to tell us all about the ones there. He convinced us of one on sale for only $49.99 that he said everybody loves.

Since we already have bouquets in the guest rooms, we decided to buy two gorgeous leis. We reasoned that the bride and groom can wear them everywhere, and get more enjoyment out of them (and attention). We placed these things in the little refrigerator in the Honeymoon Suite, with a note that said they were from the bride's mother.

The newlyweds Craig and Jennifer arrived that evening.

Everyone hung around the breakfast table next morning, drinking coffee until about 10:00, telling of their adventures the day before, their favorite beaches, their favorite restaurants. Then the subject changed to weddings when the newlyweds came in. They had gotten married at The Green Church, in Hanalei (photograph in an earlier Blog). They thanked us for the gifts (from her mom) in the fridge. We had them go get the leis and put them on. During breakfast, Jennifer's lei came apart, so I dashed to the market and was able to replace it.

A few days later, Jennifer came out of their room to say that Craig was sick with the same stuff she'd had, a cold, laryngitis and a fever. Next morning, I made "Sam's Simple Quiches", using Alice's delicate, rich, crisp, tender pie shells (that's another story), and fixed triple berry smoothies, and had lots of sliced papaya, and fresh pineapple. Jennifer said Craig's fever had broken, but he was sleeping. She told him about the homemade quiche, and later took him a breakfast tray, and he finished every crumb. They told us that any time we come to Chicago, we can stay with them. :-)

Craig told us that his dog has already left him for Jennifer.

Bob quipped, "Good trade!"

Oh, the name of that Champagne which we couldn't find, was Dom Parignon.

Real men eat quiche...

Keeping track of my menus, so that I didn't repeat one too soon was pretty tricky. If we had a couple here for only three days, that was easy. And another for five days, that was fine. But if a couple stayed ten days, then they got stuck with having the same thing... again.

I could vary the smoothies, each day, by using a different fruit juice such as pineapple one day, and guava juice the next, and maybe passion fruit juice the next. That helped. And I could make different kinds of muffins. But I needed variety in my main courses.

So, when Sherri came to help with the housekeeping, she offered her mother "Sam's" Simple Quiche recipe. It was a hit. Not only was it easy, but delicious, and by adding real bacon bits, or slivers of ham, it was always a hit. Each quiche served 4 people, so it was easy to double.

SAM'S SIMPLE QUICHE

Find one 9" pie shell in the freezer.

Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes.

Filling: 3 eggs, 3/4 c. milk, 2 c. grated cheese (Swiss or cheddar)

Salt, pepper, pinch of nutmeg.

Beat eggs, add milk, fold in cheese.

Pour into pie crust.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, lower to 350 and bake 30 minutes more.

For variety, sprinkle real bacon bits over crust before filling, or

Sprinkle chopped thinly sliced ham over the crust, then fill.

Or cut tiny broccoli florets and add to the egg mixture.

Or chopped onions, mushrooms, shrimp, or cooked spinach.

Done when knife comes out clean.

Put foil over crust edge to prevent burning.

I served this with fresh sliced papayas, fresh cut pineapple, sliced strawberries, and warm muffins, or Bob's good bread. Even the men enjoyed it.

Bananas are tricky...

Planted at the back corners of the house, were several banana trees. Then, there were those planted in two rows, like a grove, close to the golf course, on the right side of the house. And a whole clump of them planted down in the swale.

Herb taught us to watch for the ones which were ripening first. The huge reddish- purple blossom (similar to a Magnolia blossom) hangs down about a foot from the end of the banana stock. When you look inside the blossom, there are more "baby bananas," which will never grow up. As the bananas mature, the four ridges on each fruit smoothes out, and when they are completely smoothe, that's the time to cut the stock from the tree. But only if you have a strong man with strong shoulders, or a wheelbarrow with you. The weight can be 25 to 50 pounds or more.

Bob learned to make a slip knot in a rope, to slide over the cut end of the stock, and with my help to hoist it onto huge hooks in the garage. As each "hand" of bananas began to turn yellow, we would slit the "hand" off and bring it inside for use in the kitchen. Fresh and sweet. Mmmmm.



In the winter months, the bananas seemed to ripen more slowly, and we got anxious about cutting off a stock. We had watched it grow for 4 or 6 weeks, and finally, to prevent anyone from helping themselves to "our" bananas, Bob cut the stock off. We were so proud of our hard work. But...

When Herb got back from vacation and saw the stock, with four ridges on each banana, he knew we'd wasted the whole thing. Now, none of the bananas on that stock would finish ripening. We had cut it before it was time. Remember, they were supposed to be smoothe?

When a stock has been cut off, then the most amazing thing has to be done. The WHOLE tree has to be cut down, and dragged off to the ravine, where it will become food for the jungle plants. And after a while, a baby banana tree ("Keiki") will come up where the parent tree had grown. And it begins the cycle again.

The inside of the trunk is just like wet strings, running full length of the tree. It is extremely heavy, and it appears to me that each string goes to a banana, giving it nourishment and moisture. Kind of like corn silks which go to each kernel of corn on a cob. We were warned to be careful to not get any of this juice on our clothes, as it stains badly. They were right!