Amy Butler "Love"

Today I finally received my 13 bolts of Amy Butler fabric! I am SO excited to have some beautiful new fabrics to work with. I primarily use them in the production of the bags that I send to Kauai. Palm Palm likes the designer fabrics and has great success in selling whatever I make! Tonight I was supposed to be working on one thing....but couldn't resist cutting out some linings for Big Kahunas. Tuesday is the last day I can ship interisland before Christmas so must get crackin'.

Baby Mikayla

I just wanted to give an update on my friends' tiny little baby girl. She is just over 2 weeks old now and thriving at just about 2lbs. This week they removed the oxygen and the IV. She has been off the respirator for a week. This little girl is a fighter. My heart goes out to their family as I know their lives changed so much over night! Thank you to all who believe in the power of prayer that have included little Mikayla. All I know is that the doctors are amazed. I have seen photos of this little girl who came into the world weighing 1 lb 1 oz., and she is simply a miracle with everything so perfectly formed. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

a hui hou

Remembering Janelle Morse

It was a year ago tonight that a beautiful young woman, who I knew so briefly, died due to a car wreck. Today I am remembering her and sending my love to her friends and family. Janelle Morse is not forgotten.

Here is a link to the posting I wrote following her beach memorial at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. http://sasakibags.blogspot.com/search?q=janelle

a hui hou

What a Week!

I share this photo as a mere warning! It is of my shin on my left leg. It is cancer!

I haven't posted for quite awhile. Life got in the way! A week ago last Tuesday I had a biopsy on an area of my leg that I have been concerned about. I first noticed it in August or September...who writes those things down??? I had it frozen in October when we returned from Molokai but it never healed...so I went in for the biopsy. They said I would have results in a week, so imagine my surprise when they cheerfully called the next day to tell me that I have cancer! It is a squamous cell carcinoma to be medically correct...but when you hear that...all you hear is CANCER! Because they have already froze it and burned it...the next step is to have surgery to ensure that they get all the cells. I am flying to Honolulu to have the Moh's procedure preformed in January.

At first I was just going to keep this to myself, but after telling family, I decided to call one of my dear friends who lives in Seattle to tell her. We have been through much together. She once sat with me waiting for the ambulance following my car wreck two years ago which was near her house in Kona at the time. Then she sat at the hospital with me and fed me ice chips for 7 hours and put vaseline on my swollen and bruised lips. She was there with Menehune Man and I and offered much support and comfort. She had been in a bad accident a year before. Flipped her car....rolled it and skidded on the pavement while trying to hold her head off of it! She knew what I was going through!

So with that background info said, I called her but she didn't answer and a day went by...then two days before my phone rang. She was calling from the hospital in Seattle. Only two weeks previous, she had discovered that she was pregnant and on this day, had been rushed to the hospital for an emergency C-section. She now has a tiny, 1 lb 1oz baby girl to add to their family. Yes, that weight is correct! 1 lb oz.!!! It was touch and go for a time and my friend nearly lost her life due to complications of the pregnancy. That does still happen, even in this age!

Somehow, hearing of her brush with death, helped me to put my own ailment into perspective. Funny how that works. I guess a premature baby and pre-eclampsia trump skin cancer any day! I am just thankful that both momma and baby are doing so well. Infact, baby Mikayla has almost doubled her weight in one week! Everyday I wait to hear updates on her and was thrilled with a photo of her yesterday.

So to my customers, I share this as an explanation for why my bag production was down this past 2 weeks. Sometimes, life just happens. I am still looking at about 71 bags on order that I hope to have done before Christmas. Keeping my hands busy also helps to keep my mind occupied while I await surgery.

According to the USPS the last day to ship to the mainland US is December 17 and shipping interisland has a cut off date of December 22. Knowing that, I am planning to close shop from December 23 - January 4th to take inventory, clean house, enjoy MM and regroup for a BUSY new year!

a hui hou

Snow on Mauna Kea

Yesterday I had to drive out to one of the hotels to deliver a tote bag that the sales department was planning to send to a client. It is about a 12 mile drive from home. Somedays, when I am out and about, I realize how much time I spend INDOORS! So yesterday I was really enjoying my drive. On the makai (ocean) side, the water was so blue! I even saw my first whale of the season! Well, sort of.... I saw its SPLASH! So at least I do know they have returned.

Winter is my favorite time of year in Hawaii. Some people think that we don't have seasons but we do. You just have to look for them. We have Jacaranda Season when those beautiful purple trees are blooming that goes until about March, we have Night Blooming Cereus season which starts in June and we have Whale Season which is usually December to April. And there are other seasons as well.

While driving to the hotel, it was so clear that there were few clouds on the mountain so I could see the fresh snow on top. There wasn't as much snow as I have seen in the past. More of a dusting I would guess, but I had to pull over and snap this photo. Hawaii is such a land of contrasts. You can have tropical landscapes AND snow! Perhaps that is one of the reasons I love it here. I enjoy contrasts! Even in my sewing. I enjoy working with burlap coffee bags because they offer a uniqueness...but give me some luscious silk and I am thrilled!

Speaking of sewing...I better get back to it.

a hui hou

Turkey, Sushi, and family

What do you see on your table on Turkey Day? If you live in Hawaii, it could start out with something like this.

We were invited over to Menehune Man's sister's house. She always works hard to put on a spread for family. Our dinner consisted of Turkey, Ham, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, dressing, carrot souffle, cranberries of 3 varieties, sushi, sashimi, poke, weiner wraps, ceviche, chips, 5 pumpkin desserts and an apple crisp.

The guest list is almost as varied as the food. A few years ago, in order to share the holiday with her husband's children, my sister in law started inviting his ex-wife to join us. I really admire her for this because not everyone could do that. But it works! And all their kids and grandkids are able to share the day with both of their parents without feeling divided.

My 90 year old mother in law enjoys watching football. She knows all the teams, players and can tell you what game will be on what channel on what day! She is so sharp still.

My brother in law flew home from Oahu. I think at one point I saw him and MM and one of the kids all snoozing. My nephew who recently moved to LA called and chatted for a bit to be part of the festivities.

Oh and the Buddhist Minister and his wife joined us as well. I believe it is the 3rd year. Mrs. always brings her carrot souffle which is delish! I thought it was so funny when they told me how they had met at a Karoke bar and later married. He is Japanese, from Japan. She is caucasian. One of the grandchildren said she wanted to "Thank Jesus" for the food, but this didn't bother the Buddhist Minister. He simply said, "it is good to be thankful.", and encouraged her to say "two prayers". Kudos to him!

It was nice being with family for the day. That is something I do miss. I miss my own family. I miss the way we interact and kid each other. I miss the way dad teases my mom and how she always predictably reacts! "Gene!" I miss eating, resting, and eating again! I miss my mom's sour cream lemon pie and fresh huckleberries. I miss my dad's homemade wine that he is so proud of. I miss my sister and my brother and maybe even his dry sarcasm! It has been more than 2 years since I have seen my family. I hope to remedy that in the next few months. Life gets so busy at times but sometimes you just have to make the time to do the things that matter.

Jackie Rey's Restaurant keeps giving

I just wanted to give a shout out to the great folks over at Jackie Rey's in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. It is one of my fav places to eat all year around. But something they have become well known for is their generous spirit during the holidays. Tomorrow, they will be closing down their regular eats and offering free dinner to anyone who for any reason may want to join them. In the past they have served as many as 400 dinners (according to my sources) but this year, with so many out of work in the area, they are expecting around 800 turkey lovers!

This is available to people with children, homeless people, lonely people...etc. So if you are in the area and can help out in any way via volunteering today doing prep or tomorrow serving, bussing, cleaning up, please do what you can. If you want to help, give Anna a call at 808-327-0209.

Life often goes around and comes around so do what you can, when you can. You never know when it may be you on the other end of the serving line.

a hui hou

November update

So, despite my little "mishap", we had a fabulous show on Saturday at the Old Airport. I wasn't sure what to expect because they had a change of venue this year and I was afraid we wouldn't get the foot traffic, but the plentiful free parking seemed to have lured in both the locals and tourists alike! There was a nice mix of both!

About my "mishap"...

Well, I was scurrying about setting up my booth on Saturday morning...hanging xmas stockings for display etc. While cutting the ribbons to hang the stockings from, I missed the ribbon and took a BIG bite out of my finger with my Fiskar scissors. Not nice sharp-edged pointy scissors...but thick, blunt-edged, (yet sharp), scissors.

note* this may be a good time to have the squeemish leave the room.

I knew immediately that it was a bad cut. I felt the force with which I had tried to sever my finger! That and the fact that blood pumped out of my finger in tune to the rhythm of my heart.

I was so glad that I had already set up my silk tissue totes to sell because I knew I couldn't wrap the finger in burlap so I grabbed one of the packs of Kleenex out of a tissue tote and wrapped my finger tightly. The girl next to me offered me her chair because she said the color all drained out of my face and she thought I was going to hit the ground! Someone offered me a band-aid but I knew it was too bad for a little band-aid. But I wasn't about to leave before my show even started and go to the ER. I had worked too hard preparing for that show! So I just got fresh tissue, wrapped it tight and held my clenched fist close to my body above my heart for most of the day.

When we got home, it took a bit of soaking before I could get to the wound and see how bad it was. The scissor blades are so wide that even though I didn't actually cut a chunk of flesh away, it had left a crater in my finger that would not close up. So I let Menehune Man finish his cigar, since I had lasted that long already, and then had him drive me to the urgent care.

In the end, the dr. didn't want to put stitches in because he said there was nothing to "stitch it to". I hope I made the right decision to accept his opinion. To tell you the truth, he didn't instill much confidence in me for that clinic. It seems that the first two dressings that he requested my finger be wrapped in, the clinic had quit purchasing due to the "cost" so in the end, he had his receptionist put on a ....BAND-AID! That is a $100 band-aid! And no, they do not accept my insurance!

Later, in talking to some friends who had also gone to that clinic, I have decided to not ever go there again. This is simply my own opinion, feel free to form your own, but I would not go to the Keauhou Urgent Care unless all other options were not available.

Luckily I finished my big order that was due today. Menehune Man and I delivered 225 bags to a local hotel for a big group that will be staying there in a couple of weeks. What a relief to have that off my plate! Plus it was very nice that they had the check ready and waiting for me as well!

I am also shipping off a box of bags and xmas stockings to Oahu today to the Na Mea (Native Bookstore) in Ward Warehouse. We will see how my new Kaloko bags do in Honolulu. They are small zippered bags that have coffee bag burlap on one side and fabric on the other. They have an adjustable strap that can be worn across the body, over the shoulder, or around the waist like a fanny pack. I have been using mine for about 3 weeks and love it. It holds all the necessities.

That is all for now.

A hui hou

Kona Coffee Festival 2009 continues

Well, I am up before the sun this morning getting all the last minute things finished to take to my final show of the year. Menehune man took the day off from his regular job to help me with my booth today. I worked hard this week and made up several little bags that were so popular last weekend at the gallery. Some are made from kimono and obi, the others are coffee bags. Some have shoulder straps, some just wristlets. They are the perfect size for a cellphone, lip gloss, credit cards and sunglasses. Grab and Go!

So anywho...if you are in Kona today, stop in and say hi. I am giving a free gift to anyone who mentions that they read about the show online. My booth is in a new location this year. We will be under the tents at the Old Airport Beach Park Pavilion. The Kona Coffee Festival parade starts at 9am at Huggo's and ends up at the Pavilion. There is lots of free parking and many other booths to see as well. See you there!

a hui hou

Holualoa Coffee and Art Stroll 2009

What a fabulous day! First of all, thank you so everyone who stopped by the Pacific Islands Gallery for my trunk show today. Since the gallery is a little out of the way, I didn't know what to expect as far as traffic. I met some great people today from all over the world including Canada, Norway, Switzerland, Korea, Japan, the mainland US and even lots of locals. Big Mahalos for supporting the local farmers and artisans. It really does mean so much to us.

Janet Lipps went all out today for her gallery. She hired a top notch musician who kept us all entertained throughout the day with his Flamenco guitar.

King Coffee was on site freshly grinding and brewing up their coffee and there was even a local artist working her magic on canvas.

Menehune Man helped me set up early this morning. I love it when my man does some heavy lifting! Then, once it was set, I pretty much I sat on the lanai all day, sipping coffee, chatting with visitors and realizing why I love living here so much. It is definately a package deal.

Right now I am trying to figure out why I am so tired after a pretty easy day. And alas, the diet is on hold tonight! Its a Digiorno pizza and a Guiness beer for dinner for me! I actually think that the entire pizza may be in danger....fair warning!

Now I am headed back to the Sweat shop to start all over again for next Saturday at the Old Airport. See you there!

Hapa Hale

I want to send a big Mahalo out to Leigh at Hapa Hale who reminded everyone about my upcoming trunk show. Check out her weekend spotlights here: http://www.hapahale.com

As a reminder, tomorrow, I will be at Pacific Islands Gallery and gift shop, from 9 am - 3pm.

Now back to the sweat shop so that I have some products to share!

a hui hou!

Coffees of Hawaii

I just had to share these bags with you that I made yesterday because...well, because of the "too cute" factor! I now sew for Coffees of Hawaii on the island of Molokai and this shipment will go out to them tomorrow. Molokai is known for its mule train that ventures down a steep hill to Kalaupapa. So one of their bags is "Mule Skinner Coffee".

These Christmas stockings are just very cute. I made some as sets and others are one of a kind so that if a family wants to buy one for each kiddo, they will know which one is theirs!

Tally - Ho!

As you know, my goal for bag making/selling for 2009 was 1000 bags. Well, I just did my tally for the year, since we are through with 10 months and (drum roll, please....) as of today, I am at 980! I have approximately 100 bags on order and the holiday season is still ahead of me so I am feeling pretty confident that I will reach my goal this year. At this point, I am guessing that I may even reach 1200 for this year.

So, how should we celebrate when I reach that 1000 mark? Hmmm... any suggestions?

Today my favorite mailman brought me 4 new obis and 2 kimono! I would SO love to open them up and start cutting, but I am pooped! I got up today at 5am and made 12 Xmas stockings with cuffs and 9 tote bags to ship off to Coffees of Hawaii on the island of Molokai. That finished up my order that I can ship out on Monday. I will post some photos before I ship them because I LOVE them! I am very pleased with how they turned out and had fun working with their handpainted bags. But for now it is 10pm, I have been sewing for just about 17 hours today and I think it is time to hit the hay!

a hui hou

Trunk Show

I will be having a trunk show on Saturday November 7th at the Pacific Islands Gallery in Holualoa, HI. It is all part of the Kona Coffee Cultural Coffee and Art Stroll. Holualoa is a quaint little artsy town. The gallery I am working with is just south of town. I am so excited to have been invited to be a part of this year's festivities. Janet Lipps, at the gallery has been so supportive of me this past year. She carries several of my diva bags and painted bags.

I will be offering my new Kaloko bag with the debut on Saturday. It is a small-ish bag with a zip top and convertible, adjustable straps. You can wear it across your body, over the shoulder, around the waist or take the shoulder strap off, attach the wrist strap and carry it as a wristlet!

This is a great time of year to be visiting Kona. There are activities daily starting on Sunday with a concert at the Old Airport Beach Park. For more info on the activities, go to http://www.konacoffeefest.com/

If you are on island, stop up and say hi to me on Saturday. There will be live music, fresh hot kona coffee from the Kings Farm and an artist in house working on a painting.

a hui hou.

Green Craft Magazine

For those of you who don't follow me on Facebook or twitter, you may have missed my big news this week. My bags have been selected for an upcoming issue of Green Craft Magazine, a magazine that features items made from recycled goods. I am very excited about this opportunity and hope that it will bring me even more business.

Just had to share my big news! More details to come in the near future.

Become a Facebook Fan of Sasaki Bags and see my latest photos and news. Just clik on "become a fan" on the Facebook box I have installed on this page over there on the left upper corner....see, right there! now, clik! Mahalo.

a hui hou

Kauai Coffee

I just finished up an order of 20 bags for Kauai Coffee today. Here is a sneak preview. I LOVE their 2010 coffee bag. They have a new logo printed up for every year. I wasn't crazy about 2009's bag....It made a nice Xmas stocking but it wasn't striking like the one this year. It is a hula dancer rising up out of a cup of coffee! I made a small omiyage out of one of them as you can see in the photo.

More Molokai

One of the great places on Moloka'i is the Kualapuu Cook House. It is very near to Coffees of Hawaii and a "must do" for dinner on a Thursday night because that is when they have live music! We chose to sit outside on the picnic tables so we could enjoy the music. They have a BYOB policy there so customers are seen with their coolers, enjoying a bottle of wine or a 6 pack of beer. My dinner was fabulous! I had the opakapaka that was sauteed perfectly and had a del-ish sauce. Dinner began with a nice salad and then was served with baked potato and vegies. Yum!

Have you read the stories about Kalaupapa? I bought a book at Kalele Bookstore on Moloka'i that had excerpts of letters parents had written to Father Damien to inquire about their children who had been forced to live in exile for fear they had Leprosy. I can't even imagine such a thing!Some parents, if they were allowed to, chose to live in exile as "helpers" to aid their own children or other Leprosy patients. The life was very difficult and lonely. I highly recommend reading about it before you visit the area. It heightens your appreciation of the island. I also learned a few things (thats always a good thing!)

1 out of 500 people on earth have leprosy.

The name of the disease was not changed to Hansen's disease until the doctor (Dr. Hansen) discovered the cure.

The disease is not contagious once you are being treated.

It does not cause your extremities to fall off but at times they must be amputated.
Most patients with leprosy just want it to be known that "they are not a disease". Don't call them "lepers"! Anymore than you would call a cancer patient "cancers". They are "leprosy patients". A people who suffer with a disease....not the disease itself. This photo was taken from above the settlement of Kalaupapa from the lookout.

And here is an ironwood forest on the walk to Phyallic Rock. It is near the Kalaupapa lookout, just up the road from Coffees of Hawaii. It was so peaceful there.

Now don't you just want to go to Moloka'i? All these photos were just from my little digital camera. I have a couple rolls of film to develope from my BIG camera...so you will no doubt be seeing more of Moloka'i.

A hui hou!

Touched by Moloka'i

I had never been to Molokai until last week. I have lived in the islands for 15 years, and I didn't know what I was missing! Every island is so very unique.

On Maui, I love the upcountry area of Kula. The elevation is such that it gets very cold up there which is kind of refreshing when you live in Hawaii! And there are some great beaches!

On Oahu, I love Haleiwa for the quaintness of the surfing town. There is a great little restaurant there that serves the freshest of local produce and fish.

On Kauai, there is so much to love! I love the Princeville area. Waking up in the morning and seeing the waterfalls streaming off the mountains. The beaches are beautiful...it is just what you envision Hawaii to be!

Lana'i has huge pine trees which remind me of Idaho. I love the gardens at Koele Lodge.

The Big Island is HOME! On the Big Island I love the Volcano area. The fern forest where we love to escape to when Kona gets to hectic.

But Molokai....ahhh...Mo lo ka i! I think it has to be the people! We had such great experiences in the short 3 days we were there. And don't get me wrong! Moloka'i is gorgeous! It has a 3 mile stretch of golden sand beach. On the other side, Halawa Valley is breathtaking! And the history of Kalaupapa is heart-wrenching. But Moloka'is real treasure are the people who live there.

The island only has about 7000 people on it. It is a very rural community, but it is the kind of community where all the locals wave each time they drive by. You know it was a tourist who just passed you if they didn't wave!

Our first stop was to check out Kalele Bookstore and Divine Expressions. Somehow, several months ago, through people who knew somebody and then somebody else, I connected as a "friend" on Facebook with Teri Waros. I read her story of how she had worked in the resort called Molokai Ranch and when that shut down, she fought to open a business. She had a strong background in the hospitality industry and had traveled the world opening up Ritz Carlton Hotels as a Catering Manager. But, the banks turned her down and she really had to struggle to open her little store. In my mind, Teri's store sounded like it was a little hub of the community where you could pop in for coffee as a friend, and not fork out $4! A place where friends came by to share good news and bad.

I had this little picture in my head of what that place would be like and was almost afraid to check it out for fear of disappointment. But when we walked through the door, it felt like home!

There was Aunty Arti with her spinning wheel. She explained to me how they grow cotton on Molokai and she was spinning some into a fine soft yarn to make baby caps out of. Sarah, you would love it!

Another lady, Aunty Snooky stopped by and right behind her someone came bursting in all excited because she had just purchased a book that Aunty's story was published in and wanted her autograph. It is a book with stories and poetry of Native Hawaiian Women. The title is "Ho'okupu an offering of Literature by Native Hawaiian Women. " Check it out! I bought a copy and had Aunty sign mine too.

Through all this, Teri realized that she thought she knew Earl. It turned out that they opened the Ritz Calton Kapalua together back in the 80's! Its official! Earl does know somebody on every island! We had fun and Teri gave us tips on the best and worst places. She was right on with all of them!

Her best tip was to set us up on a guided tour of Halawa Valley. Earl and I have been on many guided tours, but I think I can say, without exaggeration, that this tour was life changing. It is a special valley with a deep history of the Hawaiian people. A young Hawaiian man, named Kawika, met us and the 3 others who were on our tour. It began at 8:30 a.m. He didn't just take us to the waterfalls. He introduced us to his Kumu (teacher) and his Kumu's Kumu who are 49 and 50th generation Kumus. He shared his rich knowledge that he has been taught, living in the valley without electricity or many conveniences. This young man hasn't spent his life there. He has seen much of the world since his father was quite high up in a large company requiring them to live in Costa Rico and other places including the mainland. He is college educated and very humble. Kawika spoke of his ancestors and showed us where the birthing stones were located, pointed out different plants, but mainly, explained many stories of the Hawaiians. I came away feeling so much respect and so humbled.

When we returned to his home, he called his Kumu, Uncle Lawrence, out. There had been some questions asked on the tour that he didn't know the answers to with regards to the migration of the polynesians and other topics. So Uncle Lawrence sat on the steps of his humble home with his cup of coffee and us all at his feet listening to every word. He shared so much about "Aloha" ...the true meaning and how it isn't used today in a meaningful way, all too often.

It was almost 2pm when we said, "a hui hou" and made our way back out to the car. Later that evening, we popped back into Kalele Bookstore. Teri had arranged for a Talk Story with a Big Island speaker on the topic of "Aloha". We both were eager to attend. I bounced in to thank Teri for setting us up with Kawika and told her what a wonderful young man he is and she said, "well, he and Uncle Lawrence are here, over in the corner!" It was hugs and kisses all over again!

Molokai has a saying: "Don't change Moloka'i. Let Moloka'i change you!". Maybe that is what I experienced. I came away a richer human being. I was touched by Moloka'i.

She lives!

I must be almost back to my "old self". Today I made 16 tote bags in a marathon sewing session and then decided that my house was out of control and I needed to do something about it! At times this whole "burlap" thing really gets old! The burlap schmuck and lint seem to have no end! Especially right now. I am 3/4 of the way finished with my big corporate order. I have about 60 bags left to make so the 160 or so bags that are finished are occupying every nook and cranny in my humble home.

Tonight, since Menehune Man was working, I got busy and did some cleaning. I basically had to relocate things in order to reclaim our living areas. There was a rogue closet door, used as a cutting table, leaned up against one couch, a couple of bolts of canvas standing ever so casually in a corner by the front door, and pre-cut fabric completely covering said couch. My mom would gasp in horror, I fear!

I hope no one is planning on visiting in the near future because my "guest bedroom" is definately "the burlap room" right now! The bed has about 80 tote bags on it, the closet is full of Rubbermaid bins holding bags and those have now also overflowed onto the floor. Let's just say, that room is definately not "guest friendly" at the moment!

In the near future we are planning to go off island for a couple of days for Menehune Man's Bday. Neither of us have ever been to Molokai yet so we decided it would be a fun place to go. I am really excited about exploring that island. I have seen so many beautiful photos and am curious about seeing Kalapapa, the former home for Hansens disease patients...aka (non PC) leper colony. We have decided not to take the mule tour down though. I think I must be a control freak because after reading the online reviews, walking down seems to be a better choice for my personality type! Plus, I don't want to have a sore behind for the remainder of our vacation!

For those of the Catholic faith, the famed priest, Father Damien who died of Hansens Disease is being cannonized as a Saint today (in Rome) tomorrow here! He died almost 100 years ago but left quite a legacy.

Well, off to bed for this bag maker. Tomorrow is a new day and I have so much to accomplish!

a hui hou

A Saturday in Barb's World

How did you spend your Saturday? I woke up not planning on accomplishing much because my throat was still sore and I didn't have much of a voice. But I had committed to picking up some coffee bags from a couple farmers today.

Heavenly Hawaiian coffee farm is in full force right now. They had a full crew of coffee pickers on property and it was a beautiful day to be picking coffee! I asked Dave and Trudy if I could snap a couple photos of their farm. Not a bad place to be working! They have such a beautiful location that overlooks the ocean from a high elevation. The coffee trees are loaded with cherry right now that gets picked and then the skins are removed and the beans are raked out onto this roof where the coffee beans are dried in the sun.

I know I am still "not all there" because after I paid for the coffee bags, I got in my car and drove down the driveway...and nearly went back to town....WITHOUT the coffee bags! I had counted them and left them in the barn and just drove off without them! Oh dear, Barb! But thankfully, when I reached the end of their long driveway I realized my guffaw and went back to collect my precious coffee bags!

Today was the designated day for our monthly "Stitch and Bitch" gathering. It is a great group of women in all stages of life who met because of a wonderful little sewing machine store that brought us all together many years ago...and is no longer in business. I think the youngest among us is a gal who just in the past year and a half adopted a little boy from Russia. Most of the rest of us have grown children if any at all. Today was Merle's 80th bday celebration. She is our most senior member and drives all the way from Hilo once a month for our gathering. It is about 200 miles round trip. So today we spiffed up our normal routine a bit. Champagne replaced the wine. I cut open a new bolt of fabric to cover the tables with and brought in some flowers from a wedding I was at earlier in the week. Someone brought a cake, and of course Linda made her famous lilikoi icecream! We chatted for about 6 hours and called it a day! So for a day that started out with few expectations, I had a really full day surrounded by friends and full of ideas. I hope you had a wonderful Saturday too!

Tomorrow I hope to have a full day of sewing. No sore throat....no more naps....just some serious bag making!

a hui hou