Going Back in Time--Hawaii 2020, part 3

Wilder Road

We got off the main highway on Kaumana Drive and turned onto Wilder Drive about two miles from Hilo. There we saw the house that we lived in all those years ago. Considering it is the same age as the house I live in today, it was newly renovated.

our house in 1979

 

The house today

Marc in front of house

 When we lived in our house, there were sacred “ti” plants on the four corners, to keep the evil spirits out.

We had a small, untidy hedge consisting of poinsettia plants facing the road. The front yard was predominantly black lava rocks with various piles of lava representing mountains, rivers, etc.

We had “hapu’u” or tree ferns were about the yard, with Ed planting a row of them on the right side of the house and various small climbing orchids growing on it.

The backyard was a shallow layer of dirt planted in grass, over lava. Frogs loved to hide in

Marc on top of the pile of dirt while we made a back yard

the pockets of water in the backyard, and I recall turning on the back-patio light one night and watched the frogs jump in the yard. It wasn’t an ideal backyard to play football in, so Ed ordered a huge pile of dirt, leveled it out planted grass that made a real back yard.

The inside of the house had a dining room, three bedrooms, a kitchen, and two bathrooms. The master bedroom had in addition to an attaching bathroom, a dressing room with a mirror and a seat to sit and do your makeup. I loved the dressing room and when Ed and I finally retired from the military and built our home in Centerville, Ed remodeled the house and made me a dressing room (with a seat) as part of my bedroom.

Our subdivision was the last built on the side of the mountain and there was only jungle across the street from us. Marc and the other kids used to play in the jungle. I would go and yell, and they would hear me and come out. They were very familiar with the dangers of the jungle (bobby-trapped marijuana fields) and knew not to go near them.

Hilo

Hilo, itself hadn’t changed much. Walking along downtown I was reminded that we were all

in tsunami territory. There was a terrible tsunami in 1946 that totally wiped out Hilo and Lau pahoehoe (which we’ll go to next). One of the reasons for being hit so hard was the bay in Hilo. It channeled the wave to become narrower and higher. I recalled years ago when we lived in Hawaii, we were in the downtown bay area (which does not have a lot of buildings) and the tsunami-warning horns blared. I didn’t know what to do and the kids kept running around. A uniformed man came and told us that in was just a warning, but if it had been real, we’d all have died because we didn’t head for high land.

We ate at a place called “Lucy’s Taqueria” and had Mexican food. I had the hugest burrito I’ve ever seen. We went to a market and bought a coconut which we split open and had some coconut water.

Aiden, Diana & Jason under banyan tree.

On our way to Liliuokalani Park, we drove on Banyan Drive and saw lots of huge banyan trees. I recalled how in the summer when we lived in Hawaii, The Hilo Community Players (performing since 1938) always had a play in the park. I especially remember the year they

did “Midsummer’s Dream” under the Banyan Trees and it really was a treat. We took the kids, too—no wonder our kids are theater crazy!

Going Back in Time— My trip to Hawaii in 2020 part 2

Snorkeling

We then went snorkeling just outside the City of Refuge. It was an extremely rocky bay, so Jason and I went to where there were not as many people.

However, we chose an area where the waves and rocks are more dangerous (which is why the people were not there). Jason was snorkeling and so I went in. It was wonderful! The fish were so beautiful and exotic. Gradually, I was swept into the area where the waves pushed me into the rocks. I tried to climb out but couldn’t get a handhold. 

Jason had lost a flipper, so he was trying to find it. Someone came out and found Jason’s flipper and helped us get out. I discovered that my arm, legs, and hand were covered in sea urchin spines; the urchins had been hidden in the rocks I’d tried to climb out. They weren’t large spines, but I had quite a lot. Also, my right hand especially had been torn up because of the sharpness of the rocks where I’d tried to climb out.

Later, I ended up in the urgent care clinic trying to get my injuries repaired and to get a tetanus shot. The main treatment for sea urchins’ spines is to try to pull out the larger ones, soak the smaller ones in vinegar (and local tradition suggests urine). But the snorkeling was worth it.

Monday

Saddle Road

Ed at Pohakoloa Army Training

 are The first thing we did Monday was to drive across the Saddle Road from Kona to Hilo.

When we lived there, it was a narrow switchback road going up from Hilo; now it is a lovely two land road with climbing lanes. We drove by on the South side of the road, Ed’s old work—Pohakoloa Army Training area and Bradshaw Aviation site. They looked the same: Quonset huts and lava.

Ed enjoyed his time there. He was often able to fly to Oahu, or watch the whales swimming. 

Pohakoloa Army Training Area 2020

 He was also able to help the National Guard when they searched for marijuana planting areas hidden in the jungle. 

A number of his staff at the Airfield were native Hawaiians and they often invited him to their real luaus or the first birthday parties of their children (they don't celebrate the birth of their children much, because traditionally most didn't live long. Therefore on their first birthday, they had a party that rivaled a wedding. 

Wilder Road

We got off the main highway on Kaumana Drive and turned onto Wilder Drive about two

miles from Hilo. There we saw the house that we lived in all those years ago. Considering it is the same age as the house I live in today, it was newly renovated.

Our old home on Wilder R

When we lived in our house, there were sacred “ti” plants on the four corners, to keep the evil spirits out.

Marc on a pile of dirt as we made our back lawn

We had a small, untidy hedge consisting of poinsettia plants facing the road. The front yard was predominantly black lava rocks with various piles of lava representing mountains, rivers, etc.

We had “hapu’u” or tree ferns were about the yard, with Ed planting a row of them on the right side of the house and various small climbing orchids growing on it.

Our Hilo house in 2020

The backyard was a shallow layer of dirt planted in grass, over lava. Frogs loved to hide in the pockets of water in the backyard, and I recall turning on the back-patio light one night and watched the frogs jump in the yard. It wasn’t an ideal backyard to play football in, so Ed ordered a huge pile of dirt, leveled it out planted grass that made a real back yard.

The inside of the house had a dining room, three bedrooms, a kitchen, and two bathrooms. The master bedroom had in addition to an attaching bathroom, a dressing room with a mirror and a seat to sit and do your makeup. I loved the dressing room and when Ed and I finally retired from the military and built our home in Centerville, Ed remodeled the house and made me a dressing room (with a seat) as part of my bedroom.

Marc's jungle--a natural playground

Our subdivision was the last built on the side of the mountain and there was only jungle across the street from us. Marc and the other kids used to play in the jungle. I would go and yell, and they would hear me and come out. They were very familiar with the dangers of the jungle (bobby-trapped marijuana fields) and knew not to go near them.

Hilo

Hilo, itself hadn’t changed much. Walking along downtown I was reminded that we were all in tsunami territory. There was a terrible tsunami in 1946 that totally wiped out Hilo and Lau pahoehoe (which we’ll go to next). One of the reasons for being hit so hard was the bay in Hilo. It channeled the wave to become narrower and higher. 

I recalled years ago when we lived in Hawaii, we were in the downtown bay area (which does not have a lot of buildings) and the tsunami-warning horns blared. I didn’t know what to do and the kids kept running around. A uniformed man came and told us that it was just a warning, but if it had been real, we’d all have died because we didn’t head for high land.

Aiden, Diana, and Jason under the Banyan Tree

We ate at a place called “Lucy’s Taqueria” and had Mexican food. I had the hugest burrito I’ve ever seen. We went to a market and bought a coconut which we split open and had some coconut water.

On our way to Liliuokalani Park, we drove on Banyan Drive and saw lots of huge banyan trees. I recalled how in the summer when we lived in Hawaii, The Hilo Community Players (performing since 1938) always had a play in the park. I especially remember the year they

did “Midsummer’s Dream” under the Banyan Trees and it really was a treat. We took the kids, too—no wonder our kids are theater crazy!

Going Back in Time— My trip to Hawaii in 2020

Forty years ago, we lived on the Big Island of Hawaii. We lived there for 2 ½ years, from February 1978 to August 1980. It was an adventure—the tropics, an unspoiled paradise, prejudice, and so much more. In February of 2020, I returned to the Big Island with my daughter Diana and her family. But more than that, I went back in time in memory to those idyllic days.

Hawaii, forty years ago, was very primitive. I recall coming off the plane and coming down steps—not even

a ramp or unto a gateway. That was my first taste of what it would be like. The Big Island back then was predominantly Japanese—not haole (Caucasian), with plenty of Polynesian, Portuguese and Chinese mixed in. I recall the local McDonald’s in Hilo always served Sushi on their menu along with hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes. This time I came off the plane, we had ramps/stairs leading down from the plane and then we walked to the gate.

The local school our children attended was a small school with only 12 to 15 children in each class. Many were Polynesians, but also many were Japanese.

I checked online about the Kaumana Elementary School today, and here are the statistics

Kaumana Elementary School Enrollment By Race The student body of Kaumana Elementary School in Hilo, Hawaii County, Hawaii is made up of 7 ethnicities. The largest ethnic group of the 264 students at Kaumana Elementary School is Pacific Islander. This is followed by Asian (13.6 %), White (8.7 %), Hispanic (6.1 %), Mixed Students of two or more ethnicities (4.2 %), Indian (1.5 %) and Black (0.8 %). Race      Number            % Indian    4           1.5 % Asian     36         13.6 % Hispanic           16          6.1 % Black     2           0.8 % White    23         8.7 % Pacific Islander             172       65.2 % Two or More Ethnicities           11          4.2 %

When we lived in Hilo, each classroom had a door to the outside and a deck with a water faucet right by the door. The kids usually wore flip-flops and you took them off, washed your feet and went into the classroom barefoot. You can see from the above photo; they’ve updated the school and each classroom does not have a door to the outside.

In 1978, the first Safeway in Hilo was opened and back then, it was not popular. Most people preferred their Mom & Pop bread stores, vegetable stores, fish & meat stores. Safeway did eventually become more popular, and today those downtown individual stores are now tourist boutiques.
Everywhere I saw louvered windows, although more and more had screens on the window. When we lived there, that was the main type of window you had.

Living in Hawaii was laid back in the past. And I discovered as we went everywhere—it is just as laid back today, with servers taking a long time to come, and sitting talking to each other rather than serve customers; hotels took a long time to answer your questions or supplies.

  

Sunday

Church

The first thing we did Sunday morning was attended Church; and yes, they had louvered windows on them!

The service was the same as years ago, and after the meeting ended, a young woman who was moving came up and the audience sang “Aloha Oe” (Farewell to Thee), with the words on the inside back cover of the hymn book. I almost cried because that’s what we always did when someone left the ward. (FYI: I’ve requested that “Aloha Oe” be sung at my funeral).

City of Refuge

One of my most favorite places we visited on the Big Island was the City of Refuge, Pu’uhonua o Honaunau,

on the Kona Coast. In the ancient Hawaiian times, there were “kapus,” forbidden rules; when a commoner casts his shadow on an Ali’i (chief), or a woman eats with a man, or someone catches a fish out of season—all these were “kapu” or forbidden. Break any of these (and more) and you face the ultimate punishment of death. However, if you could elude your pursuers on foot, get to the coast and swim to the City of Refuge, you could be resolved by a priest.

Also, during a war, the site was a sanctuary for children, elders and other noncombatants. Even defeated warriors could seek safety in the refuge, and after the battle ended, return home, whatever the outcome of the battle.

Also, next to the City of Refuge were the Royal Grounds, where Ali’i met with their advisers and priests. On the site are examples of a favorite game of the Hawaiians, played on a rock board with tiny black and white pebbles.

They also had an ancient game (konane) that was on a flat rock and had small indents on it to hold the white

and black rocks. Above you can see Athena and Diana playing the game in 1979 and a closer look at the game, today.

The Royal Grounds also had a special “chair” made of rock for the chief to sit and watch the water, and a special rock where the chief’s wife angered the king and she ran with her dog and hid under a rock. He didn’t notice her until her dog barked. It reminded me that even Hawaiian royalty had marital problems.

I was pleased that the City of Refuge hadn’t changed much during the years, as you can see from the pictures I’ve attached of then and now. The City of Refuge was a joy to walk around in. We saw “noni” (morindra citrifolia) fruit, which was a stable of Hawaiian food, but also made many medicines for them.

The hand-carved tikis represented the image of various Polynesian gods and personified the specific “mana” or power of that God. These tikis tried to please the gods and break good harvest and weather, as well as success and power during wars.

Only a Table

When we had been married only a few years, I saw the most beautiful walnut dining room table that,

Our dining room table

with its extensions, served 12 people at ZCMI. I could see it surrounded by family—children, parents, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren, much as my parents’ round oak table had been. Since we had just purchased a new home with a dining room, I purchased the table and the matching china cabinet.

A number of months later, in January of 1966, my husband got notification to come in for an exam to see if he was healthy enough to be drafted. These was during the Vietnam War Era, and if you were going to school full time, you could get an education exemption. Since our marriage, Ed had been taking classes at the University of Utah, and working, so he was exempt. However, that semester he’d dropped a class and since he was then not a full-time student, he suddenly became eligible to be drafted into the war. Of course, he was healthy enough, and his draft board said he’d receive a draft notice within two weeks.

Ed was determined not to be in the infantry, so he looked at all of the programs available for those joining the Army. He found one that he could get flight training in helicopters, and become an officer, so that’s what he signed up for, and within a month he was gone.

We lost our house, and I moved back home with my Dad and younger siblings. We sold a lot of things, but Dad stored my precious table in his garage. Ed went through basic training and the first part of his flight training in Texas, while I continued to work to earn money. By Summer, Ed was advanced enough in his training, that we decided I would join him. My Dad drove my car, and my uncle drove Dad’s car down to Weatherford, Texas (West of Ft. Worth) and dropped me off before they went home in Dad’s car.

Ed's graduation from flight school

Ed orders stated, “no personal vehicles or dependents authorized during flight school,” but I found a furnished apartment close to the base and joined the brave wives who did not want to be left behind. The flight students had to live in the barracks, and we could visit them from 7:00 P.M.  to 9:00 P.M.   most evenings and they had from noon Saturday until Sunday night at home with us before returning to the barracks. It wasn’t ideal, but we were with them.

It was right before Ed was transferred to Enterprise, Alabama for his final part of his training, that I miscarried for the second time. I wondered if we’d ever have children to go around the table.

When Ed finished flight school and was awarded his wings, his officer rank, and his orders to Vietnam, we had a month in Utah before he left. I was blessed to get pregnant during that month and moved into a tiny apartment in Bountiful while Ed left for war. There wasn’t a lot of room for my table, but it fit into the apartment. In December my first son was born while Ed was flying near Saigon. My dreams were still alive.

While Ed was in Vietnam, he sent me a 12-piece set of china and silverware to go with the table. That table went all over the world with us, including back to Bountiful when I had two little ones and expecting my third and Ed went back to Vietnam to war again. Most of the time it was used as a kitchen table and I put oilcloth tablecloths on it to protect it from the little kids eating at it. I began to see my dream come to fruition. We ate on it; we played games on it; we did puzzles on it; we did crafts on it, we celebrated birthdays on it. It was truly a family

Athena's birthday party

table.

It went to the Big Island of Hawaii with us, where we had a dining room. It went to northern Italy with us, where again we had room for it to serve as a formal dining room table. It went to three stations in Texas, Alabama (twice), Nebraska, Chicago and Sacramento with us. I remember in Hawaii, when our stuff arrived in the dock, a forklift had smashed through the corner of the container. Luckily it destroyed a desk and lots of other stuff but missed our table.

It was used more as a kitchen table than a dining room table during most of those years, and since Ed was an officer, we entertained a lot on it. It looked beautiful, and I loved it. But it still hosted a lot of kids doing homework and games, and I even used it to sew on. We went through a lot of dining room chairs during those years, but the table kept going.

Family dinner

In February 1990, we moved to our house in Centerville, where the table served another purpose. It served extended family, my parents, siblings and their families, friends and my children’s friends. When we first moved in after Ed’s retirement, he refinished the tabletop and gave it new life. It was here in Centerville that it realized its purpose as our children married and had children, and it hosted many a family dinner, including Sunday dinners throughout the years. The dream I’d imagined those many years ago became fulfilled as we often added the extensions and we did games on it after dinner.

50 years after we purchased the table, Ed decided our table had outlived its life. We ordered a new solid-walnut dining room table (with extensions to hold 12 people) for Christmas in 2014. However, Ed passed away before the new table arrived.

Our treasured old dining room table went to my daughter, where it could continue to serve her family.

It is a silly thing to treasure a piece of furniture as I did for so many years. But it wasn’t the wooden reality of it that was so important to me, but the symbol that it stood for—loved ones of several generations gathered around it, eating, playing, talking, being family. It realized its purpose.

Bah Humbug to the Busy Christmas Season

         I know everyone loves the Christmas season; it is such a happy, time– “the most wonderful time of the year.” Most people have only good memories of this holiday.

Ed on our first Christmas 1963

         I guess I am a grinch. Many of my Christmases have been very hard and depressing. Not the Christmas day or even Christmas Eve, but the overwhelming Christmas season.

         Before I be stoned for denigrating the happiness of the Christmas season, let me explain why.

I have happy memories of my childhood Christmas memories, and even my early marriage years. But sometime after I had several children, and was so busy with daily activities, I realized that I was too swamped to enjoy all the added activities of the Christmas season. I had to decorate for Christmas, adorn a tree, and make new Christmas ornaments. I had to make endless Christmas cookies, candies, and treats. I had to take my children to all the Christmas programs, see the downtown  I was responsible to create Christmas letters, then address and send them with the Christmas cards.  I must get and deliver neighborhood gifts, then buy, and wrap all the Christmas gifts for the family.  School teachers, piano teachers, newspaper carriers, and my hairdresser must have a Christmas gift or tip. Even listing all of it makes me tired. I don’t even want to see Christmas movies or television shows—I just want to pretend it’s January.

lights and watch all the seasonal movies.

      Why not let your family help you do these endless chores? Some chores it worked with—making personal Christmas ornaments, decorating the tree and making the treats. But sometimes sharing the jobs made more work than doing it yourself.

      Why not cut back on all the “stuff”? That was my husband’s idea when I complained about everything I had to do. When I suggested he help, he said he didn’t think it needed to be done—why was I so compulsive about doing it? When asked if he would go shopping with the children to get their gifts, he said he didn’t have time—besides that was a woman’s job. (This was in the male chauvinist era of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s). However, he would get my gift and sometimes get extra gifts for himself since he wasn’t sure I was in a jolly-enough mood to get all he wanted.

        The other big dispute at my house was the BIG CHRISTMAS DINNER.  My husband had grownup with a tradition of having a big family dinner every Christmas day, with family from all around attending. It was bigger than Thanksgiving. My family tradition was a Danish/American blend—we would open one gift on Christmas Eve to satisfy my 1^st generation Danish mother, and then just enjoy Christmas day snacking and eating all the stuff in our Christmas stockings (I made sure to put in lots of fruits and healthy stuff). This did not meet my husband’s specifications at all. 

        We were in the military during the time, so no one from out of town would be attending—it would just be like a fancy Sunday dinner. I am sure I broke down and made a big Christmas dinner many years, but the one year that sticks out was when we invited friends and had a real feast—

however, I had scarlet fever and was so sick with a high fever that I couldn’t eat—but I still prepared, decorated, cooked the dinner and cleaned up afterward as sick as I was. I eventually developed post-streptococcus glomerular nephritis from it that damaged my kidneys and took years to recover from. Never again did my husband insists on a big holiday feast with friends and relatives.

        What has changed my attitude, now? Well, I have cut back. I am in my mid-70s with no little children, so I cut out a big Christmas tree; I don’t mail out Christmas cards anymore—sorry, no one wants to hear about their friends’

grandchildren and great-grandchildren when they can’t even keep track of their children. I give money to all but the smallest family members—mostly great-grandchildren, who I buy gifts for in November. I listen to Christmas music and remember that Christmas is about Christ, who came to save us all. I try to do little things when I can to let my neighbors and friends know I care about them—but the competition to see who can give the best neighborhood gift, or cook the best treats passes me by. I try to give gifts of service or give to charities or people who really need the help, rather than try for busiest and most headache-filled Christmas of the year!

        Christmas Eve is always the same as it has been—my favorite time of the season—to read the Christmas story from the Bible and talk about how Christ’s birth changed the world. I sometimes convince my family to don the New Testament Nativity costumes that I made years ago in my manic stage and reenact the first Christmas, but if we don’t, it’s okay.

       

I enjoy the Christmas season, now. I enjoy the time with family and friends, and I am most grateful for the best Christmas gift—the Savior.