Letters to Papa

Hulali's Papa, Ralph Carreiro, died suddenly a week ago. Hulali and Kala'i had the good fortune of spending a lot of time at Tutu and Papa's house this past year as Kala'i went back to school and Hulali went to the Montessori in Puna. Papa in Pahoa was much like Papa in Pa'auilo in that Hulali could always count on him to sit and watch a video. For the 10th time. No matter the video. No matter the time.
At his memorial service yesterday at their house in Pahoa, the grandchildren all wrote letters to Papa and tied it to a helium filled balloon. Then they all gathered poolside and let their letters go up in the sky. Hulali was the first to let hers go, probably in her exuberance. Then it was Hokupa'a's floating up to the air. Then all the mo'opuna let their balloons go and they ascended to the heavens. Ku and Hunter continued to watch for quite sometime, at least until there were only two in view. Hunter said it would take about two days for the letter to get to Papa. It seemed a wonderful way to let the children express their love to this man they call Papa.
It was a wonderful tribute to a special individual. It, of course, reminded me of my own father, who has been gone for over a year now. And it made me realize how fortunate Hulali and all her cousins are to have spent some time with their papa. My own children only knew one set of grandparents and I always feel like they lost out. Grandparents are special for so many different reasons.
My deepest condolences to the Carreiro 'ohana.

Julie & Julia by Julie Powell

     I have been slacking on the blogging front, to put it mildly. But I am fired up. What fires me up you may be asking yourself? Right now it is a great book. Finally. Geez. It took a while. Whew. This summer, my first free summer in years, has been filled with lots of reading. But seriously it has been pretty mediocre fiction, sprinkled with some boring non-fiction (like Dr. Sears The Zone Diet, Martha Stewartʻs Cooking School, and The Four Agreements--not boring but SHORT).  

     But thanks to the recommendation of one of my friends, Cathy, AND her generosity in letting me borrow her book, I have been turned on to Julie & Julia by Julie Powell. It is Julie's memoir, a story about her effort to reclaim her life by cooking every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Julie is a bit psychotic and obsessive compulsive (two traits I find very endearing in others) and sets about to cook the most provocative French dishes. Think poached eggs set in calf hooves gelee. But best of all, and what I relish the most, is that Julie Powell is a FABULOUS writer. I devour her words, I laugh out loud, I appreciate her honesty and frankness and I long to write that good.

     I haven't even finished the book and I know it's one of my favorites, along with Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunee, another cooking memoir type book. My two favorite things to do: read and cook. Yay. Welcome back.