A Make-Over for Me

A year ago I decided to try and let my hair grow. It was quite short and had worn it like that for many years. At first everything went well and then it got to the point where I didn't know what to do with it. I started wearing it in a pony tail or pulled back with a big clip. I was getting quite a bit of gray and had a section on each side of my face that was quite gray. I absolutely hated it and was getting quite depressed about it.

So a couple of weeks ago I sent an email to the hairdresser that use to do my hair and asked if she had any available appointment close to the end of the month. She answered back and said she had an opening on the 22nd.

Then over the weekend I was chatting via FB with a friend of ours who is a hairdresser, Brent Steele. Brent's father pastored the Nazarene church here in Sacramento where Gerry and I met and were married in 1980. Brent and Denise are the same age and they became friends right away. Brent has been doing hair about 7 years or so. Anyway, I asked him if he was still doing hair and he said yes. We discussed a problem I've had with my hair where a section of hair on the right side of my head has not been growing out like the hair around it.

Well, I cancelled the other appointment I had and made an appointment to see Brent this afternoon. He suggested that he give me some low lights which would blend the gray hair into my natural color. He left some of the gray in. I am so happy with the way it turned out. My hair actually has some shine to it again, it looks healthier and brighter. He cut it and styled it into a very nice easy hair style. It's still a little long, the back rests at the base of my neck and the sides cover my ears.

Brent took pictures which I put on my FB. I will put a link here so you can go look.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35956&id=1040101927&l=55927d5d16


When I walked in the door, Gerry asked me where I'd been and I said getting a hair cut and then he says "and you colored it". He has always been totally against me doing anything to my hair. Its okay for his daughters to color, not me. I've always listened to him. However, I got to thinking, it wasn't about what he thought any longer. It was more about how I felt when I looked at myself in the mirror and I was not happy when I did. An hour or so ago I was at the kitchen sink and he came into the kitchen. He says "oh, there's still some gray there. I couldn't see it. I guess I will have to get used it because it is very different". So that will be the closest to any kind of "complement" I will get. That's okay, it doesn't matter.

ONIPAA 18th Annual Luau

Last night we went to the luau put on by the Ka Pa Hula Kalama Halau. It was their 18th Annual Luau. ONIPAA stands for "The Organization of Native Islanders of the Pacific, Its Alliances and Affairs.

We went to this particular halau's luau last year. This years theme was "A Tribute to Hapa Haole Hula". According to the program, "the popularity of Hapa Haole songs were first brought to the Hollywood screens during the 1930's, 1940's and continued to flourish after WWII. The art form of the "real Hula" went underground, hidden for over 50 years, leaving the hapa haole songs to flourish. Hapa-Haole means songs primarily in English with a smathering of Hawaiian words included."

They started their program with the Kahiko dances (the ancient dances of Hawaii) which are chanted by the Kumuhula (dance instructor) versus singing the words of the mele (song) while the dancers interpret the song through their dance. These are the dances that I enjoy. They then did the Auana (modern dances of Hawaii) which the Kumuhula sings the songs. Some of these songs were written back in the '30's and there was one song that was written in 1916.

It is always fun to watch the little keikis (the children) and the guys do an awesome job too.

A traditional Hawaiian meal is served consisting of Kalua pork, chicken long rice, lomi lomi salmon, ahi poke, poi, sweet potato and haupia (a pudding made from coconut milk) for dessert.

For the most part, it was very enjoyable, however we had some people sitting across from us that were drinking heavily. We were late getting there and someone was sitting in my seat. All of the seats are reserved. The tickets are printed on color paper according to the price range and the seat numbers are written on each ticket. These particular people did not look at their tickets for their seat numbers and just sat where they saw empty seats. It was 3 couples and a guy by himself. In fact the guy that was sitting in my seat had a ticket for a different section. He was pretty much wasted.

This might have been the last year the Halau will do a luau fundraiser. The Kumuhula mentioned that in the previous 24 hours they had 175 people call for tickets. Usually the hall where this is held is packed. It was about 3/4ths full this year and the vendors were inside the hall instead of outside in the lobby area. I noticed that a lot of the merchandise being displayed and for sale was from China. The luau is held at an Elks Lodge in the Greenhaven area of Sacramento. The economy certainly affected the turnout this year for the luau.

Josh & Becca's Wedding Day

This afternoon, in Grove City, PA, my grandson Joshua William marries his college sweetheart, Becca. My son-in-law, Stephen is marrying them. I so wish I could have been there. Unfortunately, that was not possible. I am looking forward to hearing all about it from Denise.

Stephen, Denise and Bekah left Enterprise, AL sometime Thursday afternoon and drove all night to Canton, OH where Stephen's parents live. Grove City is about an hour or so away from Canton. Stephen's folks will be at the wedding and I imagine Stephen's sister, Susan will go too.

This is a very special day because on a wintery day in January of 1987, after many hours of hard labor, Denise delivered Joshua by c-section. She and Stephen were seniors in high school. They had decided to relinquish Joshua for adoption and his adoptive parents were there at the hospital. Josh went home to San Luis Obispo and subsequently adopted.

We saw him in September of that year on the Sunday he was dedicated at SLO Nazarene. It was grandparents Sunday. This would be the last time Denise would see him. We saw him 2 other times, the last time when he was 3 years old. It was an open adoption so we all knew where each other was and from time to time would hear bits of news about him.

During the summer of 2005, Josh contacted Stephen via email and thus began a relationship with his birth parents and siblings. He chose to attend Grove City College in Pennsylvania and in October of 2006, the family gathered at Stephen's parents home in Canton, OH to meet Josh and spend some time with him. It was a great weekend, although I believe a bit overwhelming for Joshua.

He and Becca met, I believe, their sophmore year of college. She is from Pennsylvania. After they were engaged, Josh asked Stephen if he would marry them. Stephen said yes. He did pre-marital counseling with them via webcam.

God's hand has been in this whole situation from the beginning. Denise's pregnancy was so heart renching in so many different ways, however I truly believe God's love for us and our trust and belief in Him helped us to get through. Josh and Becca's wedding today, the fact that Stephen will be marrying his first born son and Denise is there to witness her first child be married is an awesome thing. God is so good!! I will be there in prayer.

Josh and Becca are moving to SLO after a honeymoon on Maui. His grandmother has a condo there. In October a reception is being held in SLO for friends and family who are not able to attend the wedding. We will be there to join in the celebration and meet my new granddaughter-in-law.

It will take some getting use to having two granddaughters with the same name. Rebecca (Becca) and Rebekah (Bekah), Denise's daughter. Thankfully they spell their names differently. :)

Congratulations to Josh and Becca! You are loved so very much.