I Am So Bad!!

What is it with not keeping my blogs updated??  I am so bad.  I have good intentions, I just can't seem to get it done.  Some of my friends are so good about blogging every day!!  LOL!!  I am even worse with my cards blog!!

I've got to make up my mind that I am either going to keep my blogs updated or just delete them.  Its not like I don't have anything to share...

I will share that we have had crazy weather this week.  It has rained most of the week.  The sun is out now although it has rained off and on throughout the day.  There was a newsflash on the internet that parts of Sacramento had pea sized hail...and snow was down to 1,500 feet, there would be about Auburn up I-80 and Placerville up Highway 50.  The foothills were also experiencing power outages. 

The report also said that downtown Sacramento had the coldest temperature for the middle of March in 98 years.  I think it is barely 50 degrees.  The norm for this time of year is usually in the high 60's.  The forecast for the coming week is some sun, some rain and higher temps.

Eating Out and the Weekend

On Friday morning, we met up with the Sacramento Breakfast Club gang for breakfast at a restaurant in Rocklin called Venita Rhea's.  Their meals are wonderful and they serve very large portions.

I ordered Bobby Earl Egg Benedict...a traditional benedict with canadian bacon, 2 poached eggs with hollandise sauce on top of an English muffin.  Instead of potatoes I got fresh fruit which consisted of sliced pineapple, cantaloupe, honey dew melon, watermelon, a strawberry and a slice of orange.  I don't drink coffee so I always have a large (if the restaurant has that option) glass of orange juice.  Their orange juice was fresh squeezed...so YUM!   My breakfast was absolutely fantastic and I ate every bit of it.  These pictures were taken with my phone.

Gerry had an omelette called Fire Roasted Vegetables.  It was full of different kinds of vegetables with some kind of sauce on top ot it, home fried potatoes and a bagel with cream cheese.  The omelettes are made with 4 eggs.  Gerry wasn't able to finish all of his breakfast.

After we left there, we did some errands in Roseville before coming home.

On Saturday morning, there was a PGR Welcome Home mission at the airport.  Besides the soldier they were there for, they welcomed several more service personnel coming home on leave.  There was over 40 PGR members there for the Welcome Home.  Afterwards some of the PGR got together with the family and gave them an escort back to their home in Salida which is south of Sacramento in the Central Valley.  We didn't go on that mission.

After leaving the airport, we drove down to Oto's Marketplace.  Gerry wanted some brown rice.  I didn't think I needed anything, however thought of several things...like over $85 worth...about had heart failure.  We were getting low on rice so we bought another bag, some pork rib strips to make sweet and sour, of course always have to get bento boxes...got 3 of them, a package of futomaki and inari sushi, some pickled cucumbers, Gerry wanted more kim chee and a container of ahi poke.  We had 2 of the bento boxes for lunch after we got home and saved the other one and the poke for dinner.  Gerry cooked some quinoa for his dinner.  He had gotten some at Whole Foods when we were there on Friday.  It smelt awful while it was cooking; he said it was good.  None for me, thank you very much...nor brown rice.  I am perfectly content with white steamed rice that I've been eating all my life.

While we were at Whole Foods on Friday, I had a near accident.  I had gone to the ladies room, it is down a hallway at the back of the store.  I was walking out of that hallway and an employee was going down the aisle way at the end of that hallway.  He was pushing a cart rather hurriedly, looking over his shoulder towards the meat counter.  I had to put my hand on the cart to stop it from hitting me.  He glanced at me when I did that and kept on his merry way...not saying a word...no excuse me...I'm sorry...When I got back up front I went over to the customer service desk to see if there was a manager on duty or a floor supervisor.  The customer service supervisor told me no one was available...she offered me the email address for an assistant store manager and apologized. I emailed the person...haven't heard a word back.  Anyway, it would not have been real nice being hit by a grocery cart.

I purchased an Entertainment book and we were going to use a coupon out of it for lunch today.  The restaurant we were going to go to has 3 locations listed.  We decided to go to the one closest to us....surprise...it was no longer in business.  So we drove over to another of their locations in Rancho Cordova...surprise...that location was closed...a Mexican restaurant is there now.  So we ended up going to The Old Spaghetti Factory...one of their locations close by.  After we got home I checked the website for the first restaurant and all 3 of their locations are closed.  This is the second time in wanting to use a coupon from the Entertainment book that we found a restaurant out of business.  We were going to go to a tacqueria last week and it was closed.  I have a feeling we are going to have to call first before we venture out.  Oh, we used a coupon for Venita Rhea's so that was nice.

Gerry watched the Super Bowl and I've been playing on the computer.  Sure am glad it is over...

Our weather has been really nice...in the 60's during the day.  We had one day of rain last week and it may rain one day this week.  Otherwise it will be more of the same.  It is nice...yet not good for our water...we need lots more rain.

Celebrating My Chinese Heritage

In celebration of the beginning of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon, I wanted to write about my great grandfather, Chung Hoon, who arrived in the Hawaiian Islands sometime between 1850 and 1852.  It is believed he was on one of the first ships arriving with Chinese immigrants, who worked in the sugar cane and pineapple fields.

Here is a short writing that was found in the book entitled "Chinese Historic Sites and Pioneer Families of Rural Oahu"; compliled and edited by Wai Jane Char and Tin-Yuke Char.  It was published by the Hawaii Chinese History Center and distributed by University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu 1988

Chung Hoon Family:

Chung Hoon was a prominent Chinese of the 1850s, very active in various business enterprieses.  Chung Hoon was married to a Hawaiian woman.  He was one of the elite Chinese merchants who planned and gave a Chinese ball to honor the marriage of Miss Emma Rooke and King Kamehameha IV.  Chung owned Chung Hoon Company, which was a factor or agent for several Chinese sugar plantations on the Big Island.  His store in Honolulu, "the new Stone Store" at 11 Nuuanu Street, carried imported goods according to the Hawaiian Journal of History (1974).  His home was at 42  Emma Street.

He was also a participant in the founding of the Lin Yee Association's Manoa Chinese Cemetery.  Chung had a leadership and philanthropic position in the Chinese community of the 1850s.

In his book, Chung K. Ai said this about Chung Hoon:

Chung-Hoon was grandfather of William Chung-Hoon, Jr., for many years treasurer of the City and County of Honolulu, and father of William Chung-Hoon, Sr. (1859-1934), who was connected with E.O. Hall & Sons [for forty-three years].  William Chung-Hoon, Sr. had been taken by his father, when  young, to China [September 15, 1863, on S.S. Palmer] and educated there, and therefore spoke excellent Cantonese.  The grandfather was an alert businessman.  When the Hawaiian government offered a bonus of $25 for every Chinese immigrant brought to these islands, the grandfather chartered a vessel, sailed to Canton, and brought back many Chinese laborers.  He was also an advisor to King Kalakaua and a frequent visitor to the Palace.

When the Chung Hoon family plot at Oahu Cemetery was visited, a stone marked with the name Chung Hoon was seen; no inscription was seen.  There were gravestones for William Chung-Hoon, Alo K. Chung-Hoon (his wife), Ernest A.K. Akina, Violet E. Rosehill, Gladys Akina Pearce, George Elama Kaelemakule Awai, Sr. and Kaui Chung-Hoon.

Chung Hoon owned the Hoon Sing Plantation, a sugar plantation, with Hu Bak Sing (Asing).

The story I always heard about my great grandfather was that he sailed to Hawaii with 4 other young man from his village in Canton.  Because they had no family with them, they became family to each other.  In doing some research on the Internet, I found where he became a naturalized citizen of the Hawaiian Islands in 1867.

It is not exactly known when the name Chung Hoon became the surname and was hyphenated. 

I took this picture of the Chung-Hoon family plot in June 1981.  We were there for the graveside services of my father.

My father, Ernest Ha'akua Chung-Hoon, taken in the late 1960s.  He died in May 1981.

William Chung-Hoon, Sr was Daddy's father; William Chung-Hoon, Jr was Daddy's half-brother.  Alo K. Chung-Hoon was Daddy's mother; Ernest A.K. Akina was the son of Goo Chin who came to Hawaii with Great Grandfather Chung Hoon; Violet Rosehill was Daddy's sister (I was named for her); Gladys Pearce was sister to Ernest Akina; George Awai, Sr. was Daddy's brother-in-law married to Daddy's sister Beatrice and Kaui Chung-Hoon was Daddy's first wife.

I treasure this story about my great grandfather.  His legacy lives on in the many members of the Chung-Hoon family.

Stuff

It started raining Thursday night, rained most of the day Friday with strong winds. Saturday the sun came out and warmed up a little although it was still very windy. The rain started up again today with more strong wind. We haven't had any rain for a while so it was needed. Just makes it so unpleasant to be out in.

Yesterday there was a PGR mission at the airport...a soldier coming home for a few days. He returned to the states last month after being in Iraq. He is a combat medic in the 82nd Airborne stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC. His wife is also a combat medic. She is in Germany right now. Gerry asked him he knew my grandson, Nathanael...he said he didn't.

The PGR here has been contacting the local media to come out to the airport when there is a Welcome Home. There was a guy from Fox 40 News there yesterday. I got an email from my stamping friend last night asking if we had been at the airport. She said there was a quick shot of me...she said "talking to a guy and it wasn't Gerry"...can't think of who that might have been...she called it "my 2 second claim to fame". LOL! There was another time I was on camera at a Welcome Home...it was at the old Terminal B. We were at the new Terminal B yesterday. I tried to see if there was something online on Fox 40's website...couldn't find anything. After the Welcome Home, the PGR guys escorted the soldier and his family home...we didn't go on the escort.

For some reason, I am not able to get into the comments left on my posts. I can publish the comments, however, I can't access them to reply to a comment. Three comments were left on my post about my grandfather...sorry Casey, Jalna and Gem...Thanks for leaving your comments. Casey, I love the old stories...there are lots of them in both my dad's family and my mom's family. My grandfather had royal Hawaiian blood...The Hulihe'e Palace that I mentioned was used as a summer home for the royals. It has sustained quite a bit of damage in recent years. It was closed for quite some time as repairs were done. Last year when the tidal wave hit Hawaii, after the earthquake that hit Japan, the palace did receive more damage.

I asked my sister Nani if she remembered who the baby was in that picture. She didn't know. I got to thinking about that picture and wondered if it was our cousin, Dona Ray...I asked Nani, she said she wasn't sure. So I need to find the original and see if my mom wrote anything on the back of the picture. Several years ago Mom had found some old pictures...she made copies of them for us kids and sent them to us. Some of them I scanned and put on my computer for a project I did for my grandchildren...I need to find the original copy.

I started reading a hardcover, library book the other night. I've been reading e-books from the library. I finished all the ones I had downloaded and needed something else to read. The one I am reading was not available in e-book format so actually had to go to the library to borrow it. It is called Sutter's Cross by W. Dale Cramer. It takes place in a small southern mountain town in the Appalachian Mountains. This is the author's first novel published in 2003...it is faith-based. So far I am enjoying it.

In fact, I think I will go read for a while before I go to bed. Have a great week!

Grandpa Hulihe'e

Here's another picture from days gone by....
My grandfather, David Hulihe'e...he was my mother's father. That's brother Eddie next to Grandpa, then sister Ernie in front of Eddie, sister Nani ( I don't know who she is holding. It could be baby brother Sam, I'm not sure) and then me. I was 8 years old when Sam was born and I don't look that old in this picture. I'll have to ask Nani if she knows.

I don't remember a lot about grandpa. From my earliest memories, he and grandma were not together, so I don't know when they were divorced. Grandpa was born on the big island of Hawai'i and worked for a sugar cane plantation on Kaua'i. He was an avid golfer and after retirement he was a golf pro at the Ala Wai Golf Course in Honolulu and then did maintenance at the course. I can remember Daddy taking us kids to see Grandpa at the golf course. We would also see him when we went to visit Uncle Sonny, mom's brother. Grandpa was at Uncle's house a lot.

It is through Grandpa's father's family that there is royal blood. The Hulihe'e Palace in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island is named for the family.

I love looking at these old pictures and trying to remember what was taking place when the picture was taken. :)

My Arrival in California - 50 years ago, January 14, 1962

Late Saturday evening, January 13, 1962, after tears, hugs and goodbyes, I boarded a Worldwide Airlines plane to fly to Oakland, CA. I would later learn that Worldwide Airlines was a charter company. The airfare was quite inexpensive so that is why my flight was booked with them, courtesy of the government. The flight would take about 13 hours to reach our destination. I arrived about 1:30 pm at Oakland and waiting for me at the bottom of the steps was my then husband. I was so relieved and happy to see him. We had married two months before this and I was finally joining him. He was in the Marines.

It was a Sunday, the day being much like it is today...the sun was shining although it was not a very clear day. The first thing I noticed were the trees without any leaves...I wanted to go back home where everything was green.

My mother made me an outfit to wear for my trip...a powder blue wool dress...a sheath with three quarter length sleeves, completely lined. She also made me a coat to match. The coat had just one button at the neck and the rest was open. Even though the sun was shining, it was cold and I was freezing. It was a beautiful outfit and I loved it, especially since my mom had made it for me.

Some days before I left home, my grandmother wanted me to come down to her house. She gave me some money to go to Liberty House to purchase a few things for my trip...a pair of black patent leather heels, a black purse to match, a black hat that had a small veil on the front, black gloves and...a pair of nylons...by Hanes...South Pacific was the color. She, of course, told me exactly what I was to purchase. She also wanted to tell me how to act...to speak clearly, not the way we speak back home...to use my manners...there were other things she told me...I don't remember them all now.

Grandma had a sister that lived in Oakland and she had gotten a bouquet of anthriums that I was to take to my grand aunt...Auntie Ida. I had her phone number and so after my luggage was claimed, we found a pay phone to make the call. One of her daughters, Dorothy, got on the phone and told us how to get to Auntie's house. I knew Dorothy and her husband as they had visted Hawaii a few times.

We found the house without too much trouble and when we were invited in, Auntie's whole family was there...it seemed they all got together on Sundays...it made sense being a Portuguese family. I had met Auntie once when I was a little girl so I remembered her. She immediately wanted to feed us. We declined as the uncle we would be staying with was expecting us for dinner. Auntie loved her flowers and knew exactly what her sister would be sending her. The visit was nice although I was so shy and didn't say a whole lot.

After a short visit, we drove to Castro Valley, to the apartment of Charles and Alice Long. Charles was the youngest brother of my then father-in-law. Charles and Alice had been married about a year, Charles had been laid from his job and Alice was going to beauty school. They had a one bedroom apartment. They allowed us to have their bedroom for a few days and they slept on the hideaway bed in the living room. We then changed the arrangement. I was so unhappy to be there and felt totally out of place. John was actually a patient at Oakland Naval Hospital and would get leave whenever he could. He would also have to hitchhike to get to Castro Valley. During the day I was alone with Charles in the apartment and was totally uncomfortable.

For dinner that night, Alice fixed tacos for dinner. I had never had them before and I sure didn't like them. They were very spicey and I drank more ice tea than I ate...I also didn't know what ice tea was...I liked it, though, and still do.

I was totally exhausted from the long trip and was emotionally drained, all I wanted to do was go to sleep.

And so ended my first day in California...50 years ago.

There is more to this story...my first few months in California...I'll tell it later.

Sacramento Breakfast Club - Today

The breakfast club got together today. It was our turn to pick the place to go. We've had a Groupon coupon for The Omelet Professor so we chose to go there. We got there right at 8am. Eric Rench was waiting....strangely enough the restaurant wasn't open. They are open from 7am to 1pm according to the sign on the door. There was no sign on the door saying they'd be closed. So Gerry suggested we go to a place in Orangevale called "Ashley's Country Kitchen. Another couple had driven up. So they followed us over to Ashley's and Eric was going to wait for anyone else that showed up.Here is the breakfast I had...half of a Belgian waffle, 1 scrambled egg and 1 sausage link...with OJ to drink. It was perfect...I think it was called Silver Platter on the senior menu. Gerry's bike club had gone here on Wednesday. They've been open about a month and have a sister restaurant in Granite Bay called Jessie's Country Kitchen.

My breakfast was good and I actually "cleaned" my plate. The group numbered 10 people today. Gerry said a Burger King was there and then a Mexican restaurant.

We started going through boxes that have been stored in our spare bedroom today. There is stuff all over the living room floor. I had 3 piles going on...keep, trash and Goodwill. The trash has been taken out, the Goodwill stuff is in the back of Gerry's van, plus the totes that need to get taken to storage. I've set aside stuff that I want to keep...I will probably go through it again and see what I can do without.

As I was going through each box, I realized that the reason the boxes were in the spare bedroom is because it is things I don't want in the storage unit...so I've got to figure out where to put them or just part with more.

Elizabeth came over and she took home two big shopping bags full of stuff for she and her girls. She was also going to see if Jenni wanted anything...what they don't want will be saved for the girls youth group to put in their annual spring rummage sale. The stuff I've designated "Goodwill" may go that route too.

Our mobile home park does a garage sale in May...I don't want stuff sitting around until then. I did find the choir picture I just posted and I'm excited about that. I will work on more tomorrow.

By the time Elizabeth left, we were tired and starving so we drove over to Brookfield's for dinner. It is 3 blocks from our house...it is a little more than a Denny's type restaurant. I had a chopped steak dinner (hamburger patty with onions, green chilis and cheese on top of it, covered with gravy) and Gerry had meatloaf. I didn't think to take pictures...