www.bigislandchronicle.com

Contest (Essay 101) was written up in Big Island Chronicle! Here is the link:

http://www.bigislandchronicle.com/?p=104 (for some reason it's not making a link...hmmmmm. sorry, please cut and paste)

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www.WinHawaiianHome.com was picked up by the Star Bulletin

Here is the link: http://www.starbulletin.com/columnists/thebuzz/20081203_Giving_away_a_cottage_to_finance_a_castle.html?page=all&c=y

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Here is a picture of the imu last year.

It’s that time of year again… time to give thanks. I’m thankful I’m in Hawaii for thanksgiving.
Our church is putting on a lunch again as we do every year…
believe me when I tell you there is NOTHING like Kalua Turkey.
Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you! Remember to be grateful for all you have.
And try to get to Hawaii for thanksgiving soon!

ESSAY 101 - WWW.WINHAWAIIANHOME.COM TO BEGIN 12/1/08

Please mark your calendar and save the date to visit www.winhawaiianhome.com on 12/1/08 for details.
ALSO, if/when you hear anything on the news or a television program or read anything in print media PLEASE try to remember to email me an let me know what you heard!
Essay 101 is a contest of skill with a Grand Prize of a beautiful, never-before lived-in, custom-built home (affectionately called "The Sweetheart Cottage") on the Big Island of Hawaii.
For every person who enters the contest because YOU told them, YOU will be entered into a drawing for a free weekend at www.castleinhawaii.com (this site is being built as the castle is being finished, so all the links DON’T WORK yet.)

FINISHING THE CASTLE

Fact: this project (THE CASTLE) has been five plus years in the making.
Fact: it is no secret that the money to finish this project is tied up in another project, a “work of art” the builder, my husband (Castle John-more on nicknames in a future post) created. This “other” project was completed at the beginning of this year JUST as the real estate market took a dive.

Everyone is always asking, “when will the castle be finished?” My answer, “my crystal ball broke” or “how much money are you willing to give or lend?”

I’ve been focused on trying to discover the vehicle that would enable us to finish the castle.
It’s on our vision board. My obsessive and constant thought: be creative, pro-active, daring. I wish we could raffle off this “work of art” (we call it the sweetheart cottage or gingerbread house). Actually, I saw a “piece” on TV on a couple who did just that in Maryland. Well, no, we cannot. That’s illegal in Hawaii - unless you are a non-profit organization. Then an attorney told me a contest of skill is LEGAL. Ok, fine… I’m developing a plan. A brainstorm. My husband would say, “be careful, it’s in a strange place.” A solution and an answer to a prayer. We will give the home as a grand prize. Without forgetting to give back to the community. After much soul-searching we decided to benefit the future – the children. Our local schools are so much in need during this time of “budget cuts”. And in exchange for this gift, kokua (help) from them - Judges! Perfect - teachers (and especially retired teachers who HAVE time) will be the judges for the contest of skill. An essay contest. Essay 101. The teachers “judge” essays and give grades all the time! Tithing as well. We believe (the builder and I) that tithing is a no-brainer. This won’t be easy, but it will be soooooo worth it! Stay tuned. It’s gonna be big! The idea is filling my heart with aloha as I type. I’m blessed-out anew.

So check out the sweetheart cottage – imagine winning it for $101!

ALOHA, CLEAN AIR, COLORS OF FLOWERS

If you are fortunate enough to be able to spend any length of time in the islands, you will find that the spirit of aloha will pervade your soul. Time schedules almost become meaningless. Living in the NOW takes precedence.

I think it is “mana” (spiritual power or energy). And there are lots of ways to explore it here on the Big Island. Lots of events, celebrations and workshops. And body work is very important – massage, yoga, exercise, to name just a few. Almost every other house is home to an excellent masseuse.

Living an authentic life becomes reality. You follow your bliss. And you always have time to “talk story”… mainlanders might know this as “shoot the breeze”… people are more important than appointments. The culture here is built on love and acceptance – aloha. Family, friends, the ocean, the land, the “Hula” and the music, pretty much in that order. There are also lots of cultural events that go on… in particular Merrie Monarch, a multi-day Hula competition. Visitors should try to take advantage of as many “happenings” as you can.

There are no traffic jams. There are practically no cops. Well, not as many as mainlanders are used to – like one on every corner hiding with a radar gun ready to make your life miserable. Big Island didn’t get its name for nothing. And the police (mostly) drive their own cars with blue lights on them. It’s weird to see very few painted cars with red cherries. A very common bumper sticker here: “slow down, you’re not on the mainland”.
And “live aloha”.

The best thing about the laid-back atmosphere here is (ladies) you can leave your make-up at home. Just bring sunscreen. And anything remotely resembling heels. Flip flops are the order of the day. These things are just meaningless here. Comfort is meaningful.

Any time is the right time to stop and smell the flowers or take in the ocean. Speaking of the fragrant air - that hits you the second you arrive and step off the plane, so be prepared. Clear, pollution-free air. Imagine that!

I’ve never been a “huge” fan of flowers until I moved here. I hated “having” something that would die soon after you “got” it… Here you can appreciate the flowers and colors almost any time, any where. A picture is worth a thousand words.

WHY IS THERE NEVER A PEN WHEN YOU NEED ONE?

I must confess this blogging thing isn’t as easy as it seems. If you think it is, you are sadly mistaken. It SHOULD be easy but IT IS NOT. I get a lot of my inspirations about what I want to share when I’m “out”. Well, that makes sense. When I’m planted in front of my computer, not so much. I just stare at the screen. So I keep a legal pad with me at all times but I swear someone eats my pen(s). It must be the menehune [pronounced meh-neh-HOO-neh]. Definition: Menehune are said to be a people, sometimes described as dwarfs in size, who live in the deep forests and hidden valleys of the Hawaiian islands, far from the eyes of normal humans.
Which that brings me to the real reason for this entry – the ever so lovely and lilting Hawaiian language. When we first arrived here I was fascinated by the language and how to pronounce the words. I practiced with street signs. And I wondered if that was common practice.
Aloha. At first it wasn’t “natural” to greet anyone (in person or in writing) with Aloha. It becomes second nature. More importantly, LIVING with Aloha. It becomes an essential part of life. This is exactly what I came here for.
And Mahalo - thank you. Almost makes ya feel bi-lingual. Pau, done. Which is what I am for now. Aloha. (PS I wish people would post comments. Tell me whatcha think! Feedback please.)

PS TO THE CASTLEINHAWAII.COM WEBSITE UPDATE ENTRY

I should have mentioned that in all the time the internet has been around I have had but ONE web “person”/company. At first it was Adrian (“master”) and then he met and partnered with Shirley (“mistress”). That’s why the reference in the last entry to “webmistress”. I was blessed to discover “them” about ’96 or so when this new-fangled internet thing started to really take off. I found myself in a position where I needed to build a website for my business at that time. The universe sent me Adrian. We had a like mind about marketing and in those days that was my passion (still is.) He was honest, reasonable in his fees and he made me laugh. And I think I made him laugh – with my technological ignorance at least. God bless his patience. It’s been a winning combination for about twelve years now as a business relationship that has blossomed into a deep friendship, one that I am grateful for. If you need anything website-related (especially hosting) I urge you to give Shirley a call. The name of their company is AlphaWeb Design...I’m proud to recommend them.

CASTLEINHAWAII.COM WEBSITE UPDATE

Hooray! Well my most-beloved and mysterious webmistress is working (again) on the castleinhawaii.com site (taking time away from a very important project she and her partner are working on) - so again – I am sooooo grateful. Thanks Cheri!

BG: We bought the url four years ago, did most of the verbiage then and decided on the basic design. Then we told her to stop til we were almost finished building. There was no rush. Anyway, now that we ARE almost finished I asked her to try to get some more pages “up” because everyone is always asking questions and the website is the best way to relay info. There are a few links working and now we’re trying to get the rates link (and a couple of others) posted live online so people (and especially our “supporters”) can see if they want to book a weekend or a week next year… which was actually suggested by a dear friend back East who DOES want to book now for later! This would certainly make everything go faster… right now it’s going painfully slow. But at least it’s GOING…! So I AM GRATEFUL. 8-)

We had an idea: what about doing a drawing for a free week at the castle for anyone who passes the link (www.castleinhawaii.com) around to friends and family to get the word out about us? A way to thank them… And perhaps to those who DO book NOW (for next year) also some sort of “extra”… perhaps add a free night or a gourmet romantic meal OR BOTH.
Or a full day of touring. Sumthin’ SPECIAL…comments anyone?

Right now I have a vision of this spectacular gift basket I’m going to make up for each guest that comes – overflowing with exotic fresh fruits and local munchies. Plus all the little minis just like a hotel (mini shampoo and conditioner, toothbrush and toothpaste, sunscreen, body lotion, etc.) I want people to be able to jump on a plane at a moment’s notice and not worry if they forgot a certain toiletry. And know that we will take GREAT care of them! I’d love the minis to be “private labeled” with CASTLEINHAWAII and I wonder what a minimum quantity would be to order that. If anyone out there that reads this has a referral for this (someone they have worked with) we’d love to hear from you… wow, I guess it takes a village to build a castle…

I AM HUMBLED

I wanted to say how appreciative and humbled we are by all the support of people (both strangers and neighbors and friends) that we have received since we started this project.

We're also building the castleinhawaii website as we build the bed and breakfast.
Please take a moment to check it out: www.castleinhawaii.com

Love to hear from you what you think about the website.. Love it? Hate it? Why??

DOLPHIN DANCE

Walking near the castle is always enjoyable, but when you catch a glimpse of our neighborhood pod of dolphins, it goes to a whole new level (of bliss). There are about 30-40 of them but who’s counting? Who CAN count the number of dolphins when you see them in the wild? One of our neighbors used to “dance” with them all the time. She took these pictures with a disposable camera. Quite amazing. If you’d like one of her dolphin pictures, please call her: Naia Rae Fox (808) 938-2463.




You've heard this question: If a pin drops in the forest and there’s no one around to hear it, did it make a sound?
My question is: If you see the dolphins frolicking and you’re all alone, were they really there or did you dream it? Living here is like living a dream.

We're also building the castleinhawaii website as we build the bed and breakfast.

Please take a moment to check it out: www.castleinhawaii.com

Love to hear from you what you think about the website.. Love it? Hate it? Why??

KILAUEA VOLCANO ON THE BIG ISLAND

Well, it will be difficult to “say” (write/type) anything about this as (in my mind) visiting Madame Pele is a deeply personal experience. I can share this video that I took about four years ago. Other than that, you have to experience this for yourself.

We're also building the castleinhawaii website as we build the bed and breakfast.

Please take a moment to check it out: www.castleinhawaii.com

Love to hear from you what you think about the website.. Love it? Hate it? Why??

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD

It’s all about the fruits and vegetables (for us anyway).
In Hawaii it’s all about the “two scoop” (white rice and mac or potato salad).
And it’s all about the Kalua pig or pork, chicken long rice, smoke meat, ribs, huli huli chicken, etc. etc.
Then there’s also lomi lomi and ahi. To die for if you like fish (and if you don’t, you’re really missing out!) I have just one word regarding Hawaiian food - Mmmmmm.
And then there’s the poi. I actually like the poi with the pig. But poi does remind most people of pink paste, in looks and taste. Anyway, it’s my belief that you should try EVERYTHING and then if you don’t like it, don’t eat it. But at least try it.

COOKING
I believe that cooking is an expression of love. I spend a large part of my day either cooking, prepping or researching menus. Garlic and onions are in practically everything I make. Chili also. I’m always thinking of how to eat the rainbow to get all the nourishment I can into my body each and every day. And for me - there’s nothing better in the whole wide world than seeing someone enjoying something I’ve made.

FARMER’S MARKET

The other great thing about food and eating (besides planting and growing your own) is that MOST of what you buy is fresh-picked, homegrown and organic. We go to the farmer’s markets which is on Wed and Sat in Hilo and on Sun in Pahoa. I am in heaven.

Jackfruit, breadfruit, passion fruit, Mamay Sapote (I googled this and got ONLY 370 hits – amazing), cherimoya, atimoya (I knew about cherimoya, who knew there was also an atimoya?), kumquats, lychee, longon, dragonfruit AND DURIAN = HEAVEN.

More on durian later. THIS IS DURIAN (SCAREY, ISN'T IT?)

And I absolutely love sharing things with people that say they’ve never tried “something”.

DAILY DIET

We eat papaya (and bananas) almost daily. And then take the papaya seeds and fling them out in the yard. It’s like living in the Garden of Eden. All you need is a seed. And things grow like magic. Every time you eat a pineapple you twist the top leaves off (I always thought you cut it but twisting is the best way to propagate) and shove it in dirt (cinder actually). A half year to a year later you got pineapples. All the surrounding property is gonna be full by the time I’m done throwin’ out my seeds!

For breakfast we eat fruit, yogurt or cottage cheese, maybe cereal or oatmeal. And on the weekends when there is time – organic eggs, home style potatoes with sweet peppers and onions, turkey bacon &/or pancakes or waffles (Castle John’s specialty). Nine times out of ten there’s a smoothie. Just some oj and whatever fruit is hanging around with a dollop of yogurt, blend and guzzle. And if no fruit is “hanging around” there are always frozen bananas to throw in.

Lunch is a sandwich &/or salad. Or maybe a papaya stuffed with cottage cheese. If I’m at the famer’s market I try to always get a shot of fresh wheat grass juice.

Dinner is definitely a HUGE salad, some protein (beef, fish or chicken), a little starch – rice or pasta or potatoes - and way smaller portions than we used to eat. And also lots of garlic! Roasted, grated & in and on everything. We NEVER get sick!

Snacks are often-times fruit and cheese. Also lots of fresh brewed green & other herbal tea.

Paradise is (for me) The Garden of Eden. I’ve never felt so healthy or powerful in my life. I always thought I ate well (before) now I KNOW I do!

I made ice cream for the first time in my life – have only owned my ice cream maker for years. Never used it, just took it out of the box last night for the first time. Incredible. Fresh, homemade ice cream. I don’t think I’ve ever had any before, actually. And I made it with ORGANIC sugar and the freshest ingredients. Heaven. Poor Haagen Dazs lost a great customer!

We're also building the castleinhawaii website as we build the bed and breakfast.

Please take a moment to check it out: www.castleinhawaii.com

Love to hear from you what you think about the website.. Love it? Hate it? Why??