So much for once a month postings :)

Well, as

usual, I haven't been blogging (which is no surprise, since I don't think too many people read my blog...) I started this as a way to keep in touch with everyone that I missed , ohana, friends, haumana, etc...when we moved away. Well now, everybody (including me) seems to be on facebook & I barely can keep up with that, let along a blog. I was thinking about just deleting this, or stop altogether, but then I figured...well, I can still try, soooo, still going with the flow!

Today's Hawaiian word of the day (yep. why not give this a try again...)

Imua-(ee-moo-ah) to go forward.

Yep, that about sums it up for today! Not going to make empty promises, just taking it one day at a time!

Got lots to catch up with, so

A hui hou everybody!

Tina

I guess once a month isn't so bad...

..blogging that is :) my temporary job has finished, so now I can try to get back to the things I have been neglecting lately, family, hula & crafts! So although I haven't been making much stuff, I did make these stuffies for my niece who is expecting her first child in a few weeks. I'm not too great at embroidery,but I put baby's name along with the Hawaiian name of the animal on it's back...

I like the way they came out, but forgot to take the "finished" picture of them both, before I gave them to her...anywho, I was working on a shark (mano) & an octopus (muhe'e) but didn't finish them in time,hopefully I can have them done before baby arrives!

Plus,even though this is rather late...

this is our first attempt at making a gingerbread house....I didn't bake it, it was one of those pre-made kits, but Alyssa, Jade & I had fun putting it all together. I did most of the icing part & they put on all the candies. The gingerbread was kinda nasty, so the kids ate the left over candies, the house lasted about a week, then hubby tossed it out one morning before the rest of us woke up ...glad I got a couple pictures before that happened, because the girls were VERY upset!!! Anywho,other than these things, I did make a few ornaments, some jewelry & baked LOTS of cookies for Christmas, but since I was working most of the time, that was about all I could manage to make for the holidays!

I have started hula back up again for the new year as well. No pics of anything yet, but might have some in the near future. Am looking for new students as well, so if anyone is interested in learning....just e-mail! (keolaboo@bellsouth.net) I'll gladly give more details!

Hope to blog more often, but I'm not making any promises, so far, if once a month is all I can handle, then once a month is enough :)

Have a wonderful day!

Happy New Year!!

Aloha to all!!

Hopefully everyone has had a wonderful new year! Ours was uneventful, but that's OK, cause so much has happened since I last blogged!!! After mom's passing, hubby lost his job, which led us to move back to Chicago (which would have made some excellent stories here to blog....) Dad had his good/bad times both mentally & physically, but he's doing much better now. So are we, hubby had found a job (thanks to my 2ND eldest brother....) then lost that one too, but now has a new one! I have been working for 2 months now (retail of all things...) Kids are growing fast & changing day to day. Our eldest will be graduating 8th grade this year, middle daughter is moving on up to middle school, leaving the little one to fend for herself in grade school (....3 kids in 3 different schools ought to make for some interesting blogs if I do say so myself!) Hubby's family quit talking to all of us due to his "DEAD BEAT DAD" brother, who caused a major war between the siblings!!! (TOO MUCH DRAMA!!!) His own mother told him that she's more concerned with her "DEAD BEAT DAD" son's problems than what was going on with her eldest son's life (...that being my husband...) I'm sure that will lead to some good blog fodder for this year! On a good note,.... I am going to be a Grand-Aunty this year!!!! & one of my nieces wrote a book!!! MAN!!!! TONS HAVE HAPPENED SINCE I WROTE LAST!!!! Plus my halau has decided to compete again this year (OK, I decided for them, but they still agreed to it....) :)

Looks like I got ALOT to write about for 2011

God bless you all & cheers to a wonderful new year!!!

A hui hou,

Tina

Memories of Mama..

Sadly on February 23, 2009, my mother Hannah Kainoa Gleason, lost her 5 and a half year battle to cancer...

She fought it well, up until her last couple weeks, when, we think, her body just couldn't take it anymore...

we were surrounded by Ohana & friends who actually celebrated her life! She will be greatly missed, but at least we know she's no longer in pain.

Here's a little video the funeral home put together for her...hope you enjoy it!

Malama pono, Mama! We hope you are surrounded by those who have already left us & hope you all watch over us still here, & some day hope to see you again! We will love you Forever!!

Oh my, twice in one day???

Yes, couldn't help but post twice today (must be the coffee...) Anycrap!!I'm sure some may have seen this on other blogs or on a "Facebook" type of site, but I figured, what the hey, I'll give it a go

the list

The idea is you're supposed to bold the things that you have done (I also changed the color to blue...so those aren't links to anything...) There are lots of things I haven't done. I'm not sure what that says about me... but anywho, if you like to tag someone with this feel free to do so, I honestly don't know the origin of this, but it's interesting all the same...Have a wonderful day!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (even lived there...)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland( & Disney World...)
8. Climbed a mountain (does a volcano count???)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (only at karaoke...)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight(MANY!!!)
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
(what's the fun in taking a sick day, when you're sick??)
24. Built a snow fort (again...MANY)
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
(solar & lunar, & no, I didn't look directly into the solar one....)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (done both, many times!)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (just on my mom's side...)
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karoke (even use to run it for years...)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (if McDonald's counts as a restaurant, then yes...)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (many times...mostly alone though...)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
(tried snorkeling & I can't stand having masks on my face or breathing through a tube!)
52. Kissed in the rain (YES!!!)
53. Played in the mud (who hasn't??)
54. Gone to a drive-in theater (yes & to actually watch the movies...) :)
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies
(actually doing this right now, for the first time, thanks to little miss Jade...)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check(...not by choice...)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (only to have my children destroy them...)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial ( a few times...)
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (a couple times)
85. Read the entire Bible-
(3 times & I get something new & different from it each time I've read it...probably the hardest book I've EVER read...)
86. Visited the White House. (stood outside of it a couple times...does that count???)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (yes, hubby brought home lobsters from Boston once & I will NEVER do that again....they actually sounded like they were screaming!)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (yes, if an animal's life counts)
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous ( a few people...)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (3 babies, that are growing like weeds...)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day (quite a few & still do...)

alrighty, go on & tag someone (cause I'm not...) & if you happen to do this on your own blog, let me know so I can go & be all nosey-like!
Laters,
Tina

Yet, another giveaway...

OK, I really need to stop lurking other people's blogs, but they are quite addictive...like this one I found ( & you might ask ,how did I find it...while lurking on yet another person's blog....I told you I'm addicted!) :) anywho Melanie has an etsy store & sells on ebay as well...& is doing a giveaway ( as well as having a moving sale on her etsy store..) from what I've seen so far, alot of CUTE Japanese fabric ( which I LOVE!!!) & some beautiful items she's created as well, so what are you waiting for??? Go check it out (I'm heading back there as well...) Maybe some day soon, I'll actually post some of the things I've been up to lately..if I ever stop lurking, that is!
a hui hou,
Tina

anyone interested in a free sample???

fill it out & you'll be good to go!
Enjoy!