Greetings again from Maui,
   We're glad you can be reading this message this year. Looking back at the calendar I can't believe all these memories came from one year. We hope your year has been as full as ours....unless peace and quiet is what you seek.

Roxy and Daly at Iao Valley

   The year started off in a muscular way with the delivery of our automatic screen printing press, a heavy device that Poppa says looks like a giant blue spider. Scott from Washington came over and installed it, set it up and made it work. That was followed by a major electrical upgrade for the compressor and the dryers that came with it.

   Our next project was fencing in the back yard....for the puppy. Nece and the kids realized their dream when we brought home a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel puppy, we named Roxy. They are those little spaniels you see in the old english paintings sitting on the sofa with the duchess.

   Our two eldest, Ajja and Shen, meanwhile were away gaining further education. Ajja continued her dance training in Philadelphia and Shen was finishing his freshman year at University of Hawai'i on Oahu.

   In April Nece went with friend and valiant helper Teri to the Big Island and sold our clothing to the visitors of the Merrie Monarch Hula festival in Hilo. With the older children gone one of us stays home when an out of town show comes along.

   In May "Cousin Gracie" visited from San Francisco. She is Nece's niece, (always wanted to say that), from her sister Debby. She is music director of a church in SF. We rediscovered Iao Valley, near our home in Wailuku. I caught a picture of Daly there, in a moment of recreational rapture.

Daly, Nece, Deme and Shen in Hana

   This decision prompted an overdue visit to the homeland in August for Donn, Daly and of course Shen. We flew to Chicago, left Daly with cousin Andrew, Maggie and sister Jill in Grayslake. I took Shen to visit Mimi and Poppa in Peoria and on to Iowa to college and meet aunts and uncles in Iowa City. Then I got some great time with the folks along with Daly and Jill's family.

   August ended with school starting. Daly is a freshman at Baldwin High School, and Deme is in the third grade. Daly adjusted well and got all A's first quarter. Deme was chosen as Wildcat (that's good) one month from her class and was also chosen to be in the performing arts class. Deme also experienced her first gymnastics meets this fall. Ajja upon her return from Europe took a job as a gymnastics coach in a big gym near Valley Forge, PA.

Jack with Andrew, Kai with Maggie, Jill, Daly & Donn in Peoria

   Also in November Nece, Donn and Deme travelled to the Big Island for a crafts fair and a bit of vacation. We wanted to look at the Hilo area, to see if we would ever like to move back to that island. We spent one of our days marvelling at the beautiful contrasts of the volcano area.

   Then, the next week, the day after Thanksgiving Donn and Nece went to Oahu to a big Crafts Fair to sell clothing. Uncle Jake stayed with Deme and Daly and showed them a fine time.

Recent lava flow by Chain of Craters Road