Is it true? It is January 1, 2011??? It is 79 degrees here, partly sunny and very quiet. Wonderful.

Christmas Day I hung out with the Habitat Team over at the Molokai Hotel which is where they are housed. It was a relaxing day. Will, my nephew and I, talked alot, and others came by. The 25th was when the rest of the team was arriving, and Kat was going back and forth to the airport to pick up people. The affiliate office here was having a Christmas Dinner at the hotel for the team and assorted guests. We were to meet at 5:30PM. The venue had changed because of rain, so we had a dining room to ourselves. It was very nice, all the food being brought in by different people, some Habitat home owners, others staff and board members. I left at 7:15PM to pick up Brett at the ferry. Brett was on last year's build, works in construction in Alaska, and he and his girl went to Egypt with Kat, and have moved to Maui. Brett goes back to Alaska in February for work. Because of some issues, Kat was able to get Brett to come over for a few days. He bunked in with Will and Alex.

The team is wonderful, running in age from 16 to 72. Many have been on Global Villages builds before, as well as Fuller Builds, and church builds. There were about five or six who were first timers. The team became very close in a matter of a day or two. Everyone got along well, there were no problems, and two houses were the recipients of their help. One was just being built, having the foundation and floor already in. The other was in the third stage, with dry wall going up, paintings and finishing work. By the end of the week, the new house was framed and outer walls put up, all the windows placed, and inner framework started. Because Will is staying until the 5th, he is going to help Mike, the construction leader, and two of the family members (brother and dad) put up the trusses for the roof.

Last night the two families put on a New Year's Eve feast for the team, at the site of the new house. It was wonderful. Many board members were there, families of both the home owners, Habitat home owners, etc. The team was greeting with beautiful white leis placed around their necks, as well as gifts. It was wonderful. We had a lot of fun. Here everyone smiles. Families are valued. And as I have been with with my friends, you become part of the family, the ohano.

Because the Habitat bus could not get to where Artie and John live, one of the Habitat staff that I had met last year, was happy to bring me bsck. When I got here, another celebration was going on. Artie and John had their former next door neighbor and good friend, Uncle Joe, over to the house to celebrate his 97th birthday, as well as their 37th anniversary. She had made a huge (and I mean HUGE chocolate cake with white icing, on which I had placed 97 birthday candles before John took me to the hotel. Artie had invited friends and neighbors to come over and celebrate, and the cake had substantially reduced itself! Of course, with the food program here, it is totally illegal, but as Artie says, the holidays are here!!! Yeah for those of us, like John and me, who love chocolate!

During the week between Christmas and New Year's I was busy. I went to Svroopa Yoga with Artie Tuesday night. And on Wednesday and Thursday, I helped Emillia pack up her house, for a move on the 3rd, to a much bigger house. That was fun and also exhausting. But we kept on track, me keeping Emillia focused, as she has a lot going on right now.

John and Artie conducted the Great Chicken Round-up, and were able to catch the youngest rooster, which they took and relocated elsewhere. There was no crowing beneath my window the next day. And all the rest of the chickens have made themselves scarce! They are going to conduct another round-up later.

I am reading a powerful novel, THE LAST ALOHA, which is about what happened to the Hawaiians and their way of life in the late 1800's. It is very disturbing and makes me want to scream and shout "those bastards!!!" as I read along. It is the story which we have seen over and over, of powerful MEN who think that they can SAVE the natives by pushing their ways onto them, rather than learning the natives' ways and customs - what a novel idea!!!! However, here on Moloka'i, the Hawaiian way of living is coming back, and most of the native Hawaiians speak their native language, which is great.

Life is good.
Adieu, Adios, Mahalo,
I love you all!
Sally