It's a jungle out there...in Hawaii
Hawaii Summer 2010. It was beautiful, both the weather and the islands. Bob had a Board of Directors meeting and so we stayed a few extra days and enjoyed our time together. I love traveling with my husband. He is full of adventure. As for me, we would have laid around a pool and drank virgin pina coladas and read a good book. Which is exactly what I did the day after this little sight seeing trip.
Out of all the pictures this is my favorite. Why? Because it reminds of the moment I stuck my foot into that cold stream. The water was cold and the day was warm. So refreshing.
Beautiful flora and fauna. I still love roses more...
These black swans were at our resort on Kauai. I thought they were ugly compare to the white ones by the restaurant where we had our breakfast. Little did I know that these black swans are quite rare and are symbolic. I have copied an explanation below. Seems that a black swan represents a circumstance when events are rare, have extreme impact, and in retrospect they are predictable...sounds like our failing economy.
"What we call here a Black Swan is an event with the following three attributes. First, it is an outlier, as it lies outside the realm of regular expectations, because nothing in the past can convincingly point to its possibility. Second, it carries an extreme impact. Third, in spite of its outlier status, human nature makes us concoct explanations for its occurrence after the fact, making it explainable and predictable. I stop and summarize the triplet: rarity, extreme impact, and retrospective (though not prospective) predictability. A small number of Black Swans explains almost everything in our world, from the success of ideas and religions, to the dynamics of historical events, to elements of our own personal lives."
I wanted to make note of my experience yesterday. All the youth in our branch and ward went to Randolf for church. It's a facility for the severely to moderately handicapped. The youth of 48 stakes participate by assignment making it once every four years that a ward is able to attend. Having been in the youth program for so long I have had the opportunity four times. The amazing thing is that I have been assigned to the same cottage and the same woman every time I have gone. Her name is Judy and we must be kindred spirits. I was shocked when they walked me to her cottage ... again. As I opened the door there she sat ready for me to take her to "church" in the gymnasium. There are 100 patients that attend the meeting making it 1/100 chances I would get her...now times that by four. She is tiny and only whispers. I could not take my arm off from around her before she would put it right back again. Beneath her limitations was a brilliant spirit and someday I hope to be able to visit with her when she can tell me why I was always chosen to be her "friend" on those sacred sweet sabbath days.
Lael, our daughter-in-law is in the hospital at 33 weeks trying to keep her little boy inside just a bit longer. We have the kids for the next several weeks. I am so excited to see this sweet new boy coming into our lives and then another in October. With five daughters I thought Heaven only rained little girls but these two little guys added to our other grandsons makes 9...and of course our three beautiful grandaughters.
I will post pictures of Ry Tyler when he comes...hopefully not too soon.
