We had a great visit with Auntie
Ulu today. She spent the morning with us and told us so many wonderful things about the history of
Kekaha and her family. It was fascinating. Her family originally lived out by the Monkey Pod Tree on the road to
Polihale. When the
Knudsen's came and brought dirt into the swampy land so they could grow sugar cane they made Auntie's family pack up their house and move it because it was in the way. They had to leave their family graveyard and hula
awai (school). Students came from all over the island to learn the traditional hula from her great grandfather. The
alii would come and choose their wives from his most beautiful students. She told us that there were no roads in
Kekaha when she was young. Just the cane road up by the mountains. That there were great sand dunes down by the ocean where the main road through town is now. That the landing strip for airplanes used to be out at
Mana. The Mormon church used to be down by the ocean where St.
Teresa's is and it was like a little one room school house. Before her family met the missionaries and joined the church their family god was the shark. Auntie
Ulu is a stalwart of the ward and we have been blessed to know her and share her testimony of the gospel.
You can hardly see it in this tree but Auntie gave me a little piece of air fern. I forget the Hawaiian name for it. Everyone has it growing in their yards. It is meant to bring good luck. She gave me a piece to hang in my tree. I wonder if I could mail it home to myself and try to grow it in Utah?
Well, coconut trees, banana trees, squash, air ferns and now a pineapple. I know it will take time but I just couldn't resist planting it when Willy showed me his little pineapple. He showed me how to pull off the bottom leaves and prepare my start for planting so that's what I did. I will take pictures before I go home and see if there is any difference in anything. It's fun to try anyway. It must be because about this time every year I get the urge to plant things. Over here though I don't have to wait until after Mother's Day.
We had a great visit with Auntie Ulu today. She spent the morning with us and told us so many wonderful things about the history of Kekaha and her family. It was fascinating. Her family originally lived out by the Monkey Pod Tree on the road to Polihale. When the Knudsen's came and brought dirt into the swampy land so they could grow sugar cane they made Auntie's family pack up their house and move it because it was in the way. They had to leave their family graveyard and hula awai (school). Students came from all over the island to learn the traditional hula from her great grandfather. The alii would come and choose their wives from his most beautiful students. She told us that there were no roads in Kekaha when she was young. Just the cane road up by the mountains. That there were great sand dunes down by the ocean where the main road through town is now. That the landing strip for airplanes used to be out at Mana. The Mormon church used to be down by the ocean where St. Teresa's is and it was like a little one room school house. Before her family met the missionaries and joined the church their family god was the shark. Auntie Ulu is a stalwart of the ward and we have been blessed to know her and share her testimony of the gospel.
You can hardly see it in this tree but Auntie gave me a little piece of air fern. I forget the Hawaiian name for it. Everyone has it growing in their yards. It is meant to bring good luck. She gave me a piece to hang in my tree. I wonder if I could mail it home to myself and try to grow it in Utah?
Well, coconut trees, banana trees, squash, air ferns and now a pineapple. I know it will take time but I just couldn't resist planting it when Willy showed me his little pineapple. He showed me how to pull off the bottom leaves and prepare my start for planting so that's what I did. I will take pictures before I go home and see if there is any difference in anything. It's fun to try anyway. It must be because about this time every year I get the urge to plant things. Over here though I don't have to wait until after Mother's Day. 
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