Where’s Skeet?

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skeetWhen I first started this site, I frequented a few blogs by fellow Hawaii themed bloggers.  We all enjoyed interacting together and I admit, I began slacking a bit but we all seemed to.  One blog I particularly liked was Skeet’s Stuff.  What a sweet lady.  She lived in Hawaii and had to move back to the mainland.  She had a sweet beagle named Lance and it’s funny how you get attached to other people you don’t even know.  Skeet was always ready with a kind word and I just loved her style.  We had the Four Foods on Friday meme in common and that’s how I came to talk with her.  I miss her Tuesday Teasers contests she used to do.  I rarely got them right but was always intrigued to see what she would take a pic of next. 

She hasn’t updated her blog since May 2009.  The most recent thing I could find was by clicking her Flickr feed tonight where I saw that sweet little Lance has passed in December.  My heart broke for her even though it wasn’t necessarily unexpected.  He seemed like a wonderful companion for her.  I miss Skeeter Bess.  I miss her presence on the web and as I type I find myself tearing up.  I enjoyed her updates of living in Hawaii from her job as an inspector to what yummy thing she picked up on the way home and was looking forward to reading about adjusting back to mainland life. 

If anyone happens to know how she’s doing, please let me know in the comments or direct her to this post.  I’d just like to know that she’s okay and to let her know she’s missed.

Volunteering on Vacation

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Worldwide, there’s a new travel trend that’s dramatically changing the way we think about our free time away from home. In increasing numbers, travelers are trading beach mats and lounge chairs for work gloves and hand tools in a movement called “volunteering on vacation.” It’s a way to “give back” to the places they love to visit, while also meeting other like-minded people and learning about the local environment and culture.

This new wave of volunteerism has arrived on Maui. Pacific Whale Foundation, with support from Hawaii Tourism Authority, has launched a new “Volunteering on Vacation” program. Sign on for three hours and you’ll walk away with a free Volunteering on Vacation tote bag, plus the satisfaction of making a difference on behalf of Maui’s environment.

Participants can peruse a calendar of weekly group activities such as clearing invasive weeds in Hosmer Grove in Haleakala National Park or restoring native plantings in Honokowai. Free admission is part of the deal; you also learn about the history and environment of the beautiful natural areas you visit.

If the group events don’t fit your schedule, you can pick up a kit to undertake a solo project. For example, the “Beach Clean-up” kit includes directions to a local beach, rubber gloves, trash bags and instructions on disposing of the litter you gather.

Families with children age 10 and over are invited to pitch in. You don’t have to be a visitor to participate.

To find out more on how you can make a difference while on Maui, click here.

Helping the victims of the Samoa earthquake

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Hawaii’s residents are made of up different cultures and many Samoans call Hawaii home but still have ohana in Samoa.  If in the spirit of aloha, you would like to help the victims of the earthquake please follow this link to get information on how you can help.

Save Kilauea Lighthouse

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If you’ve ever been to Kauai, chances are you’ve been to the Kilauea Lighthouse.  If you live on Kauai, this beacon is no stranger to you.  Unfortunately the lighthouse has been deteriorating and they have been doing a grass roots campaign to try to raise money to help get this landmark the care it so desperately needs.

According to the website, “The historic light station consists of a concrete lighthouse, three field stone keepers’ quarters, a fuel oil shed, cisterns, and a supply landing platform. It is one of the nations most intact historic light stations.

Even in the early years, travelers came to enjoy the area’s scenic beauty and to explore the magnificent light. Today Kilauea Point is one of Kauai‘i’s most visited sites with more than 500,00 visitors a year.”

If you would like to help raise money to restore this beautiful lighthouse to its former glory, click here to donate online. 

The picture is borrowed from the Kilauea Point website.

Hawaiian monk seals get helping hand

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With fewer than 1,200 monk seals remaining, the future of these marine animals looked bleak.  That could soon be changing!  The federal government said Friday that they will be revising the critical habitat to include the main Hawaiian island waters and beaches.  The previous habitat was largely confined to the mostly uninhabited northwestern Hawaiian islands.  This is the first time such an action has been taken in 21 years to help out one of the most endangered marine mammals out there.   This will not affect access to the beaches or fishing.  Let’s hope this action helps to repopulate the dwindling numbers of these beautiful animals!

Happy New Year from True Aloha!

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www.pacificexpressions.com/shaka

Just wanted to wish my readers a Happy New Year or Hau’oli Makahiki Hou!  I hope you had fun last night however you chose to ring in the new year and wish you a happy, healthy, prosperous 2009!

If you’d like to send the above image as an ecard to others, go to Pacific Expressions Shaka Ecards.

Mele Kalikimaka from True Aloha!

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Just wanted to take a moment to wish my readers a Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas)!  I hope you have a wonderful holiday whether you spent it with family or friends.  Take time to remember the reason behind it and be thankful for all you have. 

If you like the graphic shown here, you can send it as an ecard by going to Pacific Expressions.

Happy Thanksgiving from True Aloha

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I wanted to take a minute to say Happy Thanksgiving to all of my True Aloha readers.  Have a wonderful day filled with family, friends and of course ono kau kau!  If you’d like, feel free to comment on what you are making or had for Thanksgiving dinner.  I always love seeing how different people’s traditions are.  Enjoy your holiday and if you’re gearing up for Black Friday tomorrow, get to bed early and rest up!

Congrats to our friends at SunsetsofHawaii.com!

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Just wanted to congratulate our friends at Sunsets of Hawaii.com whose relaxation DVD’s appeared on the “Hawaii, Here We Come” episode of Jon and Kate Plus Eight last night! 

If you’d like to order these DVD’s for yourself to relax after a long day or for the Hawaii lover in your life you can either go to our sidebar on the left or buy direct through their website at www.sunsetsofhawaii.com to get $2 off each DVD with their coupon codes.

 

Mahalos and Kudos!

Filed Under Fun Stuff, Spread the Aloha | 8 Comments

A big mahalo to Charla for nominating True Aloha for the I Love Your Blog award!  I am truly honored!  Now it’s time for me to hand out some kudos to be worthy so here are the rules for the recipient:

* Display your award.
* Link back to the person who gave you the award.
* Nominate at least 7 other blogs. 
* Put links to those blogs on yours.
* Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated.
* Enjoy your award!

So here are my nominees:

Skeet’s Stuff

Hawaii Vacation Blog

Mr Beach Bum Blog

My Style

Go Visit Hawaii

Fun, Crafts & Recipes

Foodarrific

 

 

 

 

 

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