Last week, I mentioned to Maria that when she and Lisa turned 2 years of age, they both knew the alphabet, upper and lower case. I had taught them by showing them magnetic letters attached to the refrigerator door, starting from the time they were a year old.

“So, am I a bad mother?” Maria asked. Her son, Rylan, will have his second birthday next month and has never been formally trained to learn the alphabet.

“No,” I replied. “But, it’s not too late to start teaching Rylan now.”

Yesterday, Maria brought a box of upper and lower case alphabet cards, which she had never used with her son. When Rylan took the cards out of the box, he began showing me various letters.

“C,” he said, holding up a card.

Whoa! How did he know that? I think he learned part of the alphabet by watching kid’s shows on television. It is amazing how much my grandson has gleaned from these shows, gradually, bit by bit. His mind is definitely not a sieve. He retains a lot!

The cards that Maria gave me show a letter and a word starting with the letter on one side and a picture of the object on the other side. For example, one card might show A – Apple on one side and a picture of an apple on the other.

After Rylan learns the alphabet, I shall start teaching him phonics. What fun it will be to observe Rylan developing his language skills! Mastering numbers won’t be too far behind!

Don’t you just love it when I bring you “good” news from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser? Today’s headline mentions that a road crew doing maintenance work on Nimitz Highway near the airport saw and killed (with a weed whacker) a 2-foot-long snake! Why is this news? It’s news, because the import and possession of snakes are absolutely forbidden in Hawaii.

We don’t want Hawaii to turn into another Guam, which is rife with snakes. My youngest sister, Lucille, used to live in Guam, when her then-husband was a doctor in the US Navy and stationed there. She told me how afraid she was of getting into the shower, because she never knew if she would see a snake coiled around the faucet or drain. Snakes have killed so many birds and other wildlife on Guam that it has become a sorry place to live.

So how did this snake find its way to Oahu? Since it was found near the airport, my guess is that it hopped a ride on the exterior of a jet coming from Guam or some other place where snakes are prevalent.

If one snake was discovered in Honolulu, might there be others that are reproducing nearby? Ew!

Whoa! The same US Navy SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden is again in the news. Earlier today, this team parachuted into Somalia, crept to an outdoor camp, and rescued a 32-year-old American woman and a 60-year-old Danish man, who had been kidnapped by pirates in October. Nine kidnappers were killed. Isn’t that incredible? How much do you want to bet that Hollywood will produce a movie about SEAL Team Six? What a thriller that would be!

By comparison, I lead such a mundane life. True, when I was in my twenties, I circled the globe by myself, working for 10 months in Thailand and traveling through Europe for 3 months, but what have I done since then?

Well, I have given birth to two perfectly normal and healthy human beings. And now, I babysit my little grandson while his parents are at work. In 20 years, Rylan will reach the age I was when I started my trek around the world. In 20 years, I will be 86 years old, if I live that long. What does the future hold for us?

I can only plot my life in 3 year increments, at most. This year, David and I will travel to China. In 2013, we will see India, and in 2014, Bali. I also will babysit my third grandchild, if Maria and Grant decide to go ahead and have another child. I told Maria that as long as my health permits, I am willing to help her with her children.

Meanwhile, as I write this post, my house is being re-roofed. What a racket!

Mundane, huh?

My China travel guide book arrived recently, and I had a blast going through it page by page. What a phenomenal country China is! Each region is very different from the others in terms of cuisine, architecture, clothing, and customs. David and I will be traveling to north and central China in September for ten days. We will be seeing Beijing, Xian, Suzhou and Shanghai. I can’t wait!

Reading the guide book, I was struck by the following items:

1. Weight limit for check-in luggage is 44 lbs and for carry-on 11 lbs. This means we will have to use backpacks for our carry-on instead of suitcases.

2. Public toilets are the squatting type and are filthy, which means I will NOT be using them. Ewww. I’ll wait to use the modern restrooms in the hotel and restaurants, instead. We will pack toilet paper in our suitcases and bring wet wipes and hand sanitizers.

3. Use rubber slippers in the shower to prevent warts.

4. Remember to pack Immodium for diarrhea. Do not eat raw food like salads and cut fruits. Do not drink fresh juice or consume yogurt. Drink only bottled mineral water.

5. The newer hotels are the best, because they are modern and clean. We will be staying in 5-star hotels during our trip, but I don’t know how new they are.

6. No need to tip the waiter, taxi driver, maid, etc.

7. Bring an international adapter for electrical plugs.

I am so relieved that we will be traveling with a tour group from Hawaii, especially since I don’t speak or read Chinese. I hope the hotels have outlets for my computer, so that I can blog about my experiences. Way to go, Gigi!!!

I read in today’s Star-Advertiser that there had been a series of earthquakes (one of them 5.0 magnitude) occurring on the southeastern flank of the Big Island of Hawaii yesterday between 4:35 pm and 4:52 pm.

Whoa! David and I didn’t feel a thing. We were sitting on our reclining sofa in the living room, watching the New York Giants beat the San Francisco Forty-Niners on television. In fact, we were glued to the TV from 10 am when we started our day with the New England vs. Baltimore football game, which New England won handily.

Earthquake? What earthquake? The house didn’t shake, rattle or roll, and the dishes stayed put in the cupboards.

Believe it or not, the only earthquake I have ever experienced in my entire life was the big one on October 15, 2006. No doubt about it, the walls of our house shook, and the floor rocked, too. There also was a terrible roar, like a jet flying overhead. And we lost power for about 9 hours that day. Pretty scary stuff!

But, you know what, those Big Island earthquakes rarely affect Oahu, where I live. If that were a common occurrence here, I probably would move to the mainland. Where? Is any place safe from natural disasters? Think about it. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. If you don’t die in an earthquake, you might die in an icy winter storm or tornado or hurricane or wildfire or…

…or you might walk out of the house and get hit by a truck.

It’s best to live and die near loved ones. So, we’ll remain where we are: in Paradise!

Well, I feel ragged right now, having had just three hours of sleep. The previous night, I was lucky and slept for nearly eight hours, very unusual for me, as I normally sleep 4-5 hours. Don’t bother to tell me to go back to bed, because once I am up, I am up.

Yesterday, David went to Costco and purchased a small 2 inch bottle of Testosterone from the pharmacy. Unbelievably, that small vial cost $60, not covered by insurance. The syringes and needles, however, might be covered, we’ll see. David will be getting 12 injections from that vial. He has an appointment with his urologist in March, when he will have a blood test to see what his testosterone level is. If it is still low, the doctor will increase the dose.

Over the past week, my husband has been complaining about his knees, which hurt when he stands and walks. He has been taking Glucosamine every day for the pain, but it doesn’t seem to be working. My sister-in-law, who is a pharmacist, told David to be careful, because too much Glucosamine can lead to a build-up of uric acid, which will result in gout.

So, what is the alternative? David really should see an orthopedist as soon as possible. Hopefully, he won’t need surgery and the problem can be fixed with physical therapy or a new drug regimen.

I just want my husband to be healthy and happy. Is that too much to ask?

Most of the blogs I visit are on blogspot.com. Over the past few days, I have been unable to post a comment on some of these blogs, because blogspot won’t accept it. Too bad! Sorry, but not my fault!

Last Thursday, I watched the beginning segment of the Republican Presidential Debate on CNN, but turned it off in disgust 15 minutes later. Why? Because Newt Gingrich made me want to vomit! Ew! What a scumbag!

By now, you all know that Newt’s second wife accused her ex-husband of being unfit for the presidency, because he lacks good character and integrity. She claimed that he told her he was having an affair with an aide and wanted her to agree to an open marriage. Of course, she declined. Who on earth would want such a marriage?

Newt really isn’t the kind of man you’d want as president. He divorced his first wife when she was undergoing cancer treatments, and divorced his second wife after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He married his third wife, because he believed she could help him in his campaign for the presidency.

As I said, what a scumbag! And to think that he has risen in the polls in South Carolina! Unbelievable! I hope people come to their senses and vote for someone else.

It’s not too late to support Barack Obama, a Democrat and a loving husband and father!

This is Lorca’s girlfriend, Mary, who is half-Indonesian, half-Taiwanese. Although her parents still reside in Holland, she has chosen to live in Bali, where she and Lorca met. She produces a clothing line.

Lorca and Mary are traveling for 3 weeks through the Hawaiian Islands, where he was born, and then through California.

We all gathered together at Little Village Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown this evening to celebrate Lorca’s arrival and my birthday. The food was excellent. Sorry I did not take pictures of it.

My younger sister, Nedra (who hosted the dinner), and her son, Lorca (who is half-Korean, half-Basque).

My mother, age 95.

My nephew Charles’ girlfriend, Toni, with my grandkids, Julia and Rylan.

My grandkids love each other so much!

My daughter Maria, her kids Julia and Rylan, and my nephew Lorca and his girlfriend Mary.

The cousins. Asia (bottom row, 2nd from right) is Lorca’s younger sister, and she resides in Honolulu.

All in all, it was a wonderful family get-together!

My Vietnamese neighbors own a nail salon at a nearby mall, and they have 8 or 9 employees. I went there for a pedicure yesterday, and as usual, the Vietnamese husband did my nails. He was good and thorough, making sure he removed every cuticle he could find.

However, when I went to the cash register to pay for the pedicure, I was in for a rude awakening. He added $6 to the bill, because he said he had done a callous sanding of both feet. Well, I had not authorized it. I guess next time I’ll make it clear I want just a basic pedicure and no extras.

This man is an immigrant, now an American citizen. He told me he never votes during an election year, because he is too busy. His shop hours are 9 – 7:30 every day, and after he cleans up and does the salon’s laundry, he gets only 3 hours of sleep per night. Wow! I thought my husband was a hard worker, but this salon owner takes the cake! His last vacation was five years ago, when he spent a month in Vietnam. Since then, it’s been work work work!

He must be doing well, though, because he purchased the two story house next to mine for $650,000 more than ten years ago. And he’s rich enough to light strings of firecrackers on New Year’s Eve.

I might add that their marital spats have stopped. No more screaming and yelling. No need to call the police!

P.S. I think I’ll try to do my own pedicure next month and see how it goes. Save money! Also, I don’t like it when he makes my toes bleed during cuticle removal. Easy way to get an infection.

Well, guess what. Maria asked me if I would be willing to watch Rylan for another year. Originally, she and Grant intended to enroll him in day care or preschool in August, but their plans have changed for various reasons. I have agreed to continue the present arrangement, babysitting four days a week with time off for appointments and travel.

David and I will be taking a ten-day trip to China in the fall, but Maria reassured me that another sitter would cover for me. So, it looks like I’ll get to play with Rylan through May 2013. Yay! I love that kid so much and am so willing to help out. He will be 3-1/2 years old when he finally goes to preschool full-time.

After his nap yesterday, I turned the television on to channel 447, Nick Jr. Rylan watched a Puzzle Time segment and shocked me with his knowledge of OCTAGONS. The TV screen displayed a scene showing semi-hidden octagons and other shapes, and the viewer was told to find and point to all of the octagons. Rylan actually did it! Wow! Who said watching TV is bad for kids?!