Lani grew up in the Mo'ili'ili area of Honolulu, which is also where my father grew up. (She was also a classmate of my brother.) She loaned me a book, Mo'ili'ili - The Life of a Community. It has a lot of old photos, maps, and stories about the area and the people. I having been thumbing through it and finding out a lot about Mo'ili'ili that I did not know. I am hoping it will spark a conversation with Dad about the early days of his family in Mo'ili'ili. But I won't be showing the book to him until I can get something to record his recollections. (Lani will be back some time between Thanksgiving and Christmas so I have a few months to do this.)
I went to the Hawai'i Humane Society again today to look for Momo. Their website had a photo of a cat that looked like him. And I also realized (a bit late) that when I was there yesterday I should be calling him so that if he is hiding in a cage he will come out. So I went and called, and there was one orange tabby that was answering but it wasn't Momo. It was just a talkative orange tabby, he had a longer face, more white on his muzzle, and a deeper meow than Momo. I sure hope Momo turns up, Shiro misses him a lot. Every day he goes to the screen door at the garage and calls for Momo; usually he does it several times during the day.
Mom asked this evening when I was moving to the Big Island. I said when she and Dad no longer need my help. She said they don't need my help now so I should go as soon as the house is finished. Dad on the other hand says they need my help now. And I think so, too. I need to come up with a more evasive yet truthful answer to her question. Of course, I could always make it like the Winchester Mystery House and keep on fixing things! (After this current work is done, there still needs to be repairs to the garage, addition of solar panels to garage roof, and remodel to turn the sewing room in to full-sized room with good cross-ventilation. If I add repairs of termite-eaten walls and trim that could keep the project going forever!)
I read an article this evening that examines the link between Alzheimer's disease and diabetes. "Until now, we always assumed that obese people get type 2 diabetes and then are more likely to get dementia - we now show that actually it also works the other way around. ... Additionally, it was previously believed that diabetes starts in the periphery, i.e. the pancreas and liver, often due to consumption of an unhealthy diet, but here we show that dysregulation in the brain can equally lead to development of very severe diabetes - so again showing that diabetes doesn't necessarily have to start with your body getting fat - it can start with changes in the brain. ... This study provides a new therapeutic angle into Alzheimer's disease and we now think that some of the compounds that are used for obesity and diabetic deregulation might potentially be beneficial for Alzheimer's patients as well. The good news is that there are a number of new drugs available right now which we are testing to see if they would reverse both Alzheimer's and diabetes symptoms. We will also be able to study whether new treatments developed for Alzheimer's can improve both, the diabetic and cognitive symptoms."
I was going to wait to post a comment once I was caught up but the Winchester Mystery House reference was too fun. I've been enjoying your blog, I started with your first once after arriving home in Hawai'i. I've been reading a few each day I'm home and having breakfast. I mentioned your blog to others at KSER so perhaps you'll see more comments. :-) Thanks sharing your experiences!! JJ
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