My "official" 75th birthday portrait by Gail Armand
Today is my birthday and its a real biggie! I have reached my own Diamond Jubilee of 75 years...and hopefully, still counting... The thing is, I don't really care for diamonds...Maybe for some girls diamonds are their best friends, but I have never had much luck with them...so I will call it my Pearl Jubilee since pearls are my birthstone and I do love them.
The lū‘au location - Wai'uli Beach Park - Kalanianaole Avenue in Keaukaha area of Hilo - looking towards Hilo
Even though today, June 19th is the birthday, the big splash celebration was this past Sunday. My son Anthony and our friend Cathy co-hosted a pot luck lū‘au at a local beach park and invited friends to share with me.
Looking back I can't believe all the twists and turns my life has taken...in fact, I can look back and really count the many lives I've lead. Some of those lives were good and some not so good, but upon reflecting, I would not change anything as I have had some amazing experiences, met some wonderful friends and have had marvelous adventures along the way.
Flower decorations on two of the pavilion posts welcomed our friends
Galyn did the honors cutting the kalua pig - a lū‘au is not a lū‘au without the traditional kalua pig. There was also poi and two different types of seasoned sea salt to go with the food.
The kalua pork on our mango wood pig platter
A fruit basket with papaya, apple banans, lychee and mountian apples
Lomi lomi salmon - salted salmon, rinsed in ice water several times as you lomi (massage it), onions and tomatoes are added to this delicious and traditional lū‘au pupu!
Sea weed salad and 'ahi poke with a kick! Other pupus brought were boiled and salted soy beans, purple sweet potato slices topped with chutney and chèvre (soft goat cheese), pork filled fried wontons with two sauces, Kimchi mussles and 'popcorn lobsters', tiny, tiny little lobsters served in their shell...oh, my!
There were two trays of colorful and delicious sushi...homemade by Galyn & Trevella
Traditionally, white rice is served at a lū‘au, but trying to eat healthier, the rice served was a mixture of brown and wild rice with seasonings.
Other dishes brought (and I hope I don't forget any) mac salad, noodles, fried rice, corn casserole, fresh fruit salad, sliced Kabocha squash and a liliko'i haupia dessert.
Everyone I have encountered on this trip called Life...family, friends, teachers, acquaintances...even my on-line friends...have had a part in shaping the 'me' I have become and I feel blessed.
The hosts, Cathy Segovia Emery and my son Anthony...
The birthday 'girl'... I am wearing 7 of the 8 lei received as gifts...all were different and all were gorgeous...the 8th one is a rose bud lei decorating the cake...no candles, as probably the cake would have burned before I could have blown them all out!
The day was glorious...the friends wonderful and the food was onolicious! Several friends couldn't make it and I just want to let them know they were very much missed!
This was a "green event" - we used square monkey pod wooden trays, bamboo flatware and colorful cloth napkins!
There were very little non-compostables to throw away!
Mahalo, Cat and Anthony and all of you who shared this beautiful birthday lū‘au with me. Lucky live Hawai'i, eh?
