Hawaiian mussels (Brachidontes crebristriatus), these are a kind of tiny bivalve endemic to Hawaii, they live embedded in the reef and grow to about an inch in length.
Sea urchins
A close up on sand full of olivine crystals.
Keeled periwinkles (Peasiella tantilla) on a reef. They grow to about 1/4 an inch.
If you've been reading this blog from the beginning then you may remember this post about being a mother. You may also remember the family picture from that post includes a son, one you haven't heard me mention before. That's because he has been away. His name is Enoch and he's been serving a full-time proselyting mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for almost two years now. He'll be coming home soon and our whole family can hardly wait to see him.
I watched this Christmas music video about service and sons and homecomings, and I thought about my own son and kept getting choked up. I was remembering when he was about to leave. Our family had never been parted like this before. He was nineteen and about to leave us for two years and I had a pain in my heart, a real physical pain. As the day of his departure drew nearer, I would stop him in passing and hug him, and he would smile and say, "Don't be sad Mom." Scott and I decided that Scott would be the one to take him to Utah to the Missionary Training Center, and that I would say goodbye to him here in Hawaii. I couldn't bear prolonging the goodbye and so I chose to stay, to say goodbye sooner rather than later. At the airport he said goodbye to everyone first, and then we found ourselves looking at each other for a moment and then we fell into each others' arms and I cried like a baby. I drove away from the airport in the rain, with tears streaming down my face.
Two weeks before they left, Scott placed his hands on my head and gave me a priesthood blessing. The pain in my heart had become almost unbearable, but after the blessing it went away and I've never had it back since. Saying goodbye was hard and I've missed him, but the last (almost) two years have been doable, bearable, even peaceful, made more so because I believe in what he's doing- teaching others about Jesus Christ. Now I have this excited feeling in my breast, and it's growing, like Christmas will be coming twice this year.
Lending my son to others, for the love of others, has taught me, in my own small way, to love God more than ever. I thank Him for giving His Son, Jesus Christ, to us, to be our Savior. I celebrate His birth, I truly rejoice in it. I want to tell everyone about Him, and to reach out to others in love as He did and does. This Christmas, may God's love fill our heart's with joy, and may we share it with others through our acts of kindness.
Here's a short video with scenes from Christ's birth and life:
Lately I've been playing around with my pictures. The results aren't always entirely realistic, but I really like the way they've been turning out. Here are a few of my favorites.
A green anole lizard watching me from some red ti leaves.
A strawberry leaf with some unusual red coloring.
This is a close up on a false mallow (Malvastrum coromandelianum subsp. coromandelianumu) leaf.
A patch of Wood sorrel (Oxalis corniculata). This plant is often mistaken for clovers or shamrocks because of its shape.
This post is for the beetles referred to as lady bugs, lady beetles
or lady birds. These beetles are beneficial to farmers and gardeners
because they feed on pests like aphids, mealy bugs, white flies, and
others. When most people think of lady bugs, they tend to think of the
seven spotted lady beetle (Coccinella septempunctata), the little red
one with black spots; there are actually a lot of other kinds, blue
ones, black ones, yellow ones, speckled ones and even some with stripes.
Here are a few pictures of the kinds I've found around our yard.
Convergent lady beetle ( Hippodamia convergens)
Three striped lady beetle (Brumoides suturalis)
A lady beetle larva. It will eventually make a pupae, like a butterfly, and hatch as an adult lady beetle.
Steel blue lady beetle (Halmus chalybeus). This lady beetle has a metallic bluish green shell.
Ash gray lady beetle (Olla v. nigrum)
A Dark blue lady beetle (Curinus coeruleus) with some aphids.
This year a very dear aunt of mine passed away. She had cancer for a long while, but she stayed strong feeling she needed to take care of my uncle who was also sick. I would come to visit them and find her working in the house or around the yard. Even though they were both sick, she would get up every day and see that meals were made and that he had everything he needed- all the while brushing off any mention of her illness, never complaining of her own pain or discomfort. If that's not love and selflessness, I don't know what is. There were times in her treatments when she was really weak and sick, she walked slowly and bent over. I would be driving by and see her trudging along the bike path for exercise and be incredulous. She was one of the strongest people I know, a real fighter. When my uncle passed on, she started declining faster, and was gone in about three months. They're together now, without the pain and suffering.
Another aunt came over for the funeral. As we were visiting, she told me how great I looked and asked me what my secret was. I told her I had a good husband. We laughed about it, but I was totally serious. He takes care of me and our children. He has provided for us all these years. He has sheltered me and cherished me and given me a good life. And he has selflessly sacrificed to give it. Every weekday he gets up early in the morning to take Jesse to seminary, then an hour later he goes to pick her up. Then he's off to work and a day of the usual stresses and challenges, but when he comes home he wipes it from his face and walks in the door. He kisses and hugs me and jokes with the girls. If that's not manly, I don't know what is. I thank God for such a good man- my love, my husband.
We're going to be changing the blog a bit. From now on Siwa's nature sightings posts will be seen only on the Nature Sightings page, accessed by the green crab on the sidebar. You can see her new posts usually on Monday mornings starting next week. I'll start blogging once a week too. I've been praying about it and this is what feels right. I don't know why or for how long, so I'll just say, "until further notice." I don't want to give you fluff or to be a producer of fluff. I want this blog to be meaningful and valuable for both of us. I know I've been blessed for writing it, and I hope it's been a blessing to you to read it. We'll see what God has in mind in the coming days. I'm content to take it one post at a time and I hope you are too. I pray and I write, pray and write, pray and write. It's the best that I've got to give and I'm offering it to you.
My prayer for the week:
"Dear Heavenly Father, please bless me with charity-the pure love of Christ,
may it be the source of all I think, say and do."
Have a happy, peaceful week and I'll see you next Monday.
