Current mood: chipper
Hi Everyone,

It was Mark Twain who in 1889, described his memories of the smell of Hawaii like this: "...I can feel the spirit of its woodland solitudes, I can hear the plash of its brooks; in my nostrils still lives the breath of flowers that perished twenty years ago."

Yes!

I can tell you for a fact that smell still exists. And it is the smell of Hawaii, that island of crushed flowers.

And I have it in a bag.

My friend Sherry just returned from a week in Maui and to thank me for endless phone calls asking me for diections to the Olivine Pools and the best restaurant on the island, the Halii Maile General Store (no hardship taking these calls, let me tell you) this morning she drove by with the most wonderful gift she could have given me: a fresh flower lei.

Knowing my love of Queen Lili’uokalani, last reigning monarch of the islands (deposed by US forces in this nation’s first ever staged coup on a sovereign nation. And guess what, we’re still pulling the same crap today!!) she gave me the most goregeous crown flower lei. Crown flowers were the Queen’s favorite.

"Open the bag," Sherry said.    

I opened it and my heart soared.

"That’s the smell of Hawaii, isn’t it?" She grinned. "As soon as I walked into the hotel, that smell was there. You know you’re in Hawaii."

I was too busy snuffling at the plastic bag to answer. And I hadn’t even opened the lei box yet. I think Sherry needs to market Hawaii in a Bag. For those of us who are Hawaiian or HaH (Hawaiian at Heart), it is the gift of Aloha.

Since I am working on yet another Hawaiian story of erotic love, this has given me deep inspiration. Now, if only I can get my head out of this plastic bag....

Aloha oe,

A.J.