Of boats and lei garlands

4 08 2024

Once again Kaneohe Yacht Club welcomed sailboats that made the sea journey from San Francisco in the Pacific Cup race that occurs in even-numbered years. In the last week of July, a land crew crafted lei garlands to present to the yachts when they arrived.

My friend Georgia Schmidt organized the effort of rounding up fresh plant material from gardens and the people to make the lei, each six feet long.

Here are some photos made by lei maker Lisa Leydon and me.

The basis of the lei is made of ti leaves, seen here stripped from the growing stalk, bundled and with stems trimmed off.
Song of Singapore leaves are popular paired with red ti. The plant material is fastened to a base of twine with 24 gauge paddle wire from the florist supply store. The style of lei making is “wili.”
Georgia models the long lei she made with ti and Song of India leaves.
Lisa at work
Joann is delighted with her creation.
Gwen made a ti leaf rose while Steve, below, helped out.
Azure, from Alameda, is decorated with several lei.
Here is Lucky Duck shortly after her welcome at Kaneohe.
Saga, of San Diego, and her island welcome.

Many, many thanks to everyone who helped with this volunteer project. Aloha nō!

Be well ~

Rebekah


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Red ti leaves in my garden

27 02 2024

Imagining a pretty border of reddish flowers in front of the old panax hedge in the garden, I went shopping to see what I could find. The plants I was attracted to required full sun that they wouldn’t get. Native plants would be iffy, requiring special care. The more we thought about it, my hubby and I decided to plant what we already had—red ti leaves.


Hawaiians generally prefer green leaves to the red ones because red represented “newcomer”, unlike “native”, I’m told.

But two women come every year for the red ones, and I am happy to donate.

Gwen comes only for the lāʻī, the leaves that she cleans thoroughly before they are fumigated at the State Dept. of Agriculture prior to the flight to Houston, Texas. She fashions lei for the horses in the Paniolo Parade there.

Kapua likes to cut whole stalks to decorate the stage at ʻIolani Palace for ʻOnipaʻa, an observance on January 17, the date Queen Liliʻuokalani was overthrown. How lucky that ti plants regrow their leaves readily after the stalk is cut.

So, that is what we will plant in front of the panax. Red ti!

Here is a photo by Gwendolyn Takeuchi of her lei with horse and rider representing Kauaʻi Island in the parade. Can you spot the red ti?

Fern White’s horse wears lei with red ti leaves. Feb. 2024. Houston, Texas. Lei by Gwendolyn Takeguchi.

Beautiful!

Be well.

~ Rebekah


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Categories : About me, Friends & Family, Hawaiian

Behold the wreath makers

16 12 2017

For many years now, about ten days before Christmas, I offer a wreath-making workshop for Kaneohe Yacht Club members, their guests, and my guests. Besides having a merry time with ti leaves and tropical flowers from the garden, it is a way for me to train and recruit lei makers for the summers when the Club hosts the arriving yachts in the Pacific Cub yacht race from San Francisco.

More than a dozen people came this morning, and as you can see from the photos, their designs are impressive. They were so tickled with their handiwork and having their pictures taken.

Fashioning fresh green wreaths for Christmas

Representatives of The Fleming Family: Bridget, Joan, and Leslie

Audrey Chang and Noma McLellan

Table decoration

Laurie Kim came with Bonnie Leong

April Nottage and Dana Nottage


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Green and healing

15 07 2011

The Transpac yacht race is nearing the finish line, and I’ll be delivering some boat lei today. But first I have to make them. One is 20 feet long! I gathered the lauae yesterday afternoon from my patch.

Lauae patch

This morning while it’s cool I’m picking the ti leaves. I’ll be putting the lei together all day long. The boats, racing from Los Angeles, finish at Diamond Head buoy and then cruise into Ala Wai Boat Harbor in Waikiki. The first boats have already finished, so I’d better get busy.

Then, tomorrow from 9 to 2 I’m giving Reiki sessions at the Kaneohe Yacht Club Green Market Day while DH, Miss Marvelous’s mom and family will be showing folks how to make a ti leaf lei. We’ll be in the longhouse.

Ti leaves. Easy to grow, and so many uses!

Ti leaves

Copyright 2011 Rebekah Luke

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Categories : Hawaiian, Reiki Healing, Travel

Peace begins with me

14 03 2010

Already the middle of March and approaching the equinox! Good fortune has indeed gathered at the front door since the lunar year began.

My fortunes include a potential gallery venue to show my paintings this year, freelance copy editing and proofreading income, and an extra green trash can from a neighbor for our garden trimmings, just when I wished for them!

I checked in with Oprah and enjoyed a couple of her interviews with Thich Nhat Hanh that you might like too. Here are the links:

oprah.com/spirit/Oprah-Talks-To-Thich-Nhat-Hanh

oprah.com/spirit/A-Conversation-with-Thich-Nhat-Hanh-About-Savor

What else is new in this light?

I am reading Jamling Tenzing Norgay’s book Touching My Father’s Soul, on loan from another good neighbor who has trekked in Nepal. He promises I’ll like it — the book (agreed) and the trekking (if only . . . now that’s what I call a goal!). You may click on the title to read some reviews.

Our granddaughter, who comes to the studio several times a week now when her parents are away at work, turned 10 months, and she’s so tickled to walk on her own. Look out, world! I find myself reflecting on my toddlerhood — yes, I can remember all they way back to then — and appreciate all the more the extended family, uncle, aunt, and neighbors, who took care of me.

Which brings to mind a new meditation I’m doing. It’s called “Installing Inner Game” by Devon White. You may check it out at this website: www.gogratitude.org/devon. It requires T-O-T, time on task. So far I have listened to the 70-minute audio message and read the manual one time each. Although I’ve just started this program, my guess is that it helps take you all the way back to who you were in the beginning, as well as all the way forward in terms of becoming and being at your best to fulfill your life’s purpose. How cool is that?! We all need healing every day.

So not only good fortune, but peace at the front door as well. Thank you!

Tropical Hawaiian Ti Plants

Here’s a painting of tropical Hawaiian ti plants I finished on location this week, just as a sudden downpour drenched everything and left me in a puddle.

Copyright 2010 Rebekah Luke

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Categories : About me, Fine Art, Hawaiian