I've Finally Found a Barber

So I've finally found a barber in Ewa Beach.  Up until now I've gone to Fantastic Sam's or Supercuts but haven't really liked them.  Besides being outrageously expensive and them never cutting my hair the way I wanted, I always felt that I just didn't belong.  I think it was the Hawaiian, haole thing.  The barbershop is Teddy's Barbershop in Ewa Beach.  Don't try liking him on Facebook.  You won't find him.  I've seen the shop a couple of times when we have gone to the beach at the end of Fort Weaver Road.  Of course, you have to keep your eyes peeled for it.  There is a small sign above the door and the barber pole is nearly hidden by the papaya tree.  I've intended to stop by and see if it were really a barbershop.  I guess it was the fact that it had a papaya tree growing in the front and that it looked like someone's personal residence that has make me doubt.

I guess that is one of the things that caught my eye.  It looked rather homey.  For the longest time, years in fact, I have gravitated to people who would cut my hair in their homes.  I think I started this habit when we first moved to La Habra, California back in 1988.  I have had such great hair stylists, usually from the ward.  I have greatly appreciated each one.

Anyway, I walked up to the gate just in front of the door and called in as I opened it to go in.  I wanted to make sure that it was indeed a shop and I wasn't walking into someone's front room.  Sure enough, Teddy was in the shop waiting for his next customer.  I'm guessing Teddy, a Hawaiian of Philipino decent, was was in his eighties.  I'm guessing that because on the mirror in front of the only station in the room was a stencil that said, "In loving memory of Marina Pascual Tobias, Sept 1929 to July 2006".  If that were his wife and they were about the same age, that would put him in his eighties. 

The building was of older Hawaiian construction, post and beam but the inside had paneling rather than being exposed to the outer sheeting.  The paneling was applied with screws and 16D nails.  The lower jalousies were open which was a good thing because there was no air conditioning to cool the room off and the uppers only let light in.  I don't think people clean them much here.  The flooring was peel and stick orange tiles with an octagonal pattern but it fit the decor of the rest of the room.

I think I 'm getting used to living here in Hawaii.  A lizard ran past us as I was in the chair.  That is feeling rather normal now.  On Sunday, a lizard ran across the clerk office wall at church and from time to time they run across the wall at home.  Doesn't everyone live that way, with lizards and all being part of the family?  I guess I'm not willing to close up the house.  The trade winds are so effective at keeping things cool and often out of doors living is indistinguishable from the in doors living.  It just all feels very Hawaiian.

So I told Teddy that I wanted a quarter inch left on the sides and an inch on the top.  I guess I was going for the Caesar look.  He then came around the chair and said, "It looks like you are going for the way my hair grows, from the top down."  You see, Teddy to is bald on the top.  I guess he thought to make that observation because I haven't shaved today and I don't have much hair left on the top.  So he was right.  My hair is growing down towards the bottom of my face from the top where it used to grow.  You know I have been itching to grow my beard again.  Maybe it's time to start.

I could tell that when Teddy started cutting my hair he was being conservative.  He didn't have at it like the barbers did when I went to basic training in the Army.  He started at the bottom with one set up clippers and worked his way up before he changed to another set of clippers.  I could tell that he didn't quite have the vision of what I had in mind.  I guess he was being a bit conservative.  It is easier for the customer to say take more off instead of trying to glue it back on.  I almost told him to go for broke but another customer, a local, came in.  I didn't feel like having him keep cutting.

He brought out the straight razor and cleaned up my sideburns, ears, and neckline.  He wiped off the shaving cream and rubbed in Barbasol shaving lotion.  I've decided there is nothing that makes you feel so manly as to have a barber shave your neck and rub you down with aftershave.  It smells so good.  He finished up by dusting me with powder.  He pulled out a brush that looked like a painter's brush but it had nice and soft bristles.

So much of Hawaii feels like it is caught in the sixties or seventies.  I was pleased to only pay $10.00.  Well, maybe that price was more like the eighties.  Never the less I was very pleased to pay only $10.00.  It was worth that much and every bit more.  You know maybe I will grow my beard again.  I've finally found a barber who can help me keep it groomed and not cause me to break the bank.  I walked away feeling very satisfied that I found someone I could trust and I hoped could be my Hawaiian barber friend.

Happiness is being a Grandpa

I don't know how to start this blog other than saying that happiness is being a grandpa. I could give you a travel log of my trip but that would be rather mundane. I could wax rather profound but ... well, I might just do that anyway. I know that the folks at home would rather I just get on with it and post pictures. After all, pictures is what they want. The picture to the left is Milo dress up in his blessing outfit. His mom sewed the vest, Grandpa Sappington found the tie and couldn't resist getting it, and the pants were from the white tux that Grandpa Allred and Milo's rockin' Aunt Deborah found in a bridal shop. He looked absolutely handsome and extremely smart if you ask me.

He was such a good boy when he was being blessed. He was very quiet and just looked at everyone in the circle. I'm afraid that I was so focused on Milo that I barely heard a work his father said. I will just have to read the notes that Grandma Shipman wrote down.

My brother, Richard, and his wife, Barbara, came up from Draper. It was very much appreciated that they came up to share a wonderful time in our lives. They have always come through and I can always count on them.

Poor Milo had to put up with picture taking all day long. In the morning before church, we took pictures of him in the outfit that he was blessed in as well as pictures of the white tux that Grandma Allred and Aunt Deborah sent out with me. In the afternoon after church, there was another round of pictures. This time he had to put up with the group photos in all possible combinations. I guess this is great training for when he gets married and has to endure the wedding photos. I'm sure if Milo knew about the paparazzi he would have felt like he were a celebrity.

Milo didn't care too much for having change from one outfit to the next just so we could get a photo but I promised Grandma Allred some good photos of him in the white tux. I guess it is a guy thing. We don't like to be messed with and we don't like to change from one outfit to the other for no reason.

He ended up happy after all even though he was changed once again into the outfit that he went to church in.


And so we end the day with photos of Shipman Family with Grandma Shipman











And another photo with Grandpa Allred.

Believe it or not, the room was filled with family. We just didn't get any photos of the whole group. I'm sure Milo was happy that we didn't take more photos.




So one last thought. I don't know that I understand what it is to be a grandfather or what they do. Check back with me in a few. I can tell you what the differences and similarities of being a father vs a grandfather. A grandfather can look back and remember. Like a father a grandfather looks forward with dreams for the future.

A Time to Reflect on Terrorism and Life

Today is a day to reflect on terrorism, our war on terrorism and our respect for life. Last night when I heard that Osama Bin Laden was killed, I was grateful that at last our country had accomplished a key security objective. We had finally got the man responsible for the thousands of American deaths within the boundaries of our country's borders.

In contrast, I was a little distressed in the jubilation shown in the news reports of people celebrating Bin Laden's death. Don't get me wrong; Bin Laden was an evil man and deserved to be captured, tried, and punished for the crimes he committed. Unfortunately he did not allow himself to be captured but chose to be killed instead.

This experience made me remember the summer of 1987. Pierre Dale Selby was executed for the HiFi Murders in Ogden, Utah. I remember feeling that the execution not only was necessary but that it was also our darkest obligation to society. There is nothing to be joyful of or to celebrate. We owed it to the concepts of justice that we punished those who committed unspeakable crimes against society. How can we find joy in the loss of any life who has not lived it well.

Life is too sacred. We are to reverence it. To celebrate an execution or the death of a murderer such as Bin Laden is to offend the inherent divinity that each human possesses. It is to move us closer to the evil of those like Bin Laden, those who deny the divinity of the community of mankind.

So let us continue to pursue the evil extremists who have fought against us. Let us capture or kill those who merit justice. I hope that we are able to gather more evidence to identify them. I hope we find and punish all who deserve it. I also hope we show them respect so that we maintain that which makes us more like the people we are destined to be.

Green Acres is the Place for Me!

I have been trying for several years to get a garden plot in one of Columbia's community gardens. This year with a stroke of luck I got one. Several weeks ago I stopped by the West Side Garden to see if I could find the manager or at least find someone who could give me information. I found found Llewellyn Richardson, a wonderful man for the West Indies. He was so happy to get me in contact with the garden manager. I gave him my phone number so he could call me with the manager's contact information. Later that day he called me and gave me her email. He checked back with me the next couple of days to see if I had tried to contact her and to see if she had contacted me. To make a long story short, Joanne, the manager, put me on the waiting list and Sunday my number finally came and I was able to pick out a plot.

The plot I chose was in the middle of the gardens away from the tree line. It also had a fence around it. Joanne told me that that plot was prone to flooding. I chose it anyway because it fit my criteria, I wouldn't have to spend a lot of money putting up a fence and since it was in the middle garden plots it would be less prone to deer. Joanne did tell that much of the fence had to be replaced because it was unacceptable. It was the plastic 1" mesh and some of it was blue to boot. For some reason, that was not okay. She said that the animals get caught in the plastic. The 1"x2" wire mesh was okay. How is it that the animals get caught in the plastic and not the metal when the mesh size is about the same size? The little bit of chicken wire is definitely out. It doesn't look good she said. All this reinforces the feeling that I don't belong in Columbia. I don't understand why someone else can decide what looks good and that that is the way everything should be. I happen to like chicken wire and free plastic fences. Don't even get me started on the organic gardening comments I got. I didn't know that my plants knew the difference between fertilizer that came from a big box store or one that came from compost. You know Columbia is a very educated area. I guess all that education trickles down to the plants too.

Monday Susan and I went over to the homestead to clear the land and get it ready for planting. We raked, we weeded, we hauled garbage to the trashbin. By the time we had to go, the garden plot was something we could be proud of. It just needed to have the soil turned and tilled. Susan was able to start turning the soil. It was soft and easy to work. We were both pleased that there was an abundance of worms.

Tuesday I stopped by after work to continue turning soil. To my surprise, I discovered Llewellyn had plots on the two sides of ours.

He gave me pointer on how to turn soil with my garden fork. It was just the way Susan was doing it. She is a natural gardener. Llewellyn also told me that I shouldn't have problems with flooding in my plot if I mounded the rows and dug furrows. Tuesday evening Susan's visiting teacher brought over a Mantis tiller to use.

Wednesday I continued turning the soil until it started to rain. There were so many worms in the soil. Tressa would be proud. I was itchy to try the Mantis tiller that Susan's visiting teacher loaned us. I had to got a couple of wing nuts and bolts, gas, and two cycle oil. I wasn't sure that it was going to start but sure enough it started right up. By that time, the rain had stopped and I went back to try the tiller out. Fortunately the soil wasn't too wet. I got half of the plot tilled. The soil looked beautiful. The Mantis made the soil look like sifted flour. Yes, I was disturbing the worms by giving them a twirl around the tiller blades. I rationalized that I was helping them reproduce by cutting them up.

Thursday I continued forking the plot. I almost finished.

Eldon got home from Provo Thursday morning at about 2:30 AM. Little did he know that he was going to help.

I learned something on Thursday evening. Let me start by saying I have been meeting the other gardeners at West Side Gardens. I have already told you about Llewellyn. There is Judy and Lee on the other side of our plot. I met Sue and Ginney who have plots two sections away from us. A better name for Sue would be Carbon Footprint Sue. As Eldon was finishing us turning the soil in the plot, I went over to say hello. They asked me how I liked my Mantis. They made sure I knew that I was destroying the soil microstructure, adding to the carbon foot print by tilling, and killing all the earth worms. I walked away horrified. I was afraid they were going to report me to PETA for worm homicide. Then the real terror set in. I realized that my daughter was the Secretary of the Worm Concern Association. How was I going to explain my evil deed to her?

Friday, Eldon and I went and started planting. We got the cabbage, brussel sprouts, and bell peppers in.

Saturday I hauled the compost that we have been making in the back yard over and covered the hills to keep the moisture in and block the weeds seeds from sprouting. I tilled the darkest compost into the soil. Joanne would be so proud of me. I actually used some concepts of organic gardening. I finished the day by planting a half row of peas, two hills of squash, lettace, and carrots. I went home content with the work that we have completed this week and that the compost I had taken over had worms in it. I also noticed that some of the native worms survived their spin in the tiller. The WormConASec will be relieved.

The Voyage is Over

Today I got home from my trip out west. I am glad to be home. The conference that took me away from home was well worth the effort.

Thursday the conference got over at noon. One of my coworkers was worried about getting to the airport by herself Friday afternoon so she and I made a dry run to the airport. I guess she was a little nervous since when she got in it took her four hours to get from the airport to her hotel. It should have taken her 30 minutes max.

After I got back form the airport, I went over to look for Susan's nephew who works in one of the casinos. However, when I got there I was told he was training and would be back for another week. I had hoped to get a chance to see him.

I decided I had time to go do a session at the Mesa Temple. On the way, I stopped at a nursery I had passed by all week on my way to my conference. I wanted to see if I could learn what some of the plants were I had seen in some of the landscaping the the conference.

When I got to the temple, I was getting a bit hungry. I thought I would see if there was a cafeteria at the temple where I could eat. I was pleased that there still is one.

I enjoyed very much having the opportunity of going to the temple. It made me remember the members I worked with on my mission and the sacrifices they made to go to the temple in Mesa. I remembered how Sister Gutierrez, the wife of the mission doctor, talked about what a wonderful experience it was for her and her family when they traveled from Mexico City to Mesa to go to the temple. She was so grateful for the opportunity receive their temple blessing. I another sister who was the ward Relief Society president who tatted many doilies to earn money for her family to make the expensive trip from the Mexico City suburb of Aragon. I bought two from her and sent one to Mom and Grandma Spendlove.

Now instead of having to travel to Mexico the members in Mexico have twelve temples. Two of the cities I worked in have temples, Mexico City and Tampico.

After I got out of the temple, I was able to get in touch with Dorothy, a coworker who left Maryland and return home to Arizona. Thu and I met Dorothy, her grandson Andreas, and her niece Sherrie for dinner.

Yesterday I returned home. It was great to finally be home. I loved seeing family and the conference was worth while.

Mesa Temple

This week I flew to Scottsdale. I took the opportunity to drive the Mesa Temple. Below are photos.

Thoughts on the Draper Temple Open House

Saturday started early. We spent the morning talking about stories from family history. There were so many stories related that I can hardly remember even one of them. I will endeavor to write them in the coming months as I have felt the need to write my parents history.

About 1:00 pm, we headed over to the Draper Temple open house. As expected, it was beautiful. The tour started in the wedding waiting room. We went to the instruction room where we saw a 12 minute video on the purpose of temples and the history of the church in Draper. We proceeded to the baptistry. The sister who presented the video mentioned that there are compass motifs in the baptistry and through out the temple. In fact, the oxen are standing on a dial of a compass.

We do baptisms for the dead because it is a necessary ordinance in order to enter into the Kingdom of God. As many inhabitants of the earth have not had the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ or to receive baptism in His church, baptism for the dead is necessary for the salvation of mankind in the God’s kingdom.

We then moved on through the locker rooms, past the instruction rooms, and made our way through the ordinance rooms where the endowment is presented. It appears to me that this temple will have two sets of ordinance rooms and that endowment will unfold in two rooms. The first with beautiful murals of woods and mountains will depict the creation of the world, the Garden of Eden, and the Telestial Kingdom. The next room will depict the Terrestrial Kingdom. It was done in off white colors. The drapery leading to the temple veil was a forest green. We then went into the Celestial Room. This was a most spectacular room. The room was from twenty to thirty foot square and about fifty feet high. A massive crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling. This room reminds us of the potential we have as children of God and the peace we will have when we enter back to His presence.

While baptism is necessary to enter into the Kingdom of God, the endowment is necessary to understand the purpose for coming to earth and to understand the nature of God and our relationship to Him as well as what we need to know to reenter into His presence. Just as an endowment at a university is a gift of money, the endowment in the temple is a gift but of knowledge of God and His power. The endowment starts with the creation of the earth and the condition in which Adam and Eve found themselves when they were in the placed in the Garden of Eden.

The endowment explains the fall of man when Eve and then Adam partook of the fruit of knowledge of good and evil and why the fall was necessary for the progression of Adam and Eve, for them to have children, and thus for the creation of mankind. Because of the fall, mankind became ineligible and unworthy to enter back into the presence of God. As a result of the fall, God presented the plan to send Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, to make us eligible to return to Him and be forgiven of our sins. To be eligible, we must follow Him, pray to the Father, and sacrifice all we have been given to Him. We are taught how to pray and what we need to know to enter back into the presence of God. We are then allowed to enter into the presence of God as we enter into the Celestial Room.

The endowment is an ennobling experience and is beautiful. It is through the endowment as weel as the other ordinances of the temple that we learn what we need to become as our Father in heaven and achieve our full potential.

We reverence what we learn in the endowment by not discussing the specifics of the ordinances outside of the temple. We do on the other hand invite all to attend the temple and participate the ordinances found there. That is the reason we as a church work so hard to preach the gospel and nurture members of the church so they can enter the temple to receive these ordinances.

The next room we saw was one of the ceiling rooms. We filed into the room and sat down. The rooms were like all the other rooms in the temple, simply beautiful. Like the Celestial Room it was done in shades of white. The room was about 30 by 30 feet and about 30 feet tall. There was a crystal chandelier above the alter. There were beautiful mirrors facing each other on both wall opposite the alter much like the one in the Celestial Room but smaller. The mirrors reflect off each other and help us imagine eternity. I reflected that the feeling I felt was much like the feeling I had when I attended each of Richard and Barbara’s children’s temple weddings. The feeling was of complete joy and peace.

How grateful I am of the promises we receive as we marry in the temple. The promise that the familial relationships will continue through eternity; that the love we share one for another will not end.

The tour then made its way to the recommend area or the lobby of the temple. Because Linda and I had taken our time going through many of the rooms, Jan and Richard were ahead of us. I took my time because I wanted to drink in the architecture of the temple. I tried to understand what the designers intended as the temple was designed. When we got to the recommend area, Jan and Richard were seated and waiting for us. We joined them in the conversation as they talked about the purpose of the temple and the Plan of Salvation. Richard explained how after this life if we have not received our temple ordinances that when we go to the spirit world we will be assigned to the spirit prison until we hear the gospel and the temple ordinances are performed on our behalf. I so appreciated hearing Richard talk. As we were growing up, he was the example of our family. He was the priesthood holder who blessed us in many ways. For me, this was one of the sweet moments of the day.We left the temple and went to the stake center across the parking lot and had some refreshments. Richard picked us up in the car and we went back to Richard’s where we met up with Barbara.

We spent the afternoon and then met Mark and Elizabeth at Fong restaurant for dinner.
After dinner we returned to Richard and Barbara’s, to watch the infamous wedding videos of me giving Andy and Ashlee advice. The shot is of me, Elizabeth, and Mark. I was waxing long in my advice. I was giving what I thought was very deep wise advise. You can see Elizabeth looking around waiting for me to finish looking at little bit board. Elizabeth then gives her advise that she should listen to everyone’s advise and then do what in the hell you please. I guess the funniest part is hearing Richard give the introduction to the video segment and then the blow by blow comments. While on the surface one would guess that Elizabeth’s comment stole my thunder, I think it has been played so many times that I would bet that Andy and Ashlee will remember what I said. For that, I thank Elizabeth for helping get my segment played so many times.
We then saw the photos that Richard had scanned of my parents and the early years of our family. We left for Mark and Elizabeth’s place around 9:10 pm.
Sunday morning Mark and I went to the Priesthood Leadership Session of their stake conference. I enjoyed the session very much.

During the general session of the conference their stake president was released.

After conference, we went home, Elizabeth made dinner, then she did studying while I read emails.

Later in the evening we went back to Richard and Barbara’s. Austin and Meagan were there and we had a chance to visit and get to know their two kids, Houston and Taryn. Kelton, Adam and Aubrey’s boy, was also there and we got a chance to see him. Not long after they left Andy and Ashlee came over. They didn’t want their picture taken. So in exchange they promised to come and visit us in Maryland next year.

I am grateful to my cousin Linda for arranging this trip that has been filled with many happy moments. She invited Jan to come for the temple open house and then encouraged me to come. I was fortunate that I could time this in conjunction with the IMAPS conference in Scottsdale. Much good has come out of her efforts.