​     We've transitioned to Oahu, and it was not easy because we're sharing our little Mango Shack with Jake and Harald.  We finally settled in after lots and lots of work.  Jake and Harold got COVID just before we arrived, so they could not help.  They managed to get themselves moved from their place in Honolulu and had a lot more than they realized.  They ended up buying shelves for the store room and stacking many things and still ran out of room.  Remember, our little house in Waianae is tiny, and it really is a shack!  While it has two bedrooms and a third made into an office, a living area, a dining area, and a kitchen, it lacks storage and all of the amenities that more modern homes provide.  In fact, locals call this little house a Plantation House.  Hawaii Plantation Style Homes are a style of architecture tracing back to the first half of the twentieth century.  They are small but charming and similar to those called bungalow-style homes on the mainland.  Ours was built in 1917, and we're doing everything we can just keep it standing!  After we arrived, we found things stacked in every room, and the guys were both in bed sniffling and whining.  Steve and I hit the ground running the following day.  I may have mentioned in an earlier blog that our catalytic converter was stolen from the Prius while we were away, so Steve had to replace that along with everything else.  The thieves also tried to take the converter from the Sonata.  They managed to make two cuts but didn't retrieve the catalytic because our neighbors caught them and called the police.  Getting a catalytic converter on the island of Oahu is impossible, so we brought one from Washington State on the plane.  So the first thing Steve did was replace the catalytic converter on the Prius.  That took a couple days, and then we had the connectors on the Sonata welded.  The next thing to do was to enclose an area I use for a clothesline and turn it into a closet and storage space for some of the tons of stuff the guys have and want to keep.  That was a tremendous job, especially hanging the door, but Steve can do anything, and he got it done.  The next order of business was finding a space for everything and putting everything in its place.  At this point, the guys are still sick, and Steve and I are doing all the work even though we're nearly 100 years old, but we survived.  As if we didn't have enough to do, Steve also bought a ceiling fan yesterday and is installing that, as I write.  Things are shaping up now, so we are going to be able to do some resting.  As an aside, when we arrived, we discovered ten chicks and a hen living in our yard.  We have no idea how long the hen sat on eggs, and have no intention of growing anymore, so now we've got to figure out what to do.  Of course, it's good because they gobble up bugs, but we don't want eleven grown chickens hanging out in our yard.  That's what will happen in the end.  Also, if any of them are roosters, they'll be stalked by neighborhood boys who use them for some reason.  I really hate to think why but I can guess.  As this is a blog about keto, I need to mention the perfect keto food in Waianae called lau lau.  We bought some on Friday from our friend Marsha, and it was delicious as usual!  I'm looking forward to getting back on track and moving in the right direction.  That means my weight is going down.  I'll give you an update next week.

     We will be leaving Birch Bay tomorrow morning.  It is hard to believe that the Summer is already over, but it is.  The leaves are turning, and the days are cooler.  The bay is choppy, and the boats still moored are bobbing around and looking as if they want to come in out of the cold water.  We are taking all of the crab with us to Hawaii.  We will give most of it to our Hawaiian friends.  They always look forward to our return, particularly because of the crab.  Hawaii will be slightly different this year because we are sharing our little Mango Shack with Harald and Jake.  I'm sure we will do just fine together, but I am used to having things just so, and they are definitely not as particular.  I will have to do some adjusting.  Like my grandfather used to say,  "You can't teach an old dog new tricks," but I will try to learn a few, especially the one where I keep my mouth shut.  I am discouraged because I have gained weight.  Throughout this diet, I have comforted myself that although I am not losing weight quickly, at least I am not gaining it.  However, now that has changed.  I have gained, and I am going to have to restrict myself.  I know what I did to myself.  Rather than being strictly keto, I added jam in wraps.  They were delicious but messed up the keto balance.  I cannot do that even though I enjoyed it.  Now I am facing my mistakes, and I will have to get myself going again.  I started keto one year ago.  I have not regained the weight I lost, but I have not continued to lose, and I'm starting to creep upward.  This will never do!  So today, one year later, I am recommitting myself to keto, and I intend to be back on track to provide a really good report next week.  By then, I will be back in Waianae and doing my daily walk along Pokai Bay and attending to my exercising at 24-hour fitness with the addition of water walking.  Jacob bought an exercise cycle and will show me how to use it effectively.  That's probably an excellent idea, so I will add cycling to my exercise regimen.  I wish losing weight was easy, but it is not.  I wish gaining weight was not easy, but for me, it is.  Ultimately, I must stay committed and keep working until I reach my goal.

​    Another fantastic week passed, and we enjoyed more food, fun, and friends.  We shared several more crab feasts and pulled out much more crab than we needed for ourselves.  Consequently, as of today, several more packages are heading out filled with crab.  One package is on its way to the San Francisco area, and the other is heading to Michigan.  It is so great to be able to share this plunder!  Also, I am making all things I can with green tomatoes.  At this point, it is evident that many of our tomatoes will not ripen, so I made several recipes using them.  They are just delicious.  One of them is called crustless green tomato quiche, which is delectable.  I also intend to use everything in our fridge instead of buying anything else.  If we run out of food, we will hop across the border for delicious meals in White Rock and Surrey, British Columbia.  We might be getting out of Birch Bay just in time.  The atmosphere is filling with smoke from area fires, particularly wildfires that started in Canada.  It is almost impossible to avoid the smoke when these wildfires occur, so I am happy we will be heading out for the worst of it.  We look forward to arriving in Waianae and hanging out with our sons and Hawaiian friends.  Steve is already looking forward to pier fishing and hopes that some of his fishing companions are still around.  It is hard to know for sure that they will be because some of them are homeless and living on the beach.  Life is hard for them, and we feel very sorry, but there is virtually nothing we can do except provide friendship and occasional food stores.  However, the problem of homelessness, particularly among native Hawaiians, is a huge issue that definitely needs solving.  Housing is incredibly expensive on Oahu, and they have no hope of ever purchasing a home.  Some programs pretend to help native Hawaiians put a roof over their heads, but the home will never belong to them, and the pretense instills a feeling of hopelessness that is difficult to overcome.  There is much resentment among these people, and I do not blame them.  We are so grateful to have our little piece of land that our Mango Shack rests on, and we can enjoy our visits to Hawaii without worrying about anything.  We are grateful for everything we have managed to acquire and hope we will be able to continue to live in Washington and Hawaii for a long time.

    The cataract surgery went well, and now I have excellent vision in both eyes.  What a difference it makes!  I am thrilled I decided to get lenses that improve my distance and close-up sight.  It cost me but was well worth it.  Steve and I played golf together several days ago, and now I see where my ball lands.  We will try to play several more times before we leave.  It is hard to believe that the trees are already signaling autumn, and we are on the downhill slope of Summer.  We are about to head out to Hawaii again soon.  It's going to be great to get there, but as always, it's pretty sad when summer ends in Birch Bay.  We had a wonderful Labor Day weekend with family and friends.  It was a little disappointing because we were expecting to be able to visit Bethany and her sweet little family.  However, just before they were ready to head out, they all got some terrible virus and had to cancel.  Although we were disappointed, Ken and Trudie still came, and we had a great weekend together.  It was great fun, primarily because we celebrated Ken's birthday, and I think he appreciated that.  Our friends from Canada visited last night and joined us for cake and mango cream.  Of course, I abstained.  I was okay because I had already eaten a small piece of the cake the night before.  So yes, I did cheat, but I did not jump off a cliff, and I have not gone too far.  I am still losing weight in tiny bits and am happy about that.  I have not done any gaining, and I will keep losing until I get to my goal weight.  It is interesting because I began this blog almost a year ago, on September 27th.  Keeping up with it and blogging about my successes and failures helps me.  Something about journaling promotes thinking through issues I have encountered that is enlightening.  I'm also staying interested in life.  As I mentioned last week, I've begun creating a complete course exploring slavery in the United States of America.  This is taking much thought and much effort as well as research.  I am creating daily lessons that go with the textbook I am writing.  The research helps with my understanding of how different the slave system in the United States was from the rest of the world and how racism emerged to justify the institution.  It has given me a comprehensive understanding of critical race theory and how it permeates American institutions particularly legal and economic institutions.  The research I am doing right now is timely because there is a real need to get some factual lessons out there for those interested in looking at the truth.  Truth right now is lacking, so this is my small contribution to the universe.  Honesty about the devastating impact of slavery and racism is essential if our nation is ever going to heal.  Last week, I mentioned in my blog that we are starting to gather our fall cuisine.  I added several zucchini dishes to our menu and will now begin using the available green tomatoes.  I'll be sharing some of those recipes again.  Also, Stevie is still doing well, thank God.  We hope to get together with him, Stef, and her family in November.  We might all meet in Las Vegas because it is a central location.  Everyone can get there without it eating up a lot of time or money.  It will be interesting to see how everything works out because it will be our first time trying it.  We are planning to see Cirque du Soleil Beatles show.  However, that is a long way away.  In the meantime, we still have crab to catch and people to feed.  What fun!