Honolulu, Thursday, November 14, 1940
Thursday night

Went to sleep on that last line so will try to pick up where I started dreaming.

Aunt Susan is just wonderful – she gets so much pleasure & shares it – from funny little things such as the mailbox lizard whose tail she snapped off accidentally in closing the box – now he’s very insulted and suspicious of us all.

There are little settlements built along all up the mountainside –at night they look like sparkling dots hung or suspended from the sky – standing looking directly below on Diamond Head Drive is the beach and sea – on the other side is an abrupt mountainside of the volcano made range.

In town today we went into several Japanese shops looking at silks, brocades  etc. One shop has been especially erected to handle one thing – a shipment of fine brocades & silks exported from Japan. Hese goods were made for the native Japanese people and strictly in native taste & design for domestic use. But their government wants the wealth of the Japs in the state instead of in fine materials so has ordered all this exported. Everyone seems to think they will have quite a historic standing later. And the materials are just gorgeous – solid colors with metal woven figures – blended shades – figured weaves. Many hundred rolls of Kimono cloth material in narrow widths (about 14 in.) & then bolts of the wider – saw several finished coats & wraps, bags, shoes to match & they are a dream! The narrow widths are from $6 up and the others from $50.00 up.

A little moisture falls every day (called rain by the orthodox) but in Hawaii it’s “liquid sunshine.” And it really is that – right through the sun beams a very misty sort of moisture – rather pleasant.

Tonite after dinner Uncle Ed & I went marketing to a little Chinese grocery (gen. merchandise) store. Like our gardener, Mike, the owner is a little stooped man in the “toe-strap) sandals– we bought some native fruit, papaya & eggs (60 cents a dozen for the large size ones.

Aunt Susan has started me a date book – the Kehart’s calling tomorrow night and I am to play paddle tennis with a Mrs. Bebragh Saturday at the DeRussy officers beach & playground – we met her on the bus coming home today. Horse show at the Shafter Sunday. The Col. Edgar Kings think & say thusly – I learn to play bridge right away and begin learning golf as soon as possible. My clothes are very good “for a start” says Mrs. king but she is planning more play clothes, formal dresses, and has even been keeping notes for months on clothes that she has seen & thinks I will need. So I sit and shudder with only the Uncle Arthur precious gift in my money bag.

We’ve devised an ingenious plan for washing my hair in the shower – with stools & wash tubs -- since I got the figure on a shampoo & set -- $3.00, manicure $1.75.

Everything is so open and informal here that we have only bamboo screens before the doors.

Made some jots on a notebook while in the dentist office waiting today & will enclose them.

Had lunch at the air conditioned Young Hotel in town – chicken salad & was warned to eat no pork at island restaurants.
Saw old royal place today – is of native coral -- & King Kamehameha statue – he’s given a new vestment on each annual celebration of his birth of black paint (the robe, not his birth) – lovely lawn and garden around palace – bandstand.

Everything is so different here from Sheridan. No set plan of house routine – no bother or fuss or precision – the call for the maid at dinner is hitting of the pitcher spoons (only table ware out) against a glass. It seems that Uncle Ed mistook a bright green typewriter table for a ladys’ dressing table – but – so what? It slides right into my room anyway with some jokes to christen its arrival. Aunt Susan cheerfully tackles the six inch scorpions with a wood saw and waters the curb & does the weeding in slacks and play shoes.

Will say goodnight now & try to get this off on the Matsonia as it sails tomorrow.

Love, Cecilia

I try to remember to tell you the interesting things & unusual but it seems to wind into pages of nothing but broken thoughts. If you get tired of reading this “thought recording” say so ---because my pen just seems to wander along with scattered recollections & impressions –

Editors Note:
In 1966, 26 years after this was written, I was in Honolulu in a summer job with the National Park service, Historic American Buildings Survey, where I was assigned to measure and draw the Iolani Place bandstand. The drawing can be accessed through the Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=Drawing:%20hi0045&fi=number&op=PHRASE&va=exact&co%20=hh&st=gallery&sg%20=%20true)