Beginning on November 1, which is the date of my mother’s first letter from her Hawaii trip 84 years ago, I am serializing day by day, the book, Cecilia King’s Extraordinary Senior Trip, which you can obtain from Amazon in either Kindle or paperback.

I hope you enjoy the upcoming nine-months in Hawaii 1940-41. You can order the entire book from Amazon in either paperback or Kindle format, click here.

Honolulu, Tuesday, December 3, 1940
Tuesday night –

Only had an eight hour day (up at noon – bed at eight) so there’s little news. This afternoon remedied along with other alterations, a petticoat made for it & velvet ribbon replaced. Nosed into book counters to find my engagement & “jot diary” – that A. Susan said I said keep to remind me of conversational hints. Got a red & white fish net (I’ve been wearing the Boss’es because my big hats are positively no-go on the windy busses). And saw a very tempting red velvet bow, its knot a bunch of brilliants – attached to a comb to tick over my curls – ‘twould be perfect with the white and red taffeta. But my purse started growling about an empty stomach so I side stepped out the nearest door.

I’m fighting to save about $10.00 to adequately cover Aunt Susan’s flowers & U. Ed’s Christmas gum …..& it’s beginning to pinch.

Honolulu is now a mad rush of Christmas buyers & decorations. Over at the huge Hawaiian Elec. Co. is a big reindeer, marked “Prancer” and he wobbles his head & cocked eyes back and forth at the people for blocks around – and (maybe it’s neck trouble) jingles the bells with each nod. The Liberty House[1] is full of fir trees decorated in white and gold – almost as if incense were being burned – the green fir fragrance so drifts through the store.

The most amusing thing I think I saw today was the second floor of Liberty House – simply packed and jammed with sailors and soldiers around the lingerie, women’s evening apparel, and millinery and all clamoring to be waited on. About three women fighting for a place among all the white and khaki masculinity in the “Ladies Apparel.”

Coming home there were at least a hundred and fifty people on the bus built for forty – and thanks to a kindly Chinaman, I chanced to have a seat. Much better to have ten toes trod upon than to be nudged on every side from every angle – from Fort Street through King and to Waikiki!

Something rather pretty & unusual in several shops: woven straw mats for table doilies and ice tea glass holders to match.

Tonight at least fifty searchlights from all pots over the island corners – playing across the mountains and sea – crisscrossing through the low clouds and deep, clear, dark.

The wonderful refreshment of cool trade winds that seems to almost make life livable – and, best of all, knowing that the sea is just outside where I can see it every day and feel it.

In case you are interested – here is my daily schedule that has become practically routine by now. Up at the first loud ringer clatter – dress or not dress according to time, plans, & frame of mind – cook breakfast (bacon, toast & currant jelly, orange and lemon juice, shredded wheat with fruit & thick cream) – this I eat leisurely and digest with the continued mystery story, funnies, Walter Winchell & Fiddler columns of the morning paper. Next move – stack dishes, wash silver spoon, put the butter away. Then into the daily task of bed-making and bug killing in my own little room, behind the bamboo screen. By then it is noon – which I celebrate each day over a bowl of cold pineapple – fresh and very good. From there I settle down – either on one corner of the sofa with my feet on the chow bench[2] -- or on the beach to write all the notes I’ve never yet written. Afternoons occupations are usually optional – depending on my choice of crabs or humans for companionship. Five o’clock shower and dress --- hastily do up the evening paper crossword puzzle with several handfuls of peanuts. Then at dinner we complain of the heat if there is no wind, and grouse if there is a wind because it blows out the candles. Wonderful radio programs from 6 P.M. on, of lovely classical music. Evenings: Are yet to come. Then a bed-time attack on bugs – a letter to you from my own chow bench – and another “good night”---

P.S. Forgot a daily forehead-wrinkling-worry item between the last two lines – i.e. a counting of pennies spent, bills due, and tidal waves about to sweep me into bankruptcy – THEN so to bed – glad and yet afraid that tomorrow is another day.

Hope Toulon came over for a while (her mother is an old friend of A. Susan’s --- Navy) but I was down on the beach prying into crabs’ private lives so they found me down there – barefooted, and covered & windblown in frowsy checkered shorts. She was very nice – and invited me to go to the Army-Navy sorority dance Fri. nite with her party (that is, providing the fleet comes in and furnishes men for said group). She’s head mogul or something and it’s for charity – milk for puny Hawaiian chilluns. I’m hoping she’ll be an entre into the swimming crowd at DeRussy because she knows everyone around there. I also found out from her the best hula teacher here – she’s “graduating” at the “luau” next month. It’s a feast of the kings, held annually by the natives, & consists of ceremonially filling a hog with hot stones, sewing these up inside, & baking them all – his “co-consumed to be’s” are apples, bananas, salmon wrapped in tea leaves – under dirt cover. The accompaniment to all this is a glorious hula exhibition.

U. Ed & I made an initial tour of the Library tonight. I came home with an armful of books I’ve been waiting to read for ages – and a list at least 6 months long. Tonight’s crop are American satire and poetry. I’ve been nibbling at boring, uninteresting, suggested books ever since I’ve been here so felt not too guilty about splurging on a little of my own rather shallow, I suppose, but amusing choices such as Millay, Sandburg, Skinner & House.

I’ve just discovered something very uncomfortable but a marvelous idea! If I don’t have a chair sitting in the middle of my room to deposit all new and used clothing on as I take it off – I always hang them up carefully or pack neatly into drawers. So I keep the 1 corner chair covered with my knitting bag to discourage its use as a clothes rack. Result: conserves “pressing” energy and reduces “morning mares” of room cleaning. Now, all I need is a dirt-repellant fabric.

Speaking of chairs, these straight Chinse numbers scattered abroad in the house are absolutely unsittable and there are no substitutes except two in the living room & the “Boss’s” in the study – o I carry a little yellow clad feather pillow around and place it on the floor as my sitting convenience.

Well, I’m about ready to sign-in and turn the dark over to the bugs, howling dogs, and new mon. Will stick my nose into “The Nile” to get completely to sleep & so another day ---

Notes

[1] Liberty House, headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a department store and specialty store chain with locations throughout the Hawaiian Islands and on Guam, as well as several locations on the United States mainland.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_House_(department_store))

2 A low rectangular bench Chinese or Chinese style with carved sides.