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, Monday, January 6, 1941

Monday –

Have had a very nice day. Worked all morning after being awakened by the daily “wrong number” telephone ring. Had three very pleasant calls this afternoon. Helen Heflebower called to ask me to go sailing with her & Dick Dole (od Dole Pineapple) Sunday – I’m to go with a Pan American flier who has been around the world twice (wonder how he liked Arkansas?) & he has been dating an Hawaiian glamor gal, second only to Doris Duke Cromwell – sounds interesting.

Then we’re having dinner at the Pearl Harbor Yacht Club. Later Hope Toulon (Navy) called for a cocktail party the 18th & swimming at the DeRussy tomorrow morning.

Editor’s Note: Helen Helfebower (1922-1991) was the daughter of BG Roy C and Mayre Lawson) Heflebower. She married Julian Edward Thomas in 1941, who died July 19, 1945, near Tokyo Japan (“Lost over Kasumigaura when the wings broke off of his P-51 in a steep dive.”)`. She married Keith Fraughton August 15, 1946 and divorced. She married Charles Lee Stegman July 14, 1947 and divorced. She married Robert E. Lozier on June 16, 1949 and divorced. She married Walter I Peterson May 1, 1951and divorced. After a divorce in 1959, she married Drake Alvin Tarter in 1960

Climax: Max (I’m from Missouri) Pitney called for Saturday night. Nothing could please me more (except, maybe Westy). Tonight we had dinner at Ruger – then went oner to Diamond Head to watch Conopus (in the Args) come up from the southern horizon. So home, a little needlepoint & ready for bed.

Your letters today certainly gave my conscience a prick. I can’t even flee my reputation for laziness by coming to Hawaii. I talked to Aunt Susan about the violin, and she said she didn’t want to go against your wishes at all, but her idea was for me to do new things here (barring horseback riding) such as hula lessons (if you approve). And she says that I will need all the rest I can get with my night goings – to look fresh & young & sweet. Seriously, with buses & complications of going to the U. every day for practice & lessons it would take about three hours daily. And her idea is for me to go out all I can, and learn & do the things now that I haven’t had or can’t do at home. That is, she said, if you approve. (All this is positively A. Susan’s idea – with no duress from me to cause it – not denying, thot, that it’s my idea of Eden, right now)
I’m so glad Carol & Pink are so nicely settled in Memphis. When is grandmother going to N. Mex? And when is she staying with her sister there?

Is the “Parsonage Posies” a conventional name or inspired by the signs of the present?

Hope you are feeling better, Mother, -- take care of yourself. Wish you could share this marvelous place with me, somehow.

I’m declaring an official letter-writing day between Wed. & Sat – so will write Uncle Arthur, as you suggested.

Have a busy day tomorrow so had better skip to bed now –