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.

Saturday, February 1, 1941

Saturday Morning –

Up early today – and it’s another beautiful day – sort of “springish.”

Had quite an interesting party last night – went to Barnwells house for cocktails then to Lau Yee Chai for dinner – had a Chinese meal, chopsticks and all. First we mixed soy sauce & mustard in a little side dish, hen sprinkled it over the pile of food on one big plate – rice, pork cubes, shrimp and pineapple, almond chicken & bean sprouts. “Wong Tong” (fried noodles, potato chip style). And tea in little handle less Chinese bowls. For dessert, big platters of Chinese candied fruit. It was really a lovely party.
My date – Bob Dunlop[1] – was quite nice, but very unusual sort of person – “sorta” eccentric. He brought me a Mona Loa lei (looks like lavender dragon teeth) that was awfully pretty with my pink organdy dress – P.S. I have a date with him Sunday night –

Editor’s Note: Robert H. Dunlop (1914 – 1967) West Point graduate, joined the Army in 1938, assigned to Coast Artillery at Pearl Harbor. Disability discharge 1950. His father was retired Brigadier General Robert H. Dunlop. (Obituary, https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/86052781/person/152500956488/media/c80fa9a7-ec05-4212-9ffb-24ee66e1de3b). Married Sophie Lucette Colvin (1913-1996) in 1943, two children: Robert H. Dunlop III and Lucette Colvin Dunlop.

I was supposed to go down with Max this morning to see the transport off but he called & said he wouldn’t have time to come get me before, so is going to pick me up at non for lunch.
I’ve been spinning around so that I’ve skipped two more days so will start back Thurs. night. Col. McCarley called for me about six & when we got there Betty Uender, Allen & Bill were there. They were all very nice – We chatted a while & had cocktails on the lanai. With the cocktails she served individual plates (wooden leafed – carved here) potato chips & creamed avocado cheese for “dunking.” Had a beautiful dinner – all Hawaiinish – fish net for a table cloth – blue ball floats & poinsettias center piece – fruit cocktail (bananas, pineapple, papaya, avocado, all grown I their yard) in a chia fish dish with fish cover on the plate. For dessert a huge, fluffy fresh coconut pie. After dinner they shared some colored movies they had made of flowers her. And I’ve never seen such exquisite colors.

Honolulu, Sunday, February 2, 1941

Sunday afternoon –

Had a wonderful time at the party last night! And my date, George Wertenbaker[2], was extremely nice – There were about 22 people there – and it was the loveliest night – we had dinner out on the lanai over the water, a new moon going down reflected to make a path on the water to the pavilion.

Editor’s Note:George Leftwich Wertenbaker, Jr. (1916 - 1986 ) Army Air Corps, rose to rank of colonel in 1944 (Source: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2229864:2345?tid=&pid=&queryId=ce15565e04907176017ed8d479335d28&_phsrc=Uab1&_phstart=successSource) Served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, Buried in Arlington National Cemetery (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49336540/george-leftwich-wertenbaker?_gl=1*1js28a0*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE2OTM0NDg0MzcuQ2owS0NRancwYnVuQmhEOUFSSXNBQVpsMEUwREFvc0NuTzNvcTF2NVROZ2dyQTRNdlYyV2M0SEN6TVlJaFd2eV9fMExyaFFjTXloMUlid2FBdEZBRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_dc*R0NMLjE2OTM0NDg0MzcuQ2owS0NRancwYnVuQmhEOUFSSXNBQVpsMEUwREFvc0NuTzNvcTF2NVROZ2dyQTRNdlYyV2M0SEN6TVlJaFd2eV9fMExyaFFjTXloMUlid2FBdEZBRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au* Apparently his father, George Leftwich Wertenbaker, Sr, (1877-1941) was an Army colonel in the Coast Artillery. https://www.congress.gov/73/crecb/1934/02/05/GPO-CRECB-1934-pt2-v78-11.pdf) OTI1MDM3Njk1LjE2OTQwMDg4MDk.*_ga*MzA3MTU0OTM0LjE2NzM0NTMwNzM.*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*ZTMwYzQ4NWItZWMwMy00MDNhLTllMTEtMzhjZjkzNGQ0ZTRmLjMyLjEuMTY5NDEwMjU3OC4zNC4wLjA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*ZTMwYzQ4NWItZWMwMy00MDNhLTllMTEtMzhjZjkzNGQ0ZTRmLjMuMS4xNjk0MTAyNTc4LjAuMC4w)

It was a grand bunch of people – almost the “choice” of all the island posts. George is an Army  jr.[3] – Air Corps – and so much fun. Saw the ever present Randy and twirled a few dances with him. And Max was there – he joined the Pavilion Club last night so he’s taking me to dinner there next Wednesday to celebrate the new membership.
Yesterday afternoon Max & I had a Kau Kau lunch – drove down to Waikiki to take some pictures, then to town to do some shopping – he’s just moved into a private bachelor quarters (usually they’re packed in by the dozens) and is so fussy & anxious to get it fixed up “just so” – so we bought picture frames, bed lamps, desk calendars, dart boards, valentine gifts & everything else imaginable. It was like summer in Hades yesterday in town – so we scatted back to kahala shade & breeze for a cake.
Uncle Ed & Aunt Susan have been kidding me no end today because it’s the first whole day in ages that I’ve been around the house all day and for dinner, too. If it weren’t for that movie date tonight they’d begin worrying about my slipping popularity or something.