December 1977

Aloha,

Ah, another year has slipped by and we are in another place.  Those of you who could not visit us in the South Pacific...well, it's too late because we left Pago Pago and are now installed in Honolulu once again.  The change was totally unplanned and precipitous.  Last summer, we came to Hawaii to finish up the details of the sale of our Lanai house and we were so struck with the climate and all the things to do that we decided to stay. Sharon was dispatched back to Pago to close things up and resign our jobs, and Ken began classes immediately at the University of Hawaii. He is still at it and probably will never complete his studies because that would mean he'd have to decide what he wants to do when he grows up.

Things were fairly tight in the employment market at first, but after a few weeks at the airport renting cars, Sharon lucked into a good job at Hawaii Loa College on the Windward side of Oahu.  It's a small, private college and is set in one of the most magnificent areas of the world...cool breezes, luxurious vegetation and impossibly steep, lush cliffs are what she has to put up with. As luck would have it, shortly after being employed, she moved into the head librarian job at the college while the former head goes off to India to study religion.  May he find eternal bliss there and never come back!

Our last months in Samoa were exciting.  The highlight of our time there was a visit by Queen Elizabeth and her yacht to our harbor. Her yacht, which is really a ship over 400 feet long, preceded her by a few days, and we were extremely lucky to have the contacts which allowed us to be invited aboard to a party given by the officers. It was an unforgettable experience, wining and dining on silver and fine crystal, surrounded by mementos of the glory of the British Empire.

Job-wise, we were both satisfied.  Ken was to receive another promotion to Coordinator of Foreign Languages for the Territory, and Sharon was about to move into a new Learning Resource Center at the Community College.  But we must have known subconsciously that our time here was coming to an end, for during the year we were slowly divesting ourselves of our possessions:  two boats and two motorcycles down the drain (along with most of our money!).

And now?  Well, we have a nice two-bedroom apartment near the University with an incredible view of Diamond Head.  We hope to have plenty of visitors because we have the room and we have an extra car.  Ken's folks plan to be here for two months at Christmas and Sharon's will be out in April.  But other than those times and the week before Easter (when we'll be on the Mainland skiing), we're free and willing to entertain.

The future?  We're not sure, as usual.  We may stay here for a few years, we may be off for Florida at the end of this school year, or we could be off to anywhere else in the world at the drop of a hat and without further notice.  So, if you've been planning a visit to Hawaii, don't hesitate.

December 1976

Greetings,

Another year gone by and we're still in Samoa.  Last year at this time, we returned to New Jersey for a good old fashioned Christmas.  It was nice to see family and friends again--those we missed--sorry!

Sharon has a new job this year:  Coordinator of Instructional Support Services at the Community College of American Samoa. She is about to move into a new resource center on the beautiful, expanding campus of the college. She finds her new job very challenging and the experience she is getting is excellent for the future.

Ken is still at Samoana High and finds that he has almost figured out his Samoan students. He worked most of last summer writing English materials to be used in the school system this year. (No more working in the summer!!)

We sold our sailboat, but purchased an 18 foot powerboat which we've been using for fishing and diving.  The fishing here has been fabulous, better than we found in Hawaii.  Our freezer runneth over with fish.  We also bought two motorcycles which have given us much pleasure--until Ken hit a dog and left the skin of his knees and feet all over the highway.

We had three weeks in Hawaii last summer--much too short, but we're still trying to pay off the Mastercharge  bills we incurred at the local shops and restaurants.  This coming summer we both have two and a half months off, and we intend to take advantage of it.  We may go west to the East (Australia, Indonesia, Singapore) or go east to the West coast of the U.S.

Anyway, we intend to be here in Samoa until June of 1978, and we have an extra room.  If you are in need of getting away from it all and would like to sample Polynesia, you know where to find us.

December 1975

Talofa, y'all,

Well, we're still in Samoa, having renewed the contract which brought us down here more than a year ago. The 365 days which have passed since our last card have been filled with adventure and excitement and few heartaches, for which we are extremely grateful.

Sharon continues to enjoy her work for the library, supervising the processing center she designed and also restructuring a multi-media resource center. Ken was promoted to chairman of the department of English at Samoana High School and complains bitterly of how overworked and underpaid he is!

Travel was the highlight of the year for us.  Last Easter, we spent ten glorious days in New Zealand, a splendid little country whose beauty can be compared to Switzerland...but with beaches. We thoroughly enjoyed the snow-capped mountains and glaciers, a stark contrast from the tropical lushness which is our lot here in Samoa.

Ken was able to fulfill a boyhood dream last summer by sailing in a 40 ft. yacht to various islands in the South Pacific.  He left Samoa in early June and, after a bit of heavy weather, made a landfall at Suwarrow Atoll in the Northern Cook Islands, inhabited solely by 75 year old hermit, Tom Neale.  After spending a week diving among sharks and eating lobster for breakfast, he sailed south to Rarotonga and finally ended the voyage in Tahiti, where Sharon joined him just in time for the Bastille Day celebrations.  A truly unforgettable experience!

In August, we returned to Lanai, Hawaii, to check on our house, do some repairs, and visit with old friends.  Since we had purchased the cottage upon leaving for Samoa, this was our first opportunity to live in our own home and was well appreciated.

We have acquired a 14 ft. Hobie Cat sailboat for scooting around Pago Pago Bay and nearby islets.  We joined the local yacht club and have been very active in its regattas and social activities, as well as continuing our SCUBA diving and lazing around the Rainmaker Hotel pool.

Artistically, it's been a good year for both of us.  Sharon has been busy with traditional Samoan tapa painting and recently sold some of her work at a show.  Ken took up freelance writing and had a couple of newspaper and magazine articles published and has several more in progress.

This Christmas, we shall return to NJ for a visit after an absence of three and a half years.  We expect to catch up on some of the culture and food we've missed sorely, as well as renew familial ties.  And after that?  Who knows? Tonga?  Fiji?  Australia?  We think we'll just see what happens!

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Prosperous New Year to all!!

December 1974

Talofa,

Just a little note to let you know what we've been doin'.  After leaving New Jersey in 1972, we spent two years on Lanai, a small rural island in the Hawaiian chain.  Ken got a job with the US Dept. of Agriculture, and Sharon worked as a substitute teacher for a time, then commuted by plane to a job at Maui Community College library.  While on Lanai, we bought two horses, raised our own fruits and vegetables, and lived a rather placid existence.  We purchased a boat, went water skiing, SCUBA diving, deep sea fishing, and took weekend excursions to Lahaina, Maui, in the company of whales and porpoises.

Last summer, Sharon received an offer we couldn't refuse:  a job setting up a processing center for all library materials for the Territory of American Samoa.  We packed our things and left Hawaii, but not before purchasing a three bedroom plantation cottage on Lanai. So, here we are, ensconced in a charming cathedral ceilinged, Samoan-style house in the heart of the South Pacific.

Ken is teaching English and journalism at Samoana High School, and Sharon, in addition to her library work, is preparing to teach a course at the local Community College.  After spending Thanksgiving at Aggie Grey's in Apia, Western Samoa, we are looking forward to a trip to New Zealand this Spring.

Future plans?  Not sure yet, but it looks like next year may be spent on the Mainland, USA.  After spending such a long time on small islands in the Pacific, it would be good to experience a great landmass again, being close to family and friends.

Merry Christmas, and to all a Good Year!

After 50 years of marriage and shared life adventures, we remember how we decided to quit our secure jobs as teachers in New Jersey back in 1970 to attend graduate school in Hawaii, which ultimately led us to embark on a journey neither of us had ever imagined in our wildest dreams. Along the way, our experiences were documented in annual Christmas cards (designed by Sharon) and newsletters (written by Ken). Reproduced here are the years 1974-1999, which we call... 

"From Pago Pago to Prague; 25 years along the road less traveled."