As the season progresses toward chillier days and nights, I thought it would be nice to take one last look at the colorful beauty of this autumn, seen in our yard and in Washington Park.

As days grow shorter, the island skies at sunset glow with the most spectacular hues, blooming with pinks, reds, and oranges.

Autumn also provides the last few opportunities to get on the golf course before the weather turns cold and soggy.  This is the first time this three generations of Cornelius’s have gotten together on the course.

Fall also brings Halloween parties, big pumpkin contests, and a trip to one of the local farms.

As this time of year rolls around we also recognize Vivian’s birthday, birthday number 2.  Two years of feeding her, cleaning up her litter box, buying her toys, and providing a roof over her head.  And what do we get in return?  We are disregarded, ignored, and shown no appreciation.  Is this normal cat behavior?  Lisa wants you to know there are signs of improvement.

I drove our Lexus, Baby Blue, to Utah and to deliver the car to Sasha and James.  They are the new owners and will take good car of Baby Blue. 

Before we sold our rental home to Ian and Kaylene, Lisa and I wanted to complete the front yard landscaping, including some really big rocks.  

It only took a five month wait period for the county to give us approval for our application to demo our beach home.  No wonder people have lost faith in responsible government.

After a three year hiatus from playing racquetball, I’m back on the court again.  I received a cortisone shot in my right shoulder which relieved the pain enough to allow me to play. 

Lisa and I recently viewed a documentary account of the life of a woman living in Japan and  reveals the value of humility for one soul, and the impact service with heart has on countless others.

 Her name is Haruko Nitsu.  She was born of a Japanese father and Chinese mother sometime after World War II.  Following the war, bitterness between the two cultures remained so vile Haruko was shunned and bullied while yet in China and after moving to Japan received the same abuse.  Education beyond elementary levels was impossible and employment was relegated to the low grade of cleaning public toilets and urinals.

But Haruko would not allow despair to diminish or control her life.  After making every effort to do the best she could in every menial, tedious task, she determined to follow the admonition her employer offered who said, “You must put your heart into it!” She did exactly that. With humility and determination, Haruko applied herself in the seemingly mundane world of cleaning and, over time, developed skills and techniques never before applied.

In time Haruko was recognized for her endeavor to clean better than anyone could possibly imagine and won a national contest demonstrating her talents and cleaning expertise.  This caught the attention of airport administrators, building management companies and a host of public institutions across Japan and Southeast Asia who know the value of quality cleaning embedded in the economics of facility maintenance, public health and enjoyment.

Haruko’s expertise became renowned.  Yet her humble manner did not become distorted.  She remained dedicated to making public spaces sparkle and safe for children as well as all humanity using our physical environment.  When filmed and interviewed by a Japanese film company Haruko would comment with sayings revealing wisdom far beyond what is recognized as being the possession of a common cleaning woman.

On one occasion, in response to a question about her kindness, Haruko said, “You cannot be kind to others without being kind to yourself.”  Her statement was centered on the worth of what she did which was a benefit to others.  Regarding such worth she replied, “When we recognize the worth of others we liberate their spirit to become better at whatever they pursue.”  Then she followed with, “I know, for it was so with me.”  On one occasion, while being interviewed, Haruko made a profound observation, saying, “A simple thank you can be the greatest feeling the receiver may ever experience.”  Again, she added, “I know for such a thank you once came to me and swelled my heart.”

When Lisa and I got married, one of the requests Lisa had was to get a new car every ten years. We have had “Baby Blue” - Lisa’s car, for 15 years, well beyond the ten year goal. Baby Blue was the first car we purchased together and has been a member of the family, a person-like companion so to speak, all these years. The car was given a name and a gender, and was spoken about in human like phrases. Having her all these years it is difficult to think of replacing her with a newer model, one with more bells and whistles. But that is what we have done. It is with a sad and heavy heart we announce Baby Blue is leaving our family. We have many great memories and she will not be forgotten. The good news is she will be going to a family member as Sasha and James will be her new owners. We know she will be in good hands. Baby Blue has been given a good bill of health by our mechanic Bob, and I will be driving her to Utah next week.

Lisa’s new car is a newer version of Baby Blue, a 2019 Lexus RX 350, named Star Baby.

The farm house in Corvallis has a new coat of paint.

Kevin has planted 4 acres of hemp at the farm and it will soon be ready for harvest. His crop looks much better than the farmer who is renting the land and who has also planted hemp. Kevin’s a good farmer and definitely  has a green thumb.

Lisa and I hired a painter to paint our rental home, the home Ian and Kaylene are renting from us. The color is a dark navy blue with white trim. The woodshed and garden shed were also painted.  Ian and I completed framing the wood storage shed, connected to the garden shed, and have moved all our wood and logs to this location. The landscaping of the front yard is next.

Lisa and I have not seen Demri and her family in two years (other than Skype), so when we got to Kentucky recently it was a happy reunion. We also got to meet and hold our newest grandson, Jesse, and participate in his baby blessing. Demri and Eric were great hosts, showing us a number of well known sites in Kentucky and Tennessee.

This is the Big Four Bridge. It was built in 1895 over the Ohio River, connecting Louisville to Indiana. The bridge was reclaimed as a pedestrian/bicycle path in 2013.

The first memorial building built to honor Abraham Lincoln, was dedicated in 1911 at the place of his birth in Hodgenville, Kentucky. The building is constructed from pink granite and marble. Lincoln’s symbolic birth cabin is constructed inside the memorial.
 

Churchill Downs, the legendary horse-racing track and home of the Kentucky Derby, is located in Louisville and opened in 1875. We all thought it would be fun to go to the Derby sometime in the future, but it won’t be cheep if we do. Get ready to shell out thousands of dollars for a single seat. Betting at the 2019 Derby race (betting is in cash only) amounted to $227 million dollars.
 

Here are the Derby winners from our birth year.

Tim - Dark Star, Lisa - Iron Leigh, Demri - Winning Colors, Eric - Unbridled.

Mammoth Cave National Park is located in central Kentucky and is the longest cave system known in the world. More than 400 miles of limestone passageway have been discovered. Eric signed us up for the Frozen Niagara Tour, one of the  most famous at Mammoth Cave.

We spent three days in Nashville, Tennessee staying at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, located across the street from the Grand Ole Opry. 

All of us took a backstage tour of the Opry, a must-see for everyone coming to Music City. We walked in the footsteps of country music’s superstars and got an exclusive look at what happens behind the scenes of the show that made country music famous.

Lisa and I also attended a Gand Ole Opry show and it was a wonderful experience. We got to see eleven performances by some new and old country western singers, including the Oak Ridge Boys. Jeanne Robertson, a comedian, was hilarious.

 Another must see is the Country Music Hall of Fame. Some unusual displays at the museum are Elvis Presley’s gold plated Cadillac. The passenger compartment includes a telephone, refrigerator, refreshment bar, record player, and a gold plated television.

Check out Webb Pierce’s Pontiac Bonneville below. It features a leather interior, a miniature saddle between the bucket seats, and chrome plated ornamental guns and horses.
 

Did you know the city of Nashville has a full scale model of the Parthenon? It was built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Inside the Parthenon is a 41 foot tall statue of Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

Lisa requested we go to French’s Shoes & Boots in downtown Nashville. Lisa wanted to buy a pair of authentic, handmade western boots. She found a pair she was happy with and wore them to the Grand Ole Opry show.

 Before our flight home, we went to Fort Negley, a Civil War fort in Nashville. Below the fort is the Nashville City Cemetery, the burial grounds for thousands of Union and Confederate soldiers. The caretaker of the cemetery was W. R. Cornelius.

Farewell to the Kuykendall family, for now.

 Sunset flying into Seattle.

Some other pictures from our trip:  

Scotty loves to laugh at himself.

 Puckett's Restaurant. Lisa's mother's maiden name.