Checking Back In...

Thought I better pull myself out of my Holi-DAZE and post something! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was so nice - great company, great food, lots of good cheer. The kids had a blast!

The one bummer was that Peggy's eyes were really bad all of Christmas Day. She had a substitute nurse on Christmas Eve who was not familiar with her nighttime eye care routine. This caused Peggy's eyes to be bright red and very irritated all of Christmas and the day after. We could barely get a "yes" or "no" out of her.

Her eyes finally returned to normal yesterday and we did save some presents that the kids got to open in front of her so she could enjoy it. I was over there with Sawyer, Indy, and Jade. We invited Jade to spend the night last night since the girls are on Christmas vacation. They LOVE to play with each other, but they argue constantly!

Another exciting thing to share...on Christmas Eve Magda surprised Peggy with the finished painting of Father Damien that will be the base for the mosaic. It is so breathtaking and exactly captures Peggy's vision. Everyone that sees it can't help but get chicken skin! Magda's talent is so mind-blowing. This project is all coming together so beautifully. It is so exciting!

I'm going to be at home today catching up on all my computer work in between refereeing fights between Jade, Indy, and Sawyer. My work schedule at Peggy's is going to be a little erratic with Indy out of school. She returns on the 7th. Have a great weekend everyone!

Off to Molokai!

Tomorrow morning, Eric, Indy, Sawyer, and I are off to spend the weekend on Molokai with some good friends. Elroy and Peggy agreed to watch the grand-dog, so Maka will be staying at the house. I've been jamming around trying to get all my work and Christmas stuff done. I feel pretty good about what I've accomplished and so I am finally starting to get excited. Since we come back mid-morning on Christmas Eve, we had to get all of our shopping, wrapping, etc. done by today! But we did it!

We are going to be staying at some cottages in Kaunakakai - we don't have much planned beyond RELAXING. Eric and some of the others will be going on the hike down to Kalaupapa, but since the kids are too little, we'll just hang back at the beach. It has been a while since my last vacation and I'm really looking forward to leaving my computer at home!

Which brings me to my next point...I don't plan to check my email this weekend and this will be my last blog until after Christmas I'm sure, so hope everyone has a very merry Christmas! Peggy's been doing fine and is looking forward to the holiday festivities. Despite her list of issues for Dr. Davis, she seems to be in good spirits and health. Respiratory came by today and Lolo said that they said that everything looks great with the vent.

By the way, all Peg's Legs, the office girls have made little gifts for you - please take one from the basket in Peggy's room the next time you're there. Just a small token of our deep gratitude and admiration for all that you do! Have a great weekend and Mele Kalikimaka!

Oh - and one last very important note! I got a text from Kelly and she is going to be induced tonight or tomorrow! So baby is on her way! Congratulations, Kelly!

Peggy's Doc Visit Yesterday

Here is a report from Peggy's doc visit yesterday - her concerns and then Dr. Davis's responses:

1. 'Cuff is leaking 2 CC every other day.'
Cathryn took out 15 CC's and put 15 CC's back in. Please do not
manipulate with the cuff is possible.

2. 'Pain in stoma.'
The stoma actually looks good - no bleeding or raw skin. Pain may be
due to the trauma.

3. 'Having extreme hallucinations lately.'
Peggy says that hallucination usually happens in the late afternoon and
had 10 episodes of it so far but none today. Dr. Davis feels that this
may be related to the medications, possibly Oxycodone and Lorazepam.
We need to monitor. Please note the time of the day it happens and
what does Peggy see or hear.

4. 'Reflux is getting worse.'
Not discussed today although not new for Peggy. Please continue to
keep Peggy's head of bed up with feedings. Turn feeding off or hold
during position changes.

5. 'My tummy doesn't hold as much as it used to.
Peggy feels that 200cc of water at one time is too much so water
flushes were split apart
Water schedule changed to:

100 cc 1pm
100 cc 3pm
60 cc prune juice and 60cc of blueberry juice at 1800
100cc 8pm
100cc 10pm with meds

6. 'I'm experiencing choking every night and if I can't communicate that
I'm choking, I'm going to aspirate. This choking problem is the main
reason I'd like to start ALS drug

Not addressed due to Dr. Davis needing to go. But Cathryn put in the
communication log for the HCA nurses to ask Peggy if she is choking in a
yes or question rather then trying to have Peggy spell it out.

8. 'Toe okay'
Toe looks really good but please monitor and continue foot soaks, warm
compress, keep clean and dry.

9.'Skin breakdown on coccyx'
Duoderm to coccyx intact. Please continue to monitor for any
skin breakdown to coccyx, buttock, underbreast, etc.

Christmas Day Potluck at Peggy's

If you are able to join us on Christmas Day, please RSVP on our evite - see below:

Christmas Day Party Evite

One Week Until Christmas Eve!

Back in the office after a fun weekend. Saturday's book signing was great. Peggy had a lovely time and is doing fine after her g-tube and trach issues. Yesterday's party for Cian was perfect. The girls had a blast running around eating pizza and blowing bubbles. Peggy was up in chair for all the fun.

Brent the bagpiper came earlier in the day yesterday to play for Peggy. It always is so surreal and awesome hearing the big fabulous sound of his bagpipes echoing in the Nuuanu valley. Peggy loved it.

Makena (Elroy's son Bruce's daughter) and mom Briar are in town visiting with a crew of Makena's friends. They came by for a while for Cian's party and to visit with Peggy. So great to see them!

Donna Sullivan saw a chin strap for sale in the Walter Drake catalog. I bought it and brought it over yesterday for Peggy to try and she loves it! The great thing is that it only cost $3.99! We'll see if it works out...we'll give it a few days to see if it will really work for Peg.

I have some girlfriends in town from the mainland and so I've been hanging out, catching up. Later this week I have more friends coming in and we are all planning a trip to Molokai over the weekend. I'm looking forward to the break, but am feeling a little overwhelmed trying to get everything done before I take off.

As always, we will be doing Christmas Day at Peggy's in the afternoon. Everyone is welcome, please let me know if you would like to join us...we'll start around 3 or 4pm...potluck dinner, come one, come all!

Photos from Caroling Party

Here are some photos from Betsy's Caroling Party...and a note from Betsy:

A big mahalo to all who came to the caroling party for Peggy Monday night and brought their voices, food, wine, punch and gifts! Along with some fun memories, we've acquired a black "the face" jacket, a small folding umbrella and a plastic round green top with "Salassa" taped on top (can't imagine who that belongs to...) I'm just sorry I missed the Marita-Sawyer snowball battle on the back lanai!!!

Peg's Legs Photos on Shutterfly

Peggy at Queen's, But She is Fine!

Things have been a little crazy this week. This morning, Peggy had to go Queen's ER via ambulance. Nurse Eric was on shift when her vent started alarming low minimum volume. Seems as if the trach sprung a leak on the inside, which meant that she needed to get down to the ER right away before it became a real problem. Lolo came just in time to escort her down. She is doing fine and in fact, they even took care of her ingrown toe nail while she was there. Bonus!

True to form, Peggy still plans on attending Jeannie Anderson's Christmas luncheon, so we had Jeff come pick up Peggy's wheelchair (and Karen!) and took them down to meet Peggy and Lolo. I haven't heard how things are going, but I assume they are still on schedule. Karen did mention earlier that Peggy was in a bit of discomfort because they had put the wrong trach in at first and had to redo it. Ouch.

The crazy thing is that yesterday afternoon she was supposed to go with Karen and Marvel to Sonia's graduation from KCC nursing school (yay Sonia!). However, while getting ready, Peggy's g-tube popped out! Marvel was able to put it back in, but Cathy had to come to make sure there wasn't a leak. Everything looked fine and they were able to handle everything at bedside, but they made the choice to stay home, she the whole thing took a while.

Other than that, things have been great. Caroling at Betsy's house on Monday was so fun. I will put photos from Lynn online soon. Thank you to Annie and all the others who have helped decorate the tree and get the house looking festive!

Don't miss tomorrow's (Saturday) LAST book signing of 2007! Barnes and Noble Ala Moana at 4:30pm. See you there!

Let's Go Caroling!

Today we a great little going away party for Lehua since this morning was her last shift. We're gonna be getting ready in a bit to head over to Betsy's for caroling. Peggy's dad and brother left last night. We had a lovely family dinner here last night before they headed out to the airport. We got a few strands of lights on the tree, but we sure need help decorating - calling ALL Peg's Legs elves! Karen has told us that she is on strike. She has done so much decorating this year, she is over it. She says she is just not feeling the Christmas Spirit yet. Bah Hum Bug! So its up to us to help her!

To get you all in the Christmas decorating mood, I've attached a photo from this past Saturday's Santa photos at Kapolei! Too cute!

Barnes & Noble Ala Moana w/Artists, Wyland and Peggy Chun

Press Release:

Barnes & Noble- “Hawaii’s Artists” Signings with Artists, Wyland and Peggy Chun, to Support the Wyland Foundation

Honolulu, HI (12/6/2007) – Barnes & Noble-Ala Moana is extremely honored to have two of Hawaii’s beloved artists, Wyland and Peggy Chun with Shelly Mecum, in the store for two spectacular events just in time for the holidays. These events will take place on Saturday, December 15th at 3:00pm for Wyland and 4:30pm for “The Watercolor Cat,” with artwork by Peggy Chun and text by Shelly Mecum.

Marine Life Artist, Wyland, is best known for painting large, outdoor murals of whales and other ocean life. Wyland has earned the distinction as one of America’s most unique creative influences, and a leading advocate for marine resource conservation. An accomplished painter, sculptor, photographer, writer, and SCUBA diver, he has traveled the farthest reaches of the globe for more than twenty-five years, capturing the raw power and beauty of the undersea universe.

Peggy Chun is known in Hawaii for her beautiful and often whimsical artwork. This watercolor artist, now fully paralyzed by ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, captures the “spirit of aloha“ in her paintings and thrives on sharing her love of the islands (and life!) with the world. This debilitating motor neuron disease, ALS, has yet to slow Peggy down. In 2003 she lost use of her right hand. She simply painted with her left. In 2004 a weakened left hand sent the paintbrush to Peggy's teeth. These days, with only her eye movement unaffected by the disease, Peggy now paints digitally with the help of a computer.

Both of these remarkable artists demonstrate, at opposite ends of the spectrum, the difference just one person can make, and, they have proven through their own actions, that nothing is beyond our abilities! So please join us for a one of a kind day at Barnes and Noble-Ala Moana, where everything is possible.

The Wyland Foundation is a non-profit 501c3 that strives to inspire as many people as possible to learn more about our oceans and aquatic habitats and the life within them, and to encourage people to get involved. Barnes and Noble will be contributing a portion of the sales flagged to go to the Wyland Foundation on Saturday, December 15th, all you have to do to participate is say that you’d like to support the Wyland Foundation when you make your purchase.

This event is free and open to the public, please call 949-7307 for more information.

Watercolor Cat Book Preorder for January

Mutual Publishing has sold out of The Watercolor Cat! Our gallery at Peggy has sold out along with Walmart and Amazon. There are still books available at Barnes & Noble in Hawaii. In fact, Peggy and Shelly will be doing their last book signing of the year this coming Saturday, December 15th at 4:30pm at Barnes & Noble Ala Moana.

The great news is that Mutual will be doing a second printing, however the books will not be available until January. Mutual has asked that we send out a notice to see how many people might want to reserve copies from the second printing.

You can email me with your book reservations. Let me know if you have any questions.

Hope to see you at Saturday’s book signing!

Interview with Diving Bell Director on NPR

This interview is so interesting. It reminds me so much of spelling with Peggy and how poetic the letters sound as we speak what she spells...listen to this "All Things Considered" interview and hopefully the film will be showing again soon in Hawaii.

Diving Bell Celebrates Life of the Mind

Kelly Update...NO Baby Yet...

Many of us have been wondering...has Kelly had her baby yet??? The answer is NO. I spoke with Kelly today, so here is the update. Her due date is December 14th. She is very uncomfortable and it definitely seems like things are beginning to happen. She has mostly been sleeping since she hasn't been feeling great AND she knows she won't be doing a lot of sleeping when that baby comes. She has a doc appointment tomorrow. She assured us that she will keep us posted!

We Made it Thru the Storm!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we made it thru last night's stormy weather. Peggy's house never lost power (well, it went out only for about 5 seconds) even though some of her Nuuanu neighbors lost power for over 8 hours! We did run into one weather related snag...Marvel was stuck out in Waianae because of road closures and so she couldn't make it to her shift. Lolo came to the rescue, but couldn't leave right away, so Stephanie Doughty was showered and ready to help us cover until Lolo got there. We managed to save Stephanie the trip by having me cover for 45 minutes as a very rusty caregiver...but Peggy survived and it all worked out fine.

Very exciting news...Peggy's Dad Joe and brother John are coming to town for the USS Oklahoma memorial ceremony at Pearl Harbor on Friday. They arrive tomorrow (Thursday) and will be staying through Sunday. Joe will be staying at Peggy's and John with Jason and Jen.

Tomorrow night we are scheduled to go to the Pacific Club for an MDA fundraiser honoring Vi Jones-Medusky. Karen, Marvel, and I will be escorting Peggy.

Peggy's Back Home and Doing Great

So Peggy is back home with a new G-tube and she is doing fine. The whole ordeal at Queen's took over 4 hours and so they didn't get home until 10pm. Everything went smoothly with the g-tube replacement. Dr. Davis was unable to make it down to see Peggy, but they got to see another very cute doctor named Dr. Smith (Peggy always gets the cute ones!) who did a great job. He thought that the bubbling at her trach site was just from a slight leak or maybe positional. The bubbling stopped and she seems to be fine now. Her eyes were bad yesterday, but they are quite clear today.

We wanted to let everyone know that we are officially out of Watercolor Cat books. Mutual Publishing has run out of books. They are reprinting, but they will not be available until the end of January. So, if you need books, please go soon to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Walmart, or Sam's Club! We have a signing coming up on December 15th at Barnes & Noble Ala Moana on December 15th, so you can get them then or bring your books there for Shelly to sign.

Peggy Getting G-Tube Replaced at Queens

I got a call from Marvel this afternoon that Peggy's g-tube (feeding tube) had popped out and was not going back in. Cory from HCA told Marvel that Peggy needed to go to the ER to get it replaced, but that she didn't need to go by ambulance. So they called 5 Star Transcare who took Peggy down to the ER.

I got a call from Pat (the B on shift with Marvel) this evening. She said that they were still at Queen's because Peggy's trach was gurgling quite a bit and she was bubbling at the mouth/nose and so they figured they would have it looked at while they were there. Dr. Davis was in the loop and on his way to see them. I have not heard back from them yet, but I assume that they are doing fine and will be heading back home soon.

I'll update everyone as I get more info...right now I'm off to bed!

Sam's Club Canceled

Sunday's Book Signing at Sam's Club has been canceled. We'll let everyone know when it is rescheduled.

More Thanksgiving Photos Online!

More photos from Lynn Cook now online!

Peg's Legs Photos on Shutterfly

Annual Caroling at The McCreary's

Aloha Peg's Legs,

It is that time of year again! Our annual Christmas Caroling at John & Betsy McCreary's beautiful home. Don't miss this fun and festive event with John on the Theatre organ...

Monday, December 10th at 6:30pm

The McCreary's live at 34 Dowsett Avenue, walking distance from Peggy's house. Light refreshments will be provided (including Marita's famous holiday punch!) but additional drinks and pupus are welcome and appreciated.

Please RSVP to Kimi by email kimi@peggychun.com or phone 595-8435 (leave a message if we don't answer!)

Happy Holidays!

Happy Tuesday

This past weekend's craft show at the Blaisdell was a great success for us! We sold out of all of our books and so we had to order 3 more cases yesterday. Calendars were a big seller - by the way, we have tons of calendars in stock at the house and they make great Xmas gifts! Hint, hint! They are $12 each and all Legs get 25% off, so help us get rid of these things before it is 2008!

Yesterday afternoon we had a beautiful blessing ceremony for baby Silas at the house.It was a beautiful day and so we did the ceremony right in Peggy's front yard. Kahu Silva performed the ceremony. Kahu Silva is the Kahu that married Jen & Jason AND Me and Eric! It was so wonderful to see him again. Silas loved the blessing, especially the part when he had to eat poi off of Camille's finger! He's a local boy already!

Gearing up for our book signing at Walmart tomorrow. Hope you all can join us there! The book signing is from 2pm to 5pm.

We have another book signing at Sam's Club Pearl City this coming Sunday, December 2nd, from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.

And another fun thing to add to your calendars...Kapolei Shopping Center will be using Peggy's image titled "Love Shack" as their backdrop for FREE photos with Santa at the Bank of Hawaii on Saturday, December 8th from 10am to 2pm! How fun! So if you live that area and have keiki, go check it out!

Sad News About Jack the Cat

I'm so sad to share with everyone that on Saturday afternoon Jack the cat (the one with the short tail) was hit by a car in front of the house. A neighbor found him on the curb and brought him to Hanna and Peggy. He was taken to VCA Kaneohe Animal Hospital. His jaw was broken and he had major trauma to the head, so we had to put him to sleep. We are devastated. Please comfort Peggy during this time and give extra love to Cola who is missing her brother Jack.

Photos from Thanksgiving Online!

I'm sluggishly plowing through my work, trying to recover from all the FUN and good eats from yesterday! We're getting ready for our show at the Blaisdell tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday.

Thanksgiving/Silas's Birthday Celebration was so wonderful. Great food, great company...the perfect day.

We have a few photos to share from yesterday, check them out at

Peg's Legs Photos on Shutterfly

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is our big Thanksgiving and celebration for Camille & Joe's son's first birthday. Silas just turned one on Tuesday. Camille, Joe, and Silas arrived on Oahu yesterday. We all went over to Peggy's for a while so that Peggy could meet Silas for the first time!

We'll all be going over to celebrate around 3pm. Please stop by if you're in the neighborhood!

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we'll be at the Blaisdell for the Christmas Expo. This is a great craft show with lots of fabulous Christmas shopping! Be sure to visit our booth!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us Chuns. Today and EVERY day, we are so THANKFUL for all of you. Thank you for all the love and care you give, not only to Peggy, but to me, to Elroy, to the kids, to Eric, to the cats, to Maka, to each other...you are an amazing group of people and we are so thankful for you, our fabulous Peg's Legs Ohana. Have a wonderful day full of great food, gratitude, and laughter.

Is it Monday Already?!

I'm in and out of the office today. We had another busy weekend. Friday was Peter, Bob, & Julie's last night. We went to Indy's Thanksgiving Program and then came over to the house to say our goodbyes. It was so wonderful having them here. We were all sad to see them go, but look forward to the next visit!

On Saturday, Eric's friend Chance had a big harvesting party at the kalo farm. It was a lot of fun. Then yesterday we went to Lion King! Eric was supposed to go, but he needed to get things together for his Iolani Kayaking Banquet for the team and so was feeling a bit overwhelmed. We decided to let him get his stuff done and so we took Jade in his place. The girls were so excited to see it together - they were going absolutely NUTS! They really enjoyed the show (although Indy was a little scared of the hyenas).

Eric's kayaking banquet was a great success. The kids especially loved the slideshow/video that Eric had prepared. It was great to hear how appreciative the kids and the parents are of Eric and all the coaches. It was a terrific season. This is the girls' third championship in a row!

So, as I said, I'm in and out today. I'm going to meet a girlfriend for lunch, run some errands, and then go home to clean house and catch up on laundry. Camille, Joe, and Silas will be arriving on Wednesday. Rememeber - please join us on Thanksgiving if you're free!

I just looked in Peggy's room and it as if a Christmas tornado has blown its way through there. Yikes. Please be careful - there are boxes, wrapping paper, and who knows what else all over the place. I'm going to let it slide for today, but I'll be having the "Time to Clean Your Room, Peggy" conversation soon :)

Celebrating Silas's First Birthday & Thanksgiving

Aloha Everyone! Hope you can join us this Thanksgiving for Potluck at Peggy's. This year, we are giving extra thanks for a new addition to the family! Peggy's sister Camille and her husband Joe are here visiting with their new son, Silas who is turning one! Help us celebrate this joyous event. Feel free to bring your family and friends...the more the merrier! Let us know what you're bringing...we have the turkey covered!

Please email me if you can join us and we'll add you to the evite list so that we can get a head count!

Bug's Memorial, Wally at Indy's School, Karen's Sale

Last night's memorial service for Bug was lovely. Karen set up a beautiful table with his ashes, photos, and candles. See photo below. We watched a slide show to the tune of Diana Ross's "Someday, We'll Be Together".

This morning Wally Amos read The Watercolor Cat to Indy's school. It was such a treat! The kids loved Wally (of course) and everyone loved the wonderful story. We took lots of photos (see below) and also video taped it so that we can show it to Peggy.

Lolo mentioned that I didn't specify WHEN Karen's moving sale is - sorry! It will be this Saturday and Sunday. Or you can call her and make arrangements to come up and take a look before.

Loooooong Weekend.

It was a whirlwind of a long weekend starting with the book fair at Daughters of Hawaii/Queen Emma on Friday. Peggy wheeled over there for the afternoon with her crew of Legs and stampers. It was small, but very busy and Peggy really enjoyed the scenic stroll through Nuuanu.

Then, on Saturday, I'm happy to report that the kayak season finished with a bang! Eric's Iolani Kayaking Girls Team won the ILH championships! He got done just in time to meet us at the Willow's restaurant for Lehua & Carlos's wedding. Indy was the flower girl. She did such a great job, we're so proud of her. Lehua looked absolutely gorgeous and so did mom, Lolo. It was a beautiful wedding and such a fun reception. We felt so honored to be a part of it.

Late Saturday night, Peggy's brother Peter arrived with his best friends Bob and Julie. We have been having so much fun with them. They woke up early Sunday morning and came to wake up Peggy. Then on Sunday, we had the big Christmas Sale and Book Signing here at the house.

The sale was a great success and so much fun! We had Christmas cookies baking and Christmas music pumping. The kids played in the yard all day while we shopped, ate, drank, and hung out. Thank you to all of you who helped that day. We all just hung out into the evening. Peter, Bob, Jason, and Eric had us laughing 'til our stomachs hurt. Eric and Jason did their famous magic tricks for the kids.

Yesterday, we came by the house in the morning so I could do a little work and Eric mowed the lawn for his dad. Then, Bob, Julie, Peter, the Seglers, us, and some friends and kids all went to Kualoa Beach for the day.

Today we're here working. Peter is helping Magda set up her laptop with wireless internet which is good since it is keeping him out of trouble! Dr. Davis will be doing video visit today, but not until 5:30 pm.

Just a few reminders. Tomorrow at 5:30 pm, we're having Bug the Cat's memorial here at the house. Potluck. No flowers please...just cat nip.

Here are some photos from the weekend. Sawyer with our favorite Peggy Chun groupies, Ryan and Pono, at Queen Emma. Then some photos from Lehua's wedding.

Big Moving Sale at Karen's

Karen is moving to a new apartment and so is having a big moving sale at her house. Come check it out, she will have:

Bedroom sets & furniture
Love seats, couch
Tons of toys
Household items
Clothes
Electronics
And MORE!

Her address is 3151 Kaohinani Drive. She lives in the back above Dowsett.

From Peggy's, you go on Dowsett, take Pelekane up, take a right to Kaohianai. She will have tons of signs leading the way.

If you get lost or have questions, you can call her at 371-4598

Photo of "Boo" Lewis and Family

Photo of The Lewis Family with "Boo" and more good news...if you missed this story, see the previous post titled "A Boo Story". Peter, Wendy, Jett, Beau, and Boo Lewis live in El Segundo, California.

From Peter:

Dear Peggy,

The local newspaper came by to take a picture of Boo. Here is the photo. You can see that we included The Watercolor Cat and Beau, Boo's new brother.

We are so excited!! The article will come out next week and we'll send you a copy. Your book will no longer be a secret locally.

We love you,

Peter

The First Graders from Waialua Elementary Come to Visit

Yesterday we had a visit from all the first graders at Waialua Elementary. There were over 80 keiki (ages 5 to 8) at Peggy's house led by fabulous teacher Jennie Fixman and crew.

First I talked with group about ALS and answered A LOT of questions about Peggy and her condition (How does she talk? How does she breathe? Can she smell?) Then, Suzanne Maurer's friend Debbie came and read The Watercolor Cat to the group while Marvel and Karen were helping Peggy get up in her wheelchair and ready to make her grand entrance.

After the reading, Peggy's legion of small, adoring fans chanted, "Peggy! Peggy! Peggy! Peggy!" as she wheeled out of the room. They all got to meet her, look at her wheelchair and ventilator, and ask MORE questions.

Then they took a break for lunch. We spread some blankets and sheets out on the front lawn for them. Jack and Cola were very present during the whole encounter. In fact, Jack kept trying to stalk the kids' home lunches.

After lunch, they filed back inside for a nose painting demo by Peggy (with assistants Marvel and Kelly). Peggy invited volunteers to come up and paint her nose! After the painting was complete, we let the kids name it. We asked for suggestions and the entire room was filled with raised arms and eager faces. I called on each of them for their suggestions..."Nice Colors", "Rainbow Colors", "Nose Colors", "Polka Dots", "Cat Foot Prints", "Rainbow Mountain", "The Mountain is Counting", "Any Kine Colors"...it was a hard decision, but we finally decided upon "Rainbow Mountain", mostly because we heard it from at least four kids.

The kids presented Peggy with a construction paper lei they made and a book of their Peggy-inspired artwork. They also brought us some yummy pastries from a North Shore Bakery. We sent them home with "Mooon River" posters for each of them and one copy of The Watercolor Cat for the school that we stamped and Shelly had inscribed "To the Students of Waialua Elementary". Peggy also gave them "Rainbow Mountain" to take back to the school!

And then, as quick as they came, they filed back on the bus and were gone. We all just lounged around eating pastries for a while recovering from it all!

Here are some photos...enjoy!

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Savor the warm, spicy flavors of Fall...Per request - this is the recipe for those yummy pumpkin cheesecakes that Hanna makes. Thanks Hanna! If you want to cut calories and fat in this recipe, use light dairy sour cream instead of regular...

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

For the cheesecake:

12 2-inch gingersnap cookies
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1 8-ounch package neufchatel cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the topping:

1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
12 pecan halves (optional for garnish)

Heat overn to 375 degrees. Line muffin pans with 12 foil liners; place 1 cookie in each liner. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, pumpkin, sour cream, and neufchatel cheese. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until light and fluffy. about 2 to 3 minutes. Continue beating, adding eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon batter over each cookie; cups will be very full.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes (48 minutes at high altitude) or until set and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 15 minutes; remove from pans (middles will sink, but don't worry, the topping will hide the sunken part).

Meanwhile, for topping, in a small bowl stir together sour cream and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar. Spread topping over each cheesecake. If desired, garnish with pecan halves.

Refrigerate at last 1 hour to chill; store refrigerated. Makes 12 servings.

More Photos from Na Mea

Bobbie Maurer gave us some more wonderful photos from Na Mea...I've posted them on Shutterfly...same link, go check it out!

Photos from Book Launch/Concert at Na Mea

Quoted from the Wayne Harada column dated November 8, 2007:

They turned out in full force at the Na Mele Nei Concert last Sunday to celebrate the release of The Watercolor Cat, the book by Shelly Mecum with illustrations by the remarkably resilient Peggy Chun. The array of entertainers included Yvonne Elliman, Keith and Carmen Haugen appeared as KFC, with the addition of pakini bucket bass performer Frank Uehara, along with the Holy Trinity Choir keiki (who sand "Come See Her Smile", the tune Daniel Ho recorded as a tribute to Chun), Pali, and Wally "Famous" Amos, who read from The Watercolor Cat...

See photos here Peg's Legs Photos on Shutterfly

It was a dark and stormy afternoon...

It started off as a dry, but muggy day here in Nuuanu and now it is dark and stormy. Peggy finished an organization project today - she went through all of her old cassette tapes and sorted them with Lisa & Jo (Karen's sister). There were more give aways than keepers which is impressive for Peggy!

Cola caught a rat today. From the scream that came from Lisa, you'd have thought that it had jumped on her face! Jo "took care" of it, which we all really appreciated. Poor Jo, she was here for just a few days and during that time she had to deal with a lizard, a bird, and a rat that the cats brought in! Mahalo Jo's Pest Control!

Yesterday's book launch and concert at Na Mea Hawaii at Ward Warehouse was so fun. Great music, great vibes, and a great turnout despite the stormy weather. We'll have photos to share soon.

Speaking of photos, I finally got some photos up from Halloween. Our camera wasn't working that great, so we only have a few photos, but the ones we do have are great! Enjoy

Peg's Legs Photos on Shutterfly

In Case of Power Loss

Since we've been having some stormy weather, I am posting these power loss instructions for everyone to review :) If you have questions, please see me!

IN CASE OF POWER LOSS:

Relax! Peggy can breathe! The ventilator has at least 20 minutes of internal battery power.

Please note: You might hear unnerving alarming beeps coming from the bed, the feeding machine, the vent, and/or the oxygen concentrator if it is being used.

Find a FLASHLIGHT - look under bed for the emergency kit and follow directions on top of lid.

POWER LOSS INSTRUCTIONS:

1.Look on generator (located on front porch) for instructions to start generator.

2.After the generator is started, use the extension cord to connect the generator to a power strip by Peggy’s bed.

3.DO NOT PLUG THE VENTILATOR OR CONCENTRATOR (OXYGEN) INTO THE GENERATOR

4.Plug ONLY the following to the power strip

a.Battery charger
b.Humidifier
c.Bed/Mattress
d.Feeding Machine
e.Lights over Peggy’s bed

5.Connect the ventilator to a battery as if Peggy is in the wheelchair.

6.Use an oxygen tank instead of regular oxygen machine (only if necessary)

7.Have ambu-bag nearby

A Boo Story

We are so excited to share this wonderful story from Peggy's dear friends The Lewis Family...Read on and Enjoy!

Dear Peggy,

Here is a wonderful story about Boo. One that you might not expect. And one that I hope you will love.

About 10 days ago, our copies of The Watercolor Cat arrived. We were thrilled. Wendy and Jett were overjoyed with delight. Because of my business demands, I couldn't read your book until the next morning. I went to bed looking forward to spending quality time with Boo's story.

The next morning around 7:00 AM, I went outside to get the daily LA Times and also found the weekly edition of the local town paper laying next to it. I brought them both inside and placed them next to my reading chair in the living room. I reached for The Watercolor Cat and began to read all about Boo and Peggy. 

My heart filled with all the emotions as colors in a rainbow. I wept and laughed as I turned each page. Boo's story was just wonderful as Shelly promised in one of her television interviews. This book is truly one of your greatest masterpieces. I'll treasure it forever.

The television interview also Shelly quoted Boo saying "Everything happens for the right reasons." Little did I know how true this point would be until I closed The Watercolor Cat and put it down.

I reached beside me and opened up the local paper. I casually scanned each page knowing that it would contain nothing more than dull hometown chatter.

Then, without warning, a headline jumped up to me. My eyes popped open and my heart began to pound. There was a found cat named "Boo" looking for a home!

Here is the article:



I called upstairs to Wendy. I said we have to give Boo a home. She and Jett were both struck by the irony of The Watercolor Cat and the newspaper article. It was kismet. 

That afternoon, the three of us were over at the home of the woman, Kathleen, who was caring for Boo. The woman who found Boo was a different person. She was Heidi, the editor of the local town paper.

Kathleen told us that Heidi had found Boo in an alley a few weeks earlier. He had been abandoned for many days. His body was gaunt. His eyes were closed from the mites that were ravaging his body, so he was essentially blind. Someone had cruelly poured engine oil over his body. Boo was staggering and meowing for help. 

It was only a matter of time before Boo would get hit by a car and end his misery. But Heidi heard his meow, reached down, and began Boo's wonderful rescue. She took him to the vet and starting his recovery.

Sitting in Kathleen's house, as we listened to Boo's dramatic story, we looked down on the floor. Here was the new Boo two weeks later. Free of mites. Gaining weight. Playing with Jett and then scooting across the floor--full of joy, fun, and frolic. 

Then we told Kathleen about Peggy's Boo. We brought a copy of The Watercolor Cat for her to look at. She was charmed and touched by the book. She could not believe the coincidence.

We had to wait for over a week to have Boo arrive at our house. During that time, he had his final medical check-ups, he was neutered, and micro-chipped. 

Boo arrived the day before yesterday. He was very nervous and frightened. He hid behind the large dresser in the guest room for hours. We were hoping that he would relax. We were fearful that he was not going to adjust. We have cats and dogs. We hoped that Boo would fit in--if only he would adjust.

Fast forward to this morning. I heard Jett's loud laughter coming from the bedroom where Boo was staying. She said that Boo and our other cat, "Beau" were not only playing together, they were practically doing gymnastics with each other. It's a match made in heaven.

So Peggy, my love, here is our little story of Boo. I hope that it brings a smile to your heart, much like your book brought to my heart.

With constant love from all of us,

Peter, Wendy, and Jett

Chuns and Friends in the Media

Just heard that the weekend entertainment section of the Honolulu Star Bulletin today has a big photo of Shelly and Peggy, page 7, and every word of our news release!

Also, I'm very proud to share that the new issue of Hawaii Magazine has my handsome husband on the cover - in a Santa hat! And two stories by Lynn Cook inside as well. Here is the link to their website

Hawaii Magazine

By the way - I just learned how to create clickable links like the one above from Hanna! Thanks girl!

Also, tonight we're going to a grand opening party for my friends' new Doggy Day Care in Hawaii Kai called "Pacific Paws". Check out this story that ran a couple days ago in the Star Bulletin

Pacific Paws

Rate and Review The Watercolor Cat on Amazon.com

Go to Amazon and search for The Watercolor Cat or click http://www.amazon.com/Watercolor-Cat-Shelly-Mecum/dp/1566478383/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-9962844-4385566?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193786280&sr=8-1

Go to the bottom and rate the book. If you have some time, also create a customer review!

Dr. Visit Report and Calendar Events

Peggy had her doctor visit today. See the lovely photos...we especially like the close up of Peggy's ingrown toenail - Dr. Davis got a good laugh when he zoomed in on that one!

The visit went well and Dr. Davis will coming tomorrow at 1:30 to zap off Peggy's skin tag on her face.

Hope everyone will check out the new Peggy calendar (see post below) - on it, you'll see that Magda is having a Father Damien sorting party this coming Friday from 4 to 7. Hope you can all join us!

We also set a date for Bug the Cat's memorial. It will be November 14th around 5:30pm. Join us for a celebration of Bug's furry life.

And more news - The ALS Association has just reopened their estore where you can find Peggy Chun 2008 ALSA calendars and notecards. Here is the link http://alsaestore.compet.com/store_home.asp

And DON'T FORGET tomorrow - Halloween party at Peggy's!!! Potluck, starting around 5:30pm. Come for some haunted Halloween fun!!!

New Calendar Feature!

Since we're so busy busy busy, I've created a calendar of Peggy's events that you can all view online. The link is located to the left of this page at the top of our Links section. You can also check it out here http://ical.mac.com/chunzy/peggychun

It works best if you choose the tab that says "month" so you can see the month at a glance...

By the way, if any of you Mac users use iCal, you can subscribe to this calendar with this link webcal://ical.mac.com/chunzy/peggychun.ics

Happy Monday!!!

It was a busy weekend full of fun! We had a blast at the book signing at Wally & Christine's Chip & Cookie Store in Kailua on Saturday. Then we had Kelly's Sweet and Spooky Baby Shower here yesterday. Kelly's mom and family did such a great job with the food - we had lots of spooky and delicious foods. Kelly's mom also set up her adorable Halloween village - so cool.

Today there was a great article on Peggy, Shelly, and the book on the front page of the Island Life section of the Honolulu Advertiser - check it out here - http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071029/LIFE15/710290307/1076/LIFE15

Peggy's working on her Halloween costume with Marvel today...not sure what she has planned, but I they've had the big vulture on Peggy's bed all day.

Her eyes have been great all day. She did mention that she thinks the stint in one of her ears may have fallen out - those are the little stints put in there to keep the eustation tubes from collapsing. She also is still concerned about her left toe possibly getting an ingrown big toenail. We'll check with Dr. Davis on all those things tomorrow during the doc visit.

By the way - hope everyone will be coming here for the usual Halloween fun! Everyone is invited! And you all know this is the BEST neighborhood for trick-or-treating! Hope to see everyone!!!!

Peggy's Eyes are Great!!!

I have great news to share - I just got in and Peggy's eyes are fabulous! She is spelling away as if there had never been a problem. Her trach is gurgling a bit, but Cathy will be coming over to check the cuff in an hour or so.

Here are some photos from this morning's Halloween celebration at Indy's school :)

Peggy's Eyes

Peggy's eyes were really bad yesterday. We could barely spell with her all day. They were off and on the day before and then yesterday they were just awful. Nurse Cathy came by to drop off supplies (drain sponges/gauze - by the way, please be sure not to use the trach gauze on the g-tube since the trach ones cost significantly MORE - thanks!). Cathy was worried about Peggy's eyes so she had Dr. Davis do a video visit.

Peggy was semi-responsive in the video visit, she was at least able to communicate with Dr. Davis. Peggy also just seemed VERY tired. She seemed to be drifting in and out of sleep throughout the day - not sure if she was sleeping or just resting her eyes. Dr. Davis didn't say much, but at least he is in the loop.

I think mostly Peggy just was having a down day since she's been going going going. She may also have had a bit more oxydose than usual which could have led to her drowsiness. It was not clear if HCA had given oxydose, so Peggy just told us to give her another dose which is fine for Peggy, but does tend to make her drowsy. I spoke with Cathy about this and she said that in the future if it is not clear whether HCA has administered oxydose, we can call the office and they will check with their staff and call us back.

This morning I am volunteering at Indy's school for their Halloween celebration. We're dressing up as witches! I'll be sure to take photos. Then I'll be at the house and hopefully I'll have good news to report about Peggy's eyes.

By the way, I found a dead rat in the office yesterday. My super nose detected it. It was underneath the computer desk. Eeeewwww. I made Lolo clean it up! Ha! She says I'm a "wuss" - whatever, so long as I don't have to touch a dead rat :) Thanks Lolo!

Silence of the Bees

Peggy wanted to recommend to everyone a TV program that she thinks will be interesting. Peggy loves this type of show. Here is the info:

"Nature" on PBS
Episode Title - "Silence of the Bees"
Sunday, October 28, 7:00pm
CHANNEL 11 (PBS Hawaii)

The Season 26 opener probes colony collapse disorder---the dramatic loss of honeybees in North America and Europe. The honeybee is responsible (via pollination) for one of every three bites of food people eat. Included: long-term ramifications.

Save the Date - Na Mea Book Signing/Concert

CELEBRATION FOR PEGGY CHUN

Na Mele Nei Concert,
Sunday, November 4, 1 to 3 p.m.
Ward Warehouse Amphitheatre

New Hope Singers
Holy Trinity Choir singing Daniel Ho’s song for Peggy, “Come See Her Smile”
Na Hoku Award-winning band, Pali
Zanuck Lindsay
KFC, Keith & Carmen Haugen & Frank Uehara on pakini bass
Yvonne Elliman
Ellen Martinez & The Na Mele Nei Backyard Gang
And, Wally Amos reading Peggy’s book, The Watercolor Cat

The first 50 folks to purchase Peggy’s book in Native Books Na Mea Hawai’i will receive a free Peggy Chun poster of her watercolor, “Old Style.”

Contact: Ellen Martinez, cell: 778-2945, phone: 536-0609

New Blog Feature

To make things more convenient for you guys, I've added a new feature on the website. Look beneath my Meez on the left hand side and you'll see a little box that says "Blogarithm.com" - if you enter in your email address, you will be notified by email every time I update the blog. Isn't that cool?!

Forgot to Mention...

Forgot to mention one thing from the doctor visit...Peggy has a mole on her cheek (her face, not her okole) and she was a bit concerned about it since it has been changing in appearance and growing a bit. Dr. Davis took a look at it today and feels certain that it is a skin tag and he will be coming over to nitro-freeze it off soon. She has a cute little round band-aid on it for the time being.

Photos from Indy's Party and Peggy's Sick Humor

I'm excited to share with everyone the fabulous photos from Indy's Princess Party this past Sunday. The party was so fun and Indy loved the decorations. In fact, we all loved the decor so much that we decided to keep them up and just add spooky stuff on top for our "Sweet & Spooky" Baby Shower for Kelly on Sunday! Here is a link to the photos http://www.pegslegs.shutterfly.com/

Peggy had her doctor visit today and she and Hanna came up with a great (albeit twisted) costume for Dr. Davis's viewing pleasure. They call it "Doctor Visit in the Nick of Time" (yes, that is a stuffed vulture on Peggy's chest).

Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Some of you might be interested in a film titled Diving Bell and the Butterfly that will be showing at the Dole Cannery this Wednesday at 7pm as part of the Hawaii International Film Festival. You can find out more online at hiff.org

Here is a synopsis of the film:

Diving Bell and the Butterfly
(Le Scaphandre et le Papillon)

At 43, Jean-Dominique Bauby, the rakishly successful and charismatic editor-in-chief of French Elle suffered a massive stroke and his brain stem was rendered inactive. After lapsing into a coma, he awoke to find himself the victim of a rare "locked-in syndrome" - mentally alert but permanently deprived of movement and speech. The only way he could communicate was by moving his left eye. Like its cinema predecessors MY LEFT FOOT and THE SEA INSIDE, the film captures the power of human resolve.

In Between Book Signings...

I just got home from the Ward book signing, Peggy is still down there, but I had to get my 2 spastic munchkins down for a nap before taking them to the Windward book signing. We'll be stopping at the VCA Kaneohe animal hospital to pick up Bug's ashes on the way. I have a few quiet moments while they nap, so I thought I'd blog a bit.

Yesterday was a funny day...poor Lehua had one thing after another happen to her on her shift. First the bed deflated and wouldn't re-inflate. It seems as if it may have gotten overheated. Lehua urgently asked Magda to hold Peggy's head so that it wouldn't fall forward while we tried to fix the bed unit. Well, poor Magda - we didn't explain to her what was going on and so she thought it was a medical emergency of some sort - she was holding Peggy's head thinking that some of her medical equipment failed and didn't realize that it was just the bed. She was very relieved when we finally explained what was going on. She even did some praying and reiki energy work on the bed and within 20 minutes it miraculously started working again.

After that, Lehua called me in because the feeding tube popped apart and all the Jevity emptied out onto the floor into a big sticky puddle. We cleaned it up and then it happened again! Peggy said that it has just recently started happening and so we think that we may have gotten a defective batch of bags. I called Apria and they are sending us a new batch on Monday (FYI - we are supposed to give them the defective bags back).

The girls helped me decorate the front room for the princess party - it looks so cute!!! Indy is very excited. Peggy got to get up in the wheelchair yesterday to see what we had done.

Tedi from Joey's Feline Friends came by withe more antibiotics for the cats. They have been doing really well on the meds and haven't had anymore accidents around the house. Yay! Cola, however, is still VERY bald. Tedi gave me some oral flea medication that I gave her yesterday and can give her every few days. We will see if that helps with her scratching and balding. Thanks to all of you for helping with the cat meds.

I'm off now to get ready for the Windward book signing. Shelly wrote the cutest song for Peggy and she surprised her at the book signing today by signing it (with the help of everyone around!).

Thursday Update

Peggy's eyes were pretty bad today, but they are better now that she has been resting them and taking cat naps. She was up late watching the Father Damien movie with Magda and Shelly again, so she's a bit tired today.

Eric installed track lighting in the new gallery area/middle room. He's going to be adding another track and more lights to it next time he has a chance. Being in that room reminded me that I want to find a chimney sweeper to clean the chimney before we start lighting fires this winter. Anyone know of one?

Eric picked Indy up from school and brought her back here so she could play with Kalai (Karen's grandson). So Indy, Kalai, and Sawyer are all here hanging out, munching on snacks, running around the house, drawing...

I saw a large rat in the office today. What's up with our cats not doing their job? So Eric set the "Rat-Zapper" up in the office. Eeew.

Happy Birthday, Indy!

Today is Indiana's 4th birthday. This morning Eric, Sawyer, and I went to her school for a snack time celebration. We brought stuff for the kids to make "Healthy Halloween Snacks". We made "spider cracker creatures", "edible eyeballs", and "apple monster bites". It was a really cute project and we felt good giving Indy a memorable experience without loading her and her friends up with SUGAR! Her teacher appreciated it too and the kids had a great time. Sawyer loved hanging out with all the big kids.

We had dinner with my parents last night since my dad and Indy share a birthday. Tonight we are doing just a small dinner for Indy at our house - she requested miso soup, spaghetti, and a big cake. On Sunday here at Peggy's we are having a small "Princess Tea Party" here for Indy with just a couple of her girlfriends and girl cousins. I know that Peggy is really looking forward to it. I am really excited too and have been working on an all pink princess menu (pink mac & cheese, pink lemonade, strawberry tea sandwiches, strawberries, raspberries, pink cookies and sweets, and pink cupcakes baked in pink ice cream cones). We'll be sure to take lots of photos to share.

Pretty mellow around here today. This place is really looking GREAT. Karen has been going above and beyond. And have you noticed the beautiful new carpet in Peggy's room? That was a gift from the fabulous Andy Yim. Thanks Andy!

Madga and Peggy have been busy discussing plans for the Father Damien mosaic. Magda has been sorting and sorting and sorting all those itty bitty little pieces. Peggy seems very happy that progress is being made on this big vision of hers - you can see the excitement and light in her eyes as she talks with Magda about the project. This is so great for her spirit.

We are excited to share that we have added yet another book signing for Peggy (we didn't think she was busy enough!). Wally & Christine Amos have invited Peggy and Shelly to do a book signing at their fun and yummy Chip & Cookie Store in Kailua on Saturday, October 27th at 1pm. They have generously dubbed it "Peggy Chun Day" and are donating 10% of sales that day back to Peggy. Mahalo nui loa!

Respiratory Home Care Vent Check

Respiratory Home Care came today to do a vent check. They checked the machine and the oxygen. They took our empty portable oxygen tank (we had 2, so now we have 1). They told us that the filter on the oxygen tank needs to be cleaned at least once a week - it was filthy! So please take a moment to check it if you can. It is located on the back of the oxygen tank. Just take the filter out, dust it off, and then rinse it with just water (NO soap). Then dry it well with a towel and put it back.

Mellow day around here...Lehua is painting Peggy's nails black for Halloween and Sawyer is sleeping at the foot of her bed.

Sad News About Bug the Big Orange Cat

I have some very sad news to report about Bug, the big orange cat. He passed away last night at the VCA Kaneohe animal hospital around 11:30pm. Bug was 18 years old.

Last night, on Hanna's shift she heard him howling. He seemed to be having some trouble with his back legs and was quite listless. I called Jenifer, who used to be a vet tech, to go and check on him. She graciously went to Peggy's to help him. I also called Teddie from Joey's Feline Friends, who called Jack & Cola's vet - they were so caring and wonderful and recommended that we take him right away to VCA Kaneohe. Jen was so kind to take him for us. Hanna and Peggy spent the time waiting for Jen petting Bug and taking photos of him.

I talked with the emergency vet after she had a chance to look at him. She needed to do further testing to see what was going on, so I had her do blood work and x-rays. She called me back around 11pm to let me know that he had a hip fracture, but even more troublesome was that Bug was in kidney failure. They are not exactly sure what happened (aside from his age), but they felt that a cat his age would really not be able to recover well. Any treatment they could have given him would have been quite hard on his body and would have cost thousands of dollars.

We chose to have Bug put to sleep instead of putting him through any trauma. The vet told me that his body seemed to be in a bit of shock and therefore, he didn't seem to be in too much pain. Bug has had a wonderful long cat life of 18 years. We chose to have him cremated and I told Peggy that we would plan a memorial at the house just like we did for "Boo".

Lisa was on shift with Peggy last night when I called her with the news. She is obviously quite upset. Bug will be missed by all of us. Bug got to spend time in Peggy's room earlier in the day yesterday. Lehua brought him in and gave him lots of cuddles. I know he's having a blast in Kitty Heaven with Boo now. They will be smiling down on Peggy and Shelly as they spread their cat propaganda around the state (and the world) on their book tour.

Dust Bunny Central

There has been A LOT of activity around here the past couple days. Our amazing Karen had a vision - to move the gallery into the middle room instead of the front room! She is a genius! So she and her son Bryce have been turning the house upside down, cleaning and reorganizing. Her motivation is contagious, so we've all been bustling along with her. I had Eric take a huge load of stuff to Salvation Army yesterday - mostly old kid toys and stuff.

Today, we tackled Peggy's room...I spent quite a bit of time trying to untangle all the wires around Peggy's computer. Finally it is a little more manageable. We cleaned off the caregiver table in Peggy's room and refilled the snack basket, so dig in!

Andy and Maria Rose helped vacuum and wet swiffer Peg's room. They put a mask and goggles on Peggy first to keep her dust-free. It is all very exciting and hopefully it will stay clean in Peggy's room for at least a day.

Madga is officially moved in to the cottage, so if you see a cute Polish girl lurking around, that's her! We feel so lucky to have her here.

The cats are now on antibiotics. I have to give them a dropper full each 2 times a day for 1 month! Ugh. I am keeping the meds in my drawer in the office. I may have to call some of you night shift folks and weekend guys to administer cat meds - hope you don't mind. Oh and by the way - they HATE it. So you have to grab them by the scruff and force it in the back of their little cat mouths.

Kelly's Sweet & Spooky Baby Shower

For all of you who know Kelly Jones, hope you can join us Sunday October 28th at 4pm for a Sweet & Spooky Baby Shower here at Peggy's. Kelly is due in November and is having a girl.

Please RSVP if you can make it to me as soon as you know - we're trying to get a head count for food.

Looking for Stampers, Special Book Signing/Sale at Peggy's Nov. 11

We are looking for volunteers to help us stamp Peggy's signature and Boo's paw print this Saturday Oct 13th (Waikele at 12, Pearlridge at 3) and next Saturday Oct 20th (Ward at 12pm, Windward Mall at 3). You can call or email me for more details.

All Peg's Legs and their friends/family, please save the date: Sunday, November 11th from 11 to 5pm. We are planning a special Christmas Sale/Book Signing at Peggy's house. Shelly will be there all day to sign books and we'll have our stampers ready. We'll be sending out more information as the day gets closer. So for all of you Legs that can't make it to the book signings, you don't have to worry - we'll take care of you on November 11th!

Peggy & Shelly Meet the Lakers!

HONOLULU - OCTOBER 9: (L-R) Brian Cook, Luke Walton, Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers pose with Peggy Chun (in wheelchair) and Shelly Mecum as they attend a read to achieve event and dedicate a Lakers Reading Room at the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii's Hale Pono Clubhouse on October 9, 2007 at the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii.

NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2007 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/photo?slug=getty-76112959ab015_read_acieve&prov=getty

Elroy's Famous Too

Recently Elroy was interviewed by AARP Magazine for an article about caregiving. On the article page, they have sidebar discussing Share the Care. Here is what it says, including Elroy's wonderful quote:

Interested in going several steps beyond helping out a caregiver now and then? One innovative idea is shared-care networks—groups of people who get together to share the work that otherwise would fall on one caregiver.

“I think of it as barn building,” says Sheila Warnock, founder of ShareTheCaregiving (see “Getting Help,” above). “Everyone has to lend a hand.”

A care network can be two people or many more, Warnock says. “It works as a way of re-creating the nuclear families that we had years ago.”

That’s precisely what happened five years ago in Honolulu, where volunteers formed a network to help 80-year-old Elroy Chun and his son and daughter-in-law care for Elroy’s wife, Peg, 61, who has ALS, a progressive neurological disease.

There are now 25 volunteers, and they call themselves Peg’s Legs. They work in four-hour shifts alongside paid health care workers. That allows Elroy to report to work each day as a building-industry consultant and to do manageable tasks such as laundry. “Thank God they are here,” Elroy says. “They help keep me alive and Peg at home.”

http://www.aarpmagazine.org/family/caregiving/caring_for_the_caregiver.html

So Famous!

It has been a whirlwind of activity the past 5 days. On a personal note, Indy was out of school Thursday, Friday, the weekend, and then yesterday - so I've been going nuts dragging 2 kids around! Indy finally went back to school today and Sawyer just went down for a nap, so it is blogging time!

We had the "Splendor of China" show at the Blaisdell this past weekend which was fun and definitely worth the effort. On Saturday, Eric had a big kayaking race for his Iolani kids and I had not sitter, so I dragged the kids along with me to help sell Puna's artwork! Train 'um young, I say! I've attached some photos of them in their fort under the table at the show. I suspect Eric spent his fair share of time under a craft show table growing up.

Yesterday was the Barnes and Noble book signing at Ala Moana. There was a huge turnout and all the local TV stations were there to catch it. Kahu Julia did a beautiful pule (prayer) at the start. Next, Wally Amos did a reading of the book. Then Shelly signed books and Suzanne Maurer and Gay Austin helped us by stamping each book with Peggy's signature and a stamp with Boo's signature and paw print!

Even Indiana got to autograph her photo in Pat Gamble's book! (Indy's photo appears mid-story in the book). On the side, we had Magda and the Holy Trinity kids demonstrating how they paint the tiny mosaic pieces for the Father Damien mosaic. Indy, Bella Grace, and their friend Jazz got to paint some squares. It was a fabulous and exciting day for all of us. I've uploaded some photos to Shutterfly. Here is the link http://pegslegs.shutterfly.com/ - you can also reach the photos by clicking the link to the left of this page.

As I mentioned there was tons of media coverage for this event, so I'm going to list some links here to what I could find online:

KHNL's coverage with video clip
http://www.khnl.com/global/story.asp?s=7186390

KGMB's coverage with video clip
http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/678/40/

We also thought it was a fabulous coincidence when we found this article titled "Cat tells life story of his "best friend" the Pope" Check that story out here http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20071003/tod-uk-pope-cat-1a5e080.html

Now the next exciting thing is that Peggy is off to Ewa Beach today to meet the Lakers! Yes, that's right...The L.A. Lakers are in town here and today members of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, along with some of the Laker Girls, will be in 'Ewa Beach today to dedicate the new Lakers Reading Room in the Hale Pono Boys & Girls Clubhouse. The very exciting news is that they have picked "The Watercolor Cat" as the book that they would like to read at the dedication! So Peggy and Shelly will be going today to listen to the Lakers read their book! How fabulous is that?!

You can read the article about the Lakers Reading Room here http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071009/NEWS01/710090321/1001/NEWS01

Phew! So, are we blowing your mind yet? Well, just to send you over the top, we just got news that the previous diagnosis of Feline Leukemia for Cola was a false positive and that both cats have tested negative for Feline Leukemia. In fact all of their blood work looks great. They do have a mild infection that requires antibiotics, but the great thing is that it is TREATABLE! Cola's balding is due to an allergy to fleas - also treatable. So things are looking good for Jack and Cola. They will be starting their antibiotic treatment today. By the way, we are still trying to collect stool samples for both cats, so if you happen to be there when they...well, we'd really appreciate it :)

Breaking News on HonoluluAdvertiser.com

Notice the typo!! We got a kick out of this "breaking news" on their site...


http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Oct/04/br/br6742503189.html

"Artist Peggy Chun to make rare public appearance"

Advertiser Staff

Artist Peggy Chun, painting while still battling ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, will make a rare public appearance with co-author Shelly Mecum, to autograph their book, "The Watercolor Cat," from 2 to 5 p.m. Monday at Barnes & Noble Ala Moana.

Chun is the celebrated watercolorist known for her whimsical art. Over the years, she also has explored other media: collage, photography, pastels, oils, acrylics.

Though not paralyzed except for her eye movement, Chun communicates and digitally paints with a computer system called ERICA from Eye Response Technologies, enabling her to continue her creative expression. "After all," she said in a prepared statement, "you don't paint with your hands, you paint with your heart."

"The Watercolor Cat" is a children's book about Chun's life and art told through the eyes of her beloved cat and is hailed as a triumph of the human spirit.

Peggy's Overnight Care Tips

Here are a few tips that Peggy wrote up regarding her overnight care...This mostly applies to her care from 10pm to 10am, but the rest of you might find it interesting/informative as well:


There is a new chart specifically for my care. However, I cannot read the chart, so please read every line in each block I am looking at.

Eye care - At night, when we put the bubble over my eye, the bubble must be taped to face securely so that air doesn’t escape. The bubble must be full enough to not hit the eye. Cover NO MORE than half of the un-patched eye with the little black cloth.

At night, make sure that you have set up the white foam cardboard that blocks the TV (we keep it behind the bed) – this blocks the TV so that I can sleep when you are watching

I like to use a mask when I sleep to cover my mouth to keep the inside my mouth from drying up. If I seem to be in a deep daze it is not because I am sleeping, it is because I am having trouble with my eyes. Please don’t hesitate to wake me out of it by manually using your fingers to open my eyes. You can follow that with gel drops and then PM gel.

If my eyes dry out, it takes at least 24 hours to remoisten them. The pain is excruciating. My eyes are the only moving part of my body and that’s whey the care of my eyes is the most important.

Peg's Legs Update: Peg's Busy World

Sent this out today...

Aloha Peg's Legs,

Things have been BEYOND busy at the Chun House. First of all, did you know that Peggy is going on tour? Yes, that's right, Peggy is about to go on a local book tour with Shelly Mecum for their wonderful book "The Watercolor Cat". Peggy has her FIRST book signing (or book stamping in Peggy's case) at Barnes and Nobles this coming Monday, October 8th from 2 to 5pm at Ala Moana. Please join us!

Last night they aired a news bit about the book on KHON. There is a video clip of it on KHON's website, http://www.khon2.com - click on the image of Peggy and her cat Boo. The story is called Meet "The Watercolor Cat"

The books will be available in bookstores Monday and anyone that lives outside of Hawaii can order the book through Barnes and Noble or Borders Books and Music stores. They make great Christmas presents!!!

Peggy and Shelly are going to be on tour all this month and next. We've got her wheelchair charged and she's raring to go!

Being on a Book Tour, however, doesn't mean that Peggy isn't busy with other projects. The Father Damien watercolor mosaic project is still in the works. And the great news is that Peggy's former artist assistant, Magda Hawajska, is flying in from Poland to help Peggy with the project. She will be arriving Friday and is going to be staying in our cottage! We feel so blessed. She is the perfect person for the job and Peggy is so pleased that Magda will be able to help her complete her vision.

We also have the most amazing news to share. Our family has grown in the most wonderful way. A couple of years before the birth of Eric, Peggy had a daughter that she gave up for adoption. To make a very long story short, 6 months ago a detective that we hired found her. Her name is Leslie and she currently lives in Rhode Island.

Leslie and Peggy have been communicating by letter and email. A couple weeks ago, Leslie and her husband Stuart arrived in Honolulu. They planned a trip here specifically to meet Peggy (and Eric too). The visit exceeded any expectations that any of us had.

Leslie is the most amazing person, so warm and open to everything. It is not easy to walk into to all of this Chun craziness and she did it with such grace and warmth. We all feel so blessed to know her and Stu. She truly has touched all of our hearts, especially Peggy's. I have never seen Peggy so happy and content.

We had so much fun with Leslie and Stuart. They are very active, outdoorsy types which Eric loved! He got to take them canoe surfing a couple times and showed them his friend's taro farm. Eric and Leslie got along so well. It is really all so wonderful.

So as you can see, we've had a few things going on. Peggy's health has been pretty stable. We've had a few bad days with Peggy's eyes, but nothing that a little eye care and rest hasn't been able to cure. The birthday season is upon us - we just celebrated my birthday, then Eric's...yesterday was Jade's 5th birthday and then on the 17th is Indy's 4th birthday. Then Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas...oh my gosh, I need to go lie down.

Take care all and lots of love from all of us Chuns!

Me ke aloha,

The Chun Ohana

KHON News Clip Online

Here is a note from Shelly about last night's news clip:

I hope you are able to access this video at the news station of KHON (Fox News).

This is a news clip about Peggy Chun and our new picture book that will be launched next Monday at Barnes and Noble (Ala Moana) Yes! Peggy will be there! She is going on a book tour!

Here's the link: http://www.khon2.com/ Click on the image of Peggy and her cat Boo. Story is named Meet "The Watercolor Cat". I love technology!!!

Anyone that lives outside of Hawaii can order this book through Barnes and Noble or Borders Books and Music Store. They will have it in their database! Monday is the pub date for The Watercolor Cat!" Hope to see you at Barnes and Noble from 2:00-5:00!

News Tonight and Our Busy Month

Peggy's got an outing tomorrow night and then the Barnes & Noble signing on Monday. Shelly told me that they are making a BIG DEAL about this at B & N - it will be a lot of fun! Don't miss it!

They are doing the first media bit on The Book and the signings TODAY on KHON News at 5pm.

Us office gals are selling Peg's artwork at the Blaisdell at the Chinese Chamber of Commerce Show this Saturday and Sunday.

This is a busy month! Today is Jade's 5th birthday (Jason & Jenifer's daughter). Happy birthday, Jade! They are coming by to visit with Peggy this afternoon and then we're going to Dave & Busters tonight to help them celebrate.

We also have Indy's birthday coming up this month on October 17th. She's going to have a little Princess Tea Party here at the house with just a few of her girlfriends/cousins. We're going all out with a pink princess theme in hopes that it gets it out of her system!

Next, we have an important "Save the date" for you:

Please mark your calendars for Sunday, October 28th at 4pm at Peggy's house. We'll be having a baby shower for Kelly! She's 7 months along already - time sure is flying by!

And then we have Halloween at the end of the month...our theme this year is simple - SPOOKY!!! Karen has already started decorating and the house is looking great!

Peggy's eyes are looking great today. We've had a few bad eye days here and there, but for the most part, it clears up with enough "eye care" (PM gel, blinking, patching, and positive thinking).

And great news - Healthcare Alternatives nurse, Salote, will be taking all of the empty shifts this month! Yay! Lisa and Lolo are also helping us with some overnights and between all of them we have the whole month covered!

Last thing - the cats aren't doing so great. They have been leaving "presents" for us all around the house - number 1 and number 2. Ugh. One of them took a big dump in Sawyer's playpen. Nice. Clearly, they are not feeling well. Elroy will be taking them both in to the cat clinic on Saturday to have them checked out and find out more. We'll keep you posted.

The Watercolor Cat

I know I've been neglecting my blogging - sorry all - I've been in PARTY MODE!!! But it is back to the grindstone...so first off, here is all you needed to know and more about The Watercolor Cat and Peggy's book tour:

First, here is a note about the book tour from Shelly -

Hi Suzanne and Peg's Legs,

Peggy will benefit with royalties for every book sold. As a special deal--Mutual is offering a $5 donation to Peggy through every book that a Peg's Leg buys through Mutual.

However, if no books are sold through the bookstores--the unintended consequence will be that the book's potential future sales will collapse, Mutual will not reprint it, and the book will have a very short lifespan. It's important that the book does well at these bookstore signings or the stores will stop carrying the book. In the long run--we are working for the royalties and keeping the book in print and available in the book stores--especially for the holidays.

I would recommend that Peg's Legs show up in force to all the book signings to buy a few copies in order to help Peggy and me maintain an enthusiasm for the book--Especially during the Christmas Holidays.

Here's the schedule of signings. Peggy will be attending all of these.

Monday, October 8th Barnes and Noble (Ala Moana) - 2:00-5:00 p.m.
(A Special Book Fair for Holy Trinity School--again, trying to flood the signing with customers to yield an enthusiasm for the book's potential!)

Saturday, October 13th Borders Waikele, 12pm

Saturday, October 13th Borders Pearlridge, 4pm

Saturday, October 20th Borders Ward, 12pm

Saturday, October 20th Borders Windward, 4pm

Sunday, November 4th Na Mea Native Book Store, 1pm (A special Book Launch Party in celebration of Peggy's Life)

Aloha,
Shelly

Suzanne mentioned that the books weren't ready when she called Mutual yesterday. However, they said they would be ready today or tomorrow.

Party Party Party

We had a fabulous party today for me and Rhea, the house Libras. Peggy had very specific ideas about how she wanted her room decorated for the party. She directed Karen, Marvel, and Kelly over the past two days and had them running around all over the place...Life with Peggy is like a big scavenger hunt!

Karen and Hanna spent all morning decorating the room. They wouldn't even let us in there! We finally were allowed to enter at 12:30 and it was FABULOUS! There were pink twinkly lights around the door and a table beautifully set with Peggy's fine china! They had even set up a chocolate fountain.

We picked Indy up early from school so that she could enjoy the festivities. She's a party girl just like her Puna. We had fun eating and eating and eating! Then we got to open all of our wonderful gifts. It was a perfect party. Thank you to all who helped make it happen!

Indy is now doing her homework in Peggy's room. So cute. And, yes, preschoolers now have homework. We still have the chocolate fountain set up to help Lolo through her shift so come by and dig in if you're in the area!

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

So it is my birthday today! And tomorrow, us office gals are celebrating with a little lunch. It is Rhea's birthday on October 1st, so we are doing the combo birthday celebration.

I'm off to pick up Indy and meet Eric for dinner, so I don't have much time to blog right now. I really want to share all about how amazing and wonderful this past week has been with Leslie and Stuart and I promise to spend more time on this topic soon, but until then, just a few medical updates...

We were totally out of tons of supplies, but our savior Cathy picked a bunch of stuff up at HCA and dropped them off - Baza, saline, gloves, etc. They only had large gloves, but we can order some medium ones as soon as they are in. When Cathy was here Peggy asked her to check her lungs which she did. After some deep suctioning they sounded great.

I'm off and running - I'll post again soon!

"Peggy with Love" at 5pm

I've been hearing reports that the documentary is going to show at 5pm instead of 5:30...we'll be here from about 4:30ish to watch it! We're also taping it, so we should have copies here at the house soon...

Nurse Cathy and HPU Doc KHNL Special Tomorrow

Cathy came by today to do trach care. She also gave Peggy a flu shot and checked the cuff. There should be a good 16 CCs of air in there right now. Basically HCA is just inflating the cuff at night and then if their is any cuff leakage during the day, HCA staff comes back in at night or in the morning and they can fill it back up. We were out of a few supplies like normal saline and Baza cream. I called in the order to HCA.

Remember, we're planning to watch the HPU Documentary KHNL Special here at the house tomorrow. The show starts at 5:30 so we'll probably gather around 4:30 or 5ish and have some pupus to nibbles on.

Leslie

I have intentionally put off blogging about the following subject to give everyone involved their due respect and privacy. But I know that all of you have been waiting for this post and the time has come! I am excited to finally share the story of Leslie. Not that this is a secret around the house - it is pretty much all we have been talking about for months!

Peggy has shared with many of you that a couple of years before the birth of Eric, she had a daughter that she gave up for adoption. To make a very long story short, 6 months ago a detective that we hired found her. Her name is Leslie and she currently lives in Rhode Island.

Leslie and Peggy have been communicating by letter and email. On Tuesday, Leslie and her husband Stuart arrived in Honolulu. They planned a trip here specifically to meet Peggy (and Eric too). Eric and I had a lovely dinner with them Tuesday night. Eric told Leslie that he has always wanted a sister. It was really amazing to see them meet for the first time.

On Wednesday, Leslie came to the house and met Peggy for the first time since she was adopted 38 years ago. We had Marvel on shift which made communication go very well. All I can say is that seeing Leslie and Peggy meet and make eye contact for the first time brought tears to all of our eyes. It was such a special moment. I swear I could feel Peggy's heart about to burst.

They spent the day talking and learning about each other. Leslie got the chance to meet some of the Peg's Legs, Elroy, Jason...Yesterday Eric and his friend Chance took Leslie and Stuart canoe surfing at Kaimana. They had such a great time!

Then last night we had dinner here at the house. Leslie and Stuart came, Jason brought the girls, Marilyn came by, my mom and dad came, Rhea and KC stopped by (Rhea was instrumental in finding Leslie and was the one who actually spoke with her before any of the family did) - it was so much fun! Lolo was on shift (she took the great photo above). Indy, Jade, Sawyer, and Cian ran around the house like crazy spider monkeys...it was a fun and full house - Leslie asked if it was always like this and we were like, "are you kidding? This is a mellow Chun gathering! We're trying to break you in easy! We're not even in costume tonight!"

As I write this, I feel like I'm not doing a good job of expressing how momentous, amazing and magical this whole thing is. I think it really hit me when Eric and Leslie stood on opposite sides of Peggy's chair for a photo. There they were, Peggy's TWO children. Wow.

But beyond that...Leslie is just so cool! She and Stuart are the nicest people and they just fit right in. It is as if we have known them forever. It is so nice to be past the initial nervousness and the anticipation of the unknown...into a more relaxed, having fun and "getting to know you" place. Leslie is coming by to share some photos with Peggy today and we are planning some more beach time this weekend.

It has just been such a joy to meet Leslie and Stuart. We have all been anticipating this moment and I want to assure all of you that it has all worked out better than we could have ever imagined. Peggy is happier than I have seen her in a long time. And maybe "happier" is the wrong word...she just seems calmer...more AT PEACE. It's a beautiful thing.