Parable of the Plumeria

Elder Cameron and I were invited to learn how to make flower leis, from "real" Polynesians. So off we went!

Kerri sent the kids out to pick Bougainvillea petals, Plumeria blossoms, Crown flowers and Ti leaves.

       Cutting off the stems and loading the petals on the thread with 8 inch needles.

Elder Cameron, acting like he doesn't know anything about flowers.

He did learn some new techniques.

Creating a pattern with two colors of the Plumeria.

    Stirling took over loading the petals, while I trimmed the stems.

As time went by, more of this lovely family came to help. Three of the women in dark shirts are sisters. The one in the center is a daughter. Kerri was surprised by the skills of the "white boy".

Four different types of Lei's being constructed.

Kerri working on the Ti leaves. They are picked and frozen overnight so they are pliable and don't break when twisted.

Elder Cameron's work. Check out how well it matches my dress.

Tranque and Jax doing the Ti leaf lei's

Sofia, learning from her, very patient, Auntie.

She was so pleased with her finished lei.

Some one "stole" my ipad and captured me cutting stems off the Crown flower. If you make the picture bigger, on the left, Tranque is stringing the Crown flowers. We were also served curry, for dinner. See it there to my left? It was delicious! Go ahead. Try to turn down food. It. Will. Not. Happen.

The cook and ipad snatcher, cutting his own hair. He is a dancer at the Polynesian Cultural center. The black markings on his back, arms and legs are Samoan Tattoos. We do family history on computers. Earlier Jews (Nephi) did theirs on brass. Samoans (and others) do their family history on their bodies.

The lei's were quickly whisked away, bagged, and put in the fridge before I got pictures. A family member was graduating from high school, the next day and all the lei's made were for him. 

Aloha