MY TSUNAMI WEDDING

I boarded Air New Zealand and as the plane took off I sat back in my seat and dreamed about my beautiful, romatic, tropical island beach wedding! I pictured as the pastor spoke at the wedding ceremony that behind him we could all hear the crashing waves of the clear blue multi-colored ocean, I was going to walk through a magnificent tropical palm tree arch onto the white sandy beach of Maninoa. Along the walk to meet my husband there were some of the most beautiful Samoa flowers on each side of me, when I would reach the spot were we would stand together was a huge heart that was made out of the same flowers. There we would say our vows and be made man and wife! It was just breath taking!

When I arrived in Samoa I was asked if I would change my wedding date to the following saturday? My soon to be husband's niece was going to get married the saturday that I was suppose to get married on!! Well I gave in and said "yes" it will be o.k.; as it would give me more time to prepare for my dream wedding. Saturday came and we were going to Faleata Golf Course for the wedding. We had a beautiful view of the lush green mountains. I was happy because I  knew that my wedding was going to be  "oh so much more romantic"! It was going to be a wedding no one would ever forget!

October 29th 2009 early morning I was up and reading laying on the floor when all of a sudden I felt the ground shaking very hard and I jumped up and started to yell it's an earthquake!!! It seemed to go on for ever and its  shaking was the hardest I have ever felt!! My friends then said to me if the sirens go off we have to leave immediately and go up to the hills! I am standing  in shock saying what do you mean? They yelled out, the sirens !"There is going to be a tsunami we have to leave now"!! All I could think about is my wedding dress, and my wedding;, I did not have time for this drama!! My friends said,"We have no time we must go now"!! They are pushing me out the door;  I am thinking I can not leave my dress!! Next thing I know we are driving up in the mountains to go to our friends house where we would be safe.There they had a radio and television and we could hear and see what was going on. By the time we get there, the tsunami had already hit. Many villages had been destroyed and news reports were coming in about all the deaths and destruction. Even though I knew that we were safe up on the mountain I still put on a life jacket  and was ready for what could possibly happen next! What was going to happen to my dream wedding on Maninoa beach? What about my beautiful wedding dress?

"Leaving for the Island"

On Sept. 22/09 I will take off to the heart of polynesia Apia Samoa. On saturday at 3:00 pm on the Maninoa beach I will be saying wedding vows and giving  up my single life. WOW! never thought I would ever give in and get married. My friends and family still don't believe it! I have enjoyed being single and not having kids even though It seemed like most of my life I was always caring for other peoples children. I knew that I was free to do as I wanted and go where I wanted. Except for the few relationships that tried to keep me on a leash, at that point I knew that these relationships would never end in marriage.
So you may be wondering why now? why this guy? it's still very strange to me that after all the years that have passed that we would not only find each other, but to end up getting married? I truly believe that God had his hand in all of this.

I heard someone say once that "Great love and great achivements involve great risk."

Waterfall in Samoa

Can't leave the city just yet!!

As much as I believe I have found paradise, why can't I leave the city, well for one thing I have been working at one of the biggest movie studios for the last 21 years,  with all the people who have lost their jobs I know that it is the result of the blessing that I have in my life because I am one of the few people who still have their job, it's not because I have some big degree or I have some special knowledge. I am just a person who prays and has a tremenduos amount of faith, well even though I have become an offical Island girl, for the time being I will still live in the city.

The reason I say that I have become an Island Girl is that I will be getting married to a man that I dated back in the 80's while living in Hawaii, we have reconnected after 25 years. He now lives in Samoa ( until I bring him here, WINK) and he is happy with the Island life,  so I can go back and forth and not have to give up the the city life I started an import/export business, this way I have the best of both worlds. When I need  some refreshing I can always go to my Island and enjoy the amazing blue crystal clear oceans, swim with the turtles, and enjoy all the beautiful colors of  tropical flowers Samoa has to offer!