Marys Blog

Sitting on the dock of Kailua Bay (doesn’t that sounds like a song) Watching the tide roll in…..

Feelin’ like Life can sometimes seem like a roller coaster that we can’t always control or maybe don’t want to control or maybe not that important to control…my point is life just happens ready or not!! However, Life is, Life does, Life happens.

Sharing my Aloha thought with you on this friday starts with;
I AM SO HAPPY TO BE ALIVE!! Livin’ is a beautiful thing, my family is happy and healthy, one of my sister’s celebrating another Birthday, my friends are happy and healthy, our customers are happy and healthy. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting a couple visiting Hawaii for the First Time, well I just had to ask what took them so long…and their responses just made my day. They told me that they had to save the BEST for last..you see the mister (according to his doctor) may not have much longer here on Earth so they decided it was time to visit Hawaii for the Sun, Surf, Hike our beautiful trails, Go to Mauna Kea, enjoy Kona’s Best 100% Kona Mountain Coffee (Yea) and to meet people of Hawaii.

Let me share with you in that few precious minutes, hearing of their journey’s in life was not only Awesome but Amazing. They were blessed with good health to enjoy traveling all 50 States and shared a little something from each State, they also express their Happiness of life. And in life contentment - if one will pay attention to it - will and can go a long way. Well, since I was paying attention, I realized that they will be back visiting Hawaii because now they have a Hawaii Ohana (oh-ha-naw, family) to share their amazing stories and company. I really needed a week with them. I look forward in hearing more from their experiences so I to can remember once again that the roller coaster of life can take you where you want to journey. So until next time, take care, enjoy your cup of Kona Mountain Coffee, and if you haven’t yet…1-888-432-3276 call me. Have a great Aloha day!

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Because of all the chaotic news we see on a daily base, it is always refreshing to read something AWESOME, EXCELLENT and just down right FANTASTIC!! Which leads me to a for real ALOHA story. I hope it makes you smile widely as it did me.

Mahalo (Thank You)
By Sally Schuff, Washington, D.C.

Fast action by all concerned saves life

January 6 should have been a just a routine Sunday in paradise. Instead this letter includes my profound thanks to those in Kona who saved my life. I survived a life-threatening pulmonary embolism because of the fast action of the County of Hawaii Fire Department/Ocean Safety Emergency Service and Kona Community Hospital.

The blood clot that struck my lung that Sunday afternoon at Kahaluu Beach was believed to be related to my air travel to Kona. After snorkeling, I was surprised I was having serious trouble breathing. I assumed, very wrongly, it was related to my inexperience with the snorkel tube or perhaps minor heart issue. I stumbled toward the beach, trying to pretend I was “just fine”.

Much to my surprise, a lifeguard intercepted me and insisted on checking my medical condition. Had if not been for his intervention, I likely would not be writing this letter and I want to publicly acknowledge a lasting debt of gratitude to Water Safety Officer Sean Gallagher. He started oxygen and called paramedics, who recommended a trip to the hospital. In the Kona emergency room, Dr’s. Donald Dawes and Stephen Denzer promptly diagnosed my condition, a diagnosis I understand is difficult but very critical. Their skill meant the difference between life and death. The conspicuous professionalism of the Kona emergency room nurses assured me I would have no unmanaged medical events, greatly relieving my stress. My week in your hospital was not only marked by medical competency but also with great kindness from the entire nursing staff. They surrounded me with a sense of safety and compassion, and hospital volunteers joined in a remarkable demonstration of ALOHA. They created the perfect environment for my recovery.

I am now back at work in Washington, D.C. as an agricultural reporter. I am expected to continue toward a full recovery. One day, I hope to return to your island paradise. In the meantime, I have learned a word that has profound meaning for me: MAHALO

Mary’s note: It is always such joy to have real-life stories teaching us all it is NEVER to late in life to learn the true gift of ALOHA!! Until next time, keep on smiling, and remember, for every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you’ll NEVER get back…. Never regret anything that made you smile.

Ekomo Mai,
Mary

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Aloha and Happy Tuesday! I hope this blog finds you happy, healthy and feelin’ groovy!! All is well here in the land of Kona Coffee! Any q’s call or eme (by the way this is one of my new hawaiian make-up words for the day) eme= email me.

I was talking with someone about Aloha, which I do talk about almost every single day, and I was saying that one of the things that I do here is show what Aloha is to some of the new members of our staff, and that I love doing it! I love coming into the store in the morning, and having my cup of coffee… and they interrupted, kindly of course, and said, ‘You mean, Hawaiian’s aren’t born with Aloha?’

And I said no, I don’t think so. We’re not born with Aloha. I think it’s instilled in us by our parents, our family. It’s like teaching a kid how to walk, and talk, and how to feel about things. Then they asked, ‘So it’s cultural?” And I thought about it, and said yes, I think it’s given to us as we grow up.

For example. I remember my first trip to Texas. I was at a Rangers game, and they were playing against the Mariners, who I love! And I was out there going ‘YO! Mariners!’ and hooping and hollering, and people were looking up like, geeze! And then the game gets done, and we’re leaving, and I’m going ‘Hi! How are you!’ and I’m talking to people…. Well. It’s amazing to me how in the bigger cities, people just don’t take the time to say hello to each other any more. They really don’t. I mean, when I’m in Los Angeles, I’ll stop and say ‘Hi! How you doing! How’s life treating you?’ And people look at me like I’m pupule (ed. note: poo-poo-lay, crazy). Or, ‘Humph. Shut up! Nobody wants to hear that!’ But I say it anyway, you know? So it’s like, ‘I’m sorry. I’m from Hawaii. We do that. We just… feel this way. This is who we are. You know… we’re mellow jello… so slow down. Take a breath. Life is good!’ That kind of thing, you know? But it makes me realize we are different.

I didn’t know. I really didn’t. Until I started traveling to the mainland as an adult, I really didn’t know that we were just a little different. I’d always heard that people from Hawaii were laid-back, behind the times in every aspect. But… I never believed it. I just thought… so? We live in Hawaii. We have some things different here, like California has things different, or the East Coast has some things different. But I didn’t realize just how different we are. Actually… I’m fine with that. So we’re behind the times and take things a little easier. Hummm… maybe that’s okay.

Some people think I was born on Maui, for some reason, but I was born on Oahu. I’m a Waianae girl, and Waianae is known as the ‘rough’ side of the island. People don’t go to that side of the island just to see it’s beauty. People don’t generally go on that side of the island at all, because of it’s roughness. But it’s beautiful! I didn’t know it was different, when I was growing up there. I didn’t know it was considered the ‘rough’ part of town. That didn’t happen with me, or my family. I mean, my Dad had seven girls! He raised seven girls in an area like that. But it worked out. We never… we never actually perceived that that’s the way people saw where we lived. It was like, you see somebody who has a hole in their jeans (and that is when it wasn’t a fashion statement) you just think, well, sew it! You don’t think poor, you don’t think grubby. You don’t think badly of them. That’s what they had.

So it was a wakeup call when I went to the mainland. Alaska. Well, I know most people don’t think of Alaska as the mainland. And in Alaska they call the mainland the ‘lower 48′. Anyway, when I went to Alaska I found the culture of the people to be kind of similar to Hawaii. Because of the lifestyle in Alaska, you need people. You need friends. I mean, anything can happen at any given time with the highways and the conditions there. You need a friendly soul to pass by and say, ‘Hi, do you need some help? What can I do for you?’ And that part of it reminded me so much of home. So much of home. I thought people were friendly. They did take the time to say hello. And I felt home-away-from-home… except for the climate and the conditions, of course.

I mean, the first couple of weeks I’d call my Mom and say… ‘HUGE mistake!’ HUGE! I want to come back home!’ But my Mom would say, ‘You know… life’s a journey. Give it a try. You won’t even satisfy yourself in life if you don’t give it a try. Give it a try.’ And so, a month later, I’m, “Mom! I drove to the store today! Woohoo!’ Because it’s winter, you know, and icy and … then it made me understand about sunsets in Hawaii. And all the things that we have here, that are unique. And that was, really, my first introduction to realizing we’re different. Okay! I got it! Hawaii! It’s unique and beautiful. That’s why they call it paradise. D’oh! But being born and raised here… the sun rises, the sun sets, so what? Yes we have palm trees, so what? So does Miami… you know? But it really is the culture.

Okay, it’s a lot of things combined. But most of all, it’s the culture, the way we were raised. My parents taught me that life… is worth life. It’s so equal, in every aspect. You don’t look at anybody at any time and think… you’re better. Or you have better. You would try to look at people and say, ‘You need some help there? Hey, I can help you with that.’ And vice versa. You get help in return.

So… it took me moving out of state for a while to make me realize what we had here in Hawaii. And when we came home, my husband and I, it was like the best day of my life! I mean, I got it! I know what the difference is! And I think it was at that point that my Aloha bloomed. It was like that old saying, ‘the light goes on’, you know? And for me that was it. Alaska is a beautiful state, and there’s that bond with people that I love so much, which is so much like Hawaii. But this is home. This is where Aloha lives for me.

Have a great Aloha day!

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You know, it’s fairly easy to feel all ‘aloha’ and ‘how are you today!’ and cheery at the beginning of a fresh work week. But maybe not as easy on Friday. You’re tired, and life is… well, how life is. And here in front of you is another person from the mainland who has absolutely no idea what Kona Coffee is, and they’re uncomfortable being in a strange place for the first time, and they need a little TLC, a little warm aloha to make their day brighten up. And you’re simply… tired.

But you don’t want to fake it. That’s just … you don’t want to do that. You want to actually feel Aloha, and share what’s actually inside of you with other people. You have to have real Aloha inside, and be able to express it to people. That’s the major reason we’re here, after all. Sure, there’s selling the coffee. But really and truly, our life here is all about the Aloha.

And so I share all the great comments we get with all the other people I work with here. Every day… and I mean every day! … whether it’s in the store, verbally… or email, or on the phone… there’s someone telling me how good they feel about our coffee.

I just realized… this is a great place to ask you how we’re doing. Seems obvious, but I notice none of the others have asked. So I will!

If you have ever been to Kona Mountain, the store or the farm or the website, PLEASE feel welcome to drop me a line! Comment on this blog, or phone me (808-329-5005 and ask for Mary) or email mary@konamountaincoffee.com I will love hearing from you, whatever you have to say. And I promise to respond to all normal, non-weird messages. Because good or bad, your input will help us be what we’re supposed to be.

And if you just want to know something about Kona, or Hawaii, well, you can give me a try. If I know the answer, I’ll tell you.

Back to the subject at hand… we do need to hear the negative, too. Because everyone makes mistakes, and so we will make mistakes now and then. We definitely need to know about them. How else can we improve? So, although difficult to do, I welcome hearing about anything we need to correct. Don’t hesitate to tell me about it.

Don’t hold back on the positive comments, either! Sharing with us what we’ve done right, that helps us walk taller, you know? It reminds us that what we’re doing is what we love. Your comments can help us show to other people that ‘Love of Aloha’ that’s emblazoned on our label, and really mean it. In a way, it’s a difficult thing to do every day, day after day. On the other hand, it isn’t as hard as it seems. We seem to manage to do it pretty well. At least that’s what people tell me.

I suppose part of it is that I keep reminding myself, and the people I work with, that it’s easier to smile. And a smile will last forever. So if things start to get me down, I say to myself, “God, today is gorgeous! Look at that sun! Look at that ocean!” And my feelings about whatever problem is happening, those feelings start to change, and the problem becomes just another part of the day that I can handle. With Aloha.

In this day and age, that sort of thinking may seem simple minded to some. Bubble-headed and insincere. And I suppose it could be. But it isn’t, not where I am. It’s my way of expressing that high goal, that Love of Aloha I learned from my parents, and their parents. Maybe it’s a little more difficult to allow yourself to be open and friendly and ready to meet people where they’re coming from. On the other side, maybe it’s hard for people to believe the difference between a fake commercial greeting at a store … where they’re actually being checked for shoplifting… and being greeted with sincere Hawaiian Aloha that is really, actually, warm and welcoming.

Or maybe not. Maybe true Aloha cuts through the fog of commercialism and touches something deeper. That’s what I hope. That’s how I live.

I’m havin’ a great time doin’ it!!!

Have a great Aloha day!

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That means a beautiful good morning to you from Hawaii! And this is how we say it… ah-low-ha kah-kah-he-AH-ka! Here on the Big Island of Hawaii, on the west side of the island which is called the Kona side, we still try to speak a little Hawaiian. It keeps the love of Aloha flowing, and even if you’re a visitor and don’t know what it means the first time you hear something, you listen for a little while, and the meaning comes through. And if it doesn’t, just ask me! I’m always happy to talk with people about Hawaii, any day, any way!

I just got off the highway coming in to work and I had the deep blue Pacific Ocean to my left, with some early morning surfers enjoying a 2 ft swell that gave them a pretty nice ride for their efforts, and just a few little clouds on the horizon that should burn off and give us a lovely day!

Monday! I can’t complain… the sun is coming out! After the overcast of the last couple of days… well, I don’t actually mind that for a while, but really, I need the sun to rejuvenate. Yesterday, a little bit of sun showed for a while, and I was out there following it, going I need you! I need you! I’d find a ray or two and sit down in it and read my book. It’s about bees. Really, it’s a novel about a mother and daughter, and my daughter gave it to me. She read it years ago, and put a little note in it that said ‘Mom, I really enjoyed this book, and I know you’ll enjoy it too. So stop what you’re doing, sit down and read it.’ So I came across it the other day, and saw the note, and I’m ‘Oh” … and this is like a year later… ‘I should read this’. So I started it over the weekend.

I try to put out fires. That’s what I do every day. I’ve never had customers who were really angry. Not here at Kona Mountain. I’ve had people who will call and try to explain something, like they thought a sign said one price, and they were charged another price. But it usually turns out to just be an error that maybe they didn’t read it right. I mean, you can have everything laid out so you think that everyone could understand easily, but it’s kind of amazing how people — all of us — tend to focus on one thing and just don’t read everything. So sometimes people feel upset and say ‘well, the sign said this’, but I go over and show them that if you read all of the sign, it actually says this, and they’re ‘oh, yeah, it does’, and everything’s fine. You know, I’ve done it myself in other stores. So I can’t get upset at them.

We’ve got customers who are heading to the airport to go home to the mainland, and they’re in a hurry, and then they call when they get home. And they’re pretty sweet about it, but they tell me how they think we’ve made a mistake, and I talk with them and tell them, and after a little while they understand that they just kind of misread something, and they’re okay about it, and we talk story for a while, and they get feeling better, and then maybe I’ll hear from them after a while and it’s ‘Hi Mary!’ and they feel like they’ve made a friend. Which they have. I like talking with people very much. It lets me share my Aloha, and I want to make the day brighter, for them, for me… just, brighter.

But we’ve been really blessed. Since we opened, I think there have been only two times when people called and they were pretty upset. But even then, I’ve been able to talk with them, and calm them down a little, and we get to really talking, and the problem doesn’t seem so big (because it really never is) and I help resolve it, and people feel better, and then I hear from them later, and I hear a friendly voice on it phone. It makes me feel very, very good that being as kind as I can be, and honest and real, and really try to show the love of aloha, helps them do the same and then everyone is just people. We can work out any differences and feel good about what we’ve done. That makes me really happy!

On the other hand, every day… and I mean every single day… we get people who call, or email, or stop in the store and talk with me, who say, ‘oh, you have such good coffee!’ Just before I started writing this, a couple came into the store and said, ‘we’re on the way to the airport to go home, and this is the last stop. Because I’ve tried all the Kona coffee since I’ve been here, and they’re all too light for me.’ And I said, ‘oh! So what is it about the dark roast you like? The full body? What else do you want?’ They said, ‘I want a smooth, dark roast coffee. And it seems impossible, because they all have an afterbite, and I just like smoothness.’ And I said, ‘well, have you tried a peaberry coffee’, which is known for less acidity in a dark roast. So we went over to the tasting area, and, to start them off, I gave them a sample of our regular Dark Roast. Not the peaberry yet, just our regular dark roast. And right off the bat he said, ‘now, okay. So maybe this should have been our first stop’. (Because, you know, we’re the first Kona coffee place coming in from the airport and the last going to the airport.) He said, ‘this is dark, and this is smooth. Give me a couple of pounds.’

I mean, just like that. And the way he made me feel, it was so great! He kept on about how they had visited every coffee place in Kona, and could not find a 100% Kona that was smooth but had a full body. But they both liked ours. Maybe they had an exact thing in mind about what made a perfect coffee, and ours was just it. Any maybe other people feel a different way. But it’s amazing. Yesterday I got an email from someone who had been a long time customer of another coffee company (he didn’t say who) and had somehow gotten some of our coffee, and wanted to join our Coffee Club. All he wanted to know is if his first order counted on our offer for a free pound every tenth order. And of course I told him yes, absolutely, it did. Every tenth order you get a bag on us. So enjoy, share. And so now he’s a Coffee Club member. I mean, it’s free, and you get free coffee, so why not!

Anyway, it’s like that every day here… in beautiful Hawaii. I love it!

But I should stop writing now and go do some work. So, have a great Aloha day!

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