There were many steps to learn and since I had already seen it done several times when we were here in September I stepped right in and assisted.

Oh the smell of Kona coffee, of course most all coffees smell wonderful but I am now partial to the fine aroma of the Kona beans...and when you drink it, ohhh...it's strong indulgent flavor comes alive in your taste buds – with no bitterness. The pure Hawaiian sun and the watchful eye of the roaster brings a cup of coffee that is worth writing home about. Most pounds cost about $20 and some like Hula Daddy are priced up to $60.

OK, back to the buffet...the coffee is brewing so it is ready for an early riser, with cream if they desire. The tea water is heating also, waiting for a tea drinker to select a flavor, some bring their own.

• The first thing we cut is the pineapple, grown in Maui. The pineapple here is much sweeter than on the mainland. I have never been a huge fan of pineapple but now that I have tasted the sun kissed pineapple of the islands I enjoy a few slices every week or so.
• The next fruit is papaya, “oohhh yaa baby – that's what I'm talkin' about” sweet delicious papaya, grown on the other side of the island in Hilo. I have learned that there are two kinds of papaya, the regular sweet papaya and the strawberry papaya, both wonderfully different and I love both! Some people like to put a little squeeze of lime on theirs, not me! I like it as it is or for an extra special treat, a big spoonful of cottage cheese plopped right in the center. That alone is an afternoon delight! We go to the Kona downtown farmers market and buy them at 3 – 7 for $2 depending on the kind and the supply available. I usually eat one everyday since it is good for the digestion. 
• The next fruit to prepare is kiwi, peeled and sliced. It's not a fruit that I enjoy so I leave it for the kiwi lovers to eat.
• Lilikoi or Passion Fruit is grown locally and some have it growing right on their property, well that goes for all the other fruits also...I had a hard time at first getting the taste of the lilikoi, it is very strong. I tasted it's seeds raw, I tasted lilikoi jelly made by Debra at the Inn, and then I tasted lilikoi frosting on a scone!!! Well, I have to tell you, that was a special moment...oh my oh my! My taste buds came alive to lilikoi in a special way that day and I have enjoyed it ever since, especially the frosting version!

Enough! of the fruit already! In the meantime I have turned on the oven and have put a selection of sweet rolls on a plate and am warming them. There is also fresh bread warming too, since the Inn likes to make fresh bread everyday.

In the garage there is a bread maker, now I always thought that a bread maker required a lot more work...but how wrong I was. They have a really good bread recipe and all it takes is pouring the ingredients into the bread pan inside the machine and turning it on, that is it! Two and a half hours later you have bread – done!

Now it's time to get the omelet bar ready, it is very easy since all the work it done the day before. After each days buffet we slice and arrange the vegtables and cover the plate so it is ready to put out the next morning, it makes it so much easier. There is a round plate with sliced onions, mushrooms, three kinds of sliced peppers, and cherry tomatoes. In the middle of the plate is a small bowl full of grated chedder and monterey jack cheese. Next to that is a plate of ham slices and sausages, and a bowl of eggs. Some of the eggs are green, some are brown, and added to those are store bought white eggs. Yes, there are chickens at the Inn and so there are a few homegrown eggs that guests can enjoy, I really like the green eggs. The stove top is ready with frying pans and spatulas, ready for the guests to have their husbands make them an omelet!

It is amazing how many husbands enjoy making up an egg masterpiece. It is also a great time to get to know the guests as they are cooking.

Alright! The jellies are out, the Guava juice and the Orange juice are out, butter, yeap, it looks ready...by now it is 8am and time to ring the bell. Here they have a brass bell that is from the Queen Mary, it is located at the front door and soo we ring the bell to announce that the breakfast buffet is ready.

Now that the guests are eating out on the lanai, it is time to turn on the waterfall and feed the birds. The bird feeder attracts a small variety of birds but many in numbers. They are very happy to see some tasty seeds to munch on and sometimes they fight for a space at the feeders edge.

While the birds are feasting the turkeys from next door saunter on over and say hello. They enjoy the day old bread and I loved throwing it to them. I am not intimidated by them and so they circle around me as I threw out pieces, making sure every turkey got its fair share, no hogger's in my turkey camp!

Now back to the kitchen where clean up starts. The whole process goes from 7am to 10am or later, moving every moment taking care of guest requests.  After the final floor wipe is done, it is time to do the guest rooms. With two couples running the Inn it really helps with the duties. Some days you do just the breakfast and maybe an extra vacuum of the living room and some days you can take it easy in the morning and start at 10:30 or so with the rooms. Then there are days when you do both, and drink lots and lots of water. That is not even accounting for the daily landscaping that needs to be done.

The rooms are taken care of everyday with a bathroom wipe down, new towels, trash removal, bed making and fluffing. If it has a kitchenette, that area is wiped down also and any used dishes we wash and put away. Every fourth day the bed linens are replaced with clean ones.  Laundry is the longest task, I have always thought that every home should have at least one washer and two dryers side by side, it just makes for good time management, now just to convince the builders and husbands:)

Then there is the care for the other common areas, such as the Dining Room, hallways, extra bathrooms, Library, lanais, sidewalks and the landscaping jungle. Running an Inn takes a passion for the business and a love for the people. It is something Jim and I love doing, it fits our personalities and our desire to reach out and bless others.

Well, that's the day to day stuff. There are other maintenance tasks that need to be attended to also. Washing windows, trimming trees, pulling weeds, trimming dead leaves or overgrown plants. The wonderful tropical climate in Hawaii tends to encourage plant life to flourish and prosper in its growth. The plants have no boundaries, so we have to set them:)

Oh yea, bugs. Bug control is a task here and sometimes at the least convent moment a bug will come to visit and you have to stop everything – that is if you want it gone. At first it 'bugged' me, but now I am an official bug trooper – lol.

Growth means change and change involves risk,
stepping from the known to the unknown.