Noreen Sereno

I miss Noreen so much. I miss her laughter, sense of humor, how she and Yod would bicker about silly things, how she'd groom her horse for hours, how she never gave up, how she was in couture/diamonds and then cowgirl, ......
Noreen was one of the most inspiring women I've ever known. Her no-nonsense attitude, strength, and wisdom helped me find my way on more than one occasion. We spent a lot of time chatting when doing our horsey stuff at the ranch and we shared many stories about life. She was one of the few people that I could honestly share my worries with and get solid, truthful advise, even if it was tough to hear. She gave me the courage to stand up for what I believed in, knowing that sometimes my job had me second guessing myself. She pushed me to "GO FOR IT" even when I thought the chips were down. The first time I felt like I got a horse kick from Noreen was when I was pouting about not being able to buy a house, not being able to get a loan etc. She basically told me to knock it off, and get with it, and gave some really helpful tips on how to navigate the process. It was also her passionate plea telling me to hang in there that was so awesome. She even said "Hey, I'll buy you a vacuum when you get your house..." and we laughed so hard. I had no idea what she was talking about until 8 months later when we moved into our N.Kihei house that she got us the RUMBA. Wow, so thoughtful and best gift ever.
Noreen had a tender soul too. She loved my son Bert who is special needs (18 years old now). They would banter around silly topics with her showing true interest in him. Noreen also spoiled me with sweet gifts that she called "just because." Most precious was a pink bracelet that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Noreen had great style and when her slacks weren't fitting she'd pass them on - score! She even shared with me her closet organization tips that I use to this day. "If you wear it once and not too dirty :-) then just flip it over and put back in the closet. This way you know that next time you should wash it."
Noreen talked about her family all the time. She shared how excited she was whenever she and Dave were planning for travel and I marveled that they had competitions to see who could pack the lightest - rolling techniques and one bag carryon. I told her I thought they could do a comedy show. When she got the new Mercedes suv she was tickled that Dave had once again spoiled her. She bragged about her family all the time and how hard each worked to carve their own way in life. She knew she was blessed for all she had and often worried about how hard Dave worked. She adored her children, father, grandchild, and showed us how to live life.
Noreen loved her horse Cash and her time at the ranch was her private, special time. We gave her space to do her own thing. I'm honored to have had the privilege to know her, to hang out with her and learn from her. She giggled about her email often yelling out to Yod "Hey, allmostacowgirl@gmail,,, " Heaven has a TRUE COWGIRL now!

Love and Aloha,
Jacqueline Neal (Yod's wife at Makani Olu Ranch)

PS. I posted quite a few pics and a couple of videos of her taking lessons. Let me know if you'd like me to print and send in another format.