I'm Most Thankful For ...

family.

They're everything to me.

The thing that I'm most proud of.

the man that continues to make me laugh and shake my head

after 46 years.

our children and their children...

the loves of my my very thankful life.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Aloha Anne...

one of my hula sisters, Anne, is moving to Hilo this week.

We wanted to have a little lunch for her before she leaves.  

We met at Royal Garden in the Ala Moana Hotel.  It was so good!

Sharon and Leanne made little favors for each of us.

Oh, the dim sum…

it was so good!

but Sharon's lemon and chocolate chiffon cakes were to die for.

Anne had said one of her favorite things was Sharon's lemon chiffon.  I have

to agree with her.

we gave Anne a sweet music box of hula dancers (even if their arms were floppy)

that played "aloha oe" to always remember us by.

all those hours of practice for Na Hula and seeing each other every week,

 really does make you closer to each other.  You're like sisters.

aloha Anne, a hui hou

Aunty Lei...

thinking about her this weekend...

UH West Oahu...

the other day I was on the west side.  I drove around the campus of UH West Oahu.

I'd never been over there to see it.  I think its been open for a couple of years.

There were about 10 buildings done.

It seems a little stark because there aren't any big

trees yet.

this mural on the side of a tower was really pretty I was wondering what

it showed.  I saw a few things in it, but I'm sure I wasn't right.

One day this is going to be a really pretty campus.

It's nice that there's going to be a university for people on the westside.

Not A Solution...

yesterday work began on putting up concrete barriers at Laniakea

beach.  This is supposed to help with the congestion and traffic

problem there.  When we'd first heard about this, it didn't seem like

a good idea and still doesn't.  

This has been a problem that's only gotten worse as more and more

tourist try to escape Waikiki.  Tour buses parked there, dropping off

huge crowds to cross the street where there isn't a crosswalk.

Now where are all these people going to park?

Where are the local fishermen and surfers going to park?

there isn't parking on the makai side of the road.  

into the the residential areas on the Haleiwa and Sunset sides of

the beach?

8 years ago I started going to meetings and heard about this and what the

best solution would be…to re-align Kam Hiway.  Put a parking lot where the one

is now and the existing road and have the traffic rerouted mauka of it.

This "temporary" solution isn't really going to help, probably only cause

a whole new set of problem.

Honolulu Occidental Life...

I've seen this building hundreds of times and wondered about it.

It really is the Occidental Life Insurance building.  The original

building was built in 1950 and the cantilevered addition added 

several years later.

Some people have wondered if it was a left-over airport control tower of

some sort or a look-out.

Interesting that it's still used by the company today and not replaced by a high-rise.

Hula Sister Reunion At The Alley...

last week one of my hula sisters from Lani Ola, Arlene, came into town.

 Iris, Benita and I were in a different class than Arlene, but

we've been special friends for a long time.  

It was so nice for all of us to get together.  Too bad my hubby had to be on the

mainland.

We met at "the Alley" at Aiea Bowl.  It was so good!  I hadn't been there for awhile

and it was just as good as I remembered it.

Arlene-nie, we love you and were so happy to get together!

France Comes to Haleiwa?...

another addition to the crazy Haleiwa food scene…

a VW bus selling crepes in the 

Cafe Haleiwa parking lot.

as an owner of a Bus, I know how tight the space is in there

so if they can make it work…

Just when we thought we'd seen it all in the ever-changing Haleiwa.

Wonder how long it will last?

Surfing, A Sad Fact...

it can be very dangerous.

Yesterday we had the first really BIG swell come through.  

They didn't run the contest because this side was too blown out.

Farther east of Haleiwa the big wave surfers were out.

Right before noon, one of them didn't surface.

a full on search was going on in the water and

the air.

they were out again at day break searching again.

As of now, they still haven't found him.

He was someone that I didn't know personally, but had seen around.

It's a sad fact that something so awe-inspiring can also be so dangerous.

Even as I write this, I can still hear the helicopters.

Storm...

we had a big storm that came through Saturday and into Sunday.

At one point I got an alert on my phone about Kam Hiway being closed in 

Haleiwa.  Later found out that it was a downed power pole.  

Went by there today and saw that even though they got the road opened and 

power back on…the wires were still drooping.

                     you can see the broken pole leaning.  Not sure when they'll get the new pole in, but

it's amazing what lightening will do.

Linger Longer...

Sunday was another "Linger Longer" after church.  We've done four times

this year.  I love it.  It's a chance to have lunch together, chat and get caught up

after our meetings.  

the best part is trying all of the different types of food…

Moroccan, Hawaiian, Mexican, Samoan

it's all there.

 I'm so Thankful for Waialua Ward and all of it's members.

Crack Seed Store...

for over 70 years this little, tiny store has been open in Kaimuki.

Last week there was a story on the news about it and the man that has

owned it for 35 years.  So at school we made a list for me to 

pickup after hula.  Since I go to Kaimuki once a week this 

was easy.

Everyone had their favorite.  My hula sisters told me the best parking, so

I went the couple of blocks and felt like I was stepping back in time...

my favorite…rock salt plum!

it really was the best I'd ever had…the perfect combo of sweet, salty, wet…

as I waited in line (it was out the door by the time I left) I took a look around.

I'm sure 70 years ago they didn't have Icees or Diet Coke dispensers, but everything

else seemed the same.

The owner (only one working) thanked me for coming all the way from Waialua, but

I felt I should be thanking him for this yummy, so Hawaii, step back in time.

Veterans Day...

to Charlotte, Billy, Ed, family members, and Waialua Ward members...

you're service means so much

and we Thank You...

Autumn in Hawaii...

the changes are subtle…

getting dark by 6pm,

not as many tourist around,

can hear the roar of the surf more,

more rain,

cooler at night (even an extra blanket),

thinking about baking,

thinking about wearing a sweater,

kids wearing tennis shoes instead of slippers,

beautiful sunsets just because,

not able to swim in calm water on the North Shore,

everything seems greener some how…

yes, we love the autumn in Hawaii!

Allie...

yesterday was Allie's birthday.

So at lunch we had a little party for her.

Allie had been Arlette's PTT up until this year (she's coming back next year).

she's one of the reasons that Waialua Elementary is

such a great school.

She's a local Waialua girl 

not only does Allie work at Waialua, but so do her

two daughters…Cammie and Roxy.

Allie is a selfless friend and has a heart so big…

love you Allie

Ka'ena Point...

Sunday when we took our drive, we went out to Ka'ena Point or where

the road ends right past Mokulei'a.

Normally there are people out there sitting in their cars watching the

surf  in the parking lot or down on the rocks.

Sunday there was a lot of activity.

I snapped this photo of all these cars leaving the area that used to be off

limits to cars.  There had been these big, huge rocks blocking cars from going out there…

but not anymore it seems.

Ka'ena Point is a very, very protected spot.

There are many endangered species of not only

birds, and seals but also plants.  That's why it's

been "off-limits" to vehicles.

We were wondering if the ban had been lifted (which seems unlikely)

or were these some of the people looking for the lost kayaker .

We saw some large groups of people gathered along the shoreline

in other spots.  Sad story.

Needless to say we hope that the vehicle ban at Ka'ena hasn't

been lifted. It would be sad to see so many cars out there all the time.

Haleiwa Changing...

early one last Friday I was on my way to the market and just caught

a glimpse of what was going on in Haleiwa…

it's hard to see, but what used to be in part of this photo was a brown

church…as I drove by a big dozer thing was ripping in down.

it's the brown building in the center…gone

I wonder if early one morning I'll see them tearing down Aoki's.

Lots going on behind the wood barrier...

And So It Begins...

the 2013 Triple Crown surf contest season.

The HIC Pro is a pre-qualifier for the other three BIG contest.

Haleiwa, Sunset and Pipe

let the games begin

and all that goes with it.