Green

I know that this is probably some random thing, but I really think that the state color should be green! Not only is there every shade or color of green on the surrounding hills, the ocean sometimes looks green and even the state lizard (gecko) is green! The other morning I was driving down Kam Hiway in Haleiwa and noticed all of the green buildings we have in only a block.

remember, this is only in maybe a mile in length. Maybe that's why I love Hawai'i so much,.. green is my favorite color. Go figure!

Project Linus

For Enrichment Night this month our RS decided to make blankets for "Project Linus". This is a national organization that provides blankets for children that are in hospitals, transition placements or child protective locations. We have a local chapter in on Oahu, so this would mean that the blankets we made would stay locally.

Last night had the feel of an "old time quilting bee". Everyone sitting around laughing, talking story and working.

It was really fun, and we did something worthwhile for our community through Project Linus www.projectlinus.org

Only In Hawaii, vol VII

Even TARGET gets into the "tropical"look Even dogs wear Aloha Shirts (Kenji)!
Grafitti gets covered up by a beautiful mural. If this gets tagged, he'll paint something else

Pak Lan

My hubby, who thinks he's a Japanese gardener, loves plants! He can sit for hours thinking about what plant he's going to plant here, or what color flower would look good there. Our yard really does show the results of all this "thinking". He's had a bare spot that he's wanted to plant a tree in. "Something different", he's told me. Rainbow Shower Tree, Orchid Tree or ??? So a few weeks ago he said he'd found the tree, a Pak Lan. Never heard of it. We went to WalMart in Kunia and he showed me. He and his "friend" the garden manager were fussing over this tree. Now, I thought it was a pretty tree, but couldn't say anything one way or the other. So the tree came home, it was turned, placed, moved, moved again until he figured out the "right spot". He dug the hole and staked it. So with much fanfare, the tree was planted. The only person on the street who knew anything about the Pak Lan tree was Molly, who is Thai. She has a very small "stick plant" of this same tree, and had let me smell the flowers before.

Now please understand that this was two days before his monthly trip to the mainland and I was given "strict" instructions on the watering schedule, the flow of the water coming out of the hose and even how much went into the hole around the tree. Sometimes the pressure is enough to make me nervous. Everyday I was asked about the tree and the watering. One day I was able to tell him that the blooms were opening. Everyday I gave another report on the blooms, the smell and the general health of the tree.

He came home on Friday night, and yesterday was greeted with this...

The tree is covered in blossoms! It didn't die while he was gone, never wilted, never blew over in the wind. It lives!

The glorious Pak Lan tree! Beautiful blossoms that smell like a cross between tuber rose, plumeria and something else. Our whole end of the street smells like it! Really is remarkable.

LOST 100th Episode Celebration Party

The "Ace of Cakes" team came to Hawaii to make a special 100th episode cake for the cast and crew of LOST. This is so cool. The 100th episode will be on next week.

Pretty neat that they had actual little edible "people" that looked like the cast!

the beer cans, computer and suitcase were all made out of cake

the thing "Ace of Cakes" does is so neat and so much work.

Volcanos

On my way to Hilo, it was pretty clear. I looked out the window and realized that I could see both volcanos at the same time. It's something I'd never seen that before.

Mauna Loa is in the front, with snow on the top and Mauna Kea is in the background. There actually was a small amount of snow visible on this side. The otherside (out of camera range) is the side where the eruption is going on.

Mauna Loa in the front, Hamakua Coast below the clouds and Mauna Kea in the background.This picture actually shows the observatorys that are located at the top of Mauna Loa. There are several that take advantage of the crystal clear air.

I was pretty excited to get such great pics through the window of the airplane!

Home from Hilo

Long nights of beautiful hula auana and more long nights of hula kahiko...
made the trip to Merrie Monarch the things that memories are made of.

off da island

I'm off tomorrow morning for Hilo, on the Big Island, to watch three days of this... Yes, it's Merrie Monarch time. Can't wait!

Thank You Waialua Elementary!

I was nominated as a candidate for the Honolulu Outstanding Senior Citizen Award by Waialua Elementary. This came as a huge surprise (I almost threw away the paperwork (thought it was a joke!).

Yesterday was the ceremony at the Hawai'i Convention Center. Hubby went with me and we met Heidi, her daughter and Mr. Moore. There were so many people there, I was amazed that it was such a HUGE deal. This was the 43rd year this recongnition had been held. I was the youngest out of 79! The oldest was 91 years young. There was a nominee that had volunteered 20,000+ hours to a variety of orginizations. Needless to say I was very humbled.

The mayor of the City & County of Honolulu gave a great talk, there was hula, Royal Hawaiian Band, entertainment and lots of "thank yous" to all of us.

The best part was getting to see the mayor dance with a group of Samoan Srs. from Kalihi! It had the whole ballroom on it's feet. He really does know his dance.

Afterwards we had a very, very yummy lunch at The Counter (hubby hadn't been there yet) in Kahala...no we didn't have a Jin sighting!

Thank you again Waialua Elementary, but the pleasure is mine.

Tommy

Last week when I was in town, made a point of seeing Tommy. It was his usual golf day, but he was working. I wanted to relay a message for him from Macie. I make him laugh because the only Samoan word I know "talofa". We got to talk about Samoan food and I promised to bring him some as soon as the ulu was in-season.

Just love this guy even after 25+years, the smile is the same. Good times dancing to Kapono on the beach, eating his cooking on Rainbow Dr., laughing at him doing a "slap dance", reading the paper with him in the early morning, him watching over the "Waikiki Princesses", him teaching Geoff to clean up the beach, parties at the beach stand, learning how to eat oysters at Chucks Cellar, Peggy and I driving his car, him laughing at us out in the water, his barefoot golfing and holes-in-one and just all the good times we've shared.

Really do love this Samoan Teddy Bear.