Travis & Marisa...

two of our very good friends are leaving Hawai'i.  

I'm so sad, but also understand why they are going.

It's a terrific opportunity and they're smart not to pass it up. 

We went to Haleiwa Joe's for one final time last week.  

It was fun to talk about all the fun times we've had.

We first met them when we moved into our house.  

Travis worked for the builder, so we saw him everyday.  

Travis and the boys had been dealing with the "crazies" even before we moved in.

We were laughing over dinner about the time that I was sure would scar Travis 

forever…seeing "M" nakkie!  Oh the memories!

one last picture

no matter how busy we got we always tried to meet and have pupus at Joe's

When Marisa worked at Waimea, she got to work with two other good friends
of ours, Auntie Kanani and Coco.
I so appreciated the "behind-the-scenes" tour she gave me of that beautiful place.

 we tried some of the new places that popped up in Haleiwa
for various occasions

Marisa and I had "high tea" at Moana to celebrate Downton Abbey

Travis and Marisa are both great cooks

they invited me to beach parties at their beach.

one August we went to the Bon Dance in Haleiwa and watched the floating lanterns

when we used to have New Years parties on our street
we enjoyed Chinese fireworks!

I tried looking for old photos and came across some special ones.

When Twilight came out Marisa and I talked Travis into going to a midnight show
with us…
we waited hours to get in

Travis was such a good sport!

we were up early in the morning to watch live, when history was being made

dinners at El Palenque

Marisa was always up for a swim with me at Kaiaka

this picture makes me sad when I realize that these three, Ricky, Marisa and Travis

are going to be here anymore.  Even Juan is gone.  

They've been such good friends to Terry and I.  If he was gone, Trav would come

over to help me if I needed something.  Travis went to court with us numerous times.

When we got our new "smart" tv, it was these two that sat with us and listened to

the installer explain it.  Then it was them that we called for help when we couldn't 

figure it out!  

I couldn't find pictures of our Makaha Sons concerts, Travis having his

face painted by the girls and our morning pancakes on the bbq.

They were like our family when we were so far away.

We will miss them.

Colorado is far away.

aloha and a hui hou

Trav and Marisa

we love you guys!

Downton Abbey Season Four Finale...

Sunday night was the Season 4 finale. 

Since I'd already watched the season on my British feed, I was

able to figure out the date of the final episode.

I made up some "elegant, Downton style"

invites and posted on FB.

When I was on the mainland, I went to Cost Plus and the Taste of Britain store

and bought up a few "British" things.  Hubby found the Allsorts and ate one bag.

It's very hard to get imported food here, so I made do with my own take on it.

The shortbread cookies were part of a "Downton Abbey Dessert" tin I shipped home.

I made some "easy" clotted cream (yum) thanks to "The English Kitchen" blog.

The lemon curd tarts are made with imported lemon curd that was to die for.

The tablecloths belonged to Terry's granny and are vintage. I just love them and they
are just perfect for this.
(they really were ironed, but I don't think they like the humidity)

I made tea sandwiches, cucumber, butter & watercress, roast beef & horseradish and

egg salad with dill on Hawaiian Sweet rolls.

At Whole Foods, they actually had three types of British chesses, white sharp, cranberry Devon 

and fig with honey.  I used some of the crackers and digestives that I had shipped home.

I'd read in the newspaper a few weeks ago about a place in town that makes

hand-held pies only 1 day a week.  I called "Let Them Eat Cupcakes" and "Georgie's Pies"

were happy to make me a special order.

I just warmed them.  They were so darn good!

even found some pretty pink flowers for a "tea bouquet "

I had an idea what I wanted for favors and found a place in town, Cookies By Design

that would make them for me.  It helped that the owner is also a Downton fan.

I looked up quotes that are so typical of Downton and they put them onto the cookies,

they came out just as I wanted.

A little memento of such a fun night.

Sara had found a "Downton Abbey Drinking Game".  It was pretty fun…

and the ginger ale, seltzer water and tonic water was flowing freely!

 one of the girls had served her mish in England and I had her stamp of approval, (even the clotted cream)!

part of this great group.  Four of the girls left early. So this die-hard group started watching

"Miranda" on Hula.  We were laughing so hard!

yup, we're already planning our next viewing party!

You're Invited...

the actual party tomorrow...

Icon Gone Dark...

Last week when I was in Waikiki I snapped a quick picture of something that made me 

so sad…

the International Market Place is closed.

I been reading about it closing and even had a petition about trying to keep it

open…but to actually see it close with caution tape blocking the 

entrance and all of the shops on the Kuhio side empty, it just made me sad.

It was opened in 1957 and had some great places to hear Hawaiian music.

Our kids loved going there with us and when they got older going with their

friends.  During the hot summer days, it was a great place to get cooled off in the

shade of the huge banyan tree.

They are going to tear it down to make room for a Saks Fifth Ave. and a shopping mall.

Really?  What local is going to go there?  Wonder how many tourist will go?  It will

right next door to the Liberty House/Macy's and we all know how busy that place is.

Just sad.  All those people that worked there and all those memories…gone.

At least they're going to keep the banyan tree.

Dance Academy...

at Waialua Elementary School they do something called "Academy".

They are enrichment type of activities and range from video production to

hydroponic gardening.  In 2nd grade each teacher does something

different, PE training, Science, Art and in A9, Arlette does dance.

Right now it's hula.  They're just starting with the basic steps.

Some of them start out pretty shy, while others just go for it.

I love that everyone has a chance to experience hula.

There are a few of the girls that take hula, but none of the boys, so it really is new.

After hula, they'll do a more contemporary dance, but I love the hula.

Some Music At Aulani...

Saturday night I went with our friends the Iwanas and the Nitchmans

out to Aulani in Ko'olina to listen to some great Hawaiian music, Tony C.

I hadn't been out there since it opened and it's even more spectacular now that 

it's completed.

The music is outside at the "O'lelo Bar" and it was a perfect night to be sitting

outside.

Tony and his boys have been playing out there since it opened a few years ago.

I know him because he has played for us at Na Hula and has been long time friends with

Aunty Lei and Ms. Alama.   Every Saturday on his way to Aulani, he stops and

visits Aunty Lei in hospice.  I'd seen her earlier and we were talking about how

spunky she is.

They played from 6:30-10:00pm!

crazy good fun.

He played a mix of traditional Hawai'ian and Hapa Haole songs, so it

was fun.

Since we'd had such a big dinner at Highway Inn, we didn't order much food, only some

snacks.  The girls said we "had" to get the macaroon hamburger .

The "burger" was a chocolate macaroon, "fries" were sticks of shortbread cookie,

the "ketchup" was raspberry puree and the "shake" was some type of frothy

sweetness that you ate with a spoon with a chocolate "straw".

It was not only great to look at, but also very, very good to eat.

Only at Disney.

It was such a fun evening and we were saying that we'll have to do it again.

I commented to one of the guys in the band that "I guess they don't allow

bugs at Aulani because it's Disney".  There weren't any bugs flying around

even though there is a lot of water stuff there and no wind.  

I only wish they had better Kamaaina rates, I'd love to go out and stay there.

Big mahalo to our friends for including me in such a fun night.

Let's do it again!

Highway Inn...

Saturday night before going out to Aulani, went to dinner with Benita, Gary,

Iris and Dave.  They'd never been to Highway Inn in Waipahu so this was a good time

to try it.

I'd been there years ago and remembered how good the laulau was.

We all ordered the combo plates that are served on old-style school

cafeteria plates.  Everything there is so good.  The poi is fresh, the lomi is 

just right, the laulua done the way I like it and the haupia is

a nice touch.  The BEST thing that I just loved was the pipikaula.  It was

little pieces of steak cut up, not the usual tough kine beef jerky.

The original Highway Inn opened in 1946 and after moving several times, it's been at this

location for many years.  

I actually liked their food better than Ono's on Kapahulu.

Have to make a point of going there more often!

President's Day...

I'm old enough to remember when we celebrated

Lincoln and Washington's birthdays on separate days.

There weren't 4 day week ends or "President Day Sales".

Then they merged into one holiday and

maybe some of the special meaning was lost.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President

and he freed the slaves.

George Washington was the 1st President,

he led the the charge of freedom for the young

United States.

I looked on a calendar and it doesn't even

show February 12th as Lincoln's birthday

and February 22nd as George Washington's.

Just February 17th as "President's Day".

Hope in years to come we don't forget

these two men in our history as separate

Hau'oli la aloha...

Happy Valentines Day

with a real heart flower.

 these are part of the V-Day flower my

hubby surprised me with…

he knows me so well.

Happy Love Day!

Treasure or Rubbish...

on Sunday we saw this sofa on the side of "owl road".  We talked about it then…so strange.

Since then other friends have posted pictures of it too.

Here in Hawaii the rubbish pick-up is FREE!  Twice a week!

Once a month they even have a "large item pick-up".

We've thought that this was so that people didn't let their rubbish pile up…

easy to put out for a free pick-up.

Hubby thought that maybe it fell off a truck

on the way to the dump, which is less than two miles away.

Maybe someone was sitting there watching the stars (not likely since it was cloudy).

(mahalo Ginai Hill for the photo)

We heard that later in the day it was gone…

another man's trash is another man's treasure must be true.

In My Next Life...

I'm going to own a storage place in Hawaii.

Yes, we live on an island where space is limited, especially

in our little house.

We've had this storage unit (5x5) since we moved here.

It started as a place to keep some family paintings of the kids that 

we didn't want to store here at the house because of the humidity.

I had my Spode Christmas dishes in there and some other

misc. things.  The Spode went back to San Clemente over the

course of a year in luggage on Hawaiian and the painting went

back also as part of Charlotte's move from Hawaii.

Now we have our Christmas decorations and some

personal things.  The futons are stored there along with some

Hawaiian quilt pillows I've made but they don't match here.

I've hung onto a very old round, rattan table that I love, but 

the house is too small for it.

We see these places all over.  I know Hawaii Self Storage has

7 locations!

so 4 times a year we go to Pearl City and open it and removed some stuff

only to put it back in a couple of weeks later.

Yes, in my next life I want to own one of these places…people 

come and go, pay their rent (some aren't cheap), if they don't

they lock them up and even later they can sell the stuff.

seems like a winner.

Kaliko Turns 5...

our fiends son, Kaliko turned 5 last week.

He had a great party.  Star Wars theme

complete with a piñata that his mom and Aunty made.

the birthday boy...

they put the bounce house inside because of the rain…it was crazy, but the kids had

a great time!

blowing out the candles on his Star Wars cake.

Happy Birthday Kaliko!

A Girlie Showered With Love...

the other night I attended a fun girlie shower for my friend Kirsten

and her little girl, Kasanita.  It was up at a beautiful house in Pupukea on 

a rainy night.

I loved all the PINK.

so fun!

the food was fabulous and sweet Kasanita  slept through the whole night, 

even while she was being passed from Aunty to Aunty.

It was nice to shower Kirsten and her little Girlie 

with love.