Forward ?...

I'm in SC for Daylight Savings Time.

So now I really don't have any idea what time it is.

Had to ask hubby this morning what time it was at home 2 or 3 hours, (3 hrs now)

difference.  I had no idea.  It was hard this year since I'd just gotten here.

I thought I was tired last night but nothing like this morning...

I was explaining to the grands the reason for it.  As I remembered, it had something to do

with energy saving many, many years ago.

I'm not sure I see the reason for it anymore.  it's just confusing and I wonder if it really does help 

save electricity.  It is nice to have it not get dark as early.

It'll take awhile to get used to it again...

just in time to go home.

Lunch @ Dukes...

Sunday afternoon I went into Waikiki to have an annual lunch

with our San Clemente friends, Tim and Donna.  

It's always good to see them during their stays here.

It's funny, we didn't know them in San Clemente but met them

through a mutual friend at the beach.

Tim ordered "Korean beef street tacos".  We were joking

that we didn't know that Koreans liked tacos.

I had something called the steak and wedge salad that 

was pretty good.

I didn't try Donna's beet salad but it sure did look yummy!

after the crazy weather on Friday night/Saturday it was nice that

it was such a beautiful day!

no trip to Waikiki would be complete without visiting with Tommy.

can't believe that he's still working on the beach.

Ran into Mike too and we were talking about "the good 'ole days".

Things have changed, but not these friends.

I wish I wasn't so busy that I could go and spend hours

getting caught up with everyone.

But it was nice to visit, even for a short time.

Snow...

New Years Eve morning San Clemente citizens woke up to 

snow right above the city.

There had been a very cold, big storm the nigh before.

Traci & I drove to the highest point that had a pretty clear view and

I have to say it was beautiful!  There were so many people there taking

pictures.

I should have used my pano mode, but didn't think of it.  All the hills

at Camp Pendleton were also covered.

The news said it had been 50 years since the snow had been that low.

hubby and I took a drive by Dana Point harbor later and

it was neat that you could see the snow from the beach...true So California wonder!

by the next morning most of the snow was gone.

Compared to places like Utah, Colorado, New York and Minnesota this little

bit of snow was nothing, but it sure was pretty.

Out of Commission ...

I was trying to be a good grammy, and  

put "Minecraft" on my laptop for the boys

to play while they are here at the MH...

I know Mac's aren't supposed to get a virus, but mine got a type of one

on Safari.  Talk about panic...YIKES!

Luckily I found a place here in San Clemente that works on Mac's

and my beloved computer is good as new!

At home I have an external hard drive that automatically backs up my

computer weekly, but I haven't been able to here.  

It's actually was a problem with the program for the Mac version.  Traci had

the same thing happen, but since her computer was brand new, she took it

to the Apple store and had it fixed.  

So now I'm back in business and ready to blog all my holiday stories.

Bathing Beauties and Double Shakka's...

cuzzies are such fun...

the boys spend hours in the pool.  Some of the games they come up with

crack me up.  They can't really explain it to me, but they seem to know

how to play.

these two bathing beauties are something else...

Lauren was so good with Miss Emme.  

Emme tried to do everything that Lauren was doing.

they really had a great time playing together.

the pool seemed to be helping by back (up until yesterday)

so we got in some really good, warm, salt water time without being at the beach.

love these four kiddos

Homeward Bound...

packing up the MH for the trip home.

will be back next month...

it was a trip of 4 changes in age,

seeing dear friends,

grandparent pride,

and a trip of sighs...

a trip of changes.

I printed out 2 of my photos to put in the small bathroom...I like them.

Hapa J's...

 We finally went to Hapa J's in San Clemente.

People have been telling us about it and that we should try it, because we' love it.

We'd been told that it was Hawaiian food.

It's hard when you live in Hawaii and eat local food all the time.

hubby ordered the teri-burger and said it was pretty good.  He likes his burgers

well done.

I got the mini-plate loco moco.

it was a fancy version.  had only 1 meat patty.  No tobasco, but they did have siraccha which

gave it the heat I was looking for.

I thought the meat was a little drier than I'm used to, but that's probably 

because they use a higher/less fat hamburger.

we'd go back again for sure, just to get some local style food.

Only wish that they'd use Aloha Shoyu instead of Kikkoman (yuck).

Change...

the other day I had to drive out to Rancho Santa Margarita.  Since I 

wasn't really sure where I was going I pulled up the directions on my phone.

It took me out the Ortega Hiway past our old house and farther.

I was trying to remember the last time I was out there...it's been years.

What a change!

All of the orange groves that were there are gone and

the hills are graded for houses.

I could hardly tell that this was the "dump road corner" it had

changed so much.

this is a sign that says that there are going to 12,000 homes in

Rancho Mission Viejo.

What the heck!

When we bought our first house in San Juan Capistrano 41 years

ago, there were only 5,000 people in the whole town.  There wasn't

a market (had to go to Capo Beach Vons or up to Mission Viejo).

There was a drive-in movie and after soccer everyone it seemed was at Thrifty's getting 

ice cream.

Our friends were telling me that the dump road is finally going to open all the 

way to San Clemente.  So is that going to be another way for those

12,500 families to get to the beach?

Off To See The Grands...

to celebrate 4 birthdays (Geoff, Lauren, Jack and Grey), Father's Day,

 our anniversary (47 years!), drive kids around, visit the Happiest Place on Earth and

to see a dear friend...

Storm Watch 2014...

the day I landed last week all that was heard on the news was about the upcoming

rainstorm…"STORM WATCH 2014"

California has been experiencing a drought.  That's not that unusual.  It's not a tropical area.

I'm old enough to remember real water rationing, people letting lawns die, public 

pools closing and signs in restaurants that said that water wouldn't be given unless

asked for (like the ones we see in restaurants at home).

I understand that the recent wildfire burn areas are real concern.  

Nothing to hold the soil on those hillsides and that can be a big problem.

Everyday on the news and during the day there was "storm track and storm watch"

Then it came...

on top of the coming storm there was going to be a huge (19 ft at Lowers) swell

coming.  People flocked down to T-St to see it. Along with a very high tide…problems.

then there were all the updates on the Oscar red carpet set-up and were the stars

going to get wet.

Really?  What about the winter that other 3/4 of the country has had?

I can't imagine how many days Minnesota has had where the temp is in single digits.

How much snow has fallen on the east coast?

When Ellen gave a little tongue-in-cheek joke about the "rain" at the Oscars, I had to laugh.

It was a couple of days of rain, not even hours of heavy rain at one time…rain.

A little thunder, lightening, a little water from the sky…rain.

then I saw this on FB…

makes me laugh.

enough said.

Pupus With Seriously Good Friends...

I got a text message from our friends, Tim & Donna, that they were taking a drive out to the

North Shore and did we want to meet them for pupus.  Since hubby is in Miami,

and they wanted to meet early, I suggested Haleiwa Joes.

My Favorite!

I love to go there and order all different things off the "Aloha Hour" menu.

sizzling mushrooms with melted cheese...

sticky ribs and coconut shrimp...

a Lava cake to share for dessert...

 we also had the ceviche (which even Tim liked!)

it was really nice to get together with some San Clemente

friends on the spur of the moment.

They're staying in Waikiki for a month.

We actually met them in Waikiki one year and our friend Noah

introduced us since we were all from San Clemente.

They come to Hawaii often, so they've gotten to see me dance 

at Na Hula and the big winter waves.

Seriously good friends…

are the best kind!

2013 Year In Review, Part II...

lots of ups and downs…

ready to take on a whole new year!

Surf Check...

after breakfast yesterday, Grey wanted to go and see the surf at T-Street.

He and his dad normally go here, so he wanted to check it out.

I just happened to snap this picture of Poppa and Grey

while Emme and I sat in the car.  

That boy is certainly a Moysa

Mele Kalikimaka...

Merry Christmas To All...

A Very Merry Sunny Christmas Eve...

to you and yours!

Oh Christmas Tree...

we have an artificial tree here at the MH.  

Years ago I brought over all my unbreakable ornaments from home.

The Grands have the job of decorating it.  We just sit back and

watch, as the years have gone by, they're doing it all themselves now.

just because she's getting so grown up...

oh these girls...

Grey and poppa's Mexican ornament (this thing is probably 20+ years old and poppa loves it)

Emme was so into it this year...

Jack and Grey took charge of the icicles …even throwing some on

Lauren is tall enough now to decorate the very top of 

the tree...

Grey got to put the star on the top this year...

the best presents under the tree!

 oh this guy