Kate, Brendan and Adam at Thanksgiving

Howzit? We are now in the midst of Hawai'i's winter with more rain and cooler temperatures. Some days here feel like a warm autumn day in New Hampshire. The mornings are cool but the day warms up fast when the sun arrives, then cooler temperatures in the evenings, just like at home. You are going to be surprised but last week it was so cold here that I had on four layers of clothes and three pairs of socks and I did not remove layers until noon time! Hawai'i was experiencing a cold front which brought wild winds and terrential downpours for days! Usually the rain and wind happens during the night and early morning leaving the rest of the day sunny with comfortable breezes but the last week or so has been crazy winds, rain and a bit of sun all day long up here on hill. Kailua has been really cold, 60's!

A couple weeks ago, Adam helped us move back to the hilltop home in Kaimuki where we stayed for several months last spring. We love being back here, to Ingrid's childhood home, the "Garden Villa" appropriately named. The gardens are gorgeous, lush and perfectly manicured with beautiful sounds of song birds greeting you good morning and good night. The views of Diamond Head, Waikiki skyline, Pacific Ocean and sunsets are breathtaking especially from this vantage point on the hillside villa.

Living room Garden Villa

Gardens at Garden Villa

Adam arrived the second week of November and spent a couple weeks with us before Kate and Brendan arrived several days before thanksgiving. He and I spent our days leisurely...reading, hiking, surfing and spending
time by pool and the beach. For thanksgiving, Jim cooked dinner as he has for many years, preparing the turkey and fixings while I made the blueberry and apple pies. My elder friend Kay joined us for dinner and was a welcome addition to our thanksgiving! We had a pleasant afternoon dinner at Home Sweet Home, the Kailua house with the pool and located close to the beach. Kay is quite the talker and has lots of stories to share...everyone enjoyed spending time with her. She said she felt like she has known us all of her life and asked us to adopt her! The nicest compliment :o)!

Thanksgiving in Hawai'i with Kay

Ingrid graciously offered Jim and I her loft apartment upstairs while the kids were visiting. This gave us all plenty of room and gave Jim and I some privacy from the young people. It was great to have that extra space to crawl back into after our busy, fun filled daily adventures! I especially loved the huge sunken tub for soaking and took advantage of several lavender and green tea salt baths...you betcha! Mahalo Ingrid!

Ingrid's Loft

We packed alot of activities into our days with Kate, Brendan and Adam and we hope the memories will be with them always as they will be with Jim and I...we had a blast! I especially loved having another woman to hang out with :o) thanks Kate! You are the best!!! I would have to say that taking surfing lessons was the highlight for me and I think Kate would agree. Jim, Kate and I took a surf lesson from Ingrid's son Dave at Waikiki beach and Dave's girlfriend, Krystal took the photos...yes, we have pictures to prove it! Adam who had been surfing several times before, rented a board and surfed nearby. Brendan had a minor mishap jumping from huge rock at Waimea Bay Beach Park and was saving himself for kayaking the next day, which unfortunately we did not get to do as the weather did not cooperate.


                                                       Let's Go Surfing!!!

Kate, Adam and Jim...we're surfing! We're up!!!!

Kate and Adam stayed standing a while as did Jim
but I just love the frame with his fingertips on the water's edge!!!

Who's a surfer? Kate! Relaxed and poised for the wave!
You Go Girl!!!

Surfing??? What a thrill and easier than it looks...of course we were surfing on baby waves but still an exhilarating and exciting challenge. If I can do it, anybody can, believe me! Once you are up and standing, moving with the water, it feels like everything is in slow motion and not just because the wave is moving slow either...just a cool feeling! Now I understand why these guys and gals get up at the crack of dawn and sit out on the sea waiting for the "next big one!" Let's do it again!

Jim's Up!!! Jim and I took a wave all the way to shore, together!
BigWaveDave and Kate in background.

Guess who, center, standing??? Cannot believe I did it! And I rode this one to the shore!!!

Let' go surfing!!! We had a blast!!!! Thanks to BigWaveDave!
Photos are great Krystal...so glad we have them! Mahalo!

At Waimea Bay Beach Park along the North Shore we took in some rays,  wild waves and the famous rock outcrop where Kate, Adam, Brendan and Jim dared to take the 40' leap to the sea. I sat back and watched and went for a swim! The staff at Sunset beach nearby were setting up staging in preparation for the week long surfing competition to begin the next day with a few lonely surfers testing the waters. Unless you have made arrangements well in advance to stay in the North Shore during competitions, it is not likely that you will get to see anything especially if you attempt to drive there, as the one road in and out becomes a traffic jam. Even the bus system is not reliable although that might be the only way to travel up there during this crazy time.

Waimea Bay Beach Park, the rock...look and see Jim, Brendan, Adam and Kate
standing on top just before they jumped.

Hanauma Bay

Jim and Brendan at Waikiki Beach

Lanikai Beach near Kailua Beach, both rated #1 beaches

Some of our sightseeing days were so filled with activites we started refering to them as, one, two or three "outfit" days depending on how many outfits we needed to accommodate our activities, including dinner...all good stuff though!!! We snorked at Hanauma Bay and saw our turtle, always a treat, took the scenic drive along southeast coast stopped at Blow Hole, to North Shore, stopped at Chinaman's Hat then to Haleiwa town for some shopping. We did the Tantalas drive along twisting hairpin turn road which offers breathtaking views of Honolulu, Waikiki and Pearl Harbor if sky is clear and it was...we were able to just make out the Arizona Memorial in the distance.
FYI: I just read that Tantalas is a volcano. Other volcanoes in Hawai'i: Haleakala on Maui, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on Big Island aka Hawai'i and Waialeale on Kauai.

Mele Kalikimaka and Happy Holidays to everyone
Lanikai Beach

Kate and I in paradise...love you girl!

Chinaman's Hat in distance, driving up to North Shore

Adam's quite the photographer, ya? Love it! North Shore

Not sure where Adam found this darling creature, another beauty!

Bird of Paradise...thanks again Adam!

Kate, Brendan and Adam visited Pearl Harbor one morning and in the afternoon we all hiked up Diamond Head. We had to fit in a waterfall hike so off to Manoa Falls in the rainforest just minutes from Honolulu city. Also in Honolulu, something we had not visited since arriving in Hawai'i, The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and the Punchbowl Crater for our fallen servicemen and women.

Manoa Falls hike, rainforest

Kate and I at top of Diamond Head Trail

Cousins in Hawai'i, Diamond Head with Waikiki and Honolulu in back

All of us! Thanks Kate!

We made sure to include our favorite restaurants: Doraku Sushi, Duke's at Waikiki, Bogarts, a cool local coffee shop near Diamond Head with delicious breakfast and lunch fare and new to the boys, BCBurritos in Kaimuki, a place Brendan fell in love! Oh and we did not forget Leonard's Bakery for the famous malasadas...yum yum! You gotta try them just once but our just once has happened at least a dozen times!!

We celebrated Kate's 25th birthday at Duke's Restaurant at Waikiki with a fine dinner and cocktails of Mai Tais, Blue Hawaiians and Tropical Itch, the day before she and Brendan left for New Hampshire. Happy Birthday Kate!

Happy Birthday Kate! How is that Tropical Itch???

Duke's Restaurant Waikiki Beach...Happy 25th Birthday Kate!!!
One to remember, for sure!!! 

Ingrid set up a little Christmas tree with lights and pink ornaments at the Garden Villa before we moved in, a reminder of the season and Christmas at home. We are getting very comfortable here and we are not gonna want to go home when the time comes! Just imagine your houses surrounded by ocean, with cliffs, mountains and lush green rainforest gardens and a bucket of sunshine always at your fingertips 24/7! The one drawback is the houses are very close to one another up here (everywhere), so very little privacy or space between you and your neighbors. That is why they have to create these gardens, fences and fancy gates...for their privacy. Surprisingly it is pretty quiet considering the closeness of the houses but then most people work during the day, more action and noise at night. Jim says they use every available space to create their little piece of paradise and care little for the closeness and that seems to work for them.

Our Christmas tree at Garden Villa

Jim and I will entertain Kay with a Christmas dinner here at the house tonight. And on Christmas eve, we have been invited to join Ingrid's family for dinner at the Kahala Hotel here in Kaimuki.

Mele Kalikimaka, Merry Christmas everyone! And Happy New Year!

Peace.Love.Joy. Robin and Jim

It's all about da pidgin!

"Howzit?!" Howzit is a pidgin word, a greeting meaning: how are you or how is it going and is often used with the hand gesture of a closed fist with pinky and thumb sticking out.

Hawaiian Pidgin, aka Hawai'i Creole English developed at the end of the
nineteenth century, as workers from many different backgrounds were brought into Hawai'i to work in the sugar cane fields. Because of the language barrier and an inability to communicate with one another, a shortened and or variation of two or more languages was created and called, Pidgin English.

Some folks will use pidgin in conversation especially local workers socializing with one another on the job and in their leisure. You and I would not have a clue as to what they were saying and would be amazed that the unrecognizable sequence of words actually meant something!!! Jim and I came across a vendor selling tee shirts with "pidgin" sayings. Go to: www.pidginoverdrive.com for more information or google "pidgin" online. Jim bought a shirt with words: NUFF AWREDI. Can you figure out what it means? You have probably guessed correctly: enough already, I have had enough or "shut up" if you are really upset or angry. Some words are easier than others to decipher but you can usually get the idea of what they imply! See if you can figure out what these Pidgin English words mean: ejamacated, bum bai, futless, wat fo', jusladat and spesho.

In October we went to the Hawaiian Fishing and Seafood Festival at the pier in Honolulu, a fisherman's dream. Many varieties of Hawai'i fish were displayed on ice, there were cooking demos, vendors selling tee shirts, and everything and anything related to fishing. We watched how "fish prints" are created on tee shirts using a real live fish! That was cool!

blue uhu fish

garlic, tomato, basil leaves, capers

getting ready for a taste

mahi mahi pieces

tossed in wondra flour

butter in pan, add fish, toss, vermouth around
edge of pan, toss, then evoo around edge
Ben Wong uses vermouth vs wine for cooking
less bitter, not as heavy as wine

TV show similar to Mad Fisherman

Ahi

A new Disney Resort opened up just north of Waikiki on the west side of the island, in Ko'Olina. We spent time at one of the four man made lagoons all open to the public. Unfortunately the parking is very limited so you have to get there early in the morning to find a parking spot or later in afternoon when the locals are leaving the beach. Jim and I did not get into the hotel but hope to get back there again soon. It is a self contained resort hotel with all the amenities. Perhaps when the boys and Kate arrive we will take them over for a "look-see!" Did I just use "da pidgin?"

Honu Lagoon, Disney Resort

Disney Hotel

See the four lagoons at Disney Resort

Jim and I did the Makiki Loop Trail, a forest reserve, not far from Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. We got a little wet at the beginning of our hike traversing through the lush variety of trees, kukui, eucalyptus, sandlewood, and juniper but at hike's end we were dry and warm coming out of the
forest to sunshine.

moss stone wall on Makiki Loop Trail

pink plumeria

rainforest Makiki Loop Trail

young island bananas

view of Honolulu, Makiki Loop Trail

I visited Queen Emma's Summer Palace on Saturday, located off the Pali Highway. Ingrid is a member of a group called Daughters of Hawai'i, a group of women relatives of the missionaries who got together long ago, to save the palace and preserve this important historical landmark for Hawai'i. The Daughters of Hawai'i were sponsoring a book fair and offered guided tours of the small summer palace...I love hearing the history of Hawai'i!

Queen Emma's Summer Palace

grounds of the estate, now a public park

more of Queen Emma's estate

Check out the double rainbow viewed from Sand Island off Honolulu! The rain from the mauka (mountains) side and the sun from the sea create the most beautiful rainbows here. Sand Island is a great place to pick up sea glass and small shells and I try to get there from time to time because it is quiet with few people aside from a few locals or two.

Sand Island beach looking towards mountains

Can you see Jim relaxing in his beach chair?

  

Steel debris "sculpture" reminds me of a dragon

Still playing with my beads, watercolor creations and zentangle drawings in between walking the hills, biking to town and reading. Every other week or so I have been meeting Kay for lunch or a movie. All good stuff!!!

peyote stitch, amazonite oval stone and
turquoise crytal

mini watercolor book with heart charm

wire wrapped watercolor book, sterling silver charms
shell found at North Shore O'ahu

sterling silver charm and book...gave this one
to my massage friend Barbara

more mini books

shell from Sand Island O'ahu

Adam arrives on Thursday and will stay for three weeks. Brendan and Kate arrive a week or so later for ten days through Thanksgiving. Jim will be cooking for all of us this year at our "home" in Hawai'i and we invited my elder friend Kay to join us! Kate is especially excited about her visit and we hope to make it memorable one for all!!! Ingrid has offered us her loft home upstairs to accommodate all of us. We have become fast friends, Ingrid, Jim and I and we are grateful for all she has done for us...she has welcomed us like family...it feels like I have known her all of my life...which is cool!

It has been a bit cooler than usual the last week or so with a bit of rain scattered throughout the day here in Kailua, the windward side of island. Honolulu and Waikiki are usually sunnier and warmer so we may find ourselves spending more time on that side of the island in the coming weeks, especially with the boys and Kate. We are gonna chase that sun wherever it may be!

Ingrid's 11 month old grandson, Kekoa
anyone can learn to surf!!!

     Well my friends and family, take care and stay warm! Until next time!
                                      Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

Aloha nui loa,
Robin and Jim
PS read comment on how to post a comment...mahalo!