Kailua Beach

Aloha everyone,

The beautiful lei Jim gave me

Hope all is well with everyone and you are all enjoying your last days of summer!!! It is a bit strange to NOT experience the seasons although Hawai'i does have them or so I am told...mostly it is one sunny day after another here :o)! It is always warm even when it is rainy or cloudy as it was this past weekend. Just imagine no A/C and no heat in your homes with the windows open 24/7! It is still very expensive to live here however, with high food costs as well as high electricity and water is also going up. On the positive, Hawai'i is forward in their thinking in regards to energy conservation and recycling and many people have solar panels on their homes being the perfect location to take advantage of the sun.

Vase of ginger flowers from Ingrid

After almost three weeks, I finally went into the ocean at Kailua Beach today after my workout. I rode my bicycle to Lanikai Beach about 20 minutes away, locked it at the local park and did a walk-run up and down a few grueling hills...one local gardener commented to me that it was much to hot to be exercising...of course, he was right! I just cannot seem to get out early! I move slower in the mornings here, enjoying the quiet beginning of my day and usually do not get out walking before noon time! I gotta work on that...lol!

As I jumped into the ocean and covered myself in the warm turquoise sea, a big grin came over my face and I literally "laughed out loud" with delight and awe as I pondered the fact that I am swimming in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in Hawai'i! As much as I totally appreciate and love my home and living near the coast of New Hampshire, it is nothing compared to this! Not only can you actually swim in this refreshing water, seeing the color and touching the baby soft sand on your feet is unbelievable!

Kailua Beach

This weekend it is Jim's turn as he has not been in the ocean for three weeks. We have done plenty of walking along both Kailua and Lanikai beaches though, taking in all the surrounding neighborhoods and gorgeous homes and views from the streets high on the hill and the views are breathtaking!

Hilltop view from Lanikai Beach

Having the huge swimming pool just inches from any room in the house has definitely spoiled us and we are sure to get in daily. When Jim was in penthouse Waikiki Beach was right across the street so he swam in the ocean more often...he is having withdrawals and is looking forward to his dip in the sea this weekend.

Whole Food store was originally scheduled to open in Kailua this fall but now the opening has been moved to early 2012...boo hoo...we love that place! We have to travel about 30 minutes back into Kaimuki if we want to visit this great store! The Whole Foods building looks complete from the outside per order of the town...they did not want the area to be an eye sore...they are working on the inside of the building now. Look for the cool wall garden sculpture in the photos...really neat!

Once a week I have been driving into town with Jim in the morning so I can spend the day in and around Honolulu/Waikiki visiting the mall, bead store, Whole Foods, art galleries, art stores, movie theater and great restaurants for lunch and dinner! You just cannot beat the ethnic food here...just another thing to love about Hawai'i. Thai food, Japanese noodle soups, Indian and Malaysian cuisine, sushi...they have it all and we are taking full advantage of the variety of flavors...yum, yum!

Oh, I forgot to mention that while I was home I had an opportunity to visit Star Island with a couple teacher friends and I have included some photos I took on the island. I used my old digital Cannon point and shoot and Adam's new SLR Cannon camera. The close ups of the orange day lilies were taken with my camera...pretty impressed with the results. FYI: I used the "macro" setting on my camera for the close ups of the lilies (in the house at night).

Also, before. I left for Hawai'i, I spent a day with my darling nephew Grady who is in second grade and into LEGOs. He was excited for me to see the huge fireman lego sculpture on display at ToysRUs in Manchester. The lego man was made with some 24,000 legos!

Hi Grady...miss you alot!!! Love you! See you when I get home this winter!

Well my friends, paradise is calling....cannot keep it waiting!

Aloha nui loa,
XOX Robin

We're baaaaack!

Hello friends & family,

Jim and I are back in Hawai'i again! Looks like we are here until the end of November with the likelihood, the end February. We are happy and grateful with the possibility of MISSING another New England winter...yeah!

I loved being home for the 6-7 weeks this summer and busied myself with household chores, beading, relaxing in hot tub and entertaining and seeing friends and family. It was great to see everyone. Admittedly, I was a teensy bit reluctant to leave NH but Hawai'i beckoned so here I be!

Jim was home for about 3 weeks and was too busy with yard/house maintenance but we did find time to visit Lee and Steve at their beautiful new home in Hampton which now has a glimpse of the sea from their upstairs deck!

Jim managed a motorcycle ride or two with Brendan...ya, not real happy about my son riding a motorcycle but glad Jim had time to give him a few "do's & dont's" of the road. Of course, we also fit in dinner dates with both our boys during our short stay in NH, grateful to have them both watching over house and each other.

Can I just tell you about my1st class flight and welcoming I received from both Jim and Ingrid! Never have I felt more relaxed or "rested" after an airplane ride! Everyone must experience 1st class just once in their lives! I decided to do the 10 hour flight from Atlanta to Honolulu and had not even sat down in my seat when the flight attendant kindly asked, "May I get you a Mai Tai, miss?" Did I die and go to heaven...LOL...being too early for Mai Tais I opted for a Bloody Mary. The gentleman next to me ordered Mimosas for his "cocktail du jour!" Whatever your desire was your command and delivered with a smile...the best part, you dont have to tip these people, lol...other than being appreciative of their efforts and I was, oh I was!

I received breakfast on flight out of MHT and was the only female in a cabin of 17 other first class businessmen...these guys know how to travel and I was having what they were having! Ya!

On flight from Atlanta: the seats were not only oversized with plenty of room surrounding, it reclined to sleeping position with leg/foot rest and massager for lumbar spine...pinch me please, is this really happening to me??? We were treated to two delicious meals served on freshly laid out white linen, real utensils, glass dishes and cloth napkins. Warmed roasted assorted nuts for appetizer, fresh fruit, cocktails and vanilla hot fudge sundays for dessert with all the water, soda, cocktails and snacks you could eat or stash in your luggage for later...unbelievable, over the top absolutely...all I could do was enjoy and bask in the luxury. What a way to travel! Gonna be hard to be a "regular joe" on next flight!

When Jim met me with a beautiful woven lei, I was all smiles...see what a little rest and pampering can do for a weary traveler? Ingrid took good care of us too. A big fruit bowl of pineapples, kiwi, apple-bananas, mango & papaya sat on the counter when we arrived "home." She also had two beautiful bouquets displayed on tables, one of ginger flowers that filled the bedroom with a delicious fragrance...she also put brand new sheets on our bed just for my arrival...I was "home sweet home" (name of Ingrid's house)...doesn't get much betta than this...I am living the dream, (Judy)!

Been reading, cooking, baking, swimming in pool, walking the beach, napping and beading. Bought a nook before I left and loving that thing...reading "Weight of Water" about the murders on Smuttynose Island back in 1800s and just finished book about women of the Klondike Gold Rush era. Yesterday, I rode into Honolulu with Jim and visited my favorite bead store then saw the movie, The Help...great movie if you get chance to see it, do so.

Kailua where we are staying is quiet like the hilltop home but easier to get around...town and beach are both 15-20 minute walk from house in opposite directions or 5-10 minute bike ride to either. Honolulu/Waikiki is about 35 minute drive over the Pali Mountains so if I wanna go into town I need to ride in with Jim in the morning or take a bus but that would extend the ride into town another 15-30 minutes with stops. Have not tried the bus route yet but may just because I can....

Met a nice little elder, Kay, 79, who lives in Waikiki...originally from England, she has lived in Hawai'i for 50 years now...she is a "love" and I am planning on bringing her over to the house next week. She gets around on the bus but doesn't travel to far from Waikiki these days...said she had a friend who lived in Kailua near here but hasn't been out this way since the friend moved to Big Island about 8 years ago.

Well my friends, stay in touch and I will too. Love you all....aloha nui loa,
Robin and Jim