Thinking Green With Michelle

Michelle of Rambling Woods--Taking the Road Less Traveled has given out Green Thinker Awards. She asks everyone to pass on the message to think green.

"All I ask is that one post be devoted to how you try to take care of the planet by living green and being more environmentally conscious. Do you recycle, eat more local foods, avoid plastic bags to name a few. Grab the award and link back to Rambling Woods."

Do we recycle? Definitely! Plastic bottles, aluminum cans, glass, newspapers, office paper all go into our recycle bin.

Do we eat more local foods? We do go to the farmers markets every week and try to get locally grown food when we can.

Avoid plastic bags? I did a post about my ecobags that I carry with me all the time. It reduces the amount of plastic bags I would collect. When I do receive plastic bags, I save them to be reused.

We also reduce the amount of water we use by turning off the water when we soap ourselves during our showers. We turn the water back on to rinse ourselves off.

We use CFL bulbs, ceiling fans most of the time instead of air conditioners and have installed a lot of insulation in our walls and ceilings to keep the house cooler. We recently bought a Prius! I nearly forgot that one.

Thinking green is especially easy since Art worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We still have more things we can do, and we will eventually. I hope everybody else does, too.

Please accept this award and tell us how you think green also.

The End of the World

We took my aunt, uncle and mom to see 2012 this afternoon. They wanted to see it since they figured it didn't have much crucial dialogue for them to be confused by. The local movie reviewers also mentioned how you would see what happens to the state of Hawaii. Yes, we do get creamed. I realize now that we really don't have our house high enough up the hill to avoid a cataclysmic tsunami. I'm also not sure I'm feeling safe about going to Yellowstone Park after all.

I am not one for disaster movies. As a matter of fact, I don't like them. I'm not big into special effects. But by golly, this movie does take you for a ride! How in the world did they do all that computer graphics? Good grief! I realized I was holding my breath with each wave and wanted to press the gas pedal several times during the scenes of them trying to escape. I would have to say this really is the mother of all disaster movies so far.

I think I'm tired from the tension of watching it. I'm going to take a rest now before I put on those aforementioned boots to go to my line dancing lesson tonight.

These Boots Were Made for Line Dancing

I was out at the Waikele Outlet Mall yesterday because Art needed to buy some energy type gels for his running.

Anyway, while there I thought I'd check out the Factory Brand Shoes Outlet to see if they had some athletic shoes that I've been looking for. I bought a pair a while ago and discovered that when I walked downhill especially, my toe would bang against the front of my shoe. It was rather annoying. My daughter had been warning me that I should buy a larger size for jogging. Since I don't jog, I didn't think it would bother me. Still, I really love these shoes otherwise so I'd like to buy a larger size. Art is always wanting me to exercise so he'll insist I buy 100 shoes if it'll get me outside walking.

Well, I didn't find the athletic shoes I wanted but I found something else. I decided to check out boots for my friend, Diane who needs a better pair of boots for line dancing. She's a size 6. I can fit into a 6.5 or 7. You have NO idea just how difficult it is to find a boot that is FLAT with a smooth leather outsole. However, there it was in the clearance section calling me! Hallelujah! Flat. Smooth, leather, non rubber outsole. Size 7! I'll be spinning forever in these. It fit me perfectly. I hunted and hunted for another pair in Diane's size but there weren't any. If there were, it would have capped our outing perfectly. I'll have to keep looking for another pair for Diane but I'm so excited about mine. It was marked at $89.00, down to $50.00 with a 25% off tag. I left the store paying $39.27 which included the tax! Oh happy days!

This is all fine and dandy but knowing my penchant for breaking and spraining my ankles and feet I can't wear these boots anywhere else because the bottoms are so slippery.

All this brings me to wondering WHO the heck buys boots in Hawaii anyway? I never see anybody wearing them (except at line dancing). It's too hot! So why are they selling them everywhere? Strange...

Thanksgiving Traditions

When we moved to Illinois some 35 years ago I was pretty lonely for a while until we were adopted into other families. Although we missed our family in Hawaii, our lives became rich with friends who invited us to become part of theirs.

One couple was our neighbors, Peggy and Jim whose family is full of Irish friendliness, wit, warmth and always... laughter. Jim's family in particular was brimming with boyhood stories that boggled our imagination. I believe he had 7 brothers. Use your imagination. Peggy and I even delivered our youngest babies 8 days apart.

Then they left for California. I tried to smile through their move but my heart broke.

Then Caroline and Bill moved in with their children. They are both professors at the university but their extended families live in Arizona and Boston. We adopted each other. Our Thanksgivings and Christmases were celebrated in each other's homes. We took turns for Thanksgiving. We alternated who would cook the turkey, stuffing and gravy and who would do the rest. This worked out wonderfully because if you hosted, you just took care of the turkey, stuffing and gravy and didn't have to worry about the rest of the fixings. Caroline and Bill often invited visiting profs from other countries to the dinners. We enjoyed the exchange of ideas and learning. This family tradition continued for nearly two decades.

I now love celebrating our holidays with my brother's family here in Hawaii, and I know I'm being perverse by longing for those friends who kept our holidays warm and bustling for those 34 years we were away, but I can't seem to help it. I miss all the holiday parties at the neighbors and with our friends. I miss the snow. Wait. Did I say that? Did I really say that? Well I do. Not the cold, just the glistening snow on our evergreens. I miss the fall farmers markets full of apples and fall fruits. I miss the fiery colors of leaves scattering their last hurrah to the wind.

I miss my daughter, son in law and granddaughter in Illinois.

Then again, I don't miss frigid January or February in the Midwest. I'm reminded of that when we go for our evening walks in shorts and t-shirts. I'm going to end this post just because I don't know where I'm going with it. I guess I'm just reflecting on our past and our future as we near the end of the year.

Cuppa Coffee Critics

My daughter says my son-in-law, Ed is a coffee snob...um... I mean connoisseur. He likes only a couple of different kinds of Kona coffee. One brand he likes is Lion 100% Kona. I can't remember what the other brand is and I don't think he remembers either since Lion is the only one we bring him. He made that decision after we once brought 6-7 different brands for him to try. Ed is also a regular Starbucks customer that Art feels is rarely fresh because he orders decaf which has usually been sitting too long and has a burnt flavor... not that he's particular, mind you.

This summer, Art admitted to serving Ed a mixture of different coffees and he didn't seem to notice. I'm thinking that if Ed did notice, he just didn't say so.

For our family get-togethers, Art serves a mixture of Dunkin' Donuts coffee with 100% Kona. When my aunts were here the last time they said Art's coffees were always fabulous. Art says he thinks the Dunkin' Donuts coffee is very good and he does like his coffee... BLACK. I like mine as mocha (1/3 chocolate milk) so he says my opinion doesn't count. (He meant it's not as accurate.)

One of my cousins swears by Costco Kona coffee which Art says is OK. I find it all so humorous.

Why not try my mocha? Then you don't have to worry about what kind of coffee brand to buy. Then again, you do want real chocolate milk. I wouldn't want to get skim or soy. I'd like at least 1% and you need a bit of crushed ice and....

Bowing to Critics

When I first saw this photo on Yahoo news, my first impression was how proud I was of President Obama to greet the emperor and empress in such a kind and respectful gesture of friendship. Then I saw that the article was titled Outcry Over Obama's Bow.
Here's what I read.

"WASHINGTON (AFP) – News photos of President Barack Obama bowing to Japan's emperor have incensed critics here, who said the US leader should stand tall when representing America overseas.

Obama on Monday was in China, having wrapped up the Japan leg of his Asia trip two days earlier. But Washington's punditocracy was still weighing whether or not the US president had disgraced his country two days earlier by having taken a deep bow at the waist while meeting Japan's Emperor Akihito."

The president greeted the emperor and empress as is custom there. Conservatives felt he should have just shaken hands as Cheney did. Do you really want our president copying Cheney? I guess we want the president to be respectful of other countries' customs but not too respectful. After all, we don't want to tarnish our image of being all powerful, do we?

I'm really tired.

I'm going to go take a nap.

It Must Be Fall in Hawaii

This is it! It must be fall. I actually changed out of my shorts and tank top to long jeans and a short sleeve t-shirt. Granted I could change back in another hour but for this morning, by golly, it's just a teeny tiny bit cool.

I love it!

I am not one for heat and humidity. It's one of the reasons why my son-in-law says he can never live in Hawaii. Ah well... Don't ask me why he can come here and lie in the sunshine in the summer. I wish they could come and live in Hawaii but well paying jobs here are very scarce.

Art is out doing his Marathon training run right now and it's raining off and on. He's been gone an awful long time this morning. He was gone before I awoke and I had my breakfast a long time ago. Since I can't get myself to even do my walking exercise consistently, it amazes me that he loves to exercise, almost needs it or he's crawling up the walls.

Good grief! He left around 5:30 AM and it's 10:22 now. Where the heck is he?


Hmmmm... since we're going to a pot luck at our friends' home tonight, I'd better take a little walk on my Nordic Track. I'll have to wipe the dust off of it first though. Maybe it'll keep me from worrying.


For a wonderful laugh, click on over to Sylvia From Over the Hill. This is one joke I just had to encourage you to see to lighten your day.

Postscript
11:02 AM: I was just getting to the point of calling the police but opted instead to call my son, Jon in New Mexico. He agreed that it was rather long for his dad to be out but thought Art might be walking or standing under a tree somewhere because of the rain.

I told Jon every time the dogs across the street bark I think it's Art but it's not. "And there those dogs go again," I grumbled.

A white cap came bobbing up over the fence line. It was Art. He's back and I've made his smoothie for him. Sheesh!

Lucky Friday the 13th

We had planned another outing with my aunt and uncle to go to Honolulu's Foster Botanical Gardens. My aunt asked if it was really a great idea to travel on Friday the 13th. Well... seeing as Art, his sister and our son are all born on the 13th, we figured we'd give it a try. However, all week there were flash flood warnings and last night the forecasters said it was going to rain. So we postponed the outing.


This morning, Friday the 13th skies begged us to reconsider. We called both my aunts (my mother's sisters) and everyone wanted to take a chance.


The first tree that greeted us was listed as the Bo tree. I always thought it was called the Bodhi tree. According to the tour guide flyer, "Buddha was enlightened while sitting under a Bo tree. This tree is actually a descendant of that very tree in India!"


It was quite impressive.


Doesn't this look like a sweet pea?
Kavita has just told me that this flower is called Aparajita and used in religious ceremonies in India. Thanks, Kavita.


Foster Gardens is right in busy Honolulu and is a smaller Botanical Garden but there weren't as many mosquitoes (besides the bugs seemed to find Art the most delicious of all of us) or ants as in Wahiawa's garden. It was also a bit windy but that just helped to keep the bugs from landing. All right... all right... correction. They did land... on Art.


I love seeing the three sisters together. Along with their youngest sister in Japan, they all love plants and found every tree, bush and flower mesmerizing.


I rather liked this orchid. No, I don't know what kind it is. I kept forgetting to check the identification tag.


Have you any idea why they call this a nipple fruit? LOL


The lipstick tree blossom was lovely.


Apparently the seeds were used to color foods.


My aunt loved this huge palm.


This red crested cardinal was feeding on fallen seeds.


We thought this large bloom was quite impressive.


This bird suddenly flew by us and landed on a branch. Art won the shot. I concede. His shot was better than mine... slightly, that is.


Sorry there are so many photos. We took so many that I just couldn't seem to delete as much as I should have. I can already see my son shaking his head and laughing at me.


This South American tree, the Cedro Espino had a trunk and branches covered with these nasty thorns.


I loved the pastel color of this Chinese hibiscus.


Another orchid


Here's mom with her sister and my uncle. We lost my other aunt who was so excited about all the trees that she disappeared half way through our walk. It reminded me of my first grade field trips where I was constantly counting noses.


I loved the trunk of this Central American Kapok tree.


This Talipot Palm from Sri Lanka and India was striking. It can live 75 years before it flowers and fruits just once and then dies.


Coming around the bend we saw this tree.


Do you see why it's called a Cannonball Tree? There were signs posted warning everyone of falling cannonballs.


The cannonball blossoms looked like orchids. The flowers and fruits sprout right from the trunk.


And still... not a drop of rain, much less a flood.


This Caribbean Royal palm tree took our breath away. It's among the world's tallest trees. I believe it!


It went up straight as a flag pole.


At first I thought these were all dried leaves and then they moved. If you click to enlarge this photo you'll see the tiny finches.


We found my aunt and she showed us this unusual tree. She was picking up the fruit strewn around the tree and I read the tree label to her. Fish poison tree!


The trees were so large that they dwarfed us.


What a glorious day! It was truly a gift to cherish. We took one aunt back to her house since she lives in Honolulu and preferred to relax and have her lunch at home.


We took my other aunt and uncle to Shiro's where we had bowls of hot saimin noodles. Despite the fact that my aunt and uncle live quite close by they had never been to that restaurant.


It really hit the spot. We then returned my uncle and aunt to their house, went home and I know we all took a nap.

And still no rain.