Happy Halloween!

We don't get many Trick or Treaters these days.  We had way too much candy left over last year.  Times have changed.

When my brother and I were little, we'd run through the entire neighborhood on our own and come back with a HUGE bag of candy.  There was no fear of scary people who might give you razors in apples or harm you in any way.

When our kids were little we lived in a neighborhood where everybody knew everybody, so there wasn't any fear there either.  Our kids had a great time and loved going out with their friends.

Times have changed.  Many parents now take their kids to organized Halloween parties where they know they are safe. I think we're just going to need one bag of candy this year. What is it like in your neighborhood?  What's your favorite kind of candy?  I confess I'm partial to Kit Kats and now they have it in dark chocolate!

Desert Rose

We were almost giving up on our desert rose.

We kept getting little black bugs on the young leaves and tiny buds that seemed to sap the plant of energy.

You can't see the top branches here but they were pretty bald.

This photo was taken a couple of years ago.  It had gotten even worse as time progressed, but I didn't take photos of it.

Look at it now.  We can hardly believe it! 

We used an organic spray and it seemed to do the job.

I guess there's always hope. 

Somewhat Healthy Dinner

Although we do occasionally cheat once in a while and eat things that aren't the best for us, I was noticing what mom prepared the other night.

We had some kabocha squash which is quite sweet and healthy, grilled zucchini and sweet onions with Italian seasoning that I prepared, kinpira gobo (burdock root), stir fried pak choy greens, tofu and fried saba (mackerel).  OK, I know.  Fried fish isn't the best thing but mom says she's using canola oil.

I forgot to put some kabocha on my plate.  The brown rice is not true brown rice, but some kind of in between type called Genjimai.

The wine is half wine and half carbonated water using our Sodastream. 

All in all, lots of fiber and pretty nutritious, I think. 

Gifts of Friendship and Gratitude

Art has been enjoying his volunteer work with Meals on Wheels for the past several months and has gotten to enjoy the people he brings meals to.  His duty is not just to bring the hot meals to people who are unable to prepare meals themselves, but to check on them to make sure they are doing well.

He's found that many of his "clients" are happy to see him and love to talk to him.  He came home the other day with gifts that one woman insisted on giving him.

They were a jar of pickled green mangoes and a papaya from the tree in her backyard that she happily showed him.

At first he said she should give them to one of her friends or relatives, but she insisted he accept them.

She'd given him a papaya before and couldn't wait to hear if he'd enjoyed it.

Art has learned that many of these lovely people don't want to just accept his volunteer services without some acknowledgement of their appreciation.

He finds pleasure in doing what he can to help and in accepting these little tokens, he allows them to feel that pleasure of giving too.  

It's really a win-win, loving situation.

Meyer Lemon Babies

I planted these Meyer lemon seeds at the same time.  I transplanted them in the same way into larger pots as needed.  I put them under the same sunshine.

But look at them.  They're all different.  I had a dozen seedlings.  I gave several of the stronger ones away.  Some of these are stunted.  Some have leaves that curled in a strange way.  A couple of them seemed to have shrunk and just can't seem to grow very tall.  One of them has leaves that are yellower than the others. 

It's the same way with our kids.  They came from the same parents.  We thought we raised them the same way, but they're different as night and day. 

Just as we watched Tif and Jon grow, bloom and come to life's fruition, we'll watch these little plants to see what happens.

How Long Do You Think You Will Live?

My good friend, Jean sent me a link to a Lifespan Calculator that was created by Northwestern Mutual Life.

Here's the link to this Lifespan Calculator.

Your age changes (up and down) on the upper right hand corner as you answer the 14 health and family history questions.

I do think we eat pretty healthy meals.  This was our dinner the other night.  We usually eat mostly vegetables of some sort.  What you see here is stir fried pak choy, teriyaki lotus roots, rice with seaweed and a Japanese stew called nishime with fish cake, vegetables and a little chicken.

Art and I are supposed to live to be 99.  I have doubts since they never ask about diabetes, cholesterol, etc.  Still... it's fun to do.

Stuff I Didn't Know #3

Here's the last couple of tidbits I'd like to share with you from the bunch that my good friend, Myrtle sent me.


When I told Art about the extension cord, he said he already did this.  I thought it was such a neat idea.

We tried this at Burger King and it really did work, not that you need a coaster at a fast food place.  However, if you brought a drink home and you wanted to protect your furniture, this could work.

That's it for now.   Thanks, Myrtle!

Stuff I Didn't Know #2

Here's a couple more tidbits of stuff I didn't know that my good friend, Myrtle sent me.

It NEVER occurred to us to store peanut butter this way.  We're going to try it next time because it's agony to mix the darn thing.











We sure don't have that flange type plunger in our house.  I thought you used that red one for everything.

It's a good thing our toilet hasn't clogged yet.

Knock on wood.

Stuff I Didn't Know #1

My good friend, Myrtle sent me some great ideas that I thought would be fun to share today and the next couple of days.

I actually did know about not needing so much toothpaste.  My tube can last a long time.  Have you noticed how expensive toothpaste is now and how much less they give you?   Isn't that a terrible looking toothbrush?  I think you're supposed to change them every 3-4 months.

OK... tell the truth.  Did you know about using the toilet seat cover that way?  It took me quite a while to get it right.  I kept putting that flap at the back and the sheet would fall into the toilet.  Not everything is obvious to me.

Friday's Child

Do you remember the old poem about the days of the week?

Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go,
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath day,
Is lucky and happy and good and gay.
 

Our daughter, Tiffany was born on a Friday and I remembered this poem.  I was happy to discover that as she grew she really was loving and giving.
 

Then our son was born on a Sunday.  Jonathan is happy, good and gay.  I think.  Was he lucky?  I don't know.  He was born in that elevator.  He's had his share of broken arms as a child and a collection of other injuries from his many adventures.  I suppose he's lucky that he's survived them.

 

Art was born on a Thursday and he does say he still has far to go.  He loves to travel.
 

My brother is definitely Saturday's child and has always worked hard for a living.
 

I was born on Wednesday and I have had my share of woes.  Hopefully, it's all behind me since I'm following after the guy who has far to go.

If you go to Calendar Calculator you can find out what day of the week you were born on.

And mom?  She was born on a Sunday, but she's had an early life full of woes.  I'm glad she's now like her grandson being happy and good and gay.

Someone I Didn't Know

I've always been invited to join Art for get-togethers with his classmates but haven't been able to join them at most of the outings.  This lively group is always very warm and welcoming.

This time the meeting was at the Pearlridge Golf Club.  It happened to fall on a Friday so we were quite late since  I have Zumba on Fridays and Art has his Meals on Wheels delivery to do.

As I sat with this happy, friendly group, I realized that they knew the Art that I didn't know.

They knew him before he left for the mainland to attend university, before he joined the Air Force, before he married, before he moved to Chicago, before he raised two children.

They know the class treasurer, the Eagle scout, the restaurant owner's son, the young kid who hadn't yet ventured away from the Big Island and seen the world.

As I sat at the table full of laughter and joy, I could imagine them as young teenagers who would have a lifetime of adventures ahead of them.

The next get together will be at our house.  I'm looking forward to it.

Squeezing That Last Bit of Savings from Toothpaste

Do you all do this?

It's amazing to see how much toothpaste is still in the tube if you use the back of a comb to squeeze the tube before throwing it out.

Since you only need about a glob the size of a pea, I'll usually have enough to last me several more days.

Art and I don't have a problem with toothpaste tubes that other couples often have because one partner squeezes from the top or the bottom or whatever.  We each have our tubes.

On top of that when we renovated the house, we put in two medicine cabinets so we could have our own supplies.

It's one more thing to keep the marriage happy.

50% Accuracy in Forecasting Hawaiian Weather

We were going to Auntie's house in Honolulu.  Weatherman Guy Hagi had said the night before that we would be having sunny, wonderful weather.

This was right outside my car window facing mauka (toward the mountains).   It was NOT sunny.

Then I turned toward makai (the ocean) and saw beautiful blue skies.  I was happy for the tourists.

But we were definitely driving under a blanket of heavy rain.

Five more minutes and the rain stopped.

Another five minutes and the skies were blue again.

"Maybe I should do some laundry?" asked Mom.

"I wouldn't," I warned.

"But Guy Hagi said it was going to be a sunny day," persisted Mom.


All I can say with certainty since we don't have snow in Hawaii except on top of Mauna Kea is that forecasting weather in Hawaii can be done with 50% accuracy.

Memories of Scones

We first tried cranberry-orange scones from Whole Foods when we were in Chicago.  Our granddaughter, KC happened to love them so much I had to try some.

When we went to the Whole Foods on Oahu  a few years ago, I didn't think they tasted the same.  Maybe it was because we weren't eating the scones with KC. Or maybe it's like those shortbread cookies from elementary school days.  We'll just never recapture the taste.

Well... I saw these at Times Supermarket in Waiau and just had the sudden desire to try them again.  I KNOW they're not good for me.  I KNOW it's high in sugar.  The packaging looked the same as Whole Foods scones, but the labeling was different.

Well... it was almost exactly the same as what we had in Chicago.  Art says it's OK.  Mom says it's too sweet.  It's got a light sugary glaze.

I have no idea why I like it so much.  It doesn't have a lick of chocolate on it. 

We first had scones with clotted cream when we were at Blenheim Palace (home of the Duke of Malborough) in England.  Winston Churchill was born here.

This was 1990.  That's Tiffany, me and Jon.

Everytime I eat a scone I think about that first trip overseas with the kids.

So perhaps it's the memories that add the flavor to some of the foods we eat.

Is there any food you eat that brings back a fond memory?

A Quick Look at American History

My friend, Jean forwarded this Moving Map of American history which I thought was really interesting.  I know Hawaii and Alaska were admitted to the union in 1959, but I was surprised to learn that New Mexico and Arizona were not admitted until 1912.  I thought all the other states were admitted before the 20th century.

One of the best capsules of the history of our country.  It's fascinating to watch the evolution of growth from the 13 colonies up to the present, with dates, wars, purchases, etc. included.  As much as you may know about American history, you'll learn something from this video clip.

This “moving” map of the country shows it from the beginning of the 13 states through to the present. It includes the acquisitions from England and Spain, the Slave states, the Free states, a segment on the Civil war; it includes some mentions of Central and South America , etc.

A great site, especially if you enjoy American history, but have forgotten a lot of what we learned in school. Turn on your sound, as the narration is a significant portion of the presentation.

Click on the next line. (When it opens, don't click on Go at the bottom ... click on Play at the top.)

http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie.html 

 Do check this site out.  It's only 10 minutes, but will seem shorter.  I think you'll find it quite fascinating.  There was sure a lot I didn't know or forgot.

Soap Foam Discovery

While we were in Chicago last year, our daughter, Tiffany had provided us with a foaming soap dispenser.  Art didn't have shaving cream so he used the foaming soap and really liked it.

When we got home, he bought a dispenser of his own to shave with.

When he ran out of the solution, he went to Target and bought more.  Unfortunately, it wouldn't foam.  That's when he realized he'd bought the wrong soap solution.  He'd bought the gel instead of the foam!

He mentioned it to Tiffany and she said our son-in-law did the same thing and just put a little bit of the soap in the bottle and then added more water.   So that's what Art did.  He put about 3/4" gel solution in the bottle and topped it off with water.  Then he swooshed it around to mix it and it worked just right for him.  He says it may not foam quite as much but he's working of the ratios of water to gel yet.  At this rate, he won't run out of solution for quite a while.  I do believe he's going to buy the gel from now on because it's a great cost savings.

It's really great when a mistake turns into something so much better than what you expected.

Planning a Funeral

It was one of those gray, cloudy days.  I'd gotten up the night before and suddenly thoughts started flooding through my mind.

What if the unthinkable happened and one of us or both of us met with a calamity and were gone?  What would I or the kids do?  Who would I call?  How about the practical things like the cremation, burial, service?

We've been going to a number of funerals lately and realize what goes into them.  Not easy.  How do you cope with all those details and decisions when you're obviously going to be in anguish?

I started the ball rolling and created files on the computer and in my file cabinet.  I chose photos so the kids could go through them easily and choose what they wanted from the selection.  I've already scanned all our old photos so if they want more, they can access them easily.

I checked through several funeral homes and wrote down the phone numbers to the possible choices keeping in mind what kind of eating areas they have to accommodate people.  In Hawaii we always serve a meal with a funeral so this is important.

Art and I stipulated that our children are not to buy wreaths.  They are a horrendous expense.  They cost hundreds of dollars for a larger one and are used for display and then discarded.  We would prefer they use the money for a donation to one of our charities.

One thing we want our children to do is provide a wonderful meal for everybody and make it a joyous occasion.  Art and I have had wonderful lives together and are grateful to everybody who made it so.  We want them to remember us happily.   Art has said before that he doesn't care what we all did for his funeral since he wouldn't be there and wants us to do what would make us happy.  However, he does now have one request.  He doesn't want any somber music.  He wants us to play John Lennon's, "Imagine."

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace

You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world

You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will live as one

 Me?  Hmmm... maybe my nephews could perform something together.  Wouldn't that be fun?  

Tomorrow is forecasted to be a sunny day.  I guess we can finish our planning another time.

Correcting Mom's English

I can't believe I did this.  I'm a retired teacher, for goodness sakes!

We were driving mom to see her sister, Dorothy who was recovering from an operation.

Mom (who isn't very proficient in standard English) was chatting away in the back seat and said, "They when came."

"They when come."  I corrected her right away.

Then I stopped.  Did I really say that?  Did I actually correct Mom's pidgin with more pidgin?  Good grief!

I burst out laughing and told Mom it should be, "They came."

She threw up her hands and said, "You can't expect me to speak English that way when I've lived in the islands this long." (Translated)

Oh what the heck!  I know for a fact that my Japanese makes anyone who can speak Japanese laugh even harder.

So I guess if you like criticize, you betta talk good too.

Free Money?

We got this survey in the mail with a crisp $1.00 bill enclosed.  It states that if I filled out the form they would send me $5.00 in the mail.  Really?  I'd get $6.00 for free?

What do you think?  We were warned by AARP to be wary of "good deals".   I looked up Scarborough Surveys online and found other people who were also mystified and very suspicious.  For one thing, WHY do they need your phone number to ensure delivery?

Art thinks this is a way for the survey company to have permission to call you despite the fact that you may have put your name on the DO NOT CALL list which we've done.

Ah well, we do have $1.00 for free and that's good enough.

Perfecting My Computer Desk

After reading that sitting too long at your computer desk was not good for you, I decided to try standing.

I bought this high bar type table on Craigslist which gave me the option to sit as well.  I moved the monitor as high as I could, but it still had me looking down a little.   Bert, my physical therapist wasn't thrilled with this because he said it could make me hunch down.  Still, I thought it was OK.

Then Delaine of Dkzody's Weblog sent me a link a couple of weeks ago about modifying the standing work station for the most comfortable position.

That motivated me enough to draw up a plan to raise the height of my monitor.  Then I showed it to Art.  I was going to get some cheap pine boards to do it, but Art said we should spend a little more to get a better looking stand.

We settled on fir.  The Home Depot helper was there again.

He must have remembered what I told him about wearing the ear protectors.



We brought the wood pieces home and Art cut up all the pieces.  The wood and screws cost us about $35.

Then I sanded them.

Art put it together.

I plugged up the screw holes with wood putty.






When it was all dried, I gave it a coat of water based sealer.  I wish we had an oil based varnish which would have yellowed the wood to match the other pieces more.

Ah well, nobody will see it anyway.

The fir wood is lighter than the oak desk but close in color to the maple bar table I have the keyboard on. Art also added more holes into my oak shelf (which he made a long time go) to make it more adjustable.

The color difference is because the Before photo was taken with a flash.  The After was taken without and is the truer color.  The arrow points to the new stand.

Everything is now raised so I can reach things easier. 

I do really like it a lot better.  I feel it makes me stand and sit up a little straighter now.

Here's a last couple of photos just because I'm so excited about this.

It was such a great feeling to draw up a plan, build it with Art and see the idea come to fruition. 

OK... Art says he has to now go back to the house renovation chores.  I've distracted him enough. 

It's very kind of him to humor me this way, don't you think?

Blogger Luncheon at the Honolulu Museum of Art

Marianna of Hattie's Web and her husband, Terry generously treated Cloudia of Comfort Spiral, Hank, Art and me to a blogger luncheon at the Honolulu Museum of Art Cafe. 

We hadn't been there in decades and was surprised at all the changes.  It had been renovated and modernized.  Marianna and Hank mentioned that the first Wednesday of the month has a free admission so we'll have to go back someday.

The atmosphere was lovely and the cool trade winds felt wonderful!  Marianna and Terry live on the Big Island and were on Oahu for business and pleasure.

Hank said all the food here was great and he was right!

I had the Asian Chicken Salad and Art had Grilled Long Eggplant.

Darn!  I forgot to take a photo of the delicious apple mango crisp dessert.

We couldn't believe how quickly two hours could zip by.  We had to jog to our car since we knew we'd exceeded the meter allotment.  No ticket.  Phew!

We used to be nervous about meeting other bloggers, but after having met several now we find that it feels like we've known each other forever.   Thank you, Marianna and Terry for a truly wonderful day!

Waikiki Aquarium With Mom

There's not a whole lot of places on this small island where we've not taken mom.  Then we remembered the Waikiki Aquarium.  Although we'd taken KC there last year, mom hadn't come with us.

When we mentioned it to mom, she said she'd not been there in decades.  Well, this would be the year to go since they'd really upgraded it.

I was happy to be told that the admission covered a free Audio Tour Wand that also came in Japanese.

Great!  Mom loved it!

The varieties of coral were truly amazing!

When we came with KC I must have been paying more attention to her than the exhibits because I couldn't remember seeing these.

Mom was fascinated by these giant clams.  She wondered if you could eat one.

They made an announcement that a Monk Seal demonstration was going on outside so we dashed to the pool to see the show.

This monk seal had cataracts in both eyes so he would not survive in the wild.

 

Back inside again it was surprising to learn that so many sharks are killed each year.  I would have thought more people had gotten killed by sharks since we've had so many incidents in Hawaii lately.

We went outside again and saw various Hawaiian plants.  I've seen the delicate Ilima leis, but I didn't know what the plant looked like.  I was surprised to see that they are low growing vine like plants.  It takes a whole lot of these little blossoms to make a lei.

You see these Naupaka plants everywhere in Hawaii.  There's a mountain and shore variety.

The small reef exhibit outside was a lot of fun for mom to see.  She felt she'd really learned a lot.

Although we'd only been there a couple of hours, mom was pretty tired and ready for lunch.  We went to Marukame restaurant in Waikiki again because we knew how much she enjoyed their udon noodles.  She tried their curry, but said that although it was delicious, she'd have their Kake Udon soup broth next time.

All in all, a happy day and mom was ready for a  nap.  Me too.