Lighting Up My Life

We're all for saving energy so when the country moved to fluorescent (CFL) from incandescent we followed suit. However, there were some problems with CFLs that we weren't thrilled with. For one thing CFL bulbs contain mercury which is harmful to us and the environment.

They also do get hot and when they get hot, they die.

The overhead light (left) by our sink was a problem. Even though the CFL bulbs are supposed to last longer than incandescent bulbs this one kept dying after a few months.

We discovered that because the fixture was facing downwards, heat was being trapped in the glass shade and killing the bulb. Art had to turn the fixture upside down in order to make the bulb last longer. We don't get as much light but at least the bulb doesn't die after a couple of months.

The pendant lights (right) are also in the kitchen and for the same reason keeps dying. Unfortunately we can't turn them upside down. They are dimmable, but they often flicker and buzz and you have to adjust the dimming switch.

We've wanted to switch to LEDs for a while but they were too expensive. Prices are going down now so we decided to try them out. The LED lights in the dining room which we got last year is working out very well, but they were expensive.

We were at Home Depot and Lowes having a hard time figuring out the wattage. We looked it up on line and found this helpful chart on Earth Easy, Solutions for Sustainable Living.

Since I still think in terms of incandescent lights I now know that to get 100 watts of brightness I should look for LEDs listed at 16-20 watts.

I found this chart to be interesting too. I see right away where CFLs are sensitive to high and low temperatures as well as humidity. And of course, there's that mercury problem.

This last chart shows the cost comparison. It would vary state by state. Electricity in Hawaii is more expensive than other states.

We will gradually be switching to LEDs, but now we have another problem. What the heck do we do with all our extra CFL bulbs that we have in storage?

Something Fun to Try on Your Cellphone

My daughter sent me photos of  herself as Princess Leia and our granddaughter as Luke Skywalker that we thought were hilarious.

The app is free for your cellphone.

It's called Disney Side.  This is the link.

I had to try Art first as Jafar from Aladdin.

Of course he wouldn't strike a serious pose.

Can you guess which characters I chose?

The app is easy to use and fun.

Try it out and be sure to send the photo to your grandchildren. They should get a chuckle out of it. I know mine did.

Date Day at Chili's

Art and I had a little money left on our Chili's gift card so we thought we'd grab lunch at Chili's while we were out shopping.

Art had a soft shell taco and chicken burrito which came with rice and beans.

I had a half rack of baby back ribs. I substituted the fries for spinach and roasted tomatoes. (Woo hoo! Pretty much carb free.)

It was all fabulous!

Adding in the 20% tip, we were able to use up the entire card perfectly.

Everybody there were so friendly and the place was crowded. Service was great!

We're going to go back, with or without a gift card.

From Rail and Traffic to Photoshop

Art and I were on the off ramp going from Farrington Highway to Kamehameha Highway when we passed the rail overpass being built on the island of Oahu.

It was amazing to see these long, heavy concrete structures that seem poised over the highway ready to break and fall.

I took these photos out of our car window and couldn't get a good perspective to show how massive it is. You can see how bad the traffic is these days with the controversial rail project that is costing more and more than what was originally planned.

People are warned on the news not to look up while you're driving, but to pay attention to what is in front of you.

Since it's hard to get the full feel of this project, I thought I'd throw these two photos into my Photoshop program and see if I could get a more panoramic view.

What I got made us laugh uproariously.

If you really did see something like this, I imagine it would have made you look up for sure!

"Fixing" My Reading Glasses

I've always had a problem with reading too long. My eyes quickly get tired and I end up closing one eye to read. I don't know why I don't have the same problem when I'm reading things on the computer.

There was one optometrist in Chicago who finally addressed my problem saying I needed prisms. She was particularly sensitive to this because she had the same problem.

When I came to Hawaii, my new optometrist didn't think I had a problem with reading. I told her I often had to shut one eye to read. I think she thought it was all in my head... the brain part, not the eye. Hmmm... Maybe it's both.

The other day I was reading and put my hand over one eye and then looked through my fingers just to test it out for the heck of it. It seemed to make a difference. I could read for a longer period of time using both eyes.

I decided to experiment.

I got some Post-It tape and covered most of my reading glasses except for a slit on both sides.

By golly, it was more comfortable to read.

I do believe I'll be asking for prisms when I go for my annual eye exam in September.

Meanwhile, this will have to do.

Then again, maybe it IS all in my head.

Another of Myrtle's Helpful Hints

Here is another one of Myrtle's fun Helpful Hints:

For white laundry
Instead of bleach, add 1/4 - 1/2 a cup of lemon juice to the white laundry cycle, to make your clothes brighter and whiter!

I don't have a lot of lemons on my tree right now, but when they start producing again, this might be something I could try. I checked online and Reader's Digest recommends a full cup of lemon juice into your wash cycle.

Reader's Digest also suggests that a cup of vinegar into the rinse cycle can kill bacteria, smell fresh, reduce static, etc.

Vinegar
There are so many benefits to be reaped by adding 1 cup white vinegar to your washer’s rinse cycle that it’s surprising that you don’t find it prominently mentioned inside the owner’s manual of every washing machine sold. Here are the main ones:

• A single cup of vinegar will kill off any bacteria that may be present in your wash load, especially if it includes cloth diapers and the like.
• A cup of vinegar will keep your clothes coming out of the wash soft and smelling fresh — so you can kiss your fabric-softening liquids and sheets good-bye (unless, of course, you happen to like your clothes smelling of heavy perfumes).
• A cup of vinegar will brighten small loads of white clothes.
• Added to the last rinse, a cup of vinegar will keep your clothes lint- and static-free.
• Adding a cupful of vinegar to the last rinse will set the color of your newly dyed fabrics.

Mom did tell me a LONG time ago that vinegar would set the color on clothes if she sees that they're bleeding dye.

I'll have to try this lemon or vinegar trick one of these days.
 

Myrtle's Helpful Hints

My good friend, Myrtle sent me these helpful hints.

In order to clean broken glass you can avoid getting cut by the sharp shards by using a piece of bread to pick up the tiny bits of glass.

Although we haven't had too much of a problem with dishwasher scum, this is supposed to be a way to get rid of it.

You first clear the dishwasher of dishes and sprinkle baking soda on the bottom.  Then place a cup of vinegar on the top shelf.  Run the dishwasher at maximum heat and let the vinegar and baking soda dissolve the scale, scum and whatever else has attached itself to your dishwasher.

Banana Twins

Since this is the second time we've gotten banana twins, Art thought I needed to post it.  Have you seen anything like this?

Is this a good luck thing, sort of like finding a 4 leaf clover?  I guess it doubled our health since Art and I got to share our potassium.

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

We were driving down this street the other day and Art happened to look out the window.

See where the arrow is?  Look what we saw!  I got this street photo from Google maps.   The road was a lot more congested.

I don't know how this mother hen managed to get all her chicks across the road.

And WHY would she want to go there anyway?  She'll have to cross the road again with her chicks to get water.

So why did the chicken cross the road?

Heck if I know.

Steaming Your Eggs

Whenever Art does his Meals on Wheels on Fridays he listens to NPR (National Public Radio).  He loves the science programs.

He came home the other day and told me we needed to have egg salad sandwiches for lunch because he wanted to try out something he learned on NPR.  A scientist had given a talk about how to cook eggs.  He said fresh eggs are best fried.  Older eggs should be steamed.

I've always boiled my eggs and then doused them in water with ice cubes.  Most of the time the egg shells separate more or less OK, but not always.  Apparently this scientist said steaming the eggs for 12 minutes is the best method so we tried it.

And guess what? By golly!  It works!!!  The shells came off easily!  Wow!  I'm still blown away.  Have you ever tried steaming your eggs? (I did also dunk the eggs in cold water after I steamed them.)

POSTSCRIPT:
Here's a website that gives more detailed information about steaming your eggs:
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_steam_eggs/
 

Dollar Origamis

We were having noodles at Shige's Saimin in Wahiawa when I noticed this long, large white board full of folded origami dollars. This is just one section of the collection.

I asked the waiter who had made all these incredible origamis and he said customers had begun leaving them as tips. I was absolutely amazed!

No, I sure wasn't able to add to the dollar creations, but I sure wish I knew how to make one.

Feeling Good

My cousin, Arnold and Nancy went on an island cruise and won quite a few fun goodies while on board.

They even got to be on a radio show with island talk show hosts Perry and Price. It was fun to get daily email updates on their week long adventure.

On another night they won a bottle of champagne. They don't drink so they offered it to us when they returned.

Mom always boasts that her family has a very strong constitution and can easily hold their liquor. She and her siblings have proved that to us on a number of occasions.

She and I have a small glass of wine every other night. It's actually watered down with 2/3 carbonated water.

Well... once we opened that bottle of champagne, we figured we needed to finish it off because it would lose its fizz.

Art, Mom and I managed to drink 2 small glasses of champagne. But whoa.... it was much stronger than what we were used to.

I got really, really woozy before I even finished the second glass. Mom got giggly and started laughing at what we were saying. We were having a special pizza night to celebrate a family happening.

Art fell asleep in his chair at 8:30 and it took me a couple of hours for my head to clear.

Mom? A few hours later, she was still smiling and still very pleased with everything around her.

Actually, she was still laughing about it the following morning.

Getting Down to Baseboards Again

This is the year that Art figured he would try to finish the baseboards around the house. We began this project in 2006. It's hard to believe that it's been 9 years since we actually began this renovation project.

With so many things that have taken up our time, it's been hard for Art to concentrate on finishing everything. Still... it's been a challenging retirement project that is always waiting for him.

The hard thing about doing the baseboards is making sure he doesn't inadvertently hit a pipe. He also needs to make sure he hits a stud on which to attach the baseboards.

The problem in this guestroom is that we (ummm... me actually) forgot to carefully mark where everything was. I did the rest of the house, but somehow missed big portions of this room.

We have a friend arriving this month and we wanted at least this room to look nice.

 Luckily, I did take pictures of all the walls before the dry walls were hung so we could approximate where the pipes and studs were if I forgot to mark them.

It does amaze me that we've done so much work with the help of my brother, cousins, uncle and friends to get the house project nearly completed. We will always be grateful for all they've done for us. By 2016... maybe it will be completed.

Maybe.

POSTSCRIPT: 

And here's the room with the baseboards that Art installed and I caulked and painted.

As I finished painting the last board Art said, "I hate to tell you, but this is the smallest room. We have two more rooms and two bathrooms to finish."

OK...

So maybe we'll finish in 2016.

Bonsai Barbeque

I'm not sure what the special occasion was, but the Bonsai Club decided to throw a Bonsai barbeque pot luck. We signed up for dessert, but couldn't decide what kind.

The first order of business was to dig up the weeds and level off the ground at the Urban Garden. It would become a display area for bonsai.









Other people demonstrated their bonsai techniques.

It was a wonderful time to just chat and enjoy each other's company.

There was an incredible amount of food that everybody contributed.

OK, now here's my confession. I bought a giant jar of my favorite kim chee cucumbers and transferred it to a pretty bowl so it wouldn't look so store bought. It was sort of my apology for buying mochi at Sam's Club for dessert instead of making it myself.

I'm happy to tell you both were huge favorites! Art had to set aside two pieces of mochi to bring home for mom because the sweet rice dessert was an instant hit and completely disappeared.

As for the cucumber, someone told me I could have made it a little spicier. I just smiled.

It was a lovely party and everybody enjoyed themselves and went home to take a nap, I'm sure.

Just Wondering...

I'm just wondering because I don't hear any hue and cry (especially from Republicans) about Ted Cruz's eligibility to run for president. I know he is against the EPA, pro-life, against Obamacare, against Internet regulation, against minimum wage, and for a flat tax. However, you do also know he wasn't born in the U.S, right? He was born in Canada.

Please know I love Canada and I love the Canadians we've met.

However, remember the Obama Birther movement? Although President Obama was born in Hawaii to an American mother and it was all proven, birthers kept insisting he wasn't a natural born American citizen and therefore ineligible to be President.

And now there's Ted Cruz.

Here's what I got from Wikipedia, along with this photo.

"Cruz was born on December 22, 1970,  in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where his parents, Eleanor Elizabeth Darragh Wilson and Rafael Bienvenido Cruz, were working in the oil business. His parents owned a seismic-data processing  firm for oil drillers.
Cruz's ancestry is Spanish on his father's side and Irish and Italian on his mother's side. His father left Cuba in 1957 to attend the University of Texas at Austin, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2005. His mother earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Rice University in the 1950s."

Ted Cruz's mother was American just like President Obama's, but Cruz was confirmed to have been born in Canada. So can anybody explain to me why it's OK for him to run for president, but there are still people who feel President Obama was not eligible?

Just curious.

A Day of Sublime Happiness

Some days are really gifts you treasure. This was one of them. It was Art's birthday.

The morning began with a mall walk with my zumba friends. Irene brought all of us some butter mochi to share which was delicious!

Art and I then went to Anna Miller's for a free birthday breakfast. Everybody was so extra friendly that a smile just couldn't seem to leave our faces.

We stopped at a craft shop to buy a cardstock and envelope pack for my new card making hobby. The salesperson laughed and joked with us while we made our purchase.

On the way to the bank, an older woman leaning heavily on a cane as she ambled slowly along stopped us. She told us how happy she was to see us walking together. Her husband had passed away 6 years ago and seeing us reminded her of what it was like with her husband.

At the bank, our teller was full of smiles and easy conversation.

Our next stop at the supermarket had us bumping into our neighbor who laughed at being caught with three boxes of ice cream novelties. We'd taken him to and from the hospital two days before and it was nice to see him so recovered after his surgery.

The next stop was Sam's Club. There was a handicapped lady in a scooter who needed some assistance. Art and I helped get her, the scooter and a walker into the elevator. Once at the parking lot, she needed further help getting to the Handi-van stop. Art took our groceries to the car while I pushed her walker. I then needed to help push her and the scooter up the little ramp which was trickier than I thought it was going to be. I saw Art's eyebrows go up when he saw me huffing and puffing, but I managed before he could cross the street. She was very grateful which just made me feel wonderful! The little twinge in my back subsided by the next day.

Walmart was the next stop and Art finally found the watermelon he was looking for.

Then there were the Skype calls from our daughter and son. Everyone was full of laughter and well wishes.

Dinner was at Kabuki restaurant. There was way too much food, but all the servers were in such a good mood. It may have been because we were the first patrons.

There are some days that are good and some days that are incredibly special just because everything seems to fall into place. We didn't bump into any grumpy people.

The day seemed full of rainbows which did indeed greet us at the end of the day.

It can't get better than this.

Seriously?!?

My son-in-law sent me a photo that he thought might give me a chuckle. I thought it was a joke so I googled it.

Oh my gosh! It's true!

Here's a link to USA Today.

Apparently, Whole Foods has gotten quite a bit of flack over it and has pulled it off the shelves saying it was a mistake.

It sure was!

Is It Poisonous?

We've had a rather uncomfortable summer of humidity, heat and a few downpours. One morning mom called us to see what had suddenly sprouted from the garden. She says she didn't see it the day before. Can mushrooms grow that fast?

We love mushrooms, but would never eat a wild one because we don't know enough to be able to distinguish edible from poisonous.

They look really good though don't they?

Annual Birthday Celebration

We always have the worst time getting everybody together to celebrate any occasion because of doctor appointments and varying work, and school schedules. This year we all decided to just celebrate everybody's birthday on one day sometime in the middle of the year.

I got pretty excited. We started cooking from the day before making kinpira gobo (burdock root), nishime (Japanese stew), lemon chicken, cucumber namasu (cucumber in vinegar) and a large soba salad.

I made goodie bags for everybody with an assortment of healthy dark chocolate and ummmm... well... you know.

My nephew and his wife brought over two kinds of Anna Miller pies. My cousin actually made chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream!  It was awesome! My sister-in-law actually made macaroni salad and deviled eggs even though she broke her foot in two places last week. My brother brought over a huge plate of sushi.

All in all, it was a very happy celebration.

Next year, I'm adding balloons!

KC's Nenne Animals

When KC was very little, even littler than she is now, she loved her "Nenne doggie and kitty."  Nenne means to sleep in Japanese. KC always slept with her nenne doggie and brought him with her when they visited us in Hawaii. (I just checked online and it said that "nenne" is an infantile version meaning to sleep.)

I think she was about two years old when she spotted a little stuffed animal cat and fell in love with it.

She begged grandpa to buy it for her which he did, of course. Was there a question?

From that moment on, KC always slept with her nenne doggie and kitty.

Tiffany mentioned that those stuffed animals were getting pretty ratty so I thought I'd check out how much it would cost to perhaps replace them. They only cost about $6 or $7 dollars six years ago.

Whoa! What a surprise to see how much they cost now. 

Myrtle's Veggie Tips

I thought I'd start off the week with some of the veggie tips that Myrtle sent me.

Here's a good website about cooking cauliflower:   recipetips.com

Have a wonderful week, everybody!