The Angel Tree

The Salvation Army has set up Angel Trees in the malls with names of people in need who could use a little help during the holiday season. We decided to devote the day trying to help a few wishes come true. Mom said she wanted to do it, too and was very excited about this fun adventure.

We saw this adorable train and I could picture KC having a great time on it when she gets here in a couple of weeks.


The trees are decorated with little paper angels listing the first name, age, male or female and what they would like to have for the holiday.


Mom wanted to help a little girl. We selected two other boys, one was a toddler and the other was 4 years old.


Most of the angels had names of children when we were there. It was a wonderful feeling to imagine how happy they would be when they saw their toys.

It was also sad to see that the trees could not hold all the angels who needed help. Many more were placed on the tables.


We found everything the boys wanted, but Mom's little 20 month old girl wanted a Fisher Price Learning Piggy Bank. None of the Toys R Us had it. Neither did Sears, 3 K-Marts, Targets, Wal-Mart, Navy BX or the small toy stores we went to. We also made calls everywhere and nobody had it. I guess, the day after Black Friday is a hard time to find a specific toy.

We went back to the Angel Tree and told them we failed. We selected another little girl, 8 years old this time who wanted Barbie and Polly Pocket. That was much easier. We got both and brought them back to the Angel Tree to give to her.

It was a very satisfying day.

Black Friday Bargains

It's rather weird how your feelings can change overnight. Last week, I was dreading the holidays. I was anticipating all the cooking, shopping craziness, the parties that we would be hosting, holiday cards, cleaning the house, ETC. However, once we had Thanksgiving and put up the tree, I felt a complete change.

I was ready!

Art and I got up at 5:00 AM and were out the door for the Black Friday Sales. The lines at Macy's was nuts in certain departments and empty in others. Of course we were in the snaking hour-long check out line. The funny thing is, we weren't even buying the Door Buster stuff. We didn't have to be there so early. Then again, parking was nuts,too so Art's insistence on going early was smart. When we went to drop something off at the car, I felt awful feeling eyes hopefully looking at our space.

We then went to Bed, Bath and Beyond, Borders and Longs.

We've got our tree up and a good headstart on our holiday shopping. I do believe we're doing OK. Woohoo!

Setting Up Our Holiday Tree

Since we celebrated Thanksgiving a day early. We decided to enjoy the actual Thanksgiving Day setting up our holiday tree.

We bought this artificial tree a couple of years ago when we moved to Hawaii. It's so much easier to set up than our 20 year old tree that we left behind in Chicago. This tree comes in 4 parts. The stand and 3 sections of the tree.


We put the tree together and spread the branches.


The last section barely cleared the top of the slanted ceiling.


We like the fact that the tree does not take up a lot of space.


I loved seeing again, all the ornaments that students had given me through the years. I wrote their names on the ornaments and every time I see it, I see their beautiful smiling faces.

The tree is now ready for KC's presents. We may not be Christian but we love celebrating the excitement, love and cheer of the season.

We thought we were done with Thanksgiving, but a friend stopped by with spinach rolls and jello squares that made the day special.

Then our neighbor stopped by to share their bounty. There were three kinds of kimchee, at least 4 different kinds of dessert and a bag full of avocados. Wow! We are certainly having a thankful Thanksgiving... again!!!

Early Wednesday Thanksgiving

Our holiday celebrations are now scheduled around my brother's family. Everybody works and most of their schedules are variable. My niece works for the hotel industry so she often has to work during the holidays.

Last year, we celebrated Thanksgiving on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year, we celebrated Thanksgiving a day early.

I bought a super large 23.5 pound turkey and read that it would take 6-6.5 hours of roasting time.

I was reading Gigi's post when the turkey had been in the oven for 5 hours. Her post made me go down and check on the turkey. It was already done!!! Good grief! Thanks Gigi! It was even a little overdone, but we salvaged it by basting it a lot. I really think the brining helped it retain the moisture.

Everybody began arriving with their wonderful dishes. My nephew and his wife brought a tomato-mozzrella-basil insalata caprese dish that I haven't seen served in Hawaii. I loved it on the mainland. They also prepared sauteed mushrooms which were scrumptious.

My sister-in-law really worked her fingers to the bone making a macaroni salad, yams and mashed potatoes. She always has that task since she's Irish.

This was one of the rare times that mom did not cook anything. I told her she should take a rest. She wasn't thrilled about that. She said it was boring not to take part. Therefore, next time, it is dully noted that she will not be standing in the side lines.

She did LOVE sampling everybody's creations in the buffet line though.

Art says my eyes were bigger than my tummy again. I took too much and had a hard time finishing my plate.

Everything was wonderful!

Here's mom, nephews, niece and brother, Dennis.


Then Dennis took over the camera and got us all in. There was a better shot, but our family has a lot of blinkers.


Art cut the pumpkin pie he made and the chocolate bundt cake that I baked.


I love how my three nephews have such a strong affection for each other. Their brother Shawn could not be with us because he was working in Waikiki.


Dennis and Nancy did most of the clean-up and when everybody left, there was not a dirty dish in sight. Everything was put away or divided so that we would all have a lot of left-overs for tomorrow's meal.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! I'm getting ready for Black Friday. Somebody is going to get those Costco truffles for sure!

Four Things to Buy at Costco

Did you all see this in Yahoo Finance about Costco? They listed four things you should buy at Costco and listed another four that you shouldn't. You can click onto the link to see what those four things are.

1. Chocolate Truffles


They're real and they're spectacular: Costco sells authentic French chocolate truffles from Chocmod, a high-end French confectionery company. Complete with a dusting of cocoa, these truffles come but once a year and they are in stores now (and only in stores -- you won't find them online). They cost $10.89 for two two-pound boxes, compared with $29 on Amazon. That's 240 truffles, but who's counting? After your dinner party, put what's left in nice boxes and give them to colleagues at the office as a holiday gift.

2. Eyeglasses

One-stop shopping at low prices has endeared Costco Optical to tens of thousands of vision-challenged shoppers. For $49, a licensed optician will perform a vision and eye health exam in an in-store exam room. A week later, you can pick up your specs. In a survey released this month by Consumer Reports, 30,000 lens-wearers chose Costco as their favorite optical retailer over vision store chains, independent optical shops, and private doctors' offices. Costco Optical earned the highest scores for overall satisfaction as well as for price, with its $157 median price for glasses. Compare that price with an average of $211 at independent optical shops, $212 at private eye doctors' offices, and $228 at Pearle Vision. Costco also stood out for lack of problems, such as loose lenses, distorted vision, or damaged frames in the first weeks after purchase.

3. Laptops

Costco's prices on notebook PCs are already a good deal, but there's a further benefit to buying one at Costco: A two-year warranty policy (most manufacturers provide just one year), a 90-day return policy, and Costco Concierge Services, which is free to members and gives buyers access to technicians for set-up questions, product use, and trouble-shooting. Model numbers and configurations are often unique to Costco, but a perusal of specs will let you compare it to similar models sold elsewhere. Among current laptops on sale at Costco, PC Magazine Online gives high marks to the 14-inch HP Pavilion dm4-1173cl ($800 list price at Costco vs. $849 elsewhere for a comparable model).

4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Costco's Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil may be the best-kept secret in the store. At $9.99 for 1.5 liters, it is roughly half the cost of the well-known Bertolli brand, and yet, according to at least one independent study, it's much better. In a recent comparison of 19 olive oils on the market, The Olive Center, a research group at the University of California-Davis, found that Kirkland Organic was one of only five in the study not mixed with cheaper refined olive oil that can spoil the taste. The other four at the top of the list were all high-end brands that cost as much as five times Costco's. Make sure you buy the Costco version that's labeled organic, though, as opposed to the one that's simply called "extra virgin olive oil." It'll cost a little bit more, but it's worth it.

I'd like to say it was the Extra Virgin Olive Oil that had me excited, but even though I shouldn't have any, the Chocolate Truffles had me salivating. Actually, my sister in law reminded us that extra virgin olive oil shouldn't be used for high heat cooking because it can smoke. It's great for drizzling on salads.

Ah well... It's the holidays and I thought you might like to know.

The Perfect Winter Jacket for Mom

Before we left for our trip to Japan with my mother and aunt in spring, my daughter, Tiffany sent her down winter jacket to keep her grandmother warm. It fit nicely in Hawaii... sort of. It was just a smidge tight around the waist, but it could zip. However, mom gets cold very quickly and she wore layers upon layers of clothing in Japan which then prevented her from being able to zip up the jacket.

Art and I searched every store in Hawaii, but could not find a jacket that would be appropriate for our trip to Yellowstone and Glacier next year or Alaska later on. All the women's coats we saw had a tapered waist. Mom... well... I know I will inherit it later on, has a bit of a pear shape. She's also very short, perhaps about 4'10". Her arms are not overly long. Every coat we saw seemed to have arms that extended at least 6 inches too far. What the heck? Do people have longer arms these days?

It was our goal to find that perfect coat in California. We went to a lot of stores and saw a LOT of coats, and finally found the one we thought would work at the Burlington Coat Factory, Orangefair Mall in Fullerton. Even better, would you believe it was on sale for $29.99?

It was a size 18-20, Boys Snowboarding jacket. I don't think mom would consider snowboarding, but she was very pleased with the jacket and it fit her like a fluffy glove. We could hardly believe it. Even the arms were just the right length! (Maybe they thought it was too short and that's why it was on sale?)


Mom is ready for anything the weather throws at her now.

Duvet Cover

Another decision done! I've washed and ironed the duvet cover that we ordered on Overstock.com and brought back from California.

We, that is I... goofed. I washed the comforter I bought at Target and put it in the dryer. Although the directions said to tumble dry, the comforter could not tumble very much because it was too big. Hence, it melted a little and the fabric covering tore. I've mended it as best I could and it will do for now until I find something stronger. Doesn't matter much anyway since the comforter is hidden by the duvet cover.

Ah well... it's OK for now.

At least the decision is over and we can sleep with it.

Lesson Learned: Next time, I'll find a laundromat and use their big dryers. Hopefully, I won't be burned twice.

Thank you, everybody, for helping us make this decision!

Sunny Saturday Surprise

Art noticed in the Star Advertiser this morning that there would be another Kakaako Keiki (Children) Swap Meet on Saturday. Since KC will be here next month, I wanted to see if there was anything we needed to get for her.


There were a lot of tents set up with kid entrepreneurs. They were so cute.


I couldn't resist getting more books, not when they're selling for a quarter a piece.


We're going to have so much fun reading these to KC.

Our next stop was Ross to find a comforter for the duvet cover. Couldn't find anything, but our Prius was happy to find a few relatives in the parking lot.

Target was next. We're seldom successful in finding things there, but this time, they had just the comforter we were looking for at just the price we were willing to pay! Yahoo!


We celebrated with saimin (Hawaii type noodle soup) at Shiro's. (Oops! I ate some of it before I remembered to take the photo.)

What a great day!

Art is very happy that this first full day of sun is enabling the solar panels to produce maximum energy. Hmmm... maybe I'll turn on the air conditioner....

We're Hooked Up to Solar!

It's done!
Sunetrics began installing our Photo Voltaics solar panels yesterday and finished the job today.

Despite all the weather forecasters predicting thunderstorms in the middle of the day, Mother Nature held off so the guys could finish the job.


First they installed the bolts to attach the panels to our roof. We also asked for aluminum flashing to prevent leakage. Maybe we didn't need it but we talked to a roofer and he said it might be a good idea.


Then came the wiring to bring the energy from the roof to the Hawaiian Electric meter box.


This is where Art will be going to check every hour to see how much money he might be saving.



Then the panels had to be carefully brought up over the 2nd floor.


It's a good thing it wasn't very windy.


John and Dominic had a beautiful, sunny day to do their work.


And there they are; half of them anyway. The other half is on another part of the roof.


Curt did the final touches on putting the system together to monitor the micro-inverters that are connected to the solar panels.

It's really lovely to know we are now getting clean energy from the sun. I wish we'd put up a couple more panels though so I could be a sun hog.

Timing Is Everything

I figured I would order our duvet cover from Overstock.com and send it to California where we could pack it and bring it home to Hawaii with us. As a plan, it was risky because I ordered it the day before we left Hawaii and we would be in California for just a week. At first it was OK. Then I saw an update on the shipping order that had the duvet package arriving anytime between 9:00 AM to 7 PM on the day we were leaving to return to Hawaii. We were planning to leave for the Disneyland Hotel where we’d catch a shuttle to LAX airport at 1:15 PM. What are the chances it could arrive before we left?

I’d given up hope by noon. However, a half hour before we left the house, the UPS guy showed up with our Overstock.com duvet cover. I could hardly believe it!!!


We arrived at the airport quite early. No pat downs, no security X-rays. The Hawaiian Airlines flight arriving from Honolulu was uncharacteristically delayed by a half hour.

As we sat and waited, I stretched and looked around to see who would be on the plane with us. It was then I noticed that the plane we were waiting for had arrived and passengers were getting off.


One of the last passengers was a blind man being escorted off the plane. I nearly yelled. I jumped off my seat and hopped over to the gate. It was my nephew, Shawn! We’d been meaning and meaning to bring my mother to see him entertain in Waikiki again, but hadn’t gotten around to it. He was shocked to feel me giving him a hug.

“It’s me! Auntie Kay!” I told him. He was arriving to perform in Northern California somewhere. He’ll be performing in Japan next month. His schedule is crazy. And suddenly here we were in the same airport, at the same gate; him coming, us going. But, how wonderful!!!

As I told my brother, Dennis who I called right away to tell him about the chance meeting with his son, “Timing makes all the difference.”

Ummmm... I forgot to also mention that Art's gold crown fell off his molar on the last morning in L.A. as well. Can you imagine how much worse it would have been if it fell off on the first day?

Like I said...Timing IS everything!

You Never Know

By the time we were ready to leave California, I finally started to feel a little human again. I still felt diseased and wore a mask whenever I left the guest bedroom. My poor brother in law, Kent almost never left his room.

Amidst the gloom, we discovered that there was perhaps a silver lining. Hopefully.

We came to California to help Art’s sister, Kay because her husband was in a great deal of pain since July and was going to have his gall bladder removed. The doctors hoped that by doing so, the pain would go way. But they weren’t absolutely sure.

Since he had horrible vomiting and bleeding that sent him to the hospital the night we arrived, they discovered that the pain was most probably because of the huge bleeding ulcer.

Now that they are treating the ulcer and have put him on a specific diet, he is feeling a whole lot better. He finally has an appetite and is not in much pain. He was even out gardening for a bit the day we left.

Therefore, although we were extremely upset and scared by all that happened, overall, we’re finding that Kent was actually quite lucky. By going to the ER and having another battery of tests, they discovered the ulcer. By having to stay at the hospital, he could avoid being near me and my cold for a while.

So yes, it was an awful time… but, it may have saved him from an unnecessary operation and prevented putting his health at further risk.

You just never know.

Mary, Mary Everywhere

My sister-in-law has always enjoyed Mary Englebreit’s creations. She has even decorated their guest bedroom with Mary Englebreit things. It’s always fun to visit to see what else she’s collected.


Since I spent quite a bit of time in there under quarantine I could really admire all the cute things she’d found, from cups, frames, lamps, clocks, shelves to flower pots and rugs.


She has even stenciled in little bunches of cherries on the window and door frames to match the décor.


It’s a cheerful place to be, even under quarantine.