Mama On The Move

Today isn't the worst day of my life, but it's shaping up to be pretty darn crappy. We were going to head out to the swap meet at Aloha Stadium today. I decided to stop and fill up the gas tank on the way out. After I filled the tank, the car wouldn't start. A nice man next to us offered to try giving my battery a jump. He did his best, but the Honda just wasn't having any of it. Well, if the car is going to die, the service station is the place to do it. I walked inside, explained my predicament gave them my keys, and the five of us walked home. At least we weren't all the way into Honolulu when this happened. (I'm looking for the silver lining here.) I've been on pins and needles all day waiting to hear if the Honda is going to survive, or if I'm going to be out shopping for a new vehicle this week. I've called twice already and they can't tell me anything yet. (ETA: It's the distributor and they can't get the part until Monday.) Thi...

Today we decided to view some of Hawaii's beautiful coastlines. We drove to the southeast tip of the island to see the Halona Blowhole. The road rambles along the coastline and you have an amazing view of mountains on your left and blue, blue ocean on your right. While there are some sandy stretches of beach, this area is largely rocky, cliff-filled coastline and it is one incredible view. The Halona Blowhole is a naturally occurring phenomenon caused by a lava tube which formed here thousands of years ago. When the tide is high and the wind is whipping the waves into a frenzy, the water is forced up through the blowhole and shoots out like a whale's spout much to the delight of all the tourists who are standing there watching. For a while the blowhole was only shooting up small wispy clouds that looked like smoke. Then it got stronger and we got some nice shots showing some fairly strong spouts. It is amazingly windy up there. We felt like we were going to blow...

I was going to drive to the store this morning and when I walked outside, it was raining. I stood there for a moment wondering if I should dash through it, or go get an umbrella, or wait a few minutes and see if it would stop. As I stood there, I looked to my left and realized it was not raining. I looked to my right, and there the rain was again. Our house was right under the edge of a cloud. I called the family to come see and we all got a big kick out of being able to watch it rain on our right but not on our left! The video doesn't show the rain as well as I had hoped. You can mostly see it in front of the trees.

Today we went to the airport to pick up my mother! We were so excited to have her come visit us. We got there early and picked out the most beautiful lei we could find. No cheap "touristy" lei for my mother. This one is the real deal! Katie was also holding a sign which read, "Welcome GG!!" GG is what the kids call my mother. it stands for Gorgeous Grandmother. And no she did not pick that name out for herself. It was chosen for her against her will. We found out which door she would be coming through and positioned ourselves right by it along with a dozen other people awaiting their family members. They all had leis too........ours was prettiest. Of course, we couldn't go right up to where the passengers disembark. We had to wait at the bottom of an escalator on the other side of some glass doors. We watched as droves of people swarmed down the escalator. Then there would be a gap. Then another swarm. Then a bigger gap. Then a smaller swarm. We...

One of the things that came with us to Hawaii, that shouldn't have, is this sled: This dirty yellow snow sled which has been well used over the years. We bought this sled when we lived in Alaska and it has also seen snowy hills in North Carolina, Virginia, and Kansas. It's been fun, Sled, we've had some good times, but the time has come to part......it's not you really. It's me. It's the me who moved to Hawaii. Where it doesn't snow. Don't take this the wrong way, Sled. We love you well. It's just that there really isn't much use for you here where it's warm. I mean what possible use would we have for a snow sled in Hawaii ????? Oh.

I had seen commercials for "Space Bags" on television, and frankly, would never have considered ordering them. I tend to very sceptical of commercials and assume that nothing is really as good as it looks on TV. This opinion comes from years of experience. But here in Hawaii, there is a major mildew issue and bug frenzy. I've been told by everyone Everyone EVERYONE that I should not store anything in cardboard boxes because termites and mice like cardboard. Also, things in cardboard boxes tend to mildew very quickly. I've also been told that if I just fold extra blankets and put them on a shelf for several months, I will find it has become a bug hotel when I take them down and offer them to company, which will cause me great humiliation and horrify my guests whom I am probably trying to impress. Everything (EVERYTHING) needs to be stored in plastic containers. And all cloth items should be stored in "Space Bags". I was told that not only will this thwart th...

Ever since we moved to Hawaii, we have been anxiously looking for geckos to move in with us. We had been told that geckos move in faster than recent college graduates in today's economy. But, so far none seemed inclined to move in with us and live off our hospitality. Then, last night, I was washing dishes when I saw a movement on the counter top. I wasn't sure if it was a gecko or an ordinary lizard, and I have no idea what the difference is between the two anyway so I called the local experts (my kids) and had them bring me the camera. The little dear was shy and hid behind the little dish where I put my wedding ring while I am washing dishes. Every time I tried to snap a picture he would scamper off to hide behind something else. It took me quite a while to get a good shot. Finally, Emily managed to get this shot as he was trying to hide behind some of our school books. The kids declared it to be a gecko - I'm not sure if they know what they are talking about, or if it ...