Saturday, October 27, 2012

Simple Pleasures

Such a simple and pleasurable thing... searching through photos of other women's homes... and it brings such enjoyment! I won a place in an on-line ecourse from an amazing artist/fashion designer.  Jeanne Oliver and other amazingly talented gals are posting videos, giving information, offering solutions to design and decorating dilemmas. From the beginning it has made for a pleasant look! I've really enjoyed mornings with my tea and my spot in the "classroom".


As a student in this course, we each have a profile to fill. I've added many photos to share with the group. Some of the most recent were views of Autumn around our house...











































I'm only posting the small vignettes{simple pleasures in themselves} .. I had already shown the class images of my living space. I haven't dared to put up photos of the kitchen yet!!  :-)  In the next couple of weeks there will be time to show rooms that we really need help with. Also some students will show before and after pictures from their  re-dos. There will not be a re-do at this house!  Perish the thought! I've mentioned before - Hubby's fear of such things!


Can't wait to try some of the projects in this course. One of the most intriguing to me is "How to Make Ricotta Cheese". Will share about how that goes...  eeeeeekk!!




Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Amidst The Joy

Tucked into one of the days that we were blissfully playing in the sand - a tinge of sadness found it's way in. My Dad's youngest sister {my Aunt Bea} passed, at home in California. We were aware of the situation and my parents had just taken her and another sister to lunch before leaving on our trip.



Aunt Bea
 



One week after returning from Paradise - the family gathered to send my Aunt off to another Paradise. There were many of us. A good showing of nieces and nephews and those last couple of Aunt Bea's siblings. My Dad was one of 11 children. There are now only three. The point is not lost on the realization that we very nearly sent Dad to heaven a year ago...

Hubby & I left town early for Gerber to help with some of the set-up. Aunt Bea asked that there be a luncheon in her yard. Some of we cousins made Mexican paper flowers..






Bea's home was peeling of paint, sat quirk-ily askew on it's foundation, and held cobwebs in nearly every window. These observances were of no consequence. Actually, I found all of these items endearing.

















 I also was intrigued by the surprise that Aunt Bea played the fiddle.






She sang in a choir, she was never married - nor ever had children, she was a hard working single lady, she was a community activist and volunteer. That is just some of her. The piece that I will remember most is her laugh. Aunt Bea laughed with gusto. It was unique, it was loud and funny. There was a chuckle mixed in too.



Together, we "fiesta-ed" in the scraggly, petite yard of my Aunt... all generations of us ~


my Dad and his Great-Great nephew






my Brother Randy and my Uncle Ralph




For heaven's sake!! I can hardly believe this ... nary a photo was taken of the women of the family on this day - Aunt Bea requested that the women wear hats, and the men wear jackets. We complied. It looked wonderful! I am nearly sick that I won't have an image of this to keep... only the image that's in my heart!

We did it Bea - we wore our hats!



Monday, October 22, 2012

Hawaii's Call

Beach lover. That is me. The Hawaiian Islands call out... "come and see my beauty". Animals and plants of Kauai - strut your stuff!!  ->





































































Really... 
Go right ahead, Kauai - strut like a peacock! You've got the right... your shores contain some of the most colorful, outrageous, unique creatures the world has ever seen! {in my humble opinion}





Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Oh, The Sights...

Our caravan of six - stuffed into a brand new mini-van - hit the lone highway that rims the edge of the Island of Kauai. When you rarely get to a specific destination it seems sacrilegious to forgo the sightseeing and touring of said place. We just HAD TO. We saw valleys of green, lush foliage, seas roiling with white spindrift, red dirt canyons and the acreage of a bird sanctuary-garden that became a night of eating and entertainment....
















Taro fields ~






















Our neighboring pool was luxurious ~






Our day to Waimea Canyon was nearly a bust.. as there was so much vlog (volcanic fog) and clouds that the view deep down into the volcano was instead a sky of white mist ~





but, clear - it did!





As we sat parked waiting for the weather to cooperate, my Dad was skillfully bargain shopping with a man that sat on the grass with his wares all around him. What a cheerful, haoli man he was. This guy made jewelry from all sorts of seeds and pods off the local trees. Sweetly, Dad purchased all of his "girls" a piece of jewelry. I'll remember it forever.






Bamboo forests of posts over 20 feet in height.... this image does not do it justice. What a wild walk on this morning - through a hurricane destroyed resort - with the forest creeping in on the foundations and roads....






The leaves of this tree bearing the names of loves ~










Encounters with numerous locals rendered stories of unusual temps and wave action. Hanalei Bay is known for its calmness. While we visited a few of the days had us hiking out just to see the wild surf and high waves ~









look at the size and curl of this wave ~







Supremely lush, unique and a tropical Eden... I realize just how many scenery images I shot! This post is very photo-heavy. So, I'll either share captured scenery again.. or maybe even get into my personal stash of family pictures and add them next time. While I do at times attach a photo of myself, maybe Hubby too ... but not often do I do a spread on many of my loved ones. Possibly now I will! They're a good lot - that family of mine - I'm sure they won't mind (seeing as this blog is not a big read in the Internet world).  hhhaa

Saturday, October 13, 2012

The Past Week of Paradise

Back onto my new sofa and ready to share some Kauai beauty.  Man, does that island have some lush greenery! While it was pretty, 'twas also hot and humid - not my favorite weather. Yet, who's to complain when you can just run on over to the ocean or the pool to cool down?

The "secret" went off with nary a hitch! The long white limo was quite a surprise! I believe it took a moment for Mom & Dad to realise that Hubby & I were also part of the surprise.




Leis and mimosas for the ride...



Resort living is pretty darn special! Yet, we were happy to have dinners right on our own lanai. We shopped the local farmer's market for fresh produce. A fishery for freshly caught  Ono (Wahoo) and took numerous trips to the Hanalei grocer.





















Along with vacation excesses we were also sure to add healthy time to each day.  New scenery for a morning walk every sunrise...















Water activities for all...





including looking like a silly sea creature..   Ha!







The pool was the perfect temperature...







There were days of sightseeing. Spectacular scenery was at every turn. You'll see more of this Kauai paradise soon.