Reflections

This past week has been very nice.  We just relaxed.  Some days the car didn't even leave the parking lot...well maybe the Menahuna took it out at night while we were asleep.  We've enjoyed watching a sparrow take building supplies up to its nesting sight under our eaves, have worked on some sewing projects, and spent an hour or two most days down at the pool.  Could I "live" in Hawaii like this for several weeks? You bet!  I think I would need to have some activities, take quilting classes or hula lessons, or something...but, yes, I could do it.

Saturday we went downtown to the Hulihe'e Palace for their "Day at the Palace" event.  There was live entertainment and demonstrations of native crafts (see picture of guy pounding poi) The fresh poi was actually pretty tasty, but not something I would go out of my way to get, although that guy could pound poi for me anytime! There were also lots of arts & crafts - some of the handcrafted items were extraordinary - for sale.  We had lunch at the Kona Canoe Club (I had the kalua pig sandwich and Mom had calamari strips).  Then we browsed some of the shops on the way back to the car. A storm was forecast and by the time we got back to the condo the temperature had dropped and clouds had come in.  The pool didn't seem too inviting. We were going to a concert at Keauhou Shopping Center (free for 2 cans of food), but it had started to rain, so didn't go. It rained through the night, but not hard like it did several nights before.

Sunday the sun was out and it was hot again.  We decided to head up country and down island to what has become our favorite Sunday lunch spot - Kona Coffeehouse & Cafe.  It must be about 25 miles from here, but worth it.  Mom had eggs benedict and I had a burger. The people there are so nice and it is so pleasant out on their lanai, which is behind the building away from the road, so it is quiet.  We cleaned out the refrigerator for dinner and it was actually pretty good.

Today (Monday) we will do some laundry and try to get organized.  I'm hoping I won't have to send a box of stuff home from the post office.  We also need to put the condo back to its original condition as much as possible, eg., replace furniture, put kitchen items back, etc.  We don't need to clean.  We're hoping for one more dip in the pool this afternoon, then we're meeting Sue & Dick Roberts for dinner at Jackie Reys. 

Tomorrow we are on our way home.  I think we're ready.  I miss Simon and Mom misses her chair, her bed, and her shower (I miss my shower, too).  There's lots of things that need to be done at home for the spring, to it's time.

As I reflect back on the last few weeks, here are some of things I've discovered:

• I can wear flip-flops. I still don't think they are shoes per se, but I bought some Hawaiian Jellies and love them. They have some arch support and a heel cup and are comfortable. I haven't worn them since I was a kid - then we called them zoris or thongs. In Hawaii they are called slippers or slip-pahs.
• Saw a bird we haven't seen before: the Java Sparrow. See pictures.
• Grumpy people are a rarity in Hawaii. Actually, this isn't a new discovery. But, why should anyone be grumpy here - it's paradise!
• Even though distances are relatively short, it takes a long time to drive anywhere. Again, not a new discovery, but something to keep in mind. We're so used to getting on I-5 and being just about anywhere within 100 miles in and hour or two. Here the same distances take twice as long.
• Pog is good.  Pog is passion fruit, orange, and guava juice.  It is a Hawaiian staple and even served on Alaska Airlines Hawaii flights.  It is especially good as a slushy.
• With this, my 4th trip to Hawaii, I am finally starting to get a hang of the local place names and can even remember some of them, even though I may mangle the pronunciation.
• No matter how many times I come to Hawaii I still seem to find more stuff to spend my money on. 
• Macadamia nuts are good on everything: pizza, salad, green beans.  They are also tasty flavored with Maui onions and garlic, vanilla and Kona coffee, curry, and honey, though I'm not a fan of Spam flavored mac nuts.
• Driving in the rain 100+ miles round-trip for Tex malasadas is well worth the trip.
• Everyone is familiar with Kona coffee, but there is other coffee grown on the Big Island. We bought some Ka'u coffee grown on the south slope of Mauna Loa on the south side of the island.  It is pretty good, too.
• Geckos are our friends.  They are cute, too.  Maybe that little green guy on TV  desensitised us to these little lizards, but I don't mind them.  Wouldn't want to find one in my shoe though (maybe that's why everyone wears flip-flops).  They eat bugs so what's not to like...
• The shortbread cookies from the Punalu'u Baking Company (southern most bakery in the US) are ono (delicious).
• The spirit of Aloha is alive and well in Hawaii and it helps make this a paradise on earth.