Lovely hula hands

Went to the Senior Fair to see Denise
and her group do the hula.
(Blaisdell Center)
Bought local oranges and watermelon.

I think I'm going to  doggie day
care again this morning.

The ladies in their beautiful
muumuus.  It was a very
entertaining program.
Hula is a wonderful dance
that women (and men) of any
age look good doing.  It is
graceful, dignified, sexy and
sometimes even comical.

Cellophane hula skirts bring to mind the old days of tourist hula.  They are bright and fun to watch.

Happy Birthday R.

Gma took us to House Without a Key for breakfast.
Because there was a sprinkling of rain, it
was quite humid and overcast.

Light buffet only breakfast  every
morning.

Camera shy R.  We'll get you to sit with us someday!

Driving back, we passed the Aloha Day Parade, which was just beginning with a colorful marching band on Ala Moana Blvd.

Still full from breakfast and having just exercised (R went to gym and I to naginata),  we stopped in at Tokoname for a cold drink with a bit of sushi while watching Notre Dame beat Syracuse     (d--- it!)! 

Fendu's crisp Fuji Apple Tart and Macaroons.
Happy Birthday, R.

Low Tea in the Liime Lounge

Mel and I had an amusing afternoon
among the bright lime furniture of
Stage Restaurant's Lime Lounge.

The pots and cups were bright orange.  Traditional pink roses on the outside and shocking orange inside.  Loved it!

Tea delicacies.
It's Low Tea because it's served on low tables. Really.
For her tea, Mel chose Royal Bengal Tiger (cinnamon, Passion Fruit and Mango) black tea, and I tried the White Mischief ( Pomegranate and Guava)

Izakaya Mai, Contemporary Museum of Art (Spalding House)

Today we tried Mai, located where Ojiya used to be.  

 The interior has definitely changed for the better, with a sushi bar and a more modern look, but the food, of which there is a wide variety, is about par with Ojiya's- ok.

R had the chirashi.

M's hamachi sashimi looked good.

Gma's teriyaki steak, was unfortunately very fibrous making it difficult for her to chew it.  I tried a slice and it did leave a little ball of fiber,  so we thought it might've been an under tenderized flank steak.

I had the special for $12.95.  The soba
was not al dente and the nigiri sushis
were not the freshest.

P's hamachi kama was ok.

Later we had a cleansing shaved ice on Kona Street
after the sashimi lunch.

Since we still had time before picking up Penny, we visited the Honolulu Museum of Art's Spalding House (formerly the Contempory Museum)  on Tantalus.

It was a beautiful day with the trades back and a clear view of Diamond Head.  

Freatured paintings by Brenda
Cablayan

Startling life sized
cutouts.

Disorienting hallway, with the glass wall
on the right reflecting the
beautiful garden outside on
the left.

 Walking through the quiet gardens with its hilly pathways and bird
                            songs offers a restful moment. 

The hall to the Family Lounge which offers entertainment for the children.

Penny, anxious to go home.

Aglio Olio Peperoncino

It's been so hot lately we needed an infusion of energy!
Had a craving for Spaghetti Aglio Olio Peperoncino.  Very simple and good and best of all, easy to make.

There was a little restaurant, Pratique, down the street from where we lived in Japan, which served this delicious garlic spaghetti, and we would go there often because the lady owner-cook and her girls were so nice and made tasty pasta dishes.  Plus there was a Blockbuster upstairs with American rental movies.
I always remember the pleasant little restaurant and hospitality of the ladies whenever I have this dish.

Saturday

No naginata practice today because the Hall was being used, so went to two exercise classes which I can't usually attend.

The Japanese boy pop group Arashi is performing at Koolina tonight (and last night).  The stage  cost $8 million to put up and about fifteen thousand fans are here from Japan. 

I noticed the shoe section at Nordstrom was very busy and R saw a couple of girls buying tickets for the show (still available?)  at Shirokiya's Arashi Corner today.

Whenever we stop at Mariposa's Afternoon Service, we share the Poke ( salmon, hamachi and ahi with ogo, cucumber, tomatos and brown rice), and the 5 cheese plate (Gouda, blue,  sheep's milk, Maui Surfing Goat grape leaf, and a brie like cheese).  No blueberries  with the strawberries today.  That's dinner!  And we have a variety of left over cheeses to enjoy tomorrow.

Top of the I (Sarentos)

Penny senses she might be
taken to doggie care as we get
ready to go out.

Still suspicious.
(She's a mini doxie with a
maxi separation anxiety
problem)

Sarentos.
Our seating faced east (mainly overlooking the vast Hawaiian
Hilton Hotel grounds) so we couldn't see the sunset
like we did last month, but with such pleasant company
and good food, we didn't miss it.

I had the Asparagus under Speck(like prosciutto)  and easy over egg for my appetizer,  and the Rack of Lamb.
The others tried the special, which was Tristan Lobster tails, and
the double Pork Chop.   All were satisfied.

Lovely chocolate Lava dessert.

Chocolate cake with  oreo crumbles and cream cheese filling which we shared.

Lobby of the Ilikai after the ride down the glass elevator.

Mom's quilts-simple and fun

  My mother made this quilt for me when I was a toddler, using animal patterns from Woolworth or Kress.  My friend in Japan loved the cute figures so much she traced them and made her own applique quilt.

With the mostly unwanted help from Penny and her new toy, I aired a few of my mother's quilts that she had made in her later years.  Everyone who knew her was surprised that such an energetic and impatient person as she was would sew.  Yet cooking, which she loved,  and gardening were her main hobbies, so why not quilting.

One of her Hawaiian quilts.
She said she was so impatient,
she used wide stitches instead
of the refined tiny ones of
a real Hawaiian quilt. 

Flora and Fauna applique
quilt

Japanese sashiko chidori
(plovers) and even a
Koala in her menagerie.

Hawaiian Flora

Gazen, yukata

Here we are at Gazen again.   This time I tried the Yamaguchi sake, Dassai, a Daiginjo, recommended by the friendly and knowledgable waiter.  It was from a new bottle and very easy to drink-slightly sweet and full bodied.

We love the crispy mahimahi.
Hot and crunchy.

Miso pork ribs.  Very tender
and delicious.

Grilled salmon and ikura
maki.

Ume ochazuke.  

    Earlier today I washed and put away the summer yukatas for another year- until next year's Bon dance season.
   Gma and I had bolts of yukata fabric we  received while living in Japan, so several years ago, I had sewn two yukatas under the considerable guidance of an amazing lady at Nuuanu Tenrikyo Shrine.  May I say that it was  my last attempt at sewing kimonos.  Very difficult for my temperament.

The white one was from the Sumo Kyokai , and has the name of
retired Komusubi, Misugisato, in the design.  (Come to think of it I remember going to one of his promotional parties).  The blue fabric was called "Genji Monogatari", I guess because it was produced
during the anniversary of the writing of that novel.