Volcano story at House Without a key

This morning (Saturday) Grandma took us to House Without a Key for breakfast.  It seemed more crowded than usual but still beautiful.

She has a hearty appetite and got the ok from her doctor to eat as much as she wants, so she had her favorite shrimp omelet and 5 bacon strips!  Not bad for 97.

While drinking guava juice she mentioned how hard it is to find guava fruits.  She recalled how when she was a teen in Hilo, her Reverend used to take a bunch of kids from Church every week to the Volcano.  There they gathered guavas and plants, brought them to the edge of a vent (I think she meant) and threw them in as a greeting to Madame Pele.   The lava would bubble, she said.
She had never shared this story with us before so it was fascinating - from many angles.
Thank you Grandma for enriching our lives with your stories from the past.

Thanksgiving

We had a lively Thanksgiving
dinner at Side Street Inn again
this year.
Earlier, we had walked Penny in
Manoa and brought pumpkin
pie and turkey to Grandma,
who doesn't like to go
out on holidays.

The 49ers and Seattle were playing
on all the screens.  It seemed
like most were cheering for SF.

The turkey and ham plate with lilikoi cranberry sauce.  We brought the leftovers home in a doggie bag for Penny.
We brought her with us because the doggie day care places were closed.  She sat quietly on our laps but she is getting to be too big to be inconspicuous.

On Black Friday we dined
at Suntory in the Royal
Hawaiian SC in Waikiki.

It overlooks the Royal
Hawaiian hotel and has been
here since the SC was built.

Besides the main dining
area, there is a sushi bar
and Teppanyaki rooom.

Otokoyama sake came in a little
tub.

R's Unagi and sushi set.

M and I had the Wafu steak dinner, a
change from our usual Nagomi set.

Hamachi and maguro sushi and
grated yamaimo and wakame
for appetizers.

Their version of the
"evil"tempura ice cream
ball…quite tame.

Waikiki Shopping
Plaza across Kalakaua
Street.

  

After dinner we went into the new HM store
and were told a parade was going to start.  It was a small parade with Marching Bands from various schools like Mckinley and Punahou and a visiting band from Tennessee.
      Thank you for a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving Holiday.

The ball of 'evil'.  Can we resist its temptation?
Tokoname's Tempura Ice Cream.  Cold ball of ice cream wrapped with a thin sponge cake layer and covered with warm crispy tempura batter!

Noo..

Noooo..

Nooooo...

(We did split it three ways)

Penny, see what happends when you come with us.

After my Zumba class, M and I took
Penny to Serge's in Manoa to have
the Chile Verde Burrito.  She sat
quietly on our laps during the meal,
listening to the Mexican music.

We drove past the lovely Chinese
graveyard.  According to the
teacher of a Feng Shui class I once
took, this site was chosen because of
the good Feng Shui the valley offered.

One of Manoa's famous rainbows hung
low and close.  We walked our usual route along Oahu Ave.
and Manoa Road.  Penny remembered which houses had dogs
that would bark, so she was ready to bark back, sassy girl.

After our walk we dropped in on grandma.

Penny got some loving words and
rubs.  Thank you, grandma.

We wanted to take Penny with us
so we went to Panya where they
welcomed her with a bowl of water.

We ordered appetizers.  Very nice
Spring Rolls.

Also Salt and Pepper pork and Ginger and Chinese
Cabbage saute.  Penny was a good dog, sitting quietly on
our laps throughout,  watching the people and their
pets walking by.

It was a soft sunset with lingering
light so we walked a bit in Ala
Moana Park.

 

The light brought
out the blue colors of
the nearby condos.
The iconic IBM bldg
shone a bright
lavender.

Penny found the gate to
the Lawn Bowl lawn.  R
and I once joined the club for
a short while with friends, but
I never got the hang of it. 

She cavorted in the sand, digging
and getting it all over her nose
and mouth!

She liked the water a bit
too.

It was a day of different sights and a lot of walking for a little 10 lbs. mini Doxie.  She was called "little sausage" by a human and who knows what by the other dogs she barked at.  She had fun!

Sunday around the Island

Started on H2 through Like Like
Hwy to Kaneohe, skipping the eastern
side.

Past Kaneohe and the "Stink Bridge"(where you had to hold your nose while crossing the stagnant water when we were little), is a stretch of trees
overrun by invasive vines.

Beautiful Kahana Bay

Rough ocean 

One of the famous Kahuku Shrimp
stands.  

A good place to bring
visitors.

Ponds behind the stands.

Penny enjoying a little romp.

A surfing competition was
being held so the NorthShore
was milling with surfers and
tourists.

The Windmills are visible from
Waimea Bay now.

We were able to stop and
see the turtles.

It's a designated viewing area with
signs and boundaries.

The shoreline was hazy with salt
spray today.

Back in Honolulu, we stopped
for some shaved ice at Ailana's on
Kona St. near Ala Moana Mall.

It's great to see what's new on the other side of the Island  once in awhile.  Nowadays you can't drive for very long without coming upon stores and houses.  Very different from when we were young and it was a long trip into the "wilderness" where you might come across Madame Pele!

HPU at CUC,friday

Hawaii Pacific University's 13th
Winter Concert had a patriotic
theme.  Central Union Church
provided a lovely setting for their band,
orchestra,  vocal ensemble and
Chorale.

Kent Sato, conducted the HPU
Band.
He is a faculty member at Damien
Memorial School AND our 8th dan
Naginata Sempai.

        A very good sensei, he has no compunctions about coming in at you with his bokken (wooden sword) if you show any weak openings or are careless with your naginata.  He did indeed produce a stirring "Esprit de Corps" and "Celebration Fanfare" with the HPU Band.

The Orchestra did a "3-Minute Nutcracker" playing all its musical themes in less than 3 minutes.  There was a digital display to prove it!
They also played the Star Spangled Banner.It is the 200th anniversary of The Star Spangled Banner's composition.
But it wasn't until 1931when it became officially our Anthem.
It was always third in popularity behind Yankee Doodle and Hail Columbia.