It's been pouring rain, overcast, and drizzling the past couple of days.
Outside the kitchen window, the big Monkey Pod tree is folding it's leaves in the light rain and fading light, and getting ready for the night.
These trees are so beautiful, maintaining an umbrella shape of meandering branches, the larger they grow.  

It's been over a year since we last ate at Iyo Udon at the Mall.
Nice place for a quick meal of Japanese udon, fat wheat noodles, as opposed to soba, which uses buckwheat flour.
I chose a sweet potato tempura piece from a variety of tempura choices like chicken, fishcake, eggplant.

Reasonable prices too.

                                                                       

The Little Piggy in Ward's Center,  a lighter version of their popular restaurant downtown, Pig and the Lady, has a delicious Phostrami sandwich (like a French Dip) filled with pastrami, onions, pickles, and vinegared mustard seed, in a crispy soft french bread, which you dip in the sauce.
Only for lunch, though.  It is replaced by an equaly delicious hamburger with bacon sandwich in the evenings.

The evening sky put on a pretty show as it went through various color changes, perhaps due to the VOG.
Although it's hectic living in another apartment during our renovation, we get to see lovely views of the city sky and parks.

Ikebana and dance critic

So happy that I got to see Carole Sakata at her students' Ikebana exhibition at Nordstrom's in Ala Moana SC.
We met during our college days, and again when we were in Tokyo.  Our children were classmates at the American School in Japan.

Carole Sensei's huge arrangement.
It takes incredible skill to be able to  conceive and arrange such a beautiful work as this.
She goes every year  to study at the Sogetsu Kaikan, headquarters for the Sogetsu style of Ikebana in Tokyo,  where she is an aknowledged master.

This is a photo from the flyer, showing the hall of the Headquarters.
We lived nearby in Akasaka, so I attended classes there for awhile also, but alas,
I can appreciate flower arrangement more than I can do it, so I leave it to others more talented than I to create works of art with flowers.
Other beautiful arrangements by Carole's students.

This was done by Maki Takushi, one of her star pupils.

*******

This morning at dancing lessons,  Wolfgang, our instructor's dear pommeranian was a visitor.

OMgawd was his reaction at my attemps at the Rhumba.
And he promptly fell asleep, which was wise.

floor replacement, sweets

We have been so busy with our home-
replacing our hardwood Maple with waterproof vinyl flooring.
Since it'll take one and a half months, we decided to move everything out to facilitate construction and move to a temporary home.
It was quite difficult to find a place for only two months, that is pet friendly and has at least two parking spaces, but we were very fortunate that one became available and we were able to move in at the perfect time!

After hauling all the Maple hardwood (sorry to see it go), the cement underneath had to be evened with quick drying cement.

Three layers of treated plywood will come next.

Our new temporary home.
It is nearby so very convenient, and it has a lovely view.

Easter Week has just sped by.
We attended Easter Sunday Service.
It was a calm, beautiful respite from the hectic and stressful days of dealing with our renovation.
The Honolulu Brass were on hand to gift us with such lovely pieces as Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Canzona 2, Air and Allergro from King Arthur, and of course, to accompany our choir in the beautiful Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah.

 
                                 

And to sweeten the Day, some treats from
Palme D'Or bakery.

 

What better way to savor morning coffee than some banana bread baked by friend Henry!!

Balloons and ice cream

Wednesday, Claire and I visited Hawaii Balloon Company in Hawaii Kai, owned by Leslie Jeffryes.
She does the spectacular balloon decorations for Kesler's Dance Showcases twice a year at the Pacific Beach Hotel.

Outside by their truck.  She showed us photos of various settings they did for parties and celebrations and explained how they set things up.  Such a pleasant, fun and professional lady!

Last October's Showcase, Hulaween.

Mad Hatter's Ball, the latest.
*****

A nice troll caught Mahimahi sandwich at
Moku's last night.
Luckily we declined dessert, because as we left we saw a new ice cream shop across the way, called
Butterfly.

Their kitchen where they concoct new flavors.
They're working on using real liquor in their ice creams
so you will taste a buzz..

Butterfly at Salt in Kakaako