LANIKAILUA CHRISTMAS HOME TOUR

Suzie and I left from her cottage home to the tune of raindrops, to enjoy the annual Christmas Home Tour which I look forward to each year.  It never disappoints!  For a few hours, I dream of living in a gorgeous Hawaii beachfront home!  I soak up memories (and photos) of the elegant decorations, some elaborate and some delightfully simple.  We end the tour with a nice lunch at Buzz's - a very well-known island restaurant across from our Kailua beach.

We're wearing easily kicked-off "slippahs" (flip-flops) since standard protocol in Hawaii is to leave shoes outside.  I'm so used to it after all these years, it's automatic.

About that plaid (Doug wondered where I got that tablecloth made into a mu'u mu'u!):

It's called Palaka.  Shirts made of palaka were worn by the 19th Century plantation workers and is a well-recognized fabric here.  Suzie had her mu'u mu'u made some years ago, and I had mine made about a year ago.  I love it!  We received many compliments!

Many beautiful place settings were displayed.

Simple pomegranate decoration

Distinguishing inside from outside in Hawaii is difficult.  Some people don't even use inside space for an eating area because we can ALWAYS eat outside.  An electric awning is all you need if it rains.  You know, of course, that people here don't own heaters right?

Looking out from a kitchen

MELE KALIKIMAKA AND HAU'OLI MAKAHIKI HOU

Brian Tucker's Surprise of a Lifetime Palo Alto

Not every 65th makes the remarkable splash this one did!  Brian is http://www.geohaz.org.  Go there.  You'll want to make a donation.  I'm so proud to be a cousin, and be so close in contact and spirit.

A slightly more composed picture below --

His beautiful sis, my cousin, and good friend --

His wife who engineered the whole affair in secret for about a year, including a memory book prepared ahead of time by contributions from Brian's guests --

How incredible to be around the people who have known Brian for so long and to experience their admiration for him.

Playday with Pris and Jack

We enticed a willing Pris and Jack to take the train down to help us celebrate our birthdays.  We had so much fun that before they left, we were plotting a repeat event.  For starters, we had a leisurely brunch at Sarducci's at the historic train depot.

After a leisurely brunch, we browsed the nearby shops where Pris and Jack captured a peacock!

Here's the peacock at home at Pris and Jack's.

Excellent shoppers!  My sis and bro-in-law.

First glimpse of an interesting chandelier.  Jack is sizing it up.

And now, from another angle!  Wonder if we could make one of these?

Love it!

"Exquisite" is all over the place at this shop.

After a heavy morning of browsing through shops, it's time for a smoothie at Crystal Cove.

We're slurping at a cliff, and at the bottom is the Crystal Cove Cottages, an historic site with reasonable rates.  Richard knew all about it, but the rest of us were so intrigued about the history of the cottages that we now have a coffee-table book about them. 

http://www.crystalcovebeachcottages.com/html/index.php

Rejuvenated by the smoothie, we're now at a nursery which is loaded with gift items.  Like this hat?  We all did, but the head size was too large.  Too bad.  Looks great, Pris!

Perfect fit!

Back near home now, showing off another nursery just 2 miles from us.  That's Pris in the white jacket, getting ready to swoop!

Successful swoop!

It was so much fun that I'm making a list of more places to go on your next trip down.  btw, "trip" = 60 miles!

Seventy didn't hurt a bit!

70 years old today, and it is a gift to know God has given me all these healthy years to do so many things, but most meaningful to me are: to be the mom of two amazing children, a gramma for (so far) two amazing grandchildren, and to have so many loving and delightful family members all over the place, plus, and most startling of all, to have been "saved/rescued" by God to become a follower of the King of Kings!  His is unspeakable love.  Then there's the much more recent surprise gift of Richard, who spends time thinking of ways he can love, support and bring happiness to me!

A Day of Celebration!

Richard and I had brunch at Sarducci's on the patio of the historic train depot in San Juan Capistrano.  You can barely see the patio umbrellas above.  After brunch, we rather unexpectedly trotted off by train to San Diego!!  :)

We completely relaxed and enjoyed our California coast, from the "busy" to the . . .

. . . quiet beach . . . I think this is Trestles which at the right season, it a huge attraction for surfers.

Once in San Diego, we headed to the USS Midway, a ship/museum I'd never visited even when I was going to Coronado while Dave and Alli lived there.

Richard . . . looking things over.  He loves structure and mechanics.

Navy planes need to be able to fold up their "arms" in order to fit on a carrier.  Even helicopters.  Guess I'd never thought of that!!

The E-2 Hawkeye with overhead radar dish that could sweep the sky for hundreds of miles in every direction. The plane was filled with communications and sensor gear, serving as a flying command center.  It could collect, analyze, and share data with ships and aircraft, as well as coordinate multiple attacks against the enemy.  Sound like I copied the placard in front of the plane's nose?

Richard says this "couple" replicates a famous photograph taken of a sailor who grabbed a nurse he didn't know and kissed her . . . so elated was he to be back in the USA!  Apparently the nurse died not so very long ago.

Photo of the statue, but closer.

Getting ready to come home from a wonderful San Diego day.

San Diego Train Station

San Diego Station

Relaxing all the way home, so we'll have enough energy to have dinner at Lucy's Mexican Restaurant!