for Christine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaxKLTqYBLo

Thinking ahead...

I've been looking at great images like these, of Venice:

and I am feeling the urge for an exotic vacation this year. Will the economy cooperate? I guess I will have the audacity to hope...LOL

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

It's raining here...which is actually kind of nice. That makes staying in and cooking more appealing. Some Christmas's, it's so warm that you just want to run around outside!

I wouldn't mind a Christmas ride on Walter like I usually do, but that's okay. I'll run over and feed him apples later today.

My tree...small, but cute!

Almost here.....

Christmas is right around the corner.

What do you want for Christmas? Me, more space! LOL. My crazyurge to swap has taken over!


I just can't seem to control the compulsion to buy all the darling vintage goodies that I see!

So, Santa, I'd love a bigger house (and a professional organizer) to hold all! Maybe a craft room too...since I'm asking..





Teddy said he would like one of these:





(Crybabe and Mickie haven't mentioned anything, but food is
ALWAYS appropriate)

I LOVE being on vacation...LOL

Baking cookies...having the cable TV fixed...LOL

so THIS is what it's like to be a woman without a job!!!! ;0)

Mom! Let us in..we smell cookies!!!

Snow in Orange County ??

Who says California doesn't get cold? It's FREEZING here! This is a pic of the mountians you can see from Los Alisos. It's hard to believe it's just right up El Toro Road to the snow!

We Californians don't even own coats to deal with this! LOL

Holiday Eating Tips

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. if something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

.

The Holidays. Wow..where has this year flown?

It's raining outside (again) so blogging seems like a good idea.
I didn't go all out for the huge Christmas tree this year like I usually do...just a smaller Noble Fir.

It does look cute with all my vintage ornaments that I have been buying like a fiend at the swap.

What's Christmas without a bit of Christmas music? Right now, I am LOVING Chris Botti's album December. Anyone that wants a copy, contact me. It's a smooth jazz Christmas. He's talented, and gorgeous too.


Have a look:

(told ya!)

Winter feelings!

Here's a great ad from Hermes...just to get you in the winter spirit.

It's not really been cold much, so I need some help! LOL

Karin and Walter's audition tape for Steffen

Well, hopefully I got the music added correctly and the title inserted properly. Those of us without KIDS have a tough time you know...LOL

I hate how shaky this video is, but the tripod wasn't quite right. I probably didn't know how to put it together well. Again, I need a kid around sometimes!

a little birdie told me Steffen P likes Coldplay...so that's the music. I love these songs!

My 1st attempt at editing a video.. :0)

Karin and Walter!

Inspiring Videos

If you have not seen this, you will be amazed. (even if you HAVE seen it....it's STILL amazing!)

Take a virtual swim!

I know what I will be missing! The surf, and Hersey's Kisses with Macadamia Nuts...only available in the islands~~ cruel!!!!!

North Shore of Kauai

Awww.....our last day. It's so hard to leave Hawaii! But we had all day to venture up to the beautiful North side of the Island. You cannot travel all the way around Kauai, the road dead ends at the Na'Pali cliffs....which are SO beautiful, it's hard to even describe them!

Here are some pic's I got on the way up to 'the end of the road'

Hard to see, but there are white horses out in this pasture...

The road runs right along the water for most of the way up!

I did mention the chickens are everywhere, didn't I?

Beautiful coastline, close

to Anini Beach, a surfer checks out the waves...

Famous "Little Green Church" in Hanalei, and a view from the Church interior

Taro Fields in Hanalei. Taro Chips are "da Kine!"

(yummy)

A river in Hanalei

And a view of Hanalei Town. The Little Green Church is just to the right of this pic...but I couldn't get it all in.

Native Style

Jungle Trees. Getting close to the Cliffs.


A natural Cave, just on the side of the road

Go swimming in the cave? I don't think so...

Funny Tiki Face

The Na'Pali Cliffs. This is the end of the road. You can hike in farther, or take a boat or helicopter, but this is it for cars!

I didn't take this last picture, but it gives you an idea of what the cliffs look like just around this bend.

radise, isn't it? I think I will retire here, sound good? :0)

Yesterday and today

A few pictures from yesterday.... above, the lobby with the great coffee...

Now that's a COOL church sign!!

The Wialua river, in Hanapepe

A shady spot......

Sunset at Salt Pond Beach.......

Hawaii, continued!

Good Morning from Paradise!







I'm having coffee in the lobby.


It's so good, I don't want to make it in my room,



plus, no internet in the cottages. I took this picture of the pink hibiscus outside of the cabin.


Yesterday, a gal that works at the hotel asked Sam to look at her horse, next door to the Cottages....lol....no escaping work. Poor horse has laminitis. I guess there is a vet on the island, but he is a bird specialist, and lives in Princeville...which is at the other end of the island. He'll work on the horses, but it's not ideal.



She left us a beautiful gift bag on our cabin door with wine, a cool book about the ranching history of Kauai and some other goodies, including chocolate covered Mac nuts. YUM!



We made it up to Wiamea Canyon, and got these pictures. It is as breathtaking as the Grand Canyon.


If you click on the picture, you can see two waterfalls....
Here's a fun place, that made me think of Julie and Josie:





























Here's a place that MIGHT be affordable, ....maybe...

Tales from Hawaii

Aloha!

We made it to the Islands, after a loooong flight. ( with mandatory screaming babies...lol. )

It's fun to arrive with someone who has never seen Hawaii before, Sam's eyes were HUGE! He looked like a kid seeing Disneyland for the 1st time.

We got in around 6:00 local time, and went to have dinner at the Marriott Kauai Lagoons Hotel.

I ended up running into Bunny's niece Tiara, who works there. I visited Hawaii 19 years ago with Bunny, and her mother Claire was hugely pregnant with Tiara! Talk about making me feel old!

We are staying at the Wiamea Plantation Cottages. It's a gorgeous compound of little Hawaiian cottages....I found out that there used to be a big plantation and a town up the road call Manae, and when the Plantation closed, the town was eventually vacated. The cottages where the plantation boss's homes, which were moved here. They are so charming, with all the original old wood windows & floors!

The beach here isn't terrific for swimming, at least not in the winter months, but they have a great pool right next to the ocean, and two big hammocks. No need to leave!

What they do have is CHICKENS! The chickens have taken over the island! LOL...and they crow aLL the time. All night! I don't mind, I think it's funny, but light sleepers would be better off in a huge hotel. I was told the hurricaine blew through here and set them all free from a big poultry ranch....now they are everywhere!

The locals don't mind them, because they eat the bugs. I guess there is a nasty centipede with a very painful bite, so the chickens keep those down. A hotel employee said the Filipinos catch them and eat them, but they won't ever get them all...lol.

Sam has classes for about 4 hours each day, so I get pool time, and blog time...lol.

It works out just fine!

More to come...