Hot Tub Chronicles

We've taken a hiatus from the hot tub. Like everyone else, have been following the devastating news of the earthquake in Turkey. It seems unconscionable to carry on with one's own daily life when others have to deal with such terrors. There is a mourning and of course the frustration at not being able to do anything other than "pay and pray." Thankfully many countries have mobilized to help in the rescue effort and then hopefully help with rebuilding. So many lives lost. And not forgetting the Ukraine as they battle daily against the beast Putin. It's the sickening and demented people who place greed over peace and prosperity for all.  After a day at the condo we went out to dinner Monday night at our very favorite restaurant and bar in Princeville, Happy Talk. We really enjoyed hearing Falling Down Romance perform there last year and connected with the vocalist between songs. She's a dynamic performer who at one time played with Cirque de Soleil. Kellan saw o...

  I wish that I could convey to you what just being here does for my soul. I love the life we've made for ourselves back home in Illinois. Our family, friends, home, gardens, community, all of it I'm grateful for and love living that life every day. And then there is Kauai. The lush flora everywhere and of course the expanse and majesty of the Pacific. As I exit the plane and go out into the open air terminal of Lihue airport the stress falls away and is replaced by vital calm. From our cliff side condo we hear and feel the distant low roar of the ocean. It's the waves crashing against the volcanic shores somewhere off in the distance. Fragrances of jasmine, plumeria and countless other flowers assault my senses as I walk...anywhere. We stay on the north shore in Princeville where life runs at a slower pace. No big buildings, not so many tourists, just super well kept grounds everywhere with large paths for walking. I also think the planners for this resort just got it righ...

Today is my daughter's 19th birthday. Tegan is a beautiful and kind soul. She inspires me every day to be a better person and mother. She truly has a servant's heart and I'm incredibly proud of the woman she's becoming. We may not be with her but know that she had a perfect day with her sister, good friends and boyfriend.  Here in Kauai we awoke to blowing wind and rain striking the windows. Clayton was up at 5 am to start his work day in central time. We had left the windows open so there was water on the floor he had to mop up. Reminded us of the year we came and storms raged the entire trip. While he slaved away at the computer and in conference calls Kellan and I lounged about, wrote, read, did homework and took a nap. Later in the afternoon we drove into Kilauea for some shopping. Home again. Kellan and Clayton grilled some steaks in the grill pavillion just outside our building. We had dinner on the lanai and then geared up for the hot tub. Tonight we met a couple...

 This morning was a lounge about the condo sort of day. Clayton got in a full day of work starting at 4 am local time (that's 8 am central). Kellan and I read and wrote. We breakfasted on bagels and  cream cheese and fed the local brazilian cardinals, magpies and sparrows some cheerios on the lanai. I had some Hawaiian Sun orange juice drink mixed with tonic water and a slice of fresh lime I had taken off the tree behind our building. After a lunch of sashimi, poke and seaweed salad we drove to Lihue and made a scenic stop in Kapaa where I video called my family chat group. We took some selfies and went on our way to Costco to buy those needful items for our 3 week stay. There was this van painted in Minecraft patterns in the parking lot. We HAD to take a picture. Dinner was the same as lunch but with some fun mochi for dessert. We walked to the cliffside where Kellan commandeered the hammock and enjoyed the magnificent view while talking to Tegan on the phone back home. It's ...

I'm sitting at my Kauai resort condo dining room table gazing across the top of my laptop and out of the windows of the lanai and kitchen to the lush forest of flora behind our building. It's a balmy and breezy 70 degrees that wafts in scents of lime blossom, hibiscus and plants too numerous to count. The sun is warm and welcoming and all is quiet here on the garden isle. Princeville is on the north end of the island and is a destination for the retirement community due to its relative isolation, lack of noisy tourists and a distictive well maintained order that is attractive to those who've had enough mess in their lives that they certainly don't want it while on vacation. If you want more activity and a better guarantee of sunny days then you'll want to stay in the south in Poipu. Lunch today is the spicy ahi poke from Foodland. It's the accepted "best" poke around by local consensus. We eat more raw fish during out trips to Kauai than we do the whol...