an EXTRA hour to go hungry :o(

I think this picture says it all.

NORMALLY, I would love that

this is the time when I gain an

hour of time but ......

this time .... it means I w-a-i-t

an extra hour for it all to be over

with ...... such is life (for now)

to Julie & Dan .....................

HOW DOES ONE TELL
THEIR FRIENDS - HOW VERY MUCH THEY ARE LOVED AND
APPRECIATED?! We have the GREATEST neighbors & were
are soooooooooooooooooooooooo happy about it!

the Captain is pretty darn good at ..... well, everything!

I guess you don't have to wonder which pumpkin the Captain carved (duhhh)

let the game begin .....

Once the sign was on the door
of the haunted mansion next
door .......

and the treats were ready

for any "good" goblins who

might drop by .......

It was time for the fun to begin !

(the winner & still champion is the Capt)

& THIS particular howl saved him

$50.00 from the TRICK card he pulled.

then do something else already!

well you already know how

I was shining that I did not

have access to my blog to post

like I wanted to (for 2 days).

We are pretty sure we figured

out the problem and for now ...

it's up & running. IN THE MEANTIME ...

I actually put together a scrap layout.

luv it !

ooooooh, ahhhh, scarry !!

OK, OKAY so I know it looks this way because I needed more light ....
but THIS is much more Halloweeny looking anyway !!!

there's little kitty ..... where?

the Captain has teased me

on more than one occassion

that when little kitty sits on

my lap (I know, she's not so

little any more) ... she is lost

in the pattern of these PJ's.

MAYBE that's why she likes

me so much. I look like her!!

I hope this is a goooooooood sign!!

wowie .... LOTSA problems with Google & Blogspot - with the Captain not wanting to give up & me getting impatient with him to GET OFF THE COMPUTER!! Something seems to be looking up. Time will tell. I got company coming & things to do before "playing" with the blog now.

booooooooooooooooo (NOT the scary kind)

I guess this is proof positive that I am addicted to my blog posting!
There is some hitch in the blogger/google site & it will not load properly.
Since (at least) early this morning, I have not been able to download pictures to my post, & sometimes I cannot even get it to give me a sign in window. When I go to other blog sites, it leave portions of it blank. man-o-man ...... what a bummer for my weekend kick off. :o(

I believe I saw frost on the punkin'

it's been a little ch ch chi chilly the last couple of mornings. 49 degrees is a far cry from those 75 degree Hawaiian sunrises! I just wanna stay in bed a little bit longer (pleeeeeeeze).

OILWELL- bite the bullet, get off to work. THAT'S what helps to pay for the Hawaii days! Hopefully time for a r-e-a-l post this evening.

:o)

but, but .... why not?

why can't I just stay home and decorate?
or post to my blog
or take pictures
or spend time with my grandkids
or rotate my flower gardern
or sew
or learn something new on the computer
or help Pa more
or cook more
or take a long walk on the beach
or sing

duh ............... nothing in life is free!
that's why.

well maybe I will just toot my own horn a little ..

PLEASE take this in the manner in which it is meant.
I am not known to be egotistical, arrogant, or even over
confident. But, as a manner of venting some frustrations ....
I do hope you will understand where I am coming from.
(and maybe even identify with it).
OBVIOUSLY, I have just returned to work after a month
off (ahhh). And using the word w-o-r-k was totally
appropriate. Partly because, I go to the office to do my
job & it is work. BUT ALSO partly because while I was
away-some of my job was not done as well as I do it-
by those who covered for me. And trust me, it's not
because they were not qualified!! Knowing the game
plan, I wasn't shocked (or even surprised) but I still
find it unfortunate that people are not considerate
(or ethical) enough to do a job right when they have
the ability to do so. I have NEVER been a lazy worker.
I have always given more than what I thought was
probably expected of me and I am pretty sure that
whenever I have covered someone else's responsibilities ....
I have done so competantly & respectfully. So my venting
here is because it is such a pain in the butt when
someone is doing your job who doesn't really do it.
When it's obvious that there was plenty of time- but
not adequate effort. ALL THIS BEING SAID .... I am over
it (mostly) .... until the next shoe drops. AND LET ME
ADD here for those who covered a different part of my
job and did a groovey job of it ....... don't put this shoe on,
since it will NOT fit.

the "spook-i-fying" is done!

I did a wee bit of Halloween decorating today.
we actually put out 2 flags- the other
one is a ghost (toooo scary to show you I suppose!)
The Captain has rigged up
up a black light. We'll test it out tonight to see if it makes Mr. Bones glow !
Holiday towels are a must !!!! (DUH)

you might think this is a

decoration, but it's lack of housekeeping on my part. (it makes for a good

excuse for not dusting)

pleeeeeeze indulge me

THERE IS SO MUCH I could say about our
anniversary celebration last week. And yet .... I find that quite a few of my
pictures say it for me. I can feel EXACTLY what I was feeling everytime I
open them up. The lighting turned out to be a real challenge so I have been
spending some time editing to get rid of shadows, etc. But it is a labor of love,
since it allows me to linger with them.

I was visibly emotional quite a few times

early on. Some words that were said that hit me deep in the heart. Here .... the

Captain (trying to control his emotion as well) was allowing me a moment & it

really helped to feel his cheek agains mine.

This was a quiet moment at sunset.

Posed (yes) but real? - YES. I so love this man with all my heart & soul.

gettin back into the swing of life .....

I don't know what we were thinking at the time .... but before leaving on vacation

we bought tickets to attend an event that was to take place the evening of the day we arrived home (at 1am). We started questioning ourselves a couple of days before we were heading home and by the day of .... kicking ourselves for thinking we would feel up to going. HOWEVER - the cost of the tickets over-rode our dread of going, so ....... when all was said & done- we were glad we did. The wine tasting & restaurant sampling was yummy (and interesting). We did not participate in the silent auction but it was fun to see what there was to offer & might dabble next year!

and lastly (for tonight) I have to ALSO wonder what we did (right) to get the amazing neighbors that we have been blessed with ??! We came home to cats who were NOT tramatized and ..... a lovely card, bouquet of flowers, and a plate of fresh cookies. The card is out in plain sight. The flowers a little wilty now (but I can't give them up yet). But the cookies .... disappeared. I admit, some were my breakfast since we had not been to the store yet. Thank you Danno & Julia-gulia .... great neighbors, WONDERFUL friends. We luv ya.

it's SOOOOOO good to be home!

pretty much in the order of importance .................
the ahhhh of sleeping on my own pillow(s)

the sorting, shredding, &
recycling of a month's worth of mail !!

& the beginnings of the next projects in line. I LOVE BEING HOME !!

and so comes the end of the vacation .....

no pictures to post
no prophetic words
no funny adlibs or quirky lines

just breakfast for dinner
watching something silly on TV
and plans to get back to a real schedule in 48 hours !!

I miss my house, my neighbors, my kitties, my bed, my craft room, my routine, my cool weather, my automatic coffee maker, my widescreen monitor, my bubble baths, & my waistline .......... just to name a few things!!

Not sure if I will post tomorrow, as we leave here at 9am Hawaii time & drive into our driveway at roughly 2am "home" time. I can't wait to see all the stuff my sister Cindy has put together for me :o) It's been a great vacation but I am done now!

it's not all work ...

FIRST OFF let me thank my hubby .... who would L-O-V-E me to go with him
for this last beach day here. BUT, he understands I like a day now & again
to just do my own thing! I am packing for all & watching the quartet semi-
finals of the Sweet Adeline International competition. Being by myself allows
me to sing along, critique aloud, & move at my own pace. (ILY Captain)
and yet ......... I have time to stop and smell
the flowers we still have too. I like my last day here to be laid back (and cool)

and then .... oh that ... but what about .....

sheesh .... we're closing in on our final meals here so we will decide what to use
and what to pass on to our friend (and resident if Hawaii), Joann. The rum will actually be in our "locker" for use next year!! and of course there are some things we have used up but will remember for a long while ! As our leis start to wilt, we move them to the lamp shades so we can still enjoy the smell even when they are not so pretty anymore!

The bottom most lei is white ginger, the next up was carnation with tuberose & the top one is Hilo Hattie! (no smell but it lasts forever hahahaha)

last nite has blended into today ......

we FINALLY got around to a good-ole-game of dominoes last night. It ALWAYS begins with the Captain complaining that we MAKE HIM play this stupid game!! THEN .... he whines a bit here & there throughout the game ..... then he wins (9 times out of 10). poor baby!

and now

I am glued to the computer screen to watch the quartet semifinals of the Sweet Adeline International competition from Nashville. It started at 5:45 am MY TIME. GOOOOOOOO region 12 (&11 too)

the Captain had a meltdown tonight !!!

I saw the Captain

totally breakdown

tonight- for the

first time since we

got married. I tried

to comfort him but

no matter what I

said or did ...........

nothing seemed to

help. For the longest

time, he was so upset,

he couldn't even explain

to me what was bothering

him. Finally, when all the

wailing subsided he

tearfully admitted that

he had eaten the last piece

of the anniversary cake !!

the Captain cut me back to ONLY 1 fruit per day ....

SO I CHOOSE ONE OF THESE PAPAYAS !!!!!!!!!!! :o)

spooky tree for today ....

MORE LIKE the spiky tree. OUCH ! this would make a heck
of a "switch" for those bad, bad little goblins on Halloween !

A CONFUSED BIRD!

SOMEBODY needs to tell this cattle egret that neither of
these "landing strips" are a cow !!

wassup whit tiday?!

PA got up slow & with lotsa

aches & such so we are takin' things slow & easy.

LouLou was longing for some peace & quiet so she started

her day working up some scrap layouts & blogging .....

tick .... tick .... tick .....

I am sure we have left our
marks in some way or another .... but our footprints in the sand have
already disappeared. Our laughter floated in the air for a few minutes
to be sure. Thoughts of those who watch us interact have long been
forgotten. I can hope that we brought a smile to someone's heart. I
would like to believe that a random act of kindness may have brightened
someone's day.
I actually like the idea
of whatever "footprint" I leave being washed away. I choose to
believe that it means I can make a new imprint with each new
day..... that I can do something good, or something stupid - and
know that the next day I have an opportunity to make a better
impression!
While this is really
just a picture that was taken without the right exposure or light - I am feeling
that it is a reminder that we are just visiting spirits to this wonderful island.

We are readying ourselves mentally to return home.

For us, it's pretty easy to do cuz we soooo love our home & our neighbors.

OTHER beach sports included ...

sand art

BEVERAGE art

literary arts

a wet day .... IN the ocean that is

BY THE TIME the Captain & Pa & I
arrived at Maluaka .... the girls had been emersed ALREADY for a long while.
They have taken to the water like fish & the ONLY time they seem to hit dry
land is when they are hungry! Once the Captain arrives - he becomes a new
chapter of water fun.
The waves were poppin' -
which just drew them to the water M-O-R-E.
Savannah -boogie boarding

it's over & yet it has just begun (again)

mau loa i loko o ola pu (which HOPEFULLY means forever into life together)
a pose or two, some candids, & then congrats by all!

the "official" unveiling

of the Hawaiian design wedding ring :o)

AND .........

(as we women will understand) a GOOD HAIR day.

There are plenty of little things we thought of

late last night or this morning but the Captain said .....

"we'll do that next time" :o)