Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Atypical Tuesday

It was not a normal day. Dan had been having pains the night before (but of course, didn't tell his wife). At least when they worsened in the morning he headed to the Dr's office. Good move! Anyway, the Dr. did an exam and blood tests and sent him to the hospital with a possible diagnosis of diverticulitis. They needed a c-scan to determine if surgery was needed. At least at this time, Dan called and let me in on it! I was at school working and had the boys with me, so after dropping them off to Sarah, met him at the hospital. If you've gone through this before you know that you have to drink some nasty stuff for the hour before the test. They told him to not take less than the hour to do that. The c-scan was painless of course, and we went home to await the verdict. Thankfully, surgery was not needed, just a couple of medications.

After getting Dan's meds and dinner, I went back to pick up the boys from Gary for one more night. But when I tried to start the car at Gary's apartment, the battery was dead! Oh why didn't I have the jumper cables with me? He checked with his neighbors, none of which had any and then drove over to Belle's house to get hers. So, in the pouring down rain after dark, we got the task done. Not a big problem in the scheme of things, but certainly a jolt back to reality after such a relaxing vacation! Guess we're ready to start another school year now! Today I'll go get a new battery and get some more done at school. Dan? Yes, you guessed it, even though he's in pain, he went back to work! He figured he'd wouldn't hurt any more there than here!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Sunsets





I thought I'd share some favorite sunsets from this summer. The first two are from the Mediterranean and the others are in Maui! I feel very blessed to have had these experiences this summer! Now it's time to get focused on getting back to work. I'm taking the boys school shopping today so the reality is setting in for sure!

Friday, August 15, 2008

Maui trip





I just got back from a fabulous 10 days in Maui! We went over to attend a wedding reception of a dear friend and had all kinds of adventures! We loved seeing sea turtles just a block from where we stayed! Gina even saw sharks there the first day. (They feed on the turtles).
We "survived" the road to Hana---an all day journey that took us into the rainforest on Maui. There were over 600 hairpin turns and 54 one-way bridges! Luckily, we were on a tour so I didn't have to drive! Ewi, our guide, was wonderful at identifying the many kinds of fruit and flowers, trees, and pointing out the numerous waterfalls along the way. He also pointed out homes of famous folks like George Harrison and Jim Neighbors . (In fact, I brought Dan home some macadamia nuts from Jim Neighbors' farm.) At the end of the road was the seven sacred pools, each one connected by waterfalls! Gina and I tried swimming there too but the rocks were so slippery and we decided to be content with sitting on the edge.
Wednesday I drove our group up to Haleakala, the volcano, at 3:30 AM to see the sunrise-incredible, but freezing! We wrapped up in blankets from the hotel because who brings coats to Maui?
We swam, body surfed and used boogie boards, and Gina learned to surf using a real surf board while we played in the waves (did I mention how warm the water is!), as well as snorkeled. It was so amazing to see all the colors on the fish and I was surprised how close to shore you could snorkel!
We had authentic islander experiences including food at the wedding reception. Everyone wa so welcoming and we felt just part of the family! They honored us with homemade leis that were so beautiful and fragrant! It was held a stones throw from the beach with a gorgeous view and sunset! Of course, all of the sunsets were gorgeous on Maui. The luau was also a lot of fun! The food was fantastic and the show very impressive and the company (the wonderful group of people we'd been sharing the week with) made the whole experience unforgetable!

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Trisha's Wedding












Beautiful bride, lovely setting and... just a little rain! Who would have thought it would rain on August 1st! It really didn't matter even though it was an outdoor wedding. The dark sky was only a threatening canopy over the proceeding. During the meal at the reception a "coastal-type" mist was present, but folks didn't really seem to mind. There were parasols available, meant to keep the sun off, that protected those who wanted to be dry but most of us just doned our coats or sweatshirts dug out of the trunk and kept the party going! I loved how Curt gave Trisha his tux jacket and they both were so obviously enjoying the evening and each other. So, rain or no rain....Trisha and Curt are married!