hilo mall

Saw a movie today!!!!

Bob Marley at the dollar/fashion store. Lots of Bob Marley stuff everywhere. Also Obama stuff everywhere. Hometown heroes!!!!

Amusing sign in the mall.Thought we might find some good fashion deals here. Nothing for a dollar nor anything fashionable here.???Lots of ETC.

Becca splurging

uh huh!

MY Lunch w/meat

Just thought this shop sign was funny

Before we left for the mall I was telling everyone at the house that I couldnt wait to go to Hot Dog on a Stick in the mall(all we eat is vegetarian food in case you didnt know). Becca and I got a woman to take a picture and Becca asked the girl working there to get in the picture too. She told her we were on a scavenger hunt and needed her in it. So silly but it cracked us up.

Ok so.....

Not much happening here until TODAY!!!!!

The people returned from the campout on Monday and most everyone was gone but some people left on Tuesday.We did get to go to the warm pond on Monday evening. It is like a bath so warm and comfortable. So Tuesday was a major cleaning day. The cheesecake that I made on Tuesday was delicious and everyone was so excited about it.Wednesday we cleaned some more but also had to get ready for the Kirtan and community pot luck on Wednesday night. Becca and I did a lot of the work for that and made dinner for that too.

Wednesday morning, the horror of horrors. Becca and I had to rake and pick up and haul wheelbarrows full of lawn clippings. This took us 2 hours and about all of the energy I had in this old body.

Thursday was a much easier day of cleaning, but there wasnt that much left to do. We mostly cleaned the area that we live in. In the evening we got a baking bug and baked 4 loaves of banana bread.

Today, some people were heading to the airport so Becca and I got a ride into Hilo and got dropped off at Borders Books and then went across the street to the mall. The Hilo mall is about 1/100th the size of most malls but hey...they had a food court!!!! I did eat some meat for the first time and it was delicious!!!

We went to the movie theater at the mall and saw Inception which was great. We needed a ride back so we had thought maybe we would take a bus back but one of the kids from the program met us at the movie and we went back with him. But not before stopping at STARBUCKS!!!! Last week for Beccas birthday I told her I would buy her a coffee for her birthday so that it would give us a normal activity to look forward to.

I ended up driving the car home because the back seat of this car was pretty small and the driver said he would sit back there. The car is a stick shift which I havent driven in about 30 years but after the first few stop signs I was ok.

Becca and I decided to make a photo journal of our mall experience so I have included it here. We were being somewhat silly but it was so fun to be out in public that we decided to have some fun with it.

Starting Sunday we have new people arriving and by the end of the week there will be 13 new people here. This happens at the same time that the owners of the house are leaving for a few weeks so they asked Becca and I to take a major role in cooking for these people next week. We are pretty excited because this means we wont have time for the horror of horrors next week.

We did a whole cooking and menu chart and shopping list so we are ready to go. Cooking for 13 plus all the people who are already here will be a bunch of work but we can do it. I am thinking banana bread and smoothies every day as part of the menu.

Its Friday so it is volleyball and sushi night.

Aloha, Jill

Soooooooooooooo

The first 2 days back from the "camping" trip I just took it easy. I slept in and read all of the first day back and did some work around the house and read the second day. The group was back on Monday at 4. I had made some burritos in case they were hungry when they got home and good thing because they were starving. Turns out I am somewhat of a good vegetarian cook. I also made another loaf of banana chocolate chip bread. That didnt last long.

Last night Becca and I went to a Kirtan at another retreat center because one of the woman here was leading it. It was a good chance to get out of the house and see something new. We stopped at the warm ponds on the way there but we just stuck our feet in for about 30 minutes.

Today was back to the normal routine. Yoga and meditation at 6 am and then work. There was plenty of work to do....cleaning everything that came back from the camping trip and putting things away. We decided to go through the refrigerator and try to make something with the extra food that came back from the camping trip. There was a lot of cream cheese left so I said...cream cheese...you know what we should make???? Another gal says,.....celery with cream cheese??? I said noooooooooooooo....think tastier and less healthy.....we should make cheesecake!!!!! So I made 3 of them. We also had a lot of graham crackers which I made the crust with. Everyone is really excited so I hope they taste good.

Becca and I sat down and tried to figure out what to do for fun for the next few weeks we are here. It should be fun. We just have to figure out how to get around since we dont have a car. There is a good bus system but we are not too close to the bus line here.

Thats all for now.Aloha, Jill

camping in Hawaii

We stopped at a coffee shop on the way to camping and I got my first blended mocha in a long time. Waaaay better than Starbucks.

Coffee bean tree outside of the coffee shop

They had eggs for sale there. Pretty colors so I took a picture. I explained to the cashier that I was a tourist.The chickens running around the property laid these eggs.

Coffee roasting house.

coffee beans

This is one of the rooms in the house that I stayed in while "camping". View of the neighbors yard where there was an all night party.Didnt get a lot of sleep there.

Room I stayed in while"camping"

Back deck, looking out into the ocean

Lava(old)outside the back deck , butting up to the ocean

Backyard. I read a book out here in the morning and then just watched the ocean for a while.

This is the house I stayed in while"camping"

Water tower where rain is collected for water.

Outside shower. The one and only shower. No ceiling. It was kind of cool to take a shower there in the morning. See...I roughed it!!!

Beach where the group camped and where we hung out during the day.

Group camp set up.

Volleyball on that beach. They are really into volleyball here. Me...not so much.

the same beach

We stopped here on the way home.

orchids

orchids

orchids

orchids

and more orchids

So about that camping trip.......

I was having a mini melt down for some reason when it was time to go camping. For one reason I didnt want to go camping and another reason was that I was so tired. I figured I wouldnt sleep there and just wanted to get some rest away from the schedule and so many people and so much activity. Everyone wanted me to go and they said it would be so much fun so I was torn about whether to go or not when one of the ladies said she was only going for one, maybe two days and that she was staying in the main house and there was room for me if I wanted to stay there too. So I decided to go.

The camping spot was on the other side of the island, the Kona side. about a 2.5 hour drive. When we got there everyone was setting up and I went down to the water where I saw 2 turtles swimming very close to shore. That was pretty cool.

After dinner (bocca burgers), we went back to house and crashed. I was exhausted. Sometime during the night a party started up next door and went on until sunrise.So much for sleeping, but I did get some rest. And instead of getting up early to go back to the camping beach, we hung out at the house until about 11. That gave me a chance to just relax and read.

Back at the beach....I went out on a Kayak to where the dolphins were swimming. I jumped out with my snorkel and mask and.....SWAM WITH THE DOLPHINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was about the coolest thing ever. There were 16 dolphins swimming there.We kayaked back and I just layed on the beach and rested until my ride back wanted to get on the road.

We stopped at the orchid shop on the way home. Beautiful flowers everywhere. One of the orchids smelled like lemon. Amazing!

We got home to an empty house. It is so quiet. I am pretty much the only one sleeping in this big house tonight. A couple has their own apartment upstairs and I am down on the bottom floor with no one here.The sound of quiet sounds so nice.

The rest of the group will be back sometime Monday and then they will all be leaving for home.

Aloha, Jill

I am about to leave for a camping trip on the other side of the island, right on the ocean!!!! Everyone is camping for 3 days but one of the ladies is coming back early , either tomorrow or Sunday , and I am coming back with her.



I am so exhausted and sore that 3 days of camping will do me in.



So a good idea that they say here alot is .....



Always keep the main thing, the main thing.



Meaning.....look at the priorities in your life and always remember to keep them in focus and at the top of your "to do" list.



It is one of the important things I have learned.



Aloha, Jill

taste of india

In the morning we go through 39 energization exercises before yoga and meditation. Its a lot!!! I have been skipping yoga, not liking it so much.

People arriving for a Taste of India celebration. About 100 people came to the house for food and entertainment. Michael and AJay are playing.

Here is cute little Alina playing the drum.

Musical performance. Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Sambo

ME!!!! Playing the Mirimbas!!! I love it so much. Someone took a video so I will try to post it.

The girls in Sari's. They looked so cute. I didnt want to wear one.

The girls and Kalil bussing the table. Damian snuck in the back.

Poster for the Taste of India

Decorations.

Menu

Seatting set up.

Plates with banana leaves. Food was served this way.

Last night was the big fundraiser/party here. We have spent the last few days preparing for every one to come...cleaning and cooking and setting up.It was a lot of work. Today we are cleaning up after the mess we made last night.

Tomorrow after breakfast we leave for "Family Camp". It is camping on the other side of the Island with all the of people in the program and their families come and other people too. I am not excited about the camping part but they say I should go because it is so much fun so I will have to tough it out. This will be the last 3 days of the program.

When I come back from the camp out it will be quiet here again, although I have heard that there
are 10 people coming and going in the next 2 weeks.

I'll take pictures at the camp out but wont be able to post them until Monday.

Aloha, Jill

Homemade pizza for dinner last night

De-lish!!!!!

Becca meditating at the lava bed

Yoga stuff at the lava bed

double rainbow

Aja and Alina

hot moving lava

Sunrise at the lava bed

hot lava heart

the group. My Mirimba teacher is the guy in the middle with the white shirt. My Ukelele teacher is the guy next to (to the right)of the girl in the bright green sweatshirt. Yoga teachers are the guy in the maroon shirt and the guy behind him standing.

it started raining while we were there

oops , same picture

We were up at 4 am, yes 4 am, to go to the lava bed. It started flowing a few days ago so we are lucky to get to see it. It is very hot and moves very slowly.

We got back and ate breakfast and preparred for a full day of cleaning. We have a big event with 100 people coming here on Wednesday so we had to get the place ready.

Some of the group went to a waterfall but I was pooped so I stayed behind and hung out the girls which was fun. It rained while they were at the falls so it ended up being a good decision.

Tonight I had another Ukelele class and learned a few more chords and another new song.

Time for bed...Aloha, Jill