Hawaiian family vacation

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Patty

Hawaii is not a state of mind, but a state of grace.
– Paul Theroux, American travel writer and novelist

It’s nearly the end of the year, end of December, and I’m just now getting to our family vacation and Rossi Family reunion on the Big Island of Hawai’i? Call me stubborn. It had been on my list forever, and now I’m finally getting to it. I won’t give much in the way of narration. In my haste, I offer photographs and captions. I will say that this was a family trip to honor David’s father, Jerry, who turned 80 years young in June and retired just a few months ago. A life well lived. And a nice place to celebrate. I spent a summer and Christmas in 1989 on the main island. It was great to be able to see another side of the beautiful islands of Hawai’i.

First, photos around our condo on the Kona side of the island. This is our view from our living room window.

After a rainstorm, we were graced with a rainbow. From our cluster of condos.

Another view near our condo by the waterfront.

Punaluʻu Beach is a beach between Pāhala and Nāʻālehu on the Big Island of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The beach has black sand made of basalt and created by lava flowing into the ocean which explodes as it reaches the ocean and cools. This volcanic activity is in the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. — Punaluʻu Beach is a beach between Pāhala and Nāʻālehu on the Big Island. The beach has black sand made of basalt and created by lava flowing into the ocean which explodes as it reaches the ocean and cools. This volcanic activity is in the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Some resting big turtles.

This is the closest I could get to one of these gentle sea turtles.

Looking down the vast volcano floor at the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. We hiked all the way down and across. At least it wasn't too hot and humid. It was a pretty incredible experience. — Looking down the vast volcano floor at the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. We hiked all the way down and across. At least it wasn’t too hot and humid. It was a pretty incredible experience.

The floor was broken up in many places with hardy brush dotting the landscape and piles of rocks constructed by visitors.

How far are we going? I seem to be asking.

After the hike across the volcano floor and visiting the visitor's center, we headed east to hike through Akaka Falls State Park. — After the hike across the volcano floor and visiting the visitor’s center, we headed east to hike through Akaka Falls State Park.

Akaka Falls did not disappoint. It was spectacular.

It's not easy being green - except in Hawai'i. — It’s not easy being green – except in Hawai’i.

If I knew what I was looking at, I would let you know, but I can only stare, take a picture, and take a few moments in silence to appreciate the beauty of Hawai'i. — If I knew what I was looking at, I would let you know, but I can only stare, take a picture, and take a few moments in silence to appreciate the beauty of Hawai’i.

My favorite picture of Isabella and Jacob from Hawai'i. — My favorite picture of Isabella and Jacob from Hawai’i.

And the favorite family photo from Hawai'i. — And the favorite family photo from Hawai’i.

We ended the long day with burgers at Hilo Burger Joint. The Rossi clan!

The next day, a group of us went on a snorkeling trip to Captain Cook’s Cove. We didn’t get to the second spot, which was full of lava caves, because we got a late start from bathroom problems on the boat to an elderly woman who passed out and had to be brought back to shore. Quite an adventure before we even got to Captain Cook’s Cove. I didn’t last but 10 minutes. David kept saying, “You better tell them you can’t swim.” I grabbed a floating noodle, but that didn’t prepare me when I climbed off the last step of the ladder into the water. It was clear enough for me to see to the bottom, but the bottom was 200 feet away from me. So after scrambling and dragging David down with me, he safely brought me back to the boat, where I watched everyone else snorkel!

Isabella waves to David before she decides she is tired and he has to drag her back to the boat. — Isabella waves to David and then she decides she is tired and he has to drag her back to the boat.

A pretty cool picture of Jacob snorkeling.

I took this picture of Captain Cook's Cove. I didn't last but 10 minutes. David kept saying, "You better tell them you can't swim." I grabbed a floating noodle, but that didn't prepare me when I climbed off the last step of the ladder into the water. It was clear enough for me to see to the bottom, but the bottom was 200 feet away from me. So after scrambling and dragging David down with me, he safely brought me back to the boat, where I watched everyone else snorkel! — I took this picture of Captain Cook’s Cove. I didn’t last but 10 minutes. David kept saying, “You better tell them you can’t swim.” I grabbed a floating noodle, but that didn’t prepare me when I climbed off the last step of the ladder into the water. It was clear enough for me to see to the bottom, but the bottom was 200 feet away from me. So after scrambling and dragging David down with me, he safely brought me back to the boat, where I watched everyone else snorkel!

I found a museum downtown that was newly founded by enthusiastic volunteers who wanted to honor Hawaiian quilts - the Kona Hawaiian Quilt Museum ( 75-5706 Kuakini Hwy APT 112, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740). — I found a museum downtown that was newly founded by enthusiastic volunteers who wanted to honor Hawaiian quilts – the Kona Hawaiian Quilt Museum ( 75-5706 Kuakini Hwy APT 112, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740).

The quilt on the left is an antique. It was quite seditious for its time. Patriots would put these quilts on their bed, but when subjected to searches, they would flip the quilt over to hide their patriotism to the Hawaiian royalty. Pretty amazing history.

This quilt honors the fiery volcano eruption of 2018, which caused a lot of devastation to homes and flora and fauna.

Look what I found in the nearby shopping center - at the Hawaiian shaved ice shack - Halo halo with ube ice cream! — Look what I found in the nearby shopping center – at the Hawaiian shaved ice shack – Halo halo with ube ice cream!

We found a horse ranch on the Hilo side of the island, so Isabella could have her horse-riding fix.

While Isabella rode.... — While Isabella rode….

We cavorted with the adopted pig at the horse ranch.

Jacob found a friend among the many dogs on the ranch.

Afterwards, we went in search of Rainbow Falls and were delighted.

Have to get the mom and daughter photo in - at Rainbow Falls. — Have to get the mom and daughter photo in – at Rainbow Falls.

Not sure what kind of tree this is, but what a creation - a tangle of branches and roots. — Not sure what kind of tree this is, but what a creation – a tangle of branches and roots.

We had a great meal at the Fish and the Hog Market Cafe. It was a hoppin' place. — We had a great meal at the Fish and the Hog Market Cafe. It was a hoppin’ place.

I don't know what this is, but there was nothing left on the plate after Jacob was done. — I don’t know what this is, but there was nothing left on the plate after Jacob was done.

We took a Kona Coffee tour at Greenwell Farms. And it was good.

I don't know what this is, but it's pretty amazing. — I don’t know what this is, but it’s pretty amazing.

We also did a little tour of the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory and sampled delicious chocolates. These are cocoa beans, or pods.

We did a lot of wandering, and met up with this fella.

Jacob patiently waiting for sea turtles to ascend.

We frequented Rebel Kitchen a few times for lunch ( 79-7399 Hawaii Belt Rd, Kealakekua, HI 96750).

Some type of fish dish at Rebel Kitchen.

And the last dinner on the Big Island with the Rossi clan at the Kona Brewing Company.... — And the last dinner on the Big Island with the Rossi clan at the Kona Brewing Company….

We went snorkeling in other local beaches. We had time on our last day for David and the kids to do one last dive into the ocean. David caught this sea turtle descending with a GoPro camera at Two Step State Beach. Fittingly, this is our last image of our time in Hawai’i.

Honoring our Filipino Veterans of WWII – especially my father

Posted on November 11, 2019 by Patty

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.
– Khalil Gibran, Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist

Please see my post on my author website on the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony honoring the Filipino veterans of WWII. You can read it here. Below is a photograph from the event.

Receiving the bronze replica of the Congressional Medal of Honor on behalf of my father, Henry Empleo Enrado, by Major General Eldon P. Regua, U.S. Army (retired) (photo courtesy of Sean Santos).

Belated spring bouquets

Posted on July 12, 2019 by Patty

You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.
– Pablo Neruda, Nobel Prize winning Chilean poet-diplomat and politician

When May ended, I had intended to post my spring bouquets, as I made weekly bouquets for one of the former Korematsu Middle School auction winners whose husband (both of them were community leaders and supporters) had passed away in the fall. I wanted to bring her some joy. She has always warmed my heart by the pure joy that my auction bouquets have brought to her in the past. To deliver bouquets during spring was the best way I knew how to honor her husband and to bring a sense of rebirth to her. I never make bouquets to decorate my own home. I rather enjoy sharing them with family and friends. I wish I had more time to devote to gardening and to making the bouquets, instead of feeling rushed, because the effort is invigorating and inspiring, and I get in this Zen frame of mind.

Maybe at some point I’ll get there. But for now, I am sharing the spring bouquets with you all. Enjoy!

Birthe’s front porch is full of spring bouquets – tulips, calla lilies, watsonias, and a mix of gaillardia, columbine, geums, carnations, scabiosa, and a few other flowers, in mid-April.

Early March tulips and calla lilies.

Tulips, March 23rd.

Tulip close-up, March 23rd.

Tulips in the side yard.

More tulips, March 30th.

Calla lilies, March 30th. I love the different stages of blooming. Also note the shadow of our ficus tree on the dining room wall. And, of course, my favorite painting of all, Lamp Lady by Gary Stutler.

I believe this is variegated prostenthera (Mint Bush), which delivers brilliant purple blooms in the spring. We have one in the backyard and one in the front yard.

Close-up of the purple blooms of the variegated prostenthera.

One of my new favorite flowers this season. The aquilegia chrysantha (Yellow Queen) came out with such vigor this spring. They remind me of delicate butterflies.

Delicate pink tulip, April 4th.

April 6th bounty ready for spring delivery.

Looks like the tulip is ready to devour the aquilegia….

Nuanced pink tulip, April 12th.

Tulip bouquet, April 13th.

The aquilegia and red geum literally gave new heights and shape to the spring bouquets. Also added scabiosa, dianthus, straw flower, and the greenery from alstroemeria. This particular photo reminds me of a Vermeer, Rembrandt, and other Dutch master painters painting.

April 20th spring bouquet.

I got these three vases from Present, Los Altos, and they’re perfect for my office. Grow. Happy. Bloom. Inspiring.

More aquilegia (or columbine) taking flight in the backyard planter box, April 28th.

April 30th bouquet.

Close-up of aquilegia Black Barrow.

Watsonia bouquet, May 4th.

Close-up of miniature cream-colored rose, blue scabiosa, and red geum.

Alstroemeria bouquet, May 17th.

May 17th bouquet.

Close-up of the bouquet. I love using calla lilies that are in different stages of blooming. When they are still tightly rolled up, it reminds me of a scroll of beautiful paper that is slowly, slowly being unrolled. Also featuring my favorite multi-colored dianthus – Chomley Farran.

Chomley Farran dianthas, aquilegia Yellow Queen, alstroemeria, calla lillies, and an early dahlia, May 17th.

Found a few white aquilegia in the mix of yellow.

The dahlias came up early this season. Magenta!

Drama: Aquilegia against a dark backdrop.

May 18th spring bouquet.

The earliest all-dahlia bouquet, May 25th.

Gorgeous close-up of the white dinner-plate dahlia.

May 25th spring bouquet.

Last spring bouquet – alstroemeria, May 25th.

Sammy in one of his happy places – the backyard garden with his gardener, me.

“Do you want to garden with me?” Sammy’s head will tilt when you begin a sentence with “Do you….”

Sharing my bouquets: the last late autumn flowers

Posted on November 14, 2018 by Patty

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
– Albert Camus, French philosopher, author, and journalist

Even though we planted more flowers on the other side of our house this season, I can’t extend my bouquets through Thanksgiving. But it was close. Before Thanksgiving, I’ll be cutting down the dry dahlia stalks and the rest of the dried flowers and putting them in our green bucket that is filling up with the fallen leaves of our maple tree and our twin magnolia trees.

So here are the last bouquets of the season, from early October to the first of November.

An October 2nd bouquet.

Another view of the October 2nd bouquet.

October 7th bouquet.

A close-up of deep pink zinnias and a creamy gerbera daisy.

Another close-up of zinnias and rudbeckia.

October 13th bouquet.

Another side of the bouquet, including hydrangea.

More zinnias – lime green, orange, and pink.

Another view of the bouquet.

Another close-up with a Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherry Brandy’ and scabiosa caucasica ‘Fama Blue’ “Pincushion Flower.”

October 20th bouquet.

Another view of the bouquet.

Another October 20th bouquet, with a lone small dahlia and blue bachelor’s button.

Another view of the second October 20th bouquet.

And yet another view of the second October 20th bouquet.

October 29th bouquet, with a white straw flower.

The October 29th bouquet.

Another view of the October 29th bouquet.

Another view of the October 29th bouquet, with a surprise hydrangea bloom.

The final bouquet for a November 10th dinner.

Evening light softens the November 10th bouquet. The first calla lily of the late autumn, early winter season.

The last close-up of this bouquet. Soft yellow light with a backdrop of an oil painting by Gary Stutler. The dianthus are showing a third bloom of the season, with my favorite dianthus caryophyllus “Chomley Farran.”

Sharing my bouquets: Autumn flowers

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Patty

Everything is mended by the soil.
― Andrew Crofts, ghostwriter and author, from Secrets of the Italian Gardener

The calendar turns its page from September to October. We are still in our Indian Summer here, but the light is changing, its angle, its slant, it rise and fall. our dahlias are going dormant. I likely cut the last dahlia bloom from the garden on the last day of September. How apt. Here now are the autumn bouquets. Enjoy.

Labor Day Weekend seems so long ago. Here’s a bouquet I made for my cousin Janet and her husband Tim from a bucket full of flowers that we brought down to Terra Bella for our annual Labor Day Weekend visit. Looks beautiful on their dining room sideboard.

Close-up of this bouquet with the lone cream-colored gerbera daisy. This particular plant is a hardy producer and still going strong.

Here’s the other bouquet that I made, featuring the big red dahlia that started producing later in the summer.

Another view of the second bouquet full of zinnias, scabiosa, dahlias, and rudbeckias.

Close-up of the second bouquet, featuring my favorite deep-blue scabiosa.

The first gerbera daisy that hasn’t been hit by powdery mildew, early in the season or even now. With purple bee balm in the background.

A nice pairing – blue scabiosa and yellow rudbeckia.

Last view of the second bouquet – pulled back to include zinnias, baby’s breath, a different kind of scabiosa, and dahlias.

A compact September 6th bouquet for Joann.

Close-up of the September 6th bouquet.

A vibrant mix of pinks, blues, limes, and yellows in this close-up.

This zinnia is a favorite of mine. It stands out in this bouquet.

Looking down on the second September 6th bouquet, featuring rudbeckia hirta “Chim Chiminee,” dahlias, Helipterum roseum “Pierrot,” pale yellow and delicate scabiosa ochroleuca, and pink alstroemeria,

Dahlias are still going strong in early September.

Focus on the orange dahlia.

Another view of this September 6th bouquet.

September 11th bouquet. Remembering this date with light and life.

This is a surprise pink zinnia that sprouted this season, surrounded by cornflower blue bachelor’s button, baby’s breath, rudbeckia saraha, and rudbeckia hirta “Cherry Brandy.”

The second September 11th bouquet, topped by asparagus greenery.

Another view of the second September 11th bouquet for Joann.

The first of seven – I know, I need to be better about curating, but it’s near the end of the season! – close-ups of the second September 11th bouquet.

I love the intricate petals of this lime-colored zinnia.

Another close-up of the second September 11th bouquet.

One of my favorite dahlias still producing in September.

The bright and delightful rudbeckia hirta “Chim Chiminee.”

Rudbeckias (including rudbeckia hirta “Prairie Sun” to the left) and zinnias signal fall.

Last close-up of the second September 11th bouquet. It feels like fall in the garden. Still going strong, but different flowers shining in autumn.

I almost dug up this Scabiosa caucasica “Perfecta Alba,” which was planted last season but did not bloom. It’s now blooming like crazy. I’m glad I waited.

September 16th bouquet.

Close-up of the September 16th bouquet. The alstroemeria are still blooming. Imagine what a little regular watering will do.

Another side of the September 16th bouquet. The blue Scabiosa atropurpurea
“Florist’s Blue” is blooming like it’s the thick of summer.

Last view of the September 16th bouquet. With orange alstroemeria.

September 20th bouquet for Joann.

Close-up of blues and yellows. And a peek of the Helichrysum bracteatum
“Double White” “Strawflower.”

Another view of the September 20th bouquet.

Close-up of the September 20th bouquet.

Last view of the September 20th bouquet.

September 28th bouquet for Joann. Lots of fall colors.

Another view of the September 28th bouquet.

Close-up of the prolific Scabiosa caucasica
“Perfecta Alba.”

Top view of the September 28th bouquet.

Last bouquet of the month, September 30th, featuring scabiosa caucasica “Perfecta Alba.”

Full view of the September 30th bouquet.

Close-up of the September 30th bouquet. A red dahlia to the left, and a white dahlia to the right.

One last look at the September 30th bouquet with the last dahlias of the season.

Sharing my bouquets: late-summer flowers

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Patty

Gardening is akin to writing stories. No experience could have taught me more about grief or flowers, about achieving survival by going, your fingers in the ground, the limit of physical exhaustion.
― Eudora Welty, American short story writer and novelist

Yes, it’s almost the end of September. The air has taken on a slight chill, and the slant of light has moved closer to the earth. I’m behind on my gardening blog posts. Plain and simple. Before we are fully immersed in autumn, here’s a look back at the late-summer bouquets through the end of August. These bouquets were made for family and friends.

July 27th bouquet for former fellow Lunafest East Bay committee member Anja.

Close-up of the most gorgeous dahlia in the garden this season, hands down!

Another close-up of this mesmirizing dahlia. See how intricate Nature can be!

Another view of the July 27th bouquet. Dahlias galore.

Close-up of a pink zinnia and a velvety burgundy dahlia.

Another view of this bouquet, packed with different colored dahlias.

Beautiful white dahlia with intricate layers of petals.

The second July 27th bouquet for fellow East Bay Lunafest committee member Peggy. The gladiolas were late this year, but whereas last year they didn’t come up at all, this year, they came up in abundance. Next year, it will be even better.

Close-up of zinnias, dahlias, and baby’s breath.

Lime green zinnia paired with a bright pink zinnia.

A ginger plant and salmon-colored gladiola anchor this July 30th bouquet for Joann.

Close-up of bouquet with burgundy dahlias, zinnias, alstroemeria, bachelor’s button in blue, baby’s breath, scabiosa, and Helipterum roseum
“Pierrot.”