Thursday, May 7, 2009

Friday Foto: Déjà vu

I think falling in love is a little like having visitors. You push the things you have to do aside and make the time to participate in life. The balance shifts in favor of fun and recreation, of sights and sounds and sensory perception. Slow conversations and leisurely meals. Mixing things up and staying away from routines….

Of course it is a big cosmic joke because when the visitors leave, or when the honeymoon is over, real life and routine become a juggling act where mortgages, careers, children, elderly relatives, schedules, housework….fuck I’m tired just by putting it all down on paper. Where was I? Oh yeah, with all the balls in the air the ones that tend to get dropped are the leisurely ones. At least, it did for us. Not absolutely, but enough.

I’ve written this before, but surviving cancer helped me put things back into perspective. To let some things go, to make time for others. To appreciate the little moments and figure ways to fit in more of them. I got a reminder of that that last month. That scare has helped me once again slow down my frenzied tendencies.

One late afternoon last week that I spent with my daughter gave me a strong feeling of déjà vu. I picked her up in town from work and we were going to see a play together. It was preview night and therefore was free. We wanted to get something to eat, maybe a little on the treat side, but within budget.

We picked up some food to go and headed out for a picnic on the wall overlooking the ocean as you drive around Diamond Head.

When my husband and I were dating, we had many a lunch date on that wall. Afterwards, we would break out the backgammon board. We’d straddle the wall, sitting in one direction for an hour, then we'd switch places so we did not tan on only one side. We would play so many games we called them tournaments, and we'd place bets. If neither of us had to work that night, we’d do this all the way from lunch until sunset. Time moved slowly.

While I sat there having a picnic dinner with my daughter I thought about the me that had sat on that same spot, over twenty years before....

Green papaya salad and summer rolls.
Lychee iced tea (me) and iced latte (daughter)
Not the greatest foodie shot. Sorry folks.

The view.




The path.


Through the plumeria tree.

Plumeria.
The play was free. The Thai food to go was $13.27. The drinks from the coffee house one block over from the Thai restaurant were $6.75. The view was free. Our night out came in at just $20, so I'm cross listing this as a Money in the Bank post. For more money saving ideas, clink on the piggy bank or this link to Money in the Bank host, Words of Wisdom from a Smart Mouthed Broad.
For more Friday Fotos, head on over to Candid Carrie's.

28 comments:

Twenty Four At Heart said...

I loved this post. Your pictures are fantastic. I'm counting down the days until I'm back in Hawaii. August first sounds so far away ... but it will be here in no time. That's a good thing ... because I really, really need some rejuvenation time!

Great job on this post - fantastic!

mo.stoneskin said...

Cheap night, plus you kindled happy memories. Wins all round!

Michel said...

That sounds just fabulous! Love the pics!!!

Unknown said...

i really loved this post- the falling in love/visitors is exceptional xx

Unknown said...

You hit it head on...never thought about love/houseguests like that...but so true.

What amazing pictures...

cheatymoon said...

That view almost makes me want to cry. It is so freaking beautiful.

Other half and I still have cheap *dates* like that. All the time. (That's the cool part of living in 2 different states - we're still dating in year 12.)

I love how you tied this all together. I like how your brain works, Pseudo.

Unknown said...

I'm with Only A Movie about how wonderfully you tied it all together. And reliving happy memories with your daughter must have been really special, especially with that view.

Jack said...

Wow, what a great story! What a special time spent with your daughter :)

That view just takes my breath away.

Jan said...

I so envy you the Thai food. And the view. And the smell of plumeria.

It sounds like a lovely evening.

Kristan said...

Like 24, I loved this post too! It's so simple, but so... pure.

The opening analogy particularly caught me, because it is SO TRUE.

Linda said...

We all need to slow down and put things back into perspective. You never know what tomorrow will bring.
I'm so grateful for the times I had w/my Mom. She doesn't remember me now but I hold our memories for both of us.
Thanks for the reminder of just what's important.

Sprite's Keeper said...

That's a lot of value for $20. Breathtaking views! (I remember driving along those roads toward Diamond Head, houses dotting the hill on one side, nothing but blue ocean on the other. You live in paradise. But you knew that..)

Pseudo said...

Dating for 12 years sounds grand...

And Linda, I am so sorry about your mother's loss of memory. Gald you have all those happy memories to hold onto. One of my fears is alzheimers. With all the migraines I've had over the years, it feels like it has taken a toll on the grey matter.

Amy said...

What fun to have great memories. Plus look at those savings you had. Way to go. Happy Mother's Day to you.

Susie said...

Awesome! Great pictures:-)

msprimadonna67 said...

Beautiful. Those are the moments that you and your daughter will look back on with fondness many years from now. Those are the important life moments to hold onto.

The Rambler said...

Mmmmmm...food looks delish.

These moments with our loved ones are treasures for sure!

Joanie said...

I love this story! Cheap dates are the best! You sure don't need to spend a lot of money to have a great time.

One of my favorite recent times was people watching at our favorite park. Next time, we'll be sure to pack a lunch, and chairs... and bring my camera.

Hit 40 said...

The best things in life are pretty much free!

You can understand that after your health is pulled out from under you!!!

Hard to deal with some folks afterwards...

Mrsbear said...

Sounds glorious and the pictures serve as great punctuation. Lovely. I didn't know about your scare last month, glad it was just that.

Casey said...

What a beautiful view and a fun night! I took Jamie to the beach for a picnic for one of our very first dates and it was a blast. Your post reminded me of our picnics... slow going and easy. I think I need to line up a sitter so we can have a night out.

midlife slices said...

That sounds like a perfect evening. I can't wait to get my 10 days in heaven and it's fast approaching. I only say fast because I have nothing to wear....that fits. UGH.

p.s. I clicked the link to your scare and the way you described your needle biopsy was exactly as I remembered mine. Only someone who has lived through that little piece of hell could understand.

bernthis said...

my ex and I would spend hours playing Scrabble. It was like an addiction. I just love games. It's amazing how quickly time passes

Beth said...

That Thai food looks amazing! As do all your pictures of the view.

Sounds like a great girl's night out.

Girl Tornado said...

Such a perfect and beautiful spot for a picnic. And precious time well spent with your daughter.

Finally, for the first time in my life, I made it to Hawaii (the big island) in October 2007. We stayed in a house at Kealakekua Bay, the whole family. It was supposed to be for my parents' 50th, but my dad passed away a year earlier. We still took my mom and had a beautiful time. I can't wait until I can go back and explore more of the islands -- my brother has been to Kauai more times than I can count. Not fair! :) But he lives in Cali, so not too hard for them to go.

I ramble on... I read your cancer scare post. My heart goes out to you -- my mom had a scare last fall and had to have the breast biopsy. Everything was fine, no cancer. She had a kidney removed recently due to a growth -- everything was fine, nothing cancerous. I pray you remain cancer free. I see you are grabbing life by the horns and living large. It's a good thing. :)

K Dubs said...

Even without the food, the night would have been a success.. There's nothing like spending time together - that is priceless.. :)
Thanks for the view!

Smart Mouth Broad said...

What a lovely evening. It was a favorite of my mother's and I have several pieces of plumeria jewelry that belonged to her. Thanks for reminding me. Happy Mother's Day and I'm off to link you now.

PS. I guess I can only vote once afterall. I'm voting for you several times in my heart. *hugs*

Mama Dawg said...

That looks like so much fun.