Sandy Beach on a Tuesday Afternoon

We had some impressive waves on the South Shore last week.

On Tuesday afternoon, Hubs picked me up from work, swung me by the house for my camera, and scooted me off to take photos of the swell..









It was awesome.

Stay tuned for more photos from the "Tahiti Swell."

For more photo essays, head on over to Jen at Sprite's Keeper.

Tell Me a Story...

The Spin Cycle this week is "photo essay."

I've created a wordless photo essay. Your mission, should you choose to embark on said mission, is to leave a story in the comment section to go along with the photos....

Wanna play?

BC cannot wait to hear what you have to say about his antics. I may leave the real deal in the comment thread, but it will probably be anticlimatic after the fun....

For more photo essays, head on over to Jen at Sprite's Keeper.

Friday Foto: Slice of Morning

Click on the sunset in the sidebar and travel to an amazing post...

During my summer break, I would sip coffee and blog until 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning. Then I'd take BC to the park for a run. By 8 it was already sunny and warming up.

Since I have gone back to work, I take him at 5:45. Yesterday we had a treat. On one side of the field was the moon setting.
On the other side of the field the sunrise was coming up.

Not a bad start to the day. As always, you can click on the pictures for a larger (better) view.

If you listen carefully, you can hear the early morning song of the birds.

For more Friday Fotos, head on over to Candid Carrie's.

Bits from the North Shore: RTT

I’ve been enjoying reading Tuesdays’ Random Posts around the internets. So, finally, today I am giving it go…

I went up to our favorite beach on the North Shore yesterday with Hubs, Daughter, and Border Collie. The Boy opted for hanging out with his friends. Big surprise.

First thing I did was take my beach walk with BC. While walking down the pristine, near empty stretches of white sand,

BC decided to both surprise and embarrass me when he raced ahead, paused two feet in front of two women lying on the beach, and pooped right there and then. Granted, I clean up after him, but still…

On the way back, he did the same thing a foot away from a young couple.

The couple was nicer about it.

I really need to work on BC’s manners.

After snorkeling, I’m getting all comfy in my beach chair and getting ready to read my book. Hubs asked me where I packed his I-shuffle. I informed him it was in the front zip pouch of the beach bag. Since he was getting his (and mine was right there next to it) I extended my hand, palm up, for him to pass me my I-shuffle.

Hubs looked at my hand and said, “What?”

“Hello… I-shuffle please.”

To which he surprised me with this response, “Follow the man rules and ask out loud for what you want. We men don’t read minds, as much as you women think we should.”

What the fuck has he been watching?

Man rules???

We almost lost BC to the horizon. He likes to swim in and check on me when I’m snorkeling. But he wasn’t keeping tab so good. He swam out to a lady on a boogey board, and when he realized it wasn’t me, he just kept going, on and out towards the horizon. Hubs had to call him back.

I happened to look up from where I was to see my dog swimming about 20 yards out. Later, on the beach, Hubs told me my dog almost swam to my homeland – California.

Daughter rolled her eyes and informed her dad that since we were on the North Shore, BC was heading toward Alaska.



We stopped in Hali’ewa for Mexican food at Cholo’s where you can sit outside with the dog. Our table faced some shrubbery and a crew of kamikaze sparrows were focused on our chips sans salsa.

Twice they tried to dive onto the table and steal a chip.
I was more worried about the cocktails.

Birds really freak out Daughter and so she asked her father to get rid of them.

Instead, he did this.

For more Random Tuesday Posts, head on over to The Unmom.

Wordless Wednesday #19: Dawn

Inspired by this post of Braja's at Lost and Found in India. Click on over to hear the birds of Mayapur India outside Braja's and tell her hello.

Wordless Wednesday #18

July 3, 2009

Click here for more Wordless Wednesdays.

Wordless Wednesday #17

Well, not quite wordless this week. Remember last week's WW photo? I was walking out on the sea wall at sunset in Waikiki with my kids. Son walked out ahead and I snapped that photo of him, shooting directly into the sunset. When I turned around, with the sun on my back, I took this picture of the girls, Daughter and kalabash cousin.
For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Wordless Wednesday #16

Click on picture to enlarge and see in detail.

Click here for more Wordless Wednesdays.

Wordless Wednesday

Click here for more Wordless Wednesdays.

Wordless Wednesday

I'm out of words right now, so I'm borrowing words from others

"The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the other.... The whole purpose of life is to live by love." -- Thomas Merton

Friday Foto: Beach Wedding

A wedding on the beach. These are the only photos I have without the wedding couple in them and since it is not my wedding...

For all my years of living here (27), this is one of the only weddings I have been to that was straight up on the beach. Most beach weddings the couple rents a beach house, but this one was set up on a windswept, beautiful beach where there are no houses. It was simple, barefooted, and lovely.

Happy Valentine's Weekend.

For more Friday Fotos. head on over to Candid Carrie's

Friday Foto: Sacred Places

Before we get started, heads up to this contest. If you are not famliar with SITS (The Secret is in the Sauce - see sidebar for badge), it is a great blog run by the sweetest ladies in the blogoshere. Very supportive. Lots of contests. The latest is a really great one, so check it out.

Now, back to today's post...

My walks keep me healthy. My husband gave me an I-shuffle (which, according to my students is an embarrassingly ghetto version of the coveted contraption) and this addition has added an essential element to my walking that I had not realized was missing. The walks are, in part, to clear my head and center myself. Too much of my focus is in the mental processes. My Chi Kun therapist and my acupuncturist both have told me that my energy needs to be in my “furnace,” (center-just above the belly button). Not in my head. Which can lead to migraines. Stress. Stress can lead to illness. Want to stay in remission. Must. Clear. Head.

HOWEVER, there are times where I find myself mentally preoccupied with less than stellar thoughts while pacing down the trails. Or, some irritating song gets stuck in my head.

Presto bingo, enter the magic I-shuffle. Sets the mood. Blast the thoughts from my brain.

Off we go.

BC Says welcome to the bike path.

First stop, the “feral” kitty cats. Along this bike path, which is one of my walks, there are dozens of “wild” cats. I’m not sure why Hawaii has so many homeless kitties. I have heard that people move and leave their cats. I don’t know anyone who does that. But along this bike path there are a dozen or more places where a pride of cats has claimed their turf. There are ladies who walk with a wagon every evening and feed the kitties. They catch the ones they can, take them to the Humane Society, have them fixed, then bring them back. Most of the cats come out to see if you are going to feed them. One or two like attention and want to be pet.

One of my best friends gave me a book when I was going through chemo called The Ultimate Healing. It is based on Buddhism and has meditation techniques to promote healing through a grave illness. One chapter was about doing good deeds for animals and the tranquility and peace this creates. I got BC that year. And I feed the feral cats. I don’t have a wagon, so I bring a bag that I can carry and feed the little ones that look like they get bullied from the food.

The long and winding road, that leads.....

To the gazebo. A sometimes stretching spot.
Sunrise on the piers.

Deep breath in. Slow breath out. Deep breath in. Slow breath out. There is something about being surrounded by water, standing on the end of the pier, that cannot be duplicated with yoga and breathing exercises in my living room. This is my favorite yoga spot.

A second before you hear it. A second before you see it. You sense it. And there it is. The still surface of the water suddenly erupts as a school of fish changes directions and for a brief moment they simultaneously break through the water’s surface. The orchestra of a coordinated swoosh. A hundred little splashes. BC starts and trembles and for a second thinks about bolting.

Only one time it was not a school of fish. Right there in front of us a baby sting ray came flying out of the still surface of the water. It performed an acrobatic air bank and for a second looked like it was copying one of the planes that flies overhead on its way to the airport for a landing. A black shadow with a long black tail. Held in mid-air for a second not fifteen feet in front of BC and me. Take a picture with your mind, ain’t no time for cameras. A little gift from the sea.

It was gone in another second. We stood for a long time hoping for another show, but it was only meant to happen once. Sometimes, that’s just the way it is.

Then, it is time to turn around and head back.

Thanks for stopping by for a little slice of PseudoLand.

For more Friday Fotos, head on over to Candid Carrie's.

Friday Foto: Book Meme

Mama Dawg over at Two Dogs Running tagged me for a book meme. I like this one as it deals not just with the reading of books, but books as physical objects. Something one can hold and leaf through, connect not just with the aspect of its contents, but with its physical essense. This book meme also allows me to double up with the Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. And yes, I know it is Saturday. But after work yesterday I went with my two closest colleague friends for margaritas, where we discussed the politcal posturing and back stabbing that I have alluded to here recently. Nothing like getting things off one's chest with a little tequila thrown in. Yes?

And here we go...

Books That Have Been on Your Shelves the Longest
These two books of poems were my grandfather's and my mom passed them on to me sometime in my early twenties. I have other books that I have had longer, but they are in storage containers under the stairs. Those books would include my beloved horse books from childhood. I read them all. My Friend Flicka. The Wild Ponies of Chincoteague Island. Black Beauty. Man O' War.

A Book That's Been With You to the Most Places
I'm going to fudge and keep the same titles and stories for this category.
A Book that Reminds You of Something Specific.
These two books by Joan Dideon remind me of my sister and of California. Joan Dideon is a favorite author of ours and my sister gave me these books for my birthday last November. They are on my "to read" stack. My favorite Joan Dideon book is Where I was From, a wonderful book that combines memoir with California history.

A Book You Acquired in an Interesting Way

Every spring at the University of Hawaii there is a Saturday event called "Celebrate Reading." Mostly local authors, with one or two guest authors from the Mainland. When I taught 9th grade (five years) the literature focus was Local and Asian authors. I would acquire the reading list for the festival as soon as it came out. One year I even wrote a grant and was able to get seven of the books in multiple copies and run literature circles. I took the students each year and prepared them to discuss the books with the authors.

Lois Ann Yamanaka is a local writer who used to be a teacher and she is the funniest and most engaging author to hear speak. I would always encourage my students to see her in one of the two break out sessions. I still remember a student asking her how much of what she wrote was made up and how much was pulled from her life. She drew a cornstalk on the board. She started with a dot and said "This is a kernal of corn." After she completed the entire cornstalk, she continued, "Sometimes a story starts with a kernal of the truth. Sometimes it has the stalk, maybe a leaf. Other times a story might even have one or two ears of corn, the stalk, and a lot of the leaves. But you will never know how much is true and I will never tell you."

One year, two of my students came running up to me between break-out sessions. They had this book and they were flushed and excited. "We won a book for you Miss!!!! We won!! Lois Ann Yamanaka said we asked the best questions at the session and for us to give it to you."

Inside the book, Ms Yamanaka wrote this, "To Ms Pseudo - From your bright stars of students. Extra Credit! Lois Ann Yamanaka" It is also signed by the two students.


The Most Recent Addition to Your Shelves
My sister gave me these two books for Christmas. My sister and I are working on a dual memoir of our years living in a mobile home park in Malibu. From 1967 to 1970. She is four years older and we think juxtaposing the two perspectives might be interesting. I have not started the Davenport book yet.

A Bonus Book That You Want to Talk About but Doesn't Fit Into the Other Questions

I read Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama before he announced his candidacy. For Bookclub. I really enjoyed it and one day we were going to our favorite Thai food restaurant and next door the little bookstore had this in the window. Since we had to wait for a table, I went in and checked it out. And bought it. It is a first edition.

Some of my Bookshelves

My books are all over the place. A little bit organized, but not a lot. This is a shelf in the office that has mostly books for work, but other stuff too.

Another office bookshelf. Mostly paperbacks that are on my "to read" list, but also books I've loaned out and have not taken back upstairs yet.

My nightstand. I'm usually reading two to four books at a time. This is my "to read soon" pile.

The bookshelf in my bedroom. Some of the books Iv'e read several times, others are still waiting in the wings. If you click on the photo it enlarges and you can check out the titles if you feel like it.

Here's the rules to this meme.

1. Tag 3-5 people, so the fun keeps going!

2. Leave a comment at the original post at A Striped Armchair, so that Eva, the originator, can collect everyone’s answers.

3. If you leave a comment and link back to Eva as the meme’s creator, she will enter you in a book giveaway contest! She has a whole shelf devoted to giveaway books that you’ll be able to choose from, or a BookMooch Point, if you prefer.

4. Remember that this is all about enjoying books as physical objects, so feel free to describe the exact book you’re talking about, down to that warping from being dropped in the bath water…

5. Make the meme more fun with visuals! Covers of the specific edition you’re talking about, photos of your bookshelves, etc.

I'm going to let you tag yourselves if you want to play along....

For more Friday Fotos, head on over to Candid Carrie's.