countdown to the land of luaus

in two days, we'll be on a plane flying over the pacific ocean to our destination in paradise. we're so looking forward to experiencing all oahu has to offer. some of our plans include:
1. visiting the north shore to watch great surfers
2. touring the dole plantation because pineapples are yummy
3. a snorkeling/sailing adventure
4. surfing lessons so maybe one day we can BE great surfers
5. attending a luau for all you can eat poi
6. hiking diamond head because we never take a break from our workouts

we'll be sure to share details and photos when we return.

other than counting down to vacation, we've been keeping busy. recently, we took a wine tasting class through the community college. on a beautiful sunny day, we learned a lot about a winery that lets the wine speak for itself instead of meddling in the process. the result is a clean, crisp wine we enjoyed very much. here are some photos of our adventure...

the supplies


an artistic shot of a new vineyard and some old machinery


mn in front of a newly-planted vineyard - the tubes are incubators for the vines


inside a tube


an older vine


hey everybody!



we also attended a law school graduation party in washington park and then had dinner with friends in estacada, oregon which is about an hour from downtown. their house is beautiful and very secluded. it was nice to listen to the rain on the trees and be surrounded by peacefulness.

lately i've been thinking a lot about happiness and what it means to different people. what makes people happy? we've made lists of some of the things that make us happy. we encourage y'all to do the same and remember to give thanks and be grateful for the joy that is life.

mn: my girlfriend; my family and friends; hugs; parallel parking with precision; hearing a child's laugh, especially when it's my niece's or nephew's laugh; brilliant blue skies; thunderstorms; hearing the ocean's waves; running five miles; dark chocolate; playing with kandinsky, the super cat; flowers; finding a penny...dime...$20 bill...finding any money, really; learning new things; spending time at the library; getting the mail; hearing a good story; laughing until my stomach hurts

lucky: my girlfriend; my family and friends; snuggling with our kitty cat; a long drive to deep centerfield - just baseball in general; sunshine; apple pie; good romantic comedies; grocery shopping; the south; working out; blogs; america's funniest home videos; adventures; people-watching; the view from our apartment; good design; driving a convertible

kandinsky: hanging out in the top of my moms' closet; begging for people food - well, only stuff i like; watching mn paint and getting in her way when she's on the computer; snuggling on my blankie; sitting in the window; playing with my plastic toys

our kitty in the closet...


and up close


here's to continuing to add to the "what makes you happy" list.

we love and miss y'all very much.

watch out metalworkers! you've got competition

"embrace life and all it has to offer" has been a motto of ours for quite some time and, in light of recent family events, it's even more fitting. we hope you're doing the same.

this past weekend was a chance for us to enjoy some new experiences, including attending the "women in trades" fair in ne portland. it was a way for us to learn more about non-traditional careers for women, such as a forklift operator and mechanic. in the process, we were offered the opportunity to weld -- something neither of us had done before. nervously, we agreed to give welding a try. as we donned protective eyewear, a helmet, coat and gloves, we wished we had brought our camera to capture the moment. but alas, all we have to show for our experience is a miniature metal sculpture. mine is the palm tree, lucky's is the sailboat.



before you get too impressed, please understand we didn't cut out the metal objects. no, our welding teacher had already done that for us. all we did was use electricity to melt metal in order to fuse the base to the sculpture. below is a close-up of the backside. see the clumpy bead of metal along the base? notice how, because i chose a palm tree, i didn't have much to weld, whereas lucky had to show off by picking the sailboat, which meant lots of welding. now are you impressed??? well, it was actually quite scary. we both decided a career in welding wasn't for us.



we also spent some time at the convention center as we wandered the aisles of a pottery and ceramics fair, a glass beads and glassworks fair, a furniture builders fair, a jewelry fair and the "i've had enough of people" fair.

sunday was elizabeth's birthday so we got a chance to take her to one of her favorite breakfast places, violet's. again, we wished we had brought the camera to the restaurant because my hot chocolate arrived at the table with the word "violet's" written across the frothy white foam in chocolate sauce. fancy!

speaking of fancy, we leave for hawaii in less than two weeks and boy, oh boy, are we ecstatic!!!!!!

please know we think of you often, and we love and miss you all. sending lots of love and hugs across the miles...the girlz

here's a picture of us with the birthday girl.

long airplane rides to a place no one wants to go

these posts are usually joyful ones describing our adventures, observations, and reflections on the goofiness of our lives and life in general. this particular post is also about observations, but not necessarily the ones you're used to reading on our blog. it's more contemplative and an opportunity to realize how beautiful and amazing life is during the short time our bodies wander this earth.

for the past few days, i've been filled with and surrounded by sadness. i've also been filled with and surrounded by love. such an odd juxtaposition, in my opinion. you see, my uncle took his own life a week ago. it was unexpected, it was excruciatingly sad and it was overwhelming in so many ways. i went to atlanta to be with my family and hopefully help to ease the pain of an event immersed in pain. i needed to be there to say goodbye, to support my family and absorb the healing powers of the love we share. i believe i accomplished my goals.

my uncle affected so many lives during the short time he spent on this earth - most he never even realized, i would imagine. he was always the calm, stoic one - the one constant, it seemed, in a world filled with changes. as the final funeral preparations unfolded, my mind was flooded with memories … he was usually the first person in the food line at family gatherings and always got chided for it; he laughed with his whole body; he always listened intently to what someone was saying; when he talked about cars his eyes lit up; when it was time to leave, he'd tell me to be careful and "i love you, punkin." he was a great man and will be tremendously missed by anyone who ever knew him. i love you, uncle noley.

there are times i wonder if any of us know how much of an effect we have on one another. a crass word uttered to a loved one or to a stranger driving the car that just cut us off in traffic, the chance to offer a helping hand to someone who has fallen on hard times, the difference a smile can make to someone you pass on the street. we'll never know how these actions impact or fail to impact others, but wouldn't it be easier to go through life knowing you're making every effort possible to brighten the paths of those you come in contact with? i'm making a pledge to myself - be a better person and smile more often; to help others whenever i can and to be more patient with myself and with others.