Home Again

A couple of months ago, Papa experienced an attack of nostalgia. As a boy, he'd lived in Hawaii; he thinks of that year or so as the best period of his childhood and wanted to go back for old time's sake. So he planned an adventure and allowed the rest of the family - including the "other" grandma - to tag along.

Our trip began well. We drove from home to San Francisco and stumbled into an amazing restaurant for dinner - the highlight being the Taylor port tasting my daughter enjoyed. I know it doesn't seem unusual to find a good restaurant in San Francisco, but this one was in a funky location next to our airport hotel. Nice surprise and an auspicious beginning to our vacation.

I'd been just a tiny bit concerned about the house we'd rented - sight unseen, of course. I knew it was ninety years old and could see from a video that it was time worn and well loved. I could also see that the back lanai ended just a few feet from the ocean, offering incredible views. For us, the house was just right. Though it showed its age, it accommodated all seven of us. And our beds were comfortable, the linens were nice, the sunrises were incomparable, and the kitchen was adequate and well stocked. We loved eating on the front lanai and lounging by the ocean on the back one. I fantasized living there and remodeling.

We all also fantasized buying a house in the same neighborhood - until we discovered that a nice beachfront home down the street listed for seven million.

Papa fulfilled his need to see his old house and elementary school and poke around Lanikai. We visited the sea aquarium in Honolulu and took a short sight seeing drive, but mostly we just made the most of our little spot there. We even cooked all our meals but one. I didn't even shop. I read, looked at the view, played with the kids, visited with the other grown-ups, knitted a little, and cooked, And ate. Don't I always manage to eat? Oh, and Roo learned to knit! Buddy and Papa fished at six o'clock every night, and son-in-law took advantage of the full moon and the kayaks. Other grandma read, knitted, snorkeled, enjoyed the kids, and washed lots of dishes.

At the beginning of our stay, I felt chilly and a bit disappointed that I wasn't warmer; but by the end of our week, the temperature met my expectations. The temperature combined with the luau we threw on the last night made leaving difficult.

For Roo, a luau (she says Lu How and we didn't correct her - she's so cute saying it her way) requires a grass skirt, coconut boobs, and a real coconut. We all thought we should have leis. I wanted candles, pineapple, Hawaiian music, and my son-in-laws margaritas. Yes, I know that's not right. But you'd have to taste those margaritas. They seemed to work - tropical, I guess - and we already had the fixings. And they are just the best. Our shoppers (not me) managed to find everything we needed, Papa showed off his coconut busting skills, and daughter found great mood-setting music on her laptop. Flowers other grandma gleaned from a walk through the neighborhood added to the decor. Hawaii offered the warmest night of the trip and a giant, orange, full moon.

Our appetizers were pigs in a blanket because Papa had bought them for the kids early in the week and we had lots of those left in the freezer. I made a honey mustard sauce for dipping them. And cut up a fresh pineapple, using the top to help decorate the table - Roo said we needed that, too. For dinner we served pork, tropical sweet potatoes topped with coconut, beans and rice (because it seemed like a good idea and I had lots of rice and a can of black beans)and zucchini. Dessert was mango sorbet and Hagen Das toasted coconut ice cream. And chocolate covered macadamia nuts.

I was almost misty on luau night - watching the girls dance by the light of the moon, seeing Buddy relish romping and catching anoles in his new red net, hearing the week's snorkeling tales, enjoying the communion of family, and already thinking about returning to Los Osos' cool weather. We all wanted to stay.

But we managed to tear ourselves away, and now home seems just fine. Chilly, yes. But home, nevertheless. We may go back, though.

Pictures later:)