Livin' la vida Scacco

Impatience

2012-01-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

When I was a Girl Scout, we learned a song that went a little something like this:

"Have patience, have patience,

Don't be in such a hurry,

When you get impatient,

You always start to worry..."

Now, I have always been told that I am a very

PATIENT

person.

However, I am finding myself quite

IMPATIENT

lately.

Particularly with this guy:

We planted this gardenia bush back in July and it is finally blooming.

Mid-winter

Yikes.

The things is,

I LOVE GARDENIAS

and this particular gardenia has looked like it does above since the beginning of Decemeber.

That is NO JOKE.

Open, little gardenia!

I want to see your beautiful petals!

I want to smell your creamy scent!

Open NOW!

Or should I practice the patience at which I am apparently "good"?

'Till then, here's our view from dinner yesterday:

aloha

I resolve to walk lightly

2012-01-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

This year

I resolve

to walk lightly

aloha.

...and...(breathe in)....OOHHHMMMM....

2012-01-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

I've been in a blogging rut.

Not because I don't have anything to say (that rarely happens),

but because I haven't had the clarity to focus on one thing lately.

I've been "all over the place."

Today is the last day of Winter Break.

Nick had to go into work, so I got up early.

Lit some candles.

Sat up nice and tall,

and said,

"Oooohhhhmmm."

-5 minutes later-

I realized that my thoughts were like the candle flame in front of me.

They are mostly focused around one wick.

Sometimes they are calm and shoot in the same direction as the wick,

but sometimes they dance around that wick; bouncing, jumping, twirling toward the breeze.

Realizing this, I relaxed.

I relaxed into acceptance.

My ever-moving thoughts are fine!

I simply need to remind myself to slow down and capture those thoughts before I lose them or compound them with others.

I need to focus on one thing before moving to the next.

Most times when I meditate, my thoughts are reminiscent of scene in Eat, Pray, Love where Liz is meditating for the first time in the Ashram in India. Shortly after she starts, her thoughts have wandered into decorating her meditation room at home. Her thoughts are all dancing around the meditation wick, but they are keeping her from actually meditating.

Calm the breath...

Calm the body...

Calm the mind...

WHY is it so difficult to calm the mind?

Some days, I blame it on distraction, and aren't we Americans masters of distraction?

Other days, my brain is "on overload." I'm keeping too many ideas trapped inside.

Our thoughts are a lot like our digestive system.

What we keep trapped inside only festers and enhances discomfort until we

let...it...go

...oooohhhhhhmmmm...

aloha.

Mele Kalikimaka

2011-12-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

Here we are...

Christmas Eve...

I jumped on blogger this morning to write a Merry Christmas entry...

...but I find myself reminiscing holidays in the islands.

Reminiscing, or missing?

Missing resides in the heart of reminiscing, I believe.

However, sadness does not need to live there, too.

So on this Christmas Eve, I am striving to turn my back on sadness; to focus only on the joy that island living brought to my life. Perhaps I'll list the elements of Hawai'i that can still live with me.

But first, here's holidays in the islands:

Winter swells on the N. Shore...not to surf, but to watch!

We used to decorate our apartment with snowflake lights and imagine it was cold outside. Sometimes it was Hawaii's version of cold: 79 degrees...burrrr!

Christmas break always gave us time to take our favorite hikes...to places like the one pictured above!

Christmas was a great time to start whale watching. Although not yet the height of whale season, we would typically have a few sightings.

My friend Kate always had the best holiday parties in her north shore backyard.

Here's how we would celebrate!

Reminiscing...missing...releasing what is no longer my reality...grasping my new life...that's my goal on this Christmas.

Mele Kalikimaka

aloha.

Adventures in the garden

2011-10-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

During summer, we planted a potted garden.

Being new to gardening during "seasons" (not applicable in Hawai'i),

we planted what we liked and figured we'd see what would survive as the new seasons arrived.

It is officially FALL!

I'm loving every bit of it...

...well...

I'm not loving that the cold weather exaggerates every injury I've attained, as well as those I never knew about...

Pumpkins? Yes!

Coats? Yes!

Leaves changing color? Yes!

Warm coffee on a cool day? Yes!

Back to the garden...Our plants are THRIVING! Woot!

We'll see if we say the same when Fall gives way to Winter.

For now, here are some shots from this morning's adventures in gardening:

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step..."

2011-10-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

...a single step.

The first step...taken first in consideration, then in plan, then in action.

Which is most difficult?

Considering to step?

Planning to step?

Actually stepping?

Step!

Walk!

Run!

Find your journey.

As my Grandma Dee once said, "You are blessed if you wake in the morning and can put one foot in front of the other."

My hurdles are only as big as my mind allows.

Right?

One life. One love.

Aloha.

Mis cosas favoritas

2011-09-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

Oh glorious day!

Thoughts freely flowing,

Candle scent evoking a myriad of memories,

Espresso buzzing through my veins,

Inspired to share some of my favorite things!

Let's start with the candle burning by my side:

http://kauaicandlesbyele.com/

My favorite scent is Coconut Milk

It smells of every good thing in Hawaii...creamy and wonderful!

Well-made stationary. My current favorite comes from Eggpress in Portland, OR
http://eggpress.com/
I just picked these up from a quaint store in Encinitas:

I'm not one to collect body products (or much else for that matter), and I typically buy the most cost-efficient product (keeping in mind quality and environmental effects).

However, I do enjoy a few nice lotions:

1- Maile Mango

http://www.malie.com/index.php

2- Lanikai Bath and Body, Gardenia Body Butter

http://www.lanikaibathandbody.com/

Next up?

COFFEE

Bird Rock Coffee Roasters...heaven on earth.

http://www.birdrockcoffeeroasters.com/

The Damnwells- Easily my favorite music of the moment

The ocean- Not a material possession, but a favorite, nonetheless

My Guitar

And with that, I leave you with this:

Any so-called material thing that you want is merely a symbol: you want it not for itself, but because it will content your spirit for the moment.

- Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Forced Family Time

2011-09-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard

I am up early this morning reflecting on the events of the last few days and mostly on FAMILY.
What events, you say?
Thursday. I had invited Mom up to Encinitas (I work about 30 minutes from where we live) to have dinner with me after work. Nick had an open house at his new, fabulous school and because we drive one car to work (woot!), I had oodles of time to spare. Hence my invite to mom.
We had the makings of a brilliant evening...lots of time, beautiful weather, the beach nearby, a good friend to meet up with, a town we had not yet explored together...

Cue power outage.

We figured it was local...a few blocks at most. There was some traffic, but nothing that would sideline our plans. As plans normally go, though, Plan B was initiated.
We didn't have much gas in the car, but we decided to pick up our friend and go to dinner anyway. Restaurants weren't open by the ocean, but Subway was. Hahaha. I'm not a fan of fast food, but I can handle Subway once in a while.
So we took our Subway to the beach as the sun sunk towards the horizon. The power would be on again soon, right? We could gas up and head home in a few hours.
Plan B had become more enchanting than Plan A ever had the potential to be...

Cue news that power outage stretched from Arizona, to Mexico, to Orange County.
Oh.
This is going to take a while.
People are becoming increasingly hysterical. What is it about sudden change that encourages nonsensical behavior? Rumors were swirling...terrorist attack...booms under the ocean...3-5 days without power...
Resilience, America. We can do it. Try again next time.

Cue Plan C.

What does this all have to do with reflections on family? Hold tight. I'll get there.
In my typically over-concerned brain, I decided we had better leave before sunset to try to catch Nick before he left school. We could ride home with him and leave the gasless car in Encinitas.
Pulling into Nick's school, we saw the other car still in the parking lot. Phew. He's still there.
Only he wasn't. Hahaha.
After the Open House he had gone to hang with the other teachers at a nearby house to wait out the traffic jam, says the Dean who was locking up the building.
Okay.

Cue Plan D.

Dean calls Nick...no answer. Dean texts Nick....no answer. Nick's phone doesn't get service either...Oh. Dean calls and texts people who may be with Nick...no answer. Dean needs to go...needs to get home to his family.

Cue Plan E.

Revert to the 1980's...no cell phones, no internet. We write a note and leave it on Nick's car. Coasting on fumes back to our friend's apartment, we hope Nick will get the note and come to our rescue. Until then, it's martinis and candles on the lanai, and great company!
About an hour later, Nick came. The sun had set, car had plenty of gas, and we were exhausted.
Now imagine three full-grown adults in a 2-seater Mazda Miata driving the California freeways...hahaha.
We made it home to find Kev and Brandon safe and sound, surrounded by candles and board games.
Power was restored around midnight and we found out that there was no terrorist attack...only a mistake made by a worker at the power plant. Forgiven.
What a night!

So...what does this ALL have to do with FAMILY?
Well, for one, thank God mom decided to join me for dinner. Had she not, Nick and I would have only had the gasless car. We are so thankful to be living close to family, not only for resources like cars with gas, but also to have people with whom to share our life.
In the past few months, we have shared laughs, tears, moves, dinners, baseball games, important decisions, parties, engagements, new jobs, etc, etc.
It is much more meaningful to share in these moments than it is to recount them over the phone.

We have said it every day. There is nothing like having family around.

The day after the blackout, the news reported that families had "forced family time" and that they didn't have access to their "devices"...you know, Blackberries, Ipads, Computers...
They continued to say that people reportedly enjoyed this forced family time.
Wow.
Really?
They enjoyed looking each other in the eye?
They enjoyed talking to each other?
They enjoyed playing games that didn't require electricity?

Our society, and specifically our family structure (on the majority) is increasingly complex anymore.
We are fueled by these "devices". We wake up early, only to check-out of consciousness and check-in online.
Meanwhile, our children are following that model, yet still require the attention that any child needs to be balanced and appropriately nourished.
Attention in the form of computerized, non-social interaction replaces social skills and positive social reinforcement. Our children go to school without social skills...and the domino effect continues. I could write on this topic forever because I see it every day. If you don't know what I speak of, volunteer for a day on the playground at an elementary school.

It is unfortunate that it took a widespread power outage for the realization of "forced family time" to occur.
Why isn't this family time forced by choice, instead?

Our most basic instinct is not for survival but for family. Most of us would give our own life for the survival of a family member, yet we lead our daily life too often as if we take our family for granted. ~Paul Pearshall

Perhaps this post is long enough.

Enough, already!

Uncle!

I'm off to have some forced family time. Only, it's my choice to force it, not a position I've found myself in unwillingly.

I pray the same for my family and yours, current and future.

'Ohana means family - no one gets left behind, and no one is ever forgotten. ~Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, Lilo & Stitch

A Few Hawai'ian Memories on a Lovely Saturday Morning in San Diego

2011-09-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

I've been very sentimental the last 24 hours or so...

Remembering my home of the last 6 years.

Thought I'd blog about it...

usually feel more "at peace" post-blogging

This pic was taken of my brothers and me by KT the night before my wedding. Sitting by the beach in the evening as the sun sets is the best time for reflection.

Today is actually KT's wedding day! Had I been in Hawaii, it would have been difficult to share this day with her. Although I miss Hawaii like a drought misses the rain, I am very thankful to be closer to friends and family...especially on days like today.

Hanalei Town Center. One of my favorite places to be...especially on a rainy day. There is a smell in Hawaii when it rains...must, flowers, old dirt, ocean...there's nothing like it.

One of my favorite bloggers just moved to Kauai. She moved there as I was moving away, and I am so thankful to have her stories and pictures to connect me to the place that I love so dearly.

We used to love when mom would come to visit. We always acted like tourists and ran around to the touristy sites.

I love this picture of Kauai. Inside the Hanalei Town Center there is a big wooden hanging-thing. I love the wood-work in Hawaii. It feels ancient, historic, real. In fact, the woodwork in Hawaii was the inspiration behind our wooden wedding rings.

Our favorite restaurant in downtown Honolulu- Du Vin

Feels like a European cafe...and looks like one, too!

Gardenias! The ultimate "Lindsay" experience! The creamy smell, the creamy feel, the creamy color...oh, how I love the creaminess of it all!

One of my favorite hikes: Makapu'u Lighthouse...with one of my favorite people: My little brother. He and I have so many wonderful memories on the island together. He is my ultimate adventure partner.

I love the music of Keali'i Reichel. One of his songs is reminiscent of this view:

Puana `ia ke aloha
Ku`u lei aloha mae `ole
Pili hemo `ole, Pili pa`a pono
Ke pono ho`i käua
E Kawaipunahele

Although this is not Wailuku, I relate to the line: "Never separated, firmly united, When it's right, We'll go back...O Kawaipunahele"

Brandon and Nick's favorite beach: Waimea bay. Once, Nick was snorkeling here and found the most BEAUTIFUL shell. Usually, we wouldn't think of taking the shell from the water (read our thoughts on this here), but this shell felt like a Gift from the Sea. We made sure that it was abandoned, and then claimed the gift.

Jack Johnson! Although he RARELY played concerts in Hawai'i (how funny, right?), when he did, it was incredible! I love acoustic music, and his is awesome!

(I've somehow lost my picture of him)

My drive to work. Over the Pali highway I would go. Through the tunnels, stricken by the sunrise as it crested the Mokulua Islands. Fog clinging the to Kailua marsh...it was breathtaking. Every morning. Ahhh.

As I move forward in my new home, knowing that I'll be making a million new memories and loving tons of new places, I am ever-slowly finding peace in letting go of Hawai'i. It's going to take some time to cut the cord...Hawai'i has been in my heart for most of my life. Not the Hawai'i of the tour books, but the Hawai'i that chants through my pictures and my memories...
Aloha `oe, aloha `oe
E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
One fond embrace,
A ho`i a`e au
Until we meet again

aloha.

A Friday Moment

2011-08-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

Linking up with Some The Wiser
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

First day of school...new job...blessings abound

My old man

2011-08-15T22:52:00.000-07:00

My handsome husband turned 30 yesterday!

We had an entire birthday weekend, full of lots of events.

On Friday, we went to the Del Mar Racetrack with Nick's cousin, Paul and his wife, Gia.

Scaccos in the HOUSE!

That's the horse that won...I didn't choose that one.

Jimmy Eat World played at the racetrack after the races

The man in foreground is NOT my husband, but he IS sporting a hair-don't

On Saturday, we headed to the golden sands of Coronado Beach

We also got some jalapeno white cheese sauce from Miguel's

At the art gallery, we met Fran. It was her birthday, too! She was our favorite part of the day...

Sunday was his actual birthday.

Special Kitten didn't seem to care

Birthday cake of choice...grasshopper pie from Baskin Robbins

Bowling in the Gaslamp

In walked the cast of The Real World. Kev swore he was going to be famous. Can you see them behind Kev? They were like 18 years old and had NO FUN AT ALL. Boring. Boring T.V. from those folks. They should have been filming us.

Nick found some new friends

On Monday, Brandon took Nick to WWE.

We were going to go for "30 days of being 30", but day 4 proved to be just enough. 30 is not like 20...only so much fun can be had day-after-day ;)

Home again, home again, jiggety...wait...where's home again?

2011-08-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

March 2011...

We love living in Hawai'i

We see the end of grad school on the horizon

We have an exciting adventure in Europe ahead of us

We dream of the days when we are responsible towards one job each and can come home to an enjoyable evening free of writing thesis papers...

We get a phone call

The owner of our apartment is selling...NOW...

She's an older lady and needed money for medical bills

Okay, not optimal, but we can find a new place,

really, we can...

I know, I know, we LOVE our apartment

I fought hard to find that apartment after the robbery in our old place

We had a rhythm in our apartment

We loved the rooftop grills...the pool...walking to the beach...walking to The Cream Pot...

2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms of our own to spread out...

but, she was selling it.

Enter work one day.

Special Ed jobs are dependent upon the numbers of students...the more students, the more teachers.

Meeting with the principal...the numbers don't look so great for next year...

I'm low man...

a tenured teacher has been placed at our school...

but she is going to do everything she can to keep me, too.

Type-A, worrisome Lindsay: There's no way I'll be around next year.

Could I find a new position on-island? Most likely, yes.

Did I want to move locations, meet new staff, transition to a new school culture? No.

Rewind months prior.

We talk.

Is this Hawaii life sustainable post-grad school?

We didn't move here for grad school.

In fact, we were here long before then...surfing, snorkeling, beaching, loving life

But we want a family one day...

a family that can play in a back yard that we own...

a family that can live in a house that we own...

a family that can see grandma more than once per year.

We would have to invent something irreplaceable, win the lottery (which doesn't exist in Hawaii), or take up bank robbing to have that in Hawaii.

Hmmm...

A move was on the horizon...

When? Was the question.

Fast forward.

No apartment.

Possibility of no job.

Almost 30...Want to start a family in the next few years

Okay, God. We hear you loud and clear. We're moving.
But we WILL be stubborn about one thing:
The ocean.

July, 2011

Beach? Check.

Family? Check.

Jobs? God? We're listening...

Last day of our big adventure

2011-08-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots from our last few days in Greece with sweet baby girl Sophia:

Yah, that's right, she can already use an IPad...so there, world!

She LOVES tickles, and has the best little laugh.

Post-tickle face

Hey, Auntie Lindsay, you gettin' this? I'm making some pretty stinkin' cute faces here!

Glo Worm and Sofie...2 must-haves when hanging with Sophia!

Okay, Auntie, enough of the camera now...

Just kidding! Tickles and laughs, tickles and laughs,

Check out the hat!

Laughing is a way of life in these parts...

When you're around Sophia, do as Sophia does and you'll surely find happiness!

Check out my sunglasses! Heeeyyy!

Serious picture!

Silly picture!

This girl gets it already...makin' silly faces is always better than being serious.

Just hanging out, like Scacco girls do best!

Check out my big toe! 'Aint it cute?

Happiness happens, you know?

So the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

It was here that our trip ended...

Sophia went down for a nap,

we said tearful good-byes,

and headed to the airport.

Ciao Europe!

'Till next time!

Next up? San Diego...

Sophia, Queen of the World

2011-08-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

A few mornings, we were welcomed by a "Baby Gram"...Here we are, first thing in the morning!

Sweetest baby ever!

Best way to wake up, as well.

Nap time

At lunch...Daddy made the sea creature into a finger puppet

Incredible family portrait

Hair for dessert

Funny Mommy

Sophia and a Whozit

Seaside cabana...yes please

And so the games begin

Pondering the next jump

Nice headband, husband

Nice headband, brother

Dinner time

Auntie's turn!!

We cuddled

Tony and Melissa

...looking great, as usual!

Getting comfortable

Something was pretty funny...

Two happy campers

Good-NESS! That is one pretty girl!

Vouliagmeni, Day 2

2011-08-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

Pool time!

Baby toes!!!

Just hangin' with mom on the lanai...

Buh-bye sun!

Nick made up a new dance to the live music that was going on outside...

It's called "The Happy Dog"

Next up? Day 3

Vouliagmeni, Day 1

2011-08-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the resort!

We were all pretty excited for a week at the beach.

Pretty Scaccos! Like mother, like daughter!

Check out Sophia's face..."Uncle Nick, come on, man, those are mine!"

There's the prettiest Scacco!

A little shade is what it's all about...

As if a sardine isn't disgusting already, how about we fry it whole with it's eyes still in?

...totally gross...

Tony and Melissa!

Sunglasses make me smile...

See?

Two men and a baby...

Baby in a tree

The gorgeous lobby

oooh!

Hangin' with Uncle Nick in my shoulder ruffles

Happy Baby Pose!

Staring contest...

What a beautiful family!!

Our room

View from our lanai

Uncle Nick put sunglasses on the Whoozit and made it dance...that was big-time fun

The Special Olympics was there! This was their gala

Nick bought me that for my birthday

Sunset, day 1

Next up? More Vouliagmeni and more SOPHIA!!!

Tony's Birthday

2011-08-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

We went to a beautiful restaurant for Tony's birthday

View from the restaurant!

View at the restaurant!

Sophia and Sofie the Giraffe

LOVING Uncle Nick's lap

LOVING Sofie

Thanks for the smooch, Uncle Nick!

...and, pose!

Dinner!

Birthday boy with his daughter!

Back at the Melia Athens...chillin for sunset

View from the hotel

Next up? Vouliagmeni and more SOPHIA!!!!

Greece

2011-08-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

From Roma, we flew to Greece where we met up with Tony, Melissa, and

BABY SOPHIA!!!

This is the first time Uncle Nick held her..

This is the first time Auntie Lindsay flashed that silly camera flash in her face...

One of her favorite places to be...on the shoulders of a Scacco man

Two Men and a Baby...and a whole lotta graffiti

Sophia is a world traveler already. How many babies can say they've been here!?

Spotted Auntie Lindsay with that crazy camera again.
Hey girl! Looking great!

"When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses." ~Joyce Brothers

Scacco girls!

The hill in the back is the highest point in Athens.

The girl in the front looks like she's holding an animal skin..but she's really just shaking out her sweater.

Bruthas

Guy in the lime plaid just wouldn't get out of the shot. It was a nice choice of lime plaid, though...

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Nick ended up with monuments coming out of his head in most of the pictures.

Athens

If you click on this picture to enlarge it, you can see writing on the stone...pretty awesome.

Up next? Tony's birthday and more scrumptious pics of BABY SOPHIA!!!

Day 2, Roma, Vatican Museum

2011-07-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

The Prima Porta...Brandon's favorite statue

Ninja Turtle #2- Raphael

Thinking...thinking...

There was a whole room with works by Matisse. I heart this one.

Nick found baby Jesus

Original Dali!

This was my favorite.

Throughout the trip, Nick ended up with monuments coming out of his head in the pictures...

Alright...this was the sign on the subway in Rome. My favorite is the guy on the bottom left. Don't get your bottom stuck in the door.

Lunch at Gina's at the Spanish Steps...thanks, Gina!

Gina's storefront

Spanish Steps

Is it a blow dryer or a telephone?

Loving this shower...classy

The running man was everywhere!

Nick, ordering gelato. He had to just push his way in. No line. Normale.

It's an ice cream show-down. And I have electric boogers?

Sometimes when you are lost in the middle of Rome, it helps to be wearing a traditional kimono.

Is it a cafe, restaurant, or club? I think you get a 3-for-1 deal here.

And so ends our Italian Adventure, but no fear! Up next? Greece!!!

Roma- Day 1

2011-07-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

We traveled from Florence to Rome...

...and then had our longest day on foot...all completed in 1/2 a day

We were T-Red by the end of the day, but check out what we saw:

THE COLLISEUM

PALATINE HILL

THE ROMAN FORUM

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II

PIAZZA NUVONA

PANTHEON

TREVI FOUNTAIN

ANOTHER IRISH PUB!

Next up? Day 2, Rome, Vatican Museum

Florence- Day 2

2011-07-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

Day 2 was our only full day in Florence...
We went to Galleria Academia to see the statue of the David, amongst other things. Didn't take pictures there, though, because I am a rule-follower. That's right. Rule-follower to a fault.
So, Statue of the David=AMAZING!
Michelangelo was a total loon.
There is not an artist that I am aware of in today's world that would take the time to create works on the level that he did.

Nick and the breakfast room

The sitting room at Hotel Pendini...they were playing Frank Sinatra...yes...

Trattoria Za-Za...as per Kate's recommendation...

It was DELICIOUS!!!!

The inside of Za-Za

That's a K for Kate...in front of Za-Za

Nick in front of his favorite cafe...Cafe Paszkowski (www.paszkowski.it)

We also found a chocolate cafe...

Chocolate lipstick

Found another Irish bar...weird

Cafe Paszkowski at night

Good night, Florence!

Lady Florence

2011-07-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

We traned from Cinque Terre to Florence, excited to see the sites in the city! So far, we had been in Tuscany for a week, and on the coast for a few days.

It was now time to get down to business

Made it to our hotel...Hotel Pendini! Right in the heart of Piazza Republica!

So awesome!

We set on foot to see as much as we could, as we only had a few days in Florence.

Me...and the backside of a duomo.

Nick took this shot without me knowing. The lighting turned out SO AWESOME!

No words needed.

Lunch! Check out the meat above Nick's head. Now, that's my kind of place! Hahaha...

Piazza Republica.

Our hotel is in the background, to the right of arch...called Pensione Pendini.

I loved this piazza.

There was so much going on at all times.

A little night music?

So the painted face guy was upset because these street vendors took over the spot that he usually performs his show. There was a lot of screaming going on. He was not happy.

There was also a lot of arm throwing going on. He's throwing down right here with the street vendor.

Ah...Piazza Republica...always a good show.

This is one of our favorite shots of the trip.

This IS our favorite shot of the trip. Seriously. Click on this photo to enlarge it. How did we happen to capture this moment in time? What a souvenir!

Sunset walk along the river

Nick caught this shot of bugs flying around the walkway light.

Where are we?

Why, an Irish Pub, of course!

Next up? Day 2-Florence

More Manarola!

2011-07-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

Lemons! We wanted so badly to pick one, but we kept our hands to ourselves like good Scaccos

Checking out the ocean from Via Belvedere

Dinner on the lanai

As we were sitting there, a very interesting tour boat came into the bay...

So we had to get a closer look

...and a closer look...

Nick spotted the Hawkeyes flag from far away and needed to confirm.

There's Angelo. He runs the tour, apparently. We were super curious about what the tour consisted of...so we googled it.

Not many people had good reviews of Angelo's Tours.

Very expensive, they say.

Small boat, they say.

Angelo is not as friendly as they say, they say.

Good thing we didn't pay 500 EUROS to go on the tour.

There's a shot inside Nona's kitchen...next door to our lanai.

Getting a kick out of reading about Angelo's tours.

TGFK...Thank God for Kindle

Our last sunset in Manarola

The morning we left was the most clear, beautiful morning we had experienced.

So we sat on the lanai, of course!

These two were cracking me up. The man didn't row at all. hehehe.

Next up? FLORENCE!

Hiking from Monterosso to Vernaza

2011-07-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

A 1/2 liter of white wine and a load of pasta later, we were ready to hike...

Seriously...

What were we thinking?

Wine before a hike?

Can you see the people sunbathing on the cliff ledge? Look closely...they're on a blue towel.

Who does that?

Buh-bye Monterosso! You were cool, but a bit too crowded for our liking.

Maybe we should have brought some water with us...uh....

Firefly! So pretty!

Me...trying to figure out how to set the timer on our new camera. Look at Nick's face...hahaha.

Got it! Check out my pasta belly...oh man...that's not good. Better keep hiking.

There were ALOT of steps on this hiking path.

Not that I mind steps, but I like the ones going down better than the ones going up.

Nick, practicing his favorite dance move (that he learned on the Wii) called "The Whisper"

Ah! Vernazza! There you are!

Took the train back home...tired, but full of life from an awesome day!

This seems to be a pattern. Here's picture #2 of me trying to figure out the camera timer. Again, check out Nick's face. HAHAHAH

Now that's a pair of happy Scaccos.

Next up? One last sunset on the coast.

Manarola- Monterosso

2011-07-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Cafe Scacco on the lanai

Good morning Manarola

A little ballerina morning stretch...

Nona's house...

Manarola from the walkway to the next town...

How gorgeous is that!

Lilikoi?! Are you kidding me?!!!!

Walking through the terraced fields. We thought we were being adventurous, and then a tour group of around 50 people came tromping by.

That was the unfortunate part of most of our time in Italy...tour groups...grrrr

I didn't pick the grapes...I promise

I didn't pick the apples either...

nor did I pick the pears...

...and I certainly didn't pick the peaches, but check out that butterfly!

We made it to Monterosso, and found the "public beach" (which was 10'x10') and Nick found his way into the water.

Nestled among the locals at the public beach

This was the private part of the beach...it was like 10 euros to sit in their sand. Shmoo on their poo

Dinner by the water...at Belvedere's

Hawaii needs to invest in some of these...paddle boats with slides

Next up? Hiking from Monterosso to Vernaza

From Tuscany to Cinque Terre...

2011-07-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

The day began before the sun, and as we drove away from our week in Tuscany, the sun put on quite a show.

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes!

The drive to Florence took about 2.5 hours. We left Tuscany with plenty of time, but we didn't plan for our mapped freeway exit to be closed (or possibly not even built yet...haven't decided which one). We exited the next exit, which, by American driving standards would have been fine. Italy...not so much. There's no back-tracking....we weren't mapped out for that. We wound our way through Florence, going down streets we certainly should NOT have been driving on, ditching the map, instead licking a finger and going the way of the wind.

As you can see in the above photo, we made it to the Florence train station, with enough time to spare to take a picture and run.

On the train...looking forward to seeing the ocean!

We made it! Here's a look at Manarola from Via Belvedere.

We got into town and knew we needed to find Via Belvedere, so we asked the locals.

"Where can we find Via BelveDEAR?" We said with a distinct American twang.

"Via BelveDEAR? BelveDEAR...."...thinking, thinking..."OH! Via Belve'dehdeh'! Turn around...right behind you!"

Hahaha...oops

Terraced gardens

Thanks to my good friend Zheila, we found this rental...right on the water, with clean, modern furnishings.

We were STOKED! This was our room.

View of the other side of the room

Nick and the view!

El bano

The front door...cool, right?

Nick, opening our door

The shared lounge

The shared lanai! We only shared it once...I guess the other guests had other things to do! We were perfectly happy RIGHT THERE

Right-hand view from the lanai

Tired-out, man

A monkey and a boat. This is when we knew this place was seriously awesome.

Via Belvedere from our front door

Me at the front door. The picture was overexposed, so you can't see that the ocean is right behind me!

Exploring Via Belvedere

The Manarola train station

Nona was everywhere...hanging clothes, yelling at the people below, sitting on her lanai...oh, Nona!

The main drag in Manarola....restaurants, oh my!

We had AMAZING food here!

At the boat dock...when did I get eye wrinkles? Oh well, it means I've been smiling alot.

Manarola at night. Seriously enchanting.

Next up? More Cinque Terre!!!

Orvieto

2011-07-23T22:37:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, Brandon studied abroad in Orvieto. Realizing that we were a short drive away, we headed out to see where he roamed the streets!

The city is on top of the plateau

Funicular!

Poppies!

As soon as we got into the town, we found a stairway that led us down to this walkway around the outside of the city.

The walls were really tall!

Etruscan tombs

Ah....duomo

We were really hungry and decided that we needed to find the restaurant that Brandon suggested...Pizzeria Charlies. Well, we roamed and roamed, and couldn't find it. After a while, we came across one of those famous Italian signs that tell you anywhere and everywhere to go...and what did it say?? Charlies!

The entrance to Charlies

THIS is why B recommended it...holy pizza!

Nick...before

Linds...Before

Nick...after

Linds...after....HAHAHA...about to pop...

So if you stick a pig in, you get sausage out...I think I get it now

Proper espresso ettiquette

Italian man with an Italian building

This statue of the Virgin Mary reminded me of the part in Under the Tuscan Sun where the main character says, "Aunt Mary is everywhere." We were walking down some shops and this statue was at the end of a hallway. Very interesting.

Headed home

Silly tractor driver pulled right in front of us. So he got his picture taken while we were passing him.

We had set our laundry out to dry before we left for the day. We came home to this. Undies on the neighbor's roof. :)

Next up? See ya later Tuscany, Hello Cinque Terre!

Montepulciano- Take Two

2011-07-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

We just couldn't get enough of Montepulciano. So when we realized we had an extra day to go back there, we went!

This wasn't the first time that we got stuck driving behind my favorite three-wheeled vehicle. Fun in theory, but on the roads, not so functional.

Here's the sign for the Jolly Cafe. We passed this fine establishment almost every time we headed away from our rental. However, the Jolly Cafe is not so jolly. In fact, it was never open!

Speaking of signs, here's the sign from the entrance to Montepulciano. I believe that I wrote about this sign in one of the first blog entries, but I thought you might need to see it again. It is unbelievable that this is the sign that we had to navigate while in motion in a vehicle with other vehicles whizzing by. GOOD-NESS.

One of the many beautiful views from the end of a street.

We decided to go straight to Cafe Poliziano...the place that we had our first amazing meal. Since it was the morning, we decided on these.

Holy Cannoli!

Creepy Italian tree with a creepy Italian man...haha

Stop and look up! Frescoed ceiling in front of someone's awesome living quarters. Someone seriously lives about the arch.

One of my favorite pictures from the trip.

Look at that handsome husband of mine

Another fabulous meal in Montepulciano.

Sat down to eat some gelato and then wanted to take a pic of Nick.

Looks like the lion threw up all over him.

I laughed SO HARD...we had no idea that this is where we had sat until I took the pic.

Entrance to the town. I love it!

Another Scacco in a secret passage.

So our car is the black one. Check out how the other guy decided to park. WHAT?!

Wine tasting with the owners of the rental (on the left hand side) and the German couple that stayed in the apartment below us.

Next up? Orvieto! The town in which Brandon studied....

Siena

2011-07-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

There are numerous little towns with castles and magic throughout the hills of Tuscany.

How does one choose which town to visit?

We decided to read through the tour books and tour into the most interesting sounding one.

We read that Siena was in competition with Florence "back in the day", and that they still have horse races in their town square. Sounded awesome to us...

so off we went!

We started calling everything "creepy Italian" this and "creepy Italian" that, from the scene in "Under the Tuscan Sun" when the main character's friend says that her baby will grow up around the creepy Italian trees, and will be a creepy Italian baby that says, "Ciao mama." Long explanation (with too many commas) to simply say, these are the creepy Italian trees.

View from the car on the way to Siena. Nick really liked these fields.

Foggy Tuscan hillside

Siena was a lot larger than we had imagined. We had to park below the city and take the city bus to the city center. Thanks to the girl at the bus stop, we figured it all out...and made it here! Note: If you ever find yourself in Siena, get there in the morning. We were there around 9am and there were few tourists. When we left later that afternoon, it was swamped.

Creepy Italian birds. Swarmed the towns like this every morning.

That, my friends, is gelato.

Of course I, being the vegetarian that I am, had to take a classic picture of the meat shop. How funny is this one? I thought it was hilarious with the wooden pig cut-out.

Creepy Italian statue of kids suckling a wolf. Brandon later told us the story of Romulus and Remus...then it all made sense.

Sometimes we would be walking down pretty little streets, and then BOOM! A gorgeous church would pop out of nowhere!

Love the grey and white stripes. Interested as to why that was a popular design.?? Anyone know?

The inside of the duomo. Reminded me of the perfect place to film a scene from "Alice in Wonderland."

An example of the intricacy of the designs on the outside of the duomos.

Me and the backside of a duomo.

The classic "nun" picture. This one was trying to "shoo" birds out of the church.

This is where we ate lunch. It was a cave with lots of medieval things in there. The owners looked medieval, as well. I was ready for the creepy medieval Italian bar fight, but we were the only people there. Bummer.

Sunset that night.

LOVED Siena!

We could tell that the town was more rough "back in the day" than the others that we had visited so far. If you wanted to live there, you'd need a horse. You'd need a sword. You'd probably need a shield. You'd need to be a creepy Italian medieval person who wouldn't mind a good creepy Italian fight. Dig it.

Next up? Day 2 of Montepulciano. Just couldn't get enough!

Mount Amiata

2011-07-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

We Scaccos consider ourselves part hippy.

It's true.

Largely, we like natural things. Our wedding rings are made from recycled wood, we try to eat locally-grown foods, and we'd rather spend time outdoors than anything else!

We decided that we'd break up the town explorations with an excursion into the mountain that was right next to our rental.

Here is the ski lodge...circa 1980's. It reminded Nick of the movie "Hot Tub Time Machine."

This hill looks unassuming. It was STEEP!

Top of the mountain! Our little rental was down there somewhere.

Looking a little crunchy today.

There was a very cool iron cross at the top.

Ski lift!

We started down a trail that didn't say how long it was. We thought, "Eh, we'll turn around when we get tired."

The trees were so tall! We were used to hiking in Hawaii, so I was ready to tromp through muddy walkways, swat at mosquitos, and cut through overgrown brush...yah, Italy is very different. :)

At the bottom left of the picture is a sample of the markings that told you where to go.

Somewhere along the way, we got lost and didn't see any more markings. We were, however on the ski run and decided to hike back up the ski run. Holy steep ski run!

If you don't know where to ski, follow the gnomes. Gnomes? Italian gnomes?

Another view of the ski lodge.

After our hike? We drove to the next town, Castel del Piano, and got...

Espresso and gelato, of course!

Quick story: One night, we were watching "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" and one of the teams was called the "Monkey Baby Team". We laughed really hard because it just sounded funny. So from then on, Nick has called me the Monkey Baby Team. Flattering, really. So here we were in a small town in Tuscany, and what did we come across? A Monkey Baby.

If I was an Italian, I would own one of these three-wheeled buggys. Very economical, with lots of utility!

Nick surprised me with a bouquet of wild flowers that he picked in the olive orchards.

Sunrise through the chestnut tree. Taken the next morning from the lanai.

Up next? Siena

Montepulciano

2011-07-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

Reminder: You can click on the photos to see them larger. With views like the one below, it's worth the click!

After a day of relaxing around Seggiano and Castagnatello, we decided to get back in the Peugeot and go on a new adventure. I wanted to see the town on Montepulciano, purely because I once bought wine from Whole Foods that was made there. That's right...the majority of my Italy knowledge had come from my wine experiences. When in Rome...

Montepulciano was about an hour's drive away from our rental. The drive was phenomenally beautiful! Rolling hills, hay stacks rolls, olive trees as far as the eye could see...

The above photo is the road leading into Montepulciano. We Scaccos love a tree-lined road.

A Scacco in a secret passage? Normale.

Now THIS is what we're talking about! Charming little town with charming little restaurants and charming little shops! Here's Nick at the entry to the town.

We're just a LITTLE excited about Montepulciano.

Charming little shops

Charming little restaurants. This one popped out of the alley. Normale.

Me and a church.

Totally LOVE the interior of this church. Not overly decorated. Not too fancy. GORGEOUS! We want to paint the ceilings of our house (you know, the one in our dreams) just like this!

Nick and some old church doors.

Everyone had flowers on their mini-lanais. The saying "stop and smell the roses" had a whole new meaning in Italy. "Stop and look up at the roses" was a necessary statement. There was so much to see on the street level that it was easy to miss views like the one above. What a delight to remember to stop and look up!

On the search for lunch, we came across this little corner restaurant. Just four tables on a corner...no kitchen...totally charming! We figured out that this outdoor area belonged to a restaurant across the road. Normale.

When we finally settled on a restaurant for lunch, this is what we were blessed with! LOOK AT THAT LASAGNA! HOLY LASAGNA!

It was at this restaurant that I had my first "Eat, Pray, Love" experience. I think it took me a good hour to eat my lasagna because I experienced EVERY BITE. A glass of red wine and a plate of lasagna....total heaven.

The view from the restaurant. Normale.

We sat at the second table in on the right-hand side.

In case you are ever in Montepulciano, eat here! Cafe Poliziano. Get the lasagna. You won't regret it.

As for the remainder of our day in Montepulciano? Looking for the right pair of new leather boots (as per Kate's recommendation). FOUND 'EM! See below. I "clicked" and "clacked" through the cobblestone streets the remainder of the day...how glorious!

On the way home, we stopped in the small town of Pienza. Nick deemed it the "La Jolla of Tuscany". It was shmoozy on the outside and looked like a great town for a girlfriend's getaway. We went into the old part of the town and found tons of cheese shops!

Check out that cheese! We bought balsamic vinegar and wine, of course.

Nick, displaying his Coca Cola. Check out what's going on at the table behind him. Haha...who knows?

Nick found some new leather shoes, as well. We sat on the ancient stairsteps of an ancient building and watched the world go by.

Then we clicked and clacked our new leather shoes on the cobblestone roads back to our Peugeot, and made our way back home.

We stopped at the grocery in Seggiano for cheese, tomato, and basil for dinner.

Here's a shot of the main restaurant in Seggiano...Bar 60. This is where Nick had his crazy 3-course dinner from the previous post. In the mornings, those tables were filled with old Italian men...smoking and drinking espresso.

Next up? Hiking to the top of Mt. Amiata!

Agriturismo Castagnatello

2011-07-12T21:59:00.000-07:00

After driving three hours through the beautiful, yet windy hills of Tuscany, we made it to our first lodging: Agriturismo Castagnatello.

Can't say we didn't get lost many times over on our way there. Can't say we didn't pull over in utter frustration at hour 30 of straight traveling. Can't say we had ANY idea where we were. Can't say we had a decent map to figure it out, either. Can't say we could think of anything else to do but pull over and get out of the car.

When we finally found our way, we were greeted warmly by the owners of the house. We were STOKED by the apartment. This was our view!

The town of Seggiano was walking distance from us. What an amazing view!

The kitchen. Note the olive oil made by the owners of the house. TO DIE FOR!

View of the lanai from the living room. I totally dug the wooden windows.

Ladybug dishes...why not?

Our lanai! Wowzers!

Another view of our lanai

Looking towards the front door from the lanai

The yard

The wine tasting house...of course

DINNER!

One happy camper

Can you hear the music to The Godfather?

The pool!

Jasmine..my new favorite scent...was EVERYWHERE!

The wine tasting house

olive trees, grapes, and Seggiano...view from the wine tasting house

Now THAT'S a SUNSET! The sun would set for hours and would finally go down around 9pm...weird, right? Our first night, we totally thought it was 7pm when the sun went down...haha.

The parking spot under the chestnut tree

Mother Mary.
Actually the German couple staying in the apartment below ours called him "King".

It was FREEZING cold once the sun went down.

Here comes the sun!

Just a little walk through the olive groves...normale (no big deal).

Cherry trees...are you kidding me!?

Wandering the town of Seggiano. We were the only tourists there. Definitely not a tourist place, but we loved it! Had espresso at the cafe at the top of the town with the locals. Actually, all of the locals there were men. No women. They must have been with the kids? Hmmm. This was one of our first experiences with the interesting clothing choices of Italian men. They dress very....pretty. Tight button-up or spandex shirts and capris with open toed sandals were...normale!

Pesto gnocchi. We bought it from the grocery..it was hand made that day and we got it for $7. Normale. As common as a burrito in New Mexico.

My European dinner partner in his European scarf...normale.

We went to dinner at the restaurant in Seggiano one night. We ordered the typical Italian meals which include at least 3 courses. I had to capture Nick's final course on camera because we had no idea it was coming. He had already eaten bruschetta and a hefty bowl of pasta with boar. We totally figured his third course was a simple dessert. Nope. Not in Italy. He got a huge slab of meat...and ate every bit.

When in Rome...except we were in Seggiano.

Really cool cloudscape.

Next up? More adventures in Tuscany!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

2011-07-11T23:09:00.000-07:00

We said "aloha" to Hawaii with excitement for our 3-week European journey ahead of us, but also with a bittersweet sorrow in leaving the place that we have called home for 6 years.

Ah, the airplane. I, of course, was freezing cold, but we were tired and ready to sleep during the overnight flight to LAX. Nick was prepped with eye drops, nose drops, tylenol, and chapstick. I was prepped with Winter gear...haha! We were headed to LAX, Chicago, and Rome...all in one day. Wee-hoo.

I'll mention here how much it irks me when people don't cover their cough, or even when they cover it, but with their hand...especially when on an airplane. YUCK! They must have skipped preschool. Sneezes go into the elbow...duh.

Okay, here we are. Three airplane rides down and approximately 15 hours into travel...which time zone are we in?... finally made it onto the train from the Rome airport to the main train station. We were trying to catch our train from Rome to Florence.

Well, we missed the train from Rome to Florence and had to take a later one, which is fine...except that the town shuts down for a few hours in the middle of the day and we needed to pick up our rental car in Florence to start our drive through Tuscany. Rental car places shut down, as well. Haha! So we found the nearest cafe and sat down to the lovely lunch that you see above. Meanwhile the rental car guy was hanging out on the street corner smoking. You know...When in Rome...except we were in Florence.

When the smoke break finished, we got our car, which was bigger than I had imagined it was going to be. I was thinking more "Mr. Bean" style. My dreams were crushed, but the Peugeot with the silver lion on the back was pretty awesome.

And so we began our drive. We made it (by the grace of God) out of Florence and were officially on the autostrada! We found an Italian radio station that played an interesting mix of Italian pop and American 90's classics. One of our favorite Italian songs went a little something like this," I just wanna break free...and I'm thanking you for nothing." HAHAHA...I think they meant, "Thanks for nothing."

Check out my hunky driver! That's how they're built in Italy.

Here's a castle that I saw from the road. Pretty cool, right? The only castle I saw from the side of a road in America had a mini-golf attached to it.

Couldn't resist

More castle footage.

3 planes? Check.

2 trains? Check.

1 automobile? Check.

We made it to Tuscany somewhere around 34 hours after departing Honolulu...non-stop.

Tuscan adventures up next!

Selling furniture

2011-04-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

Aloha everyone...
We are selling our furniture and thought that we'd post it here first. If you're interested, just give me a ring...or shoot me an email...etc.

2 bar stools- $15. each

couch- $200, rug- $10., coffee table- $15.

two fold-out tables...and the rest of the black paint I used to paint them-$10. all inclusive

Pier 1 patio table- $100.

Canon printer- $30.

Full-size mattress and box springs- $150.

Pier 1 Mirror set- $40. for set

Close-up of small mirror

Brown book shelf- $15.

M.I.A.

2011-04-05T00:42:00.000-07:00

Right now, I am Missing In Action...a lot of action...writing my thesis action...

Here I am coding data. Sounds like fun, eh? Eh? I can't hear you! Okay, so it's not really fun. But I DO believe heavily in my thesis topic and look forward to having the time to blog about soon...

For now, I bid you aloha, from the land of thesis page 60.
aloha.

Yoga thoughts

2011-03-12T10:38:00.000-08:00

"Release the things that no longer serve you....

Embrace the things that nurture you."

Nice day for a white wedding!

2011-02-21T02:47:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful day in Hawai'i nei...

Two lovely ladies worked to prepare the grounds...

The guests arrived

The musician warmed up...

And in came the bride!

Off to the reception

to see the city lights

Happy wedding to all, and to all a good night!

aloha.

...and so I breathe

2011-02-21T02:23:00.000-08:00

12:10 a.m.

Can't sleep

ugh

It's rare that I see this hour...

I really enjoy my sleep now.

I didn't always...

I used to say that sleep was 'overrated'

YIKES

Now, I can't get enough of it.

Anyway, sleeplessness lends itself to blogginess quite nicely, so here I am to reflect.

Went to the beach today.

I don't get there enough.

Seriously.

I live in Hawai'i.

I work at a school that is seconds from the beach.

What is my problem?

I have too much going on...at all times, but...

what is new?

I've always been that way.

Today, I realized that I am tired of being that way.

Living in such a busy lifestyle makes it very difficult to let go in the times that I can kick back...

like today...

note, 12:13 a.m.

Went whale watching today, too. Hiked up to a tall cliff and watched as whales breached like crazy for an hour or so.

(The beach on the right is where we relaxed today, and the bump in the middle is where we climbed to watch whales...you can click on the photo to make it bigger)

It was amazing, and I just yearned for the simplicity that should accompany a lifestyle on a small island.

BUT

no matter where I am,

if I can't get rid of my anxieties,

my carefree sense of wonder will forever be plagued by worry.

You know what?

I'm TIRED of worrying.

I'm TIRED of clenching my jaw.

I'm TIRED of having to work too hard to calm myself down.

Anxiety attacks and a jaw that clicks when I open my mouth...

and I'm not yet 30.

It is my job, and my job only to turn this around.

And so I pray.

A pastor once told me, "Worry is like a rocking horse. You go back and forth, but you never get anywhere."

Amen.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T14:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!

This year, we chose to stay close to home...no need to venture across the island.

We got some treats from Whole Foods Market,

bought a new hat and sat by the pool at our building:

went to the mall:

went to dinner at Du Vin,

and went to the movie theater:

Here's to love!

Sweet Leilani

2011-02-12T01:34:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot to love in this week leading up to Valentine's Day.

Most importantly, my niece Sophia was born! She is perfect! She has her own post coming up soon.

For now, I share with you the latest addition to the Hawaii Scaccos:

Sweet Leilani

Boy did we have fun in the car today!

ALOHA

Dreams...

2011-01-17T21:24:00.000-08:00

Today has me thinking about dreams, and not solely because of it being MLK Day, but rather because there have been so many miracles appearing lately.

And so I think...

are these happenings miracles? Dreams come true, perhaps? The result of prayer? Or all three wrapped up in one phenomenal package?

Case in point: My good friend, Daniel, who lives on Kaua'i, has been fighting (peacefully, of course) for years to keep his favorite beach from being terrorized by a cattle farmer who gained a permit to tear down the natural hillside and keep cattle on the property. Disastrous for an untouched ecosystem...paradise. Last week, the permit was revoked. VICTORY! There are not many places left on earth that humans haven't made into their science project. Daniel's battle was one of purity...fighting for the balance of the earth. If you'd like to read more about it, here is his blog:

http://lightoneden.blogspot.com/2011/01/larsens-saved.html

Mom and Nick at Larsons in October

Mom and Daniel, yoga on the beach!

Larsons is saved!

To celebrate the victory on Kaua'i, I decided to spend my MLK Day weekend doing beach clean-ups. Years ago, I used to organize beach clean-ups in the hopes that people would come out and join in the effort to clean the beaches. Our organizational efforts, however saw at most, 3 other people. Now, ANY efforts that are made to clean the plastic and cigarette butts from the beaches are GOOD...however, the process of organizing these "events" eventually overshadowed my joy in giving back to the land. I realized that everyone gives back in their own way. This just happens to be my way.

So now I just GO...whichever beach is calling, I GO.

While cleaning the beaches, I feel like I can talk to God. The beach is where I feel like I can best be of service. I think we all have that place...the place where clarity is found.

For me,

the beach is a place to DREAM.

A place where MIRACLES can happen.

A place where PRAYERS are answered.

Of course I want to clean my sanctuary!

Before the beach this morning, I went for a run around Kapiolani Park. There was a diversity festival and a MLK parade going on while I was circling the park. After my run, I stretched under this tree:

I could hear the parade and the music from the festival. I thought,

"What are the MIRACLES that we DREAM and PRAY for as a diverse population? Why does it take a holiday parade to bring us together to sing for peace?"

That is my PRAYER.

While I was thinking about peace, one of my favorite Brett Dennen songs came on my ipod. I leave you with the lyrics to "There is So Much More":

When I heard the news,
my heart fell on the floor.
I was on a plane on my way to Baltimore.
In these troubled times it's hard enough as it is.
My soul has a known a better life than this.

I wonder how so many can be in so much pain,
while others don't seem to feel a thing.
Then I curse my whiteness
and I get so damn depressed.
In a world of suffering,
why should I be so blessed?

I heard about a women who lives in Colorado.
She built a monoment of sorts behind the garage door,
where everyday she prays for all whom are born
and all whose souls have passed on.
Sometimes my trouble gets so thick,
I can't see how I'm gonna get through it.
But, then I'd rather be stuck up in a tree
then be tied to it.

(That's my favorite lyric..there are very few trees that we are tied to...only stuck in...it's up to us find our way out)

There is so much more.

I don't feel comfortable with the way my clothes fit.
I cant get used to my bodys limits.
I got some fancy shoes to try and kick away these blues.
They cost a lot of money but they arent worth a thing.
I wanna free my feet from the broken glass and concrete.
I need to get out of this city.
Lay apon the ground stare a hole in the sky,
wondering where I go when I die.
...When I die.

p.s. Mom, don't worry about those last lyrics. I'm perfectly peaceful!

Mele Kalikimaka!

2010-12-25T10:55:00.000-08:00

Mele Kalikimaka from rainy San Diego!

My twin and me Christmas Day

Day one: Ready to tackle the crowds and do some last-minute shopping

5 years old...kinda

Tony, Melissa, and Sophia are here!

Nick and his Italian sausage

Christmas attack cat

That river was a street yesterday

The Scacco family!

The first time the sun has been out in DAYS...gorgeous

Downtown SD

Kev and Me...Secret Santa!

Nick has had a great Christmas so far!

More to come...

Holiday Gala

2010-12-25T10:32:00.000-08:00

A Holiday Gala was held by the wonderful KATE!! She is the most wonderful hostess...see below for proof:

The outdoor Christmas tree

The Christmas tent

Everyone gathered around! Great friends, great conversation

Nick and Jeff...

Mina, Kate, and Linds...reunited

Lita...a little too excited about the Christmas wine...leads to pictures like this.

Mina and Jeff

Who in the world knows what we were talking about...certainly not something serious...

Happy Holidays!

All ready...

2010-12-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

Last day of work, CHECK!

(What a sunrise on my drive to work! Fog on the marsh, sunrise over the ocean...I'm a lucky woman)

Chill-out day at the beach on my first day off....CHECK!

Favorite bottle of wine? CHECK!

Red velvet cupcakes with green cream cheese frosting? CHECK!

Holiday nails? Haha....CHECK!

Looks like I'm ready for KATE'S 2010 HOLIDAY GALA!

Pics soon to come!

Aloha!

The Cream Pot

2010-12-11T23:03:00.000-08:00

There is a special little restaurant right around the corner from our apartment called

The Cream Pot

It is everything that I would have loved and adored as child...and still do!

When I was a little girl, I loved all things creamy...

whipped cream...

clouds...

off-white (no joke)...

fluffy pillows

Fortunately, and unfortunately (for my physique), my obsession with cream continues...

I married a man who loves real-fat products, like heavy whipping cream in coffee

I now love whipping cream coffee...

Thank God I grew up dancing, as my awareness of fitness has so far cancelled out the damage done by cream.

When The Cream Pot opened around the corner, I knew it was my type of place!

When Mom was here recently, we took her there. Here are a few images captured during that breakfast!

Enjoy the creaminess of it all...

This is the inside of the restaurant. It is decorated as if hobbits live there. The little street light leads to the kitchen.

Nick with his favorite menu item...a pure chocolate drink (cacao)

Please excuse us...we had just woken up

All of the coffee accessories are miniature...and creamy

This is a hobbit door, at least I think. I've never actually opened it. I'll try next time.

This is the indoor entrance, filled with little things

And my favorite part, a red wine reduction, blueberry crepe, with fresh lavender cream on top, and a tiny purple flower. Really.

This is the staircase leading from the outdoor entrance. Every detail was paid attention to. Gotta love it!

North Shore Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T14:01:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving on the North Shore

I'll let the pics speak for themselves...

I am so thankful for my wonderful friends!

Gracias, Mahalo,

2010-11-24T22:05:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again....thankful time!

Gobble Gobble

I will start with a sweet little story:

At the beginning of the year, I started a "Thankful Board" in my classroom. It was intended to be a positive way to start the day, you know, we all say one thing that we are thankful for? Well, somewhere between "the 1st quarter is over" and "we have a lot to do before Christmas", there were a few days where I intentionally skipped talking about our "thankful things" (as my students call it). I figured that we needed to get to work in order to accomplish all that I had planned for that day.

However, plan to abort thankful things was quickly shot down. One of my wonderful students (all of whom I adore) knew right away that we hadn't said our thankful things and said, "But Mrs. Scacco, what about our thankful things? I want to tell you my thankful thing!"

Oh, Lord in Heaven above.

Like I'm really going to let that one pass.

And so we sat around the blue table.

And talked for 10 minutes about...

Our Thankful Things.

Bless this boy! Whether his intention was to talk about this thankful thing, or to get out of classwork, he reminded me that there is no "work" more important than the work of gratitude.

Yet another reminder to SLOW DOWN Mrs. Scacco!

I am thankful for all of my students. They keep my mind in check.

With that in mind, here are my other thankful things:

My family:

I don't have a picture of Tony and Melissa readily available, or it would go here! Along with Baby Girl Sophia!

My apartment:

In one word, SAFETY! Although there was a fire on the 23rd floor tonight, yikes! We were not damaged, though.

My health, although I have a nasty cold right now, I am in good overall health! Yeah!

Hawaii:

This little slice of heaven is 10 minutes from my apartment, and I'm usually the only person there!

My husband:

Goofy picture, but come on, aren't we cute?

The Married Life

2010-11-13T09:55:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning wishing to reflect on...

The Married Life

I am not one to share too much personal information, and so I will just skim that surface. I do, however want to share the joy in my life that keeps me chugging along, lightens my day, loves me.

This is my husband:

That is NOT our dog. Hehe...It really randomly came out of the bushes and made friends with my husband's lap. At first, I was jealous...
"Hey dog...I don't even like dogs, but I was willing to give you a chance, until you stole my husband's lap!"
...and then I realized that I shouldn't be so stingy.

My husband has PLENTY of love to share with the dog and me...and all of the kids in his class...and our families...I mean, this man is full of love!

He is:
Peaceful
Thoughtful
A Really Great Cook
Handsome
Encouraging
My Best Friend

I really could go on and on, but I need to get back to my school work. I'm sure that I'll share more later.

Great thing about Hawai'i?
I met my husband here!

aloha.