Best of Jane - Readers' Choice!

For the past two months, I have posted pictures of Jane Austen, silhouette (above), and Jane Austen, doll (below) as part of Sourcebooks' promotion for ALL ROADS LEAD TO AUSTEN:


WHERE DO BOOKS TAKE YOU?

With a suitcase full of Jane Austen novels en español, Amy Elizabeth Smith set off on a yearlong Latin American adventure: a traveling book club with Jane. In six unique, unforgettable countries, she gathered book-loving new friends— taxi drivers and teachers, poets and politicians— to read Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice.

Whether sharing rooster beer with Guatemalans, joining the crowd at a Mexican boxing match, feeding a horde of tame iguanas with Ecuadorean children, or tangling with argumentative booksellers in Argentina, Amy came to learn what Austen knew all along: that we're not always speaking the same language— even when we're speaking the same language.

But with true Austen instinct, she could recognize when, unexpectedly, she'd found her own Señor Darcy.

All Roads Lead to Austen celebrates the best of what we love about books and revels in the pleasure of sharing a good book— with good friends.

AROUND THE WORLD WITH JANE AUSTEN ends on Saturday, June 30.   So I ask you, readers, what is your favorite picture with the Sourcebooks' silhouette?  On Thursday, we'll do a similar vote with pictures of the doll.

Jane, David, and King Kamehameha.
Look for them on Hawaii Five O!

  

Jane with the USS Honolulu.

Jane calls a cab!

  

Jane gets a mammogram.

Jane with Uncle Sam.

Jane at Bellows Beach.

Jane wings it with the F4!

Jane roars in the engine of the F86!

  

Jane with her books at the Hickam Library.

Jane finds a coconut on Waikiki Beach.

Jane hops on a water bike!

Up close on the water bike!

Jane visits King Kamehameha
at Hickam Elementary School.

Up close with King Kamehameha.

  

Jane with the Japanese bullet hole
in the Big Barracks.

Jane and Sherlock at Turtle Bay.

Jane wants to paddle at Turtle Bay.

  

Jane views Hanauma Bay.

Jane with Buddha.

Jane at the Byodo-In Temple.

Jane at the Boutiki Gift Shop.
The shakers are scandalous!

  

Best advice for Louisa Musgrove
in PERSUASION.

Jane "embedded" at
Hickam Air Force Base.

Up close with Jane in the H.

One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Friday, June 29, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll enter the picture with the most votes in the Sourcebooks' contest.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

You still have time to enter the contest before the June 30 deadline.  Check out Sourcebooks' page on Facebook at this link.

  

Jane loves the ginger flower!

Aloha to Keaiwa Heiau and Ford Island

We have a winner from last week's blogs - Marjorie!   


On Saturday, my family ventured up the mountain to Keaiwa Heiau State Park.  From its website at this link,

Keaiwa Heiau is a medicinal or healing heiau (temple) known as a heiau ho'ola. At this site, the kahuna (priest, expert) specializing in healing would diagnose and treat various illnesses and injuries. The kahuna would also train haumana (students) in the practice of la'au lapa'au, medicinal healing using plants, fasting, and prayers. Many of the plants and herbs were collected from the neighboring forest while others were planted around the heiau.

The name Keaiwa has been translated as mysterious or incomprehensible. Perhaps, this name refers to the fact that one could not explain the powers of the kahuna and the herbs used in healing.

It is unknown when this heiau was built but one source suggests that it was constructed in the 16th Century by Kakuhihewa, an ali'i (chief) of O'ahu, and his kahuna Keaiwa. The 4-foot high stacked rock wall encloses the sacred area that measures 100 by 160 feet. Within the enclosure was a halau (large thatched structure) built for the master kahuna to store the medicinal implements and train the students. Other features might include hale (small thatched structure) and a puholoholo (steam bath). 
  

We have never seen a stone circle
in a heiau.

We intended to hike the loop, but it
began to rain.  The trail was muddy
and steeper than I expected.

  

We ventured over to Ford Island to
see the SBX, aka the Golf Ball.

   

Ford Island hosts three memorials -
the USS Utah (above),
the USS Oklahoma,
and the USS Missouri.

Ford Island gave us a view of the
West Loch, home of the decommissioned ships.

Ford Island also offers a view of
the USS Arizona memorial.

What do you like to do on a rainy day?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 30, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 1.


Mahalo,


Kim in Hawaii

The rain in the distance over Aiea.

Aloha to Jane on the Honolulu Historical Trail

On Wednesday, I lead the Scouts along the Honolulu Historic Trail.  Above is a commuter who takes pride in Hawaii!

David introduced Jane to King Kamehameha I.
The first statue was lost at sea, but later recovered 
and placed on the the Big Island.
A third was cast for the National Statuary Hall.

  

Jane admired the replica Liberty Bell.
The original was cast in London!

  

Jane posed in front of the mini Shinto,
honoring the 100th anniversary of the
Japanese migration to Hawaii.

Inside Honolulu Hale (City Hall),
Jane admired another bell from
the USS Honolulu.

Jane found the sacred stones called
Paepae Kapu O Liloa.

  

Jane with Queen Lili'uokalani -
the last monarch of Hawaii.

The Aloha Tower gave us an excellent
view of Sand Island, home of the
US Coast Guard.

Jane found a series of
bronze statues ... 

... learning hula ... 

... and listening for chants!

Do you have a favorite statue in your local area?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers. Comments are open through Saturday, June 23, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 24.


Mahalo,


Kim in Hawaii 

Jane called The Cab
for a ride home.

Aloha to Lava, Up Close and Personal

Although Kilauea is an active volcano, finding easily accessible lava can be a challenge.   There are two ways to view lava:


1.  Drive outside and around the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to where the lava flow has overrun the highway in South Pahoa Town.   The state has created a makeshift viewing platform.   Above is what we could see during Spring Break - at that time, the Pu`u `Ō `ō crater was just trickling lava to the right..   The large glow to the left is the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater where the lava is still puddling in its bottom. You can see the glow up close from the Jagger Museum in the park (see this link).

The trickling lava looks like
an aerial view of city lights.

Toni took pictures with her good
camera for great close ups.

2.  Hire a guide and hike across the lava fields park at dusk - you'll come close to the lava flows. Toni and her family ventured out to see the lava live ...

The next morning, Toni and company shared how hot it was, how dark it was, and how tired they were after this six hour round trip. Would you have joined them for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure?   One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 23, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 24.


Mahalo,


Kim in Hawaii

Weekly Winners and the Pu`u Loa Petroglyphs

We have a winner from last week - June!  I am a winner as another mom gave me a disk with Scout pictures!  I was particularly excited because she has a better camera ....

Today I share pictures from the Scouts' trip to the Big Island.  We stayed at the Kilauea Military Camp at the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.   The scouts hiked a small trail off the Chain of Craters Road to the Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs.  From its website at this link,


Pu`u Loa, translated as the “long hill”, is a place considered sacred to the people of Hawai`i .... (it) contains a vast area covered with incredible numbers of pecked images in the harden lava, images known as petroglyphs. 

The archaeological site contains over 23,000 petroglyph images; motifs of circles, other geometric as well as cryptic designs, human representations known as anthropomorphs, canoe sails, and even feathered cape motifs.

What do you think the petroglyphs say?  Be creative!  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 23, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 24.



Mahalo,


Kim in Hawaii

The landscape is breathtaking.

Surprise post today!

My picture of Honolulu from Round Top Drive.

On Wednesday, I lead the Boy Scouts as we ventured along Honolulu's Historic Trail.  I left Jane home on purpose ... and my camera by accident.   So I offer you photos from another Scout outing - camping at Kualoa Regional Park.  The park hosts a famous icon - Chinaman's Hat.   

A Scout dad with a good camera took this picture at sunrise.

Here are the scouts landing  on Chiman's Hat.
Across the water is the Koolau Mountains.

The scouts cook everything in these kettles.

Do you like camping?  hiking? kayaking?  cooking?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 16, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 17.


Mahalo,


Kim in Hawaii

My picture of the reef runway from Round Top Drive.