Giving Thanks - A steersman for a stormy day

I often sit at my computer and wait for inspiration.  Tonight, I didn't have to wait too long as my husband (in Korea) sent me an email.   He generously cropped my pictures from the Medal of Honor book signing on October 6 at the Hale Koa - House of the Warrior.    I add the words from Cathy Maxwell's guest post on Fox News (at this link).  

Thank you for stepping forward when others step back.

Thank you for placing yourself between us and danger.

Thank you for delaying plans for college, marriage, and other opportunities and choosing to serve.

Thank you for braving the unspeakable horrors of war.

Thank you for sacrificing time with your families and missing those significant milestones the rest of us take for granted.

Thank you to your spouses who find themselves living nomadic lives, often far away from the support of loved ones.

Thank you to your children who accept your absence as a way of life and understand they share you with a nation and sometimes the world.

Thank you to your parents who have nothing but prayers to protect you and must now trust you will be safe and that we will offer the best we have to you.

Thank you for continuing to support your country once you leave military service by following new careers and becoming the teachers, clergy, business owners, employees, pilots, civil servants and so much more that we need to be a successful society.

Thank you for involving yourself in your local community, your state, and your country, helping us to solve problems and to create a vision for our future using the skills you learned during your tour of duty.

Thank you for being a conscience to our nation.

Thank you for serving as a heroic example of who we are and what we can dream to be.

Thank you for your service.

The military can be a grand life, but there isn’t a fighter squadron, destroyer, or combat team that doesn’t know what it is like to lose people. Even in peacetime, soldiering is dangerous work and always has been.

Please, let us never forget that freedom comes at a price.

He ho'okele wa'a no ka la 'ino. 

A steersman for a stormy day.

A courageous person.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Aloha to Ko Olina - Gangnam Style!

We are going extra large today!  One of my favorite reading spots is Ko Olina - a resort area on the west side of Oahu. 

It has four man made lagoons for calm swimming, snorkeling, and paddle boarding.   The white hotel is the Marriott Ihilani.

To its right is the Disney hotel, Aulani.

Here's a close up of the outrigger ... 

... and the wedding chapel!

The walking path gives way to a rocky trail behind Paradise Cove (where Chin Ho and Malia married on H50).   In the distance is Yokohama Bay and Ka'ena Point.   

   

  
Locals love to fish ...

... and boat!  Are you ready for Thanksgiving?  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, November 24, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winners on Sunday, November 25.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

I promised you Gangnam Style - Ko Olina is a popular location for Korean weddings!

Stand up paddling at Hickam Beach!

Marjorie is the winner from last week's posts!  I was a winner when my friend hosted an office lunch at the Hickam Beach!   I tagged along .... and was amazed that her coworker could cut a pineapple right there at the beach!  She shared her secret - Maui Gold pineapples come directions!  

As her office prepared lunch, I noticed a yoga class ... atop the stand up paddle boards!

I am amazed by their agility!

The water is tranquil for yoga!  

My friend's husband brought his stand up paddling boards from BLUE PLANET SURF (at this link).

I stayed safely on land!

Hickam Beach is near the reef runway where flights take off ... 

... and bank right to avoid Diamond Head!  

My friend taught a coworker how to stand up paddle, starting on the knees ...

 ... while a group of guys headed to the reef runway!  What's your favorite form of exercise - yoga?  Stand up paddling?   Surfing?   Mine is walking along the Pearl Harbor Channel!   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, November 24, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 25.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Unexpected heroes at the Fall Festival

Last week, my youngest's elementary school hosted its annual Fall Festival ...

... where we found unexpected heroes from ...

... the Mobile Diving Salvage Unit One!

   
Above and below are their "vintage" equipment ....

   

  
... modern equipment allows them to play ...

.... Tic Tac Diver with the children!

They were heroes to the children!  Do you have any diving experience?  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, November 17, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 18.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii 

Hickam's Freedom Tower is ready for the holidays!

A Stroll through Waikiki (part 4)

We have a winner from last week's blogs - Winnie!   My family was a winner on Election Day.  Schools were closed (as polling places) so we strolled down to the Hale Koa military resort on Waikiki Beach. We first stopped by the Boy Scouts' Aloha Council to pay for the popcorn!

I'm not sure what put these pigeons into a fury ....

... but they were singulary focused!

We walked over to the Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village (frequently featured on H50).  

Tourists paddled their way to the waterfall!

I opted for ice cream ...

... while my children indulged in shave ice!  What's your favorite flavor of ice cream and/or shave ice?  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, November 17, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winners on Sunday, November 18.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

My children selected Blue Hawaii (vanilla) 

and Haleiwa Cherry!