July Celebrations

For Independence Day, Elizabeth made her first ever pavlova. 

A patriotic pavlova. 

Happy chickens. 

"Do you have any blackberries for me?" 

Close on the heels of the Fourth of July, is the Eighth of July, a.k.a. Matthew's birthday. 

  Happy twenty-seventh birthday, Matthew! 

One big chocolate-chip cookie. 

And last but not least, our new patio room, Tiki Cove. 

Complete with Tiki torches. 

And mood lighting. Beautiful July.

Hummingbird Rescue

A few weeks ago we were cleaning out and preparing our motor-home to sell. (After ten or so years, we decided camping, even in a luxurious RV, just wasn't for us.) Everyone has been looking forward to having it out of our care, unfortunately however that meant it had be parked out in the driveway right where Tiki Cove was supposed to be.

So one day Mom and Elizabeth were out walking in the garden when they heard two distinct "thuds" coming from the motor-home. They went over and found two hummingbirds lying on the ground beside it. The larger one had been chasing the little one, a tiny hatchling with speckles still on his chest, and they had crashed into the motor-home! The larger one, though stunned, managed to fly into a tree while he recuperated. The little one was too stunned to move. My poor Mom thought he had died. But he was okay. Elizabeth picked up the little guy in her hand and carried him the back deck where she fed him sugar water.

 And we named him Pip. 

See the little dots on his chest? He's just a baby. So cute! 

  Pip seemed in no hurry to leave.

But he eventually flew into a tree and rested a bit before taking off for good. I think I saw him again a few days later.

Fun in the Kitchen

Some Very Merry Un-Birthday Cupcakes! 

Elizabeth has perfected pink frosting that's not too runny. So, our cupcakes can have beautiful swirls and flowers. My favorites are the ones third from the top. They are like a bouquet of sweet little wild flowers. 

Copper pans make very good wall decorations, (and they are easy to access.) 

"I was just giving myself some good advice." 

--Alice in Disney's Alice in Wonderland

A cook's play room and a baker's delight! 

P.S. Happy Star Wars Day, May the Fourth be with you. 

Happy Birthday, Mom

To many more Aloha years.

Snow Flakes on my Window

Since January our dining room has been all decked out in snowflakes and snowmen to celebrate winter. And this winter not a single snowflake has fallen on our home.

This has been quite possibly the most mild winter I have ever experienced, (and for that I am very grateful.)

Not that I'm superstitious or anything, but I'm just about convinced that our snowy decorations are keeping winter away, and I'm afraid that as soon as we take the snow decorations down and put up the spring decorations it will snow.

 So the snowmen have stayed around through April. But Sunday is Easter Sunday so we will most likely be taking down the snowmen in favor of springtime decor. I hope it doesn't snow.

The only snow I welcome.

The Doctor's Back in Town!

Earlier this afternoon I went downstairs and was told that I had received two packages in the mail. "That's weird," I thought. "Who could be sending me a package?" I looked at the return address and it said "Amazon."

"But I didn't order anything," I stated, feeling nervous.

"I don't know, you spent a lot of time on the internet the other day," my Mom joked.

So I opened them:

   Guess what we're watching tonight!!

Elizabeth ordered the eighth season of Doctor Who, and the Christmas special, two days ago and put it in my name as a surprise. Boy, was I surprised! I haven't been this excited since I found out Pixar is making Toy Story 4.

Out of Africa

"If I know a song of Africa...

...does Africa know a song of me?" 

--Isak Dinesen

Travel Journals

If you were going on a journey, which one would you take?

I Love Paris

Yesterday Mom asked me if I could do anything today what would it be. I thought about it and said, "I would probably go to Paris." Paris. Is it possible to love a place where you've never actually been? I also thought about what I want to be when I grow up: a traveling writer. Travel around the world and write stories about it. What could be better? Unfortunately until my Dad invents a Tardis or a Stargate, that would mean traveling by airplane, not my favorite activity. I wish I could travel by map, like the Muppets. I hear it's much faster than most forms of travel.

 
Someday I'll get to Paris, and England, and Italy. Until then I'll be satisfied with my books, movies, and Disney's Epcot.

Big Hero 6 Party!

Dinner consisted of a sushi dinner, courtesy of Briar Patch as our resident sushi maker has been busy being a super student. 

  Colorful candles! 

Six candles total, one representing each hero. 

High-five to anyone who can figure out which color goes with which character. 

Super-student sister did have time to whip up some cupcakes to represent Aunt Cass and her cafe. 

And they had to be pink. Honey-Lemon wouldn't have it any other way. (By the way, the cupcakes have red jam, pink whipped cream, and half a Maraschino cherry stacked one on top of the other.) 

More treats! 

It was even better the second time.