MLK Day

I've added a couple more photos to the blog from Saturday and our hike through Manoa Falls.

This morning we woke up to the sound of a marching band, as there was the MLK parade going down the street in front of our condo. We spent some time watching the parade, Evan really enjoyed the drums. Once it was over, we went to the Honolulu Zoo. I think it is smaller than the zoo in Cleveland, though we didn't stay long enough to walk around the entire zoo, however, it did have some very neat animals that I've never seen in other zoos, and lots of them. They had several different types of turtles, crocodiles, reptiles and monkeys, all in exhibits where you could see them very well. Their Keiki Zoo (children's zoo) was nice as well. Evan also spent some time at the playground at the zoo, watching the kids and hanging out in the "tunnel". He is currently obsessed with tunnels.

After the zoo, we all napped at the condo, then walked along Waikiki Beach, watched the sunset, and picked up dinner at Giovanni Pastrami on Lewer's Street. They have some great sandwiches.

Evan and I came home, hung out, and now Evan's in bed.

This past weekend...

We were so busy and tired this weekend, that I didn't get to write more about Saturday. Jon and I had a wonderful time at dinner. It was the 8 year anniversary of when Jon proposed to me. There was a woman (the Honolulu Flower Lady) walking around the restaurant selling flowers, and she had a small bouquet of Hawaiian lavender colored roses that Jon bought for me. They are known for their unique lavender color and their beautiful scent. They are similar to the color of roses we had for our wedding.

After dinner, we walked next door to the Ocean House restaurant, to an art gallery called Kuloko Arts of Hawaii. I really enjoyed the artwork there, and bought a print of a mermaid painting by an artist named Holly Kitaura (see below). As the woman working there was talking to us, she noticed the lavender roses and we were talking about them. She then told us a beautiful story of how her husband used to buy her a live flower lei every Friday, and that now she is a widow. But that some people would ask her why he would bother buying her a live lei every Friday, since they typically die after a day or two. She said they missed the point, that it was to enjoy the beauty of the moment. After having heard she was a widow, it made her saying this even more poignant, as it seemed she meant it both in reference to the lei's as well as the time spent with her husband. Or at least that's how I interpreted it. She had a look about her that the pain I'm sure she felt over losing her husband had been worth it for the memories she has of him, she looked so happy telling the story. Anyhow, my eyes started to well-up with tears, and Jon told her I was about to cry. After she finished packing the print for us, she came around the counter and told me I have a sweet spirit and that she wanted to get some of that to rub off on her, and gave me a big hug. It was all just very sweet.