My New iPad

Aloha Everyone,

I love my new iPad. It is the basic model but has everything I need. The cost of $348.79 including tax and regulatory fees is reasonable compared to the top of the line model that could triple the cost.

My son helped me do the digital transfer of most of the content and apps from my old iPad to the new one. Other apps need to be uploaded one at a time. With any new digital device, there is a big learning curve. But each time I am successful, there is thrill and excitement.

Aloha -- Cathi

February Additional Dining-ins

Aloha Everyone,

We had a diverse dining-in month beginning with rare take outs from Leucadia including their signature pizzas, calamares, chicken wings and desserts.

Our daughter-in-law also prepared Chicken piccata 

Chicken Marsala

Curry with veggies, ground turkey & tofu

Freshly baked Corn Bread is simple to make and always a welcome treat.

Aloha -- Cathi

Lucy Jarrard, a Surfer from Nanakuli Aspiring to Compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Aloha Everyone,

Lucy Jarrard is 19 years old and lives in Nanakuli, Hawaii. She is an amateur surfer and is ranked amongst the top surfers in the United States for her age bracket. Lucy hopes to represent American Samoa in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. This will be the first time that surfing will be included as an Olympic event.

Lucy is trying to raise enough money to compete at the International Surfing Association's World Surfing Games in El Salvador in May 2021.  This is a qualifying event for the Olympics. After qualifying, Lucy hopes to raise enough funds to go to Japan in August 2021 for the Olympics.

Lucy currently attends Leeward community college and strives to earn BA degree to either teach on the Leeward Coast on Oahu or open up her own small business related to surfing. It is encouraging to see a young woman who is so focused and determined. She has a healthy attitude, lifestyle, and life goals.

Jeff, our younger son, is the Social Studies Department Head at Nanakuli High and Intermediate School. Lucy was a student in his class during her junior year. Jeff also knows her parents and her younger sister whom he also had as a student. Jeff, and his wife have made a monetary donation to help Lucy purchase her competitive surfboards. J.J. and I are also contributing to help Lucy advance towards her dream.

Below is a YouTube video that Lucy created:

Aloha -- Cathi

Chicken & Mushroom Pasties

Aloha Everyone,

This is a week for us to try new recipes. Pasties is one of our son’s favorite foods from his trips to England. Previously, I made Beef Curry Pasties and this time he asked if can try making Chicken Mushroom Pasties. I love challenges especially when it comes to trying out new recipes.

The preparation took about 4 hours including first roasting the chicken in the oven. To eliminate the distinctive scent of poultry, I borrowed Farah’s technique of laying chicken on a bed of orange slices. J.J. helped me with cubing, dicing onion and garlic. After frying sliced bacon pieces, I added vegetable including thinly cut mushrooms and cubed chicken pieces. A can of mushroom soup, a little sprinkle of salt & pepper were last to be combined to the mixture.

After 3 hours to cool down the stuffing, it was easy to make individual Pasties. Chicken Mushroom Pasties will also be making repeat appearances at our diner table.

Aloha -- Cathi

Sunrises with Watercolor Pencils

Aloha Everyone,

Incredible sunrises are surreal, fleeting as the light changes instantaneously, blending colors only nature could imagine. I have seen photos taken with my iPhone at a ten seconds intervals can differ noticeably.

Watercolor pencils are an amazing tool for artists. When you use them like an ordinary dry color pencil, they function as such. But you introduce water to their color pigments and voila, the colors come alive.  They become sharp, intense and brilliant. They also blend or run into another color. The only thing is, that you can always go overboard in adding water with paint brushes.

Here are my 3 color pencil sketches before and after adding water.

Aloha -- Cathi