Busy Weekend in October 2012!

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Its been a busy weekend! Thursday night was Kalaheo's Homecoming Dinner to celebrate the Football team. Parents were amazing and pulled out all the stops when it comes to our kids. I made a lot of pasta (four trays of pasta, 1 for homecoming dinner, 1 to leave home for family dinner-Darin, Malu, my parents, 1 for my brother and sister-in-law and their family, and then 1 more for Saturday or Sunday's events).

I actually had to leave early to get to hula by 7:15pm. And it was still a school night.

On Friday, I got up early to bake a giant batch of shortbread macadamia nut cookies hand dipped in dark chocolate and topped again with more chopped macadamia nuts. It was just practice for the cookie crust that I needed for my fancy green lime jello cheesecake dessert for Saturday's University of Hawaii Football Game.

Friday evening, Kalaheo smashed Roosevelt in our Homecoming game 50 to 14. Go Mustangs...all the way to the playoffs! Woo hoo!!!

The JV football team's season is over and it was definitely a learning curve for the new football players, I'm sure they will play even better next year!

In the meantime, Kai needs a break from contact sports as he is still recovering from his injuries, but he's already looking forward to playing another sport soon.

Saturday morning, Darin made spam musubi's while I squeezed in a quick 4.5 mile run. A few hours later, I was cheering on my Warriors but that was after a really awesome tail gate party! OMG everyone went all out, the food was so ono! Seriously yummy! I'm wishing I had leftovers in my fridge. The Warriors had a tough game, but my nephews had me smiling as we wandered about in search of ice cream :) yum!

Sunday, after a morning work out to sweat off all the naughty things I ate since Thursday, we packed up the family to join my lovely friend Diane on location in Diamond Head. She was filming for a fascinating story about the disappearing art of Amezaiku, Japanese candy making. It was fun and although, my children felt they were to old to participate, thinking it was just for the little kids (they were such diva's that day, grrrr), they begged for their own fancy Amezaiku candy lollipops and were as thrilled when they got them as the 4 year olds (some kids may have been older or younger than 4 but all were adorable).

Please Check out my friend Diane Ako's blog this is a link about her Halloween event and she writes on so many interesting topics. I can't wait to see her story on the Amezaiku with Nathan and Chika Tanaka of Candy Art Hawaii. 

It's now almost midnight as I type this, and way past my bedtime on a school night. So uploading all this text plus my photos to share with all my friends on facebook and elsewhere will just have to wait til morning.

Happy week ahead everyone :) smiles for you!
Love always,
Maile

Hawaii's Best Halloween Event of the Year

The most amazing Halloween event that I look forward to every year is a wonderful costume-optional party held at the beautiful Moanalua Mortuary. Diane Ako and Paul Drewes are so gracious with their time and effort to host this favorite annual event. Originally thought of as a get together among media friends, the spooky location in industrial Mapunapuna, sets the mood for a very macabre evening.

By day, Moanalua Mortuary is a very beautiful and respectable Mortuary offering compassionate and affordable end of life services. Providing cremations, caskets and funeral services in its beautiful air conditioned chapel.

The gorgeous double door entry and grand wood floor, vaulted ceilings and stone counters make this an amazing reception area for guests to truly have a beautiful party to celebrate the life of their deceased. In fact, that description really doesn't do it justice. Check out these photos...

But at night, there is no question that the atmosphere changes and when appropriately decorated with added spooky decor, it transforms into the best haunted party location you could dream of.

This year might have been my favorite with the popular psychic and the best haunted tour. Scary shadows wandered about the halls and peered out from dark corners. The screams and shouts from some of the guests made it so much fun, I'm not sure how Diane and Paul can top it for next year, but I look forward to being there.

Death is such a difficult subject. And the first few parties were a little strange. Hard to explain, but I like to think that all our friends have become more accepting of our fates. Parties like this, are certainly unusual, but have given each of us a renewed sense on the value of living the precious moments of our life.

Death is a curious topic, big mahalo always to Claus Hansen (Owner, Moanalua Mortuary), who is so patient with everyones questions and offering us a safe opportunity to explore such a difficult subject with a sense of humor and erases all those worries of passing on into the next life.

It was so wonderful to see my dear friend Cindy, who is just a month away from welcoming her own bundle of joy, and Malika who's baby is due to arrive at anytime. Life is a cycle, birth and death are just natural parts of our life. If we just make our time on Earth count, and live every moment being the best we can be, then when its our time to depart this life, we can look back and say everyday I truly lived and it was all worth it.

This amazing event gets bigger and better every year. Looking forward to the years ahead, and grateful for each day. Mahalo to all my wonderful friends, you make every day worth it and I want you to know how grateful I am to know each of you.

Much blessings and love to everyone.

Love and Aloha,
Maile