Puakenikeni...

one of my very favorite flowers is Puakenikeni.

I love the different smells it gives off as it changes from pure while, to yellow

finally to orange.

Saturday night I met some friends at Aulani.

One of the musicians and I had talked before about Puakenikeni and how

there isn't really a song written about the blossoms when they first open in 

the early morning, still wet with dew.

So for their show that night he'd made three Puakenikeni leis for them to wear.  He 

remembered our conversation about the scent.  When they were done for the evening,

he gave me his beautiful double/double lei.  

Puakenikeni is such a fragile flower that it doesn't take much for them to start

turning brown.

I took it off for the drive home and snapped a quick picture of it sitting on my

hat.

as soon as I got home, I wrapped it and put it in the refrigerator.

The next morning I wore it to church and the whole chapel was filled with

the sweet scent of Puakenikeni.

Music, Friends and Hula...

Saturday evening we met friends out at Aulani to listen to Tony C.

This was the first time that hubby was able to go, so that was especially nice.

Tony said some very nice things about Aunty Lei that were touching.

the gang

an added bonus was that Pua, family and her cousins were also coming

out.  Tony had the girls come up and dance.

This was such a treat because I've known them since they were toddlers.

They've grown in such beautiful young women and are beautiful dancers.

Dee Dee and Tanna with  one of the twins

they all danced  "Pua Carnation" one of my very favorite songs.

Pua can still take my breath away when I watch her dance.

not only was it great music but also nice to spend

some time just talking before the craziness of Merrie Monarch.

Pua and her halau have been invited to compete this year, so they were all leaving for 

Hilo the next evening.  

Hula is Life...

Some Music At Aulani...

Saturday night I went with our friends the Iwanas and the Nitchmans

out to Aulani in Ko'olina to listen to some great Hawaiian music, Tony C.

I hadn't been out there since it opened and it's even more spectacular now that 

it's completed.

The music is outside at the "O'lelo Bar" and it was a perfect night to be sitting

outside.

Tony and his boys have been playing out there since it opened a few years ago.

I know him because he has played for us at Na Hula and has been long time friends with

Aunty Lei and Ms. Alama.   Every Saturday on his way to Aulani, he stops and

visits Aunty Lei in hospice.  I'd seen her earlier and we were talking about how

spunky she is.

They played from 6:30-10:00pm!

crazy good fun.

He played a mix of traditional Hawai'ian and Hapa Haole songs, so it

was fun.

Since we'd had such a big dinner at Highway Inn, we didn't order much food, only some

snacks.  The girls said we "had" to get the macaroon hamburger .

The "burger" was a chocolate macaroon, "fries" were sticks of shortbread cookie,

the "ketchup" was raspberry puree and the "shake" was some type of frothy

sweetness that you ate with a spoon with a chocolate "straw".

It was not only great to look at, but also very, very good to eat.

Only at Disney.

It was such a fun evening and we were saying that we'll have to do it again.

I commented to one of the guys in the band that "I guess they don't allow

bugs at Aulani because it's Disney".  There weren't any bugs flying around

even though there is a lot of water stuff there and no wind.  

I only wish they had better Kamaaina rates, I'd love to go out and stay there.

Big mahalo to our friends for including me in such a fun night.

Let's do it again!

Aulani

Since this weekend was Conference, yesterday we decided to take a little road trip out

to Aulani the new Disney resort at Ko'olina.

Only one word can describe it...

BEAUTIFUL!

They've done a great job bringing Hawaii into it.  There were displays all over

of Hawaiiana that I just loved. 

The grounds are breathtaking.  Hubby said that it looked like everything (plantings)

had been there 30 years, they were so big.  In true Disney fashion, there wasn't a

dead leaf to be found.

Hope that they will run some sort of Kamaaina special (better than it is now)

and we can go out to stay.  But until then, we'll just go out and enjoy

the grounds and music.