happy but subdued 4th of july

Summer is here and it seems everything in the natural world is exploding with color and growth. Long days and lots of sunshine gives us more opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. The weather in Hawaii is similar all year long, so it can be difficult to discern the seasons. So we pay close attention to the small temperature differences, the plants, the length of days, and I like to plan a few things small things that I can attach to each season. This summer will be subdued because of the pandemic but can still be enjoyable. I want to master a new go to grilling recipe, have a picnic every other weekend, and read the remaining three Louise Penny books.

The Hilo Beauty is a Plumeria that sits at the front of my house. The color is a gorgeous blood red and over the years, many people stop and knock on our door, asking if they can have a cutting for their garden. Hopefully there are lots of happy Plumeria trees in the neighborhood.

Looking forward to watching Hamilton on Disney+ this weekend. We were fortunate to be able to see the play live in New York with the original cast and it was so energetic and moving.

If you’re on Instagram, you must follow Lisa Murphey. She is a fellow Parkie that lives on Kauai, and is a marvel. Her commitment to exercise is motivational and daily pics of her beautiful surroundings is lovely to see.

I hope you enjoy your weekend. xo

our first celebration since the quarantine

The quarantine is slowly being lifted here in Hawaii. Groups of up to ten can get together, restaurants are open for dining in, and most stores are allowed to open. This weekend we had such a nice family get together. My son Bronson is visiting and finished his two-week quarantine for all people are arriving in town, and my mom had her 81st birthday. Tons of delicious food, laughter, and lots of yakking. There is a lot to talk about in this world today and it was nice to have something positive to celebrate.

The quarantine has made me appreciate my home life and relationships more. The rhythm of cooking and eating together, reaching out more often to check in on one another, and with so many intense things going on in the world, taking more time to really hear what others are saying. It’s been profound and something that I will try and continue.

Just listened to two good audio books. The first is The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. It starts with a twenty-five-year-old murder/suicide of three people and charts three generations of their family and the entanglements that tie them together. It cuts back and forth with narration from the different characters, and since the audio book has several narrators, it makes it very interesting to listen to. The other is The Tenant by Katrine Engberg. Also a murder mystery set in Copenhagen and is the first in a four book series. I noticed how much I was enjoying the narrators voice and how much it adds to the book, so I did a search for other books they’ve narrated and put a few on my TBR.

I have a new brownie recipe that I’m adding to my list which already includes cocoa brownies, tahini swirl brownies, & supernatural brownies. The new one is peanut butter swirl brownies. Made a double batch in a 9x13 pan for this weekends get together and it was fabulous.

Watched a few interesting shows on TV. As usual they couldn’t be more different from each other. The movie Bombshell is about the lawsuit and firing of Roger Ailes at the Fox Network. Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie are such good actors that I’ll watch anything they are in. The other is the ESPN series 30 for 30 which is a series of sports documentaries. The last two were about the life of Bruce Lee and Lance Armstrong. Even if you are not a sports fan, they’re well done and interesting.

I hope you have a wonderful week and thank you to those who have emailed me to say hello. The best part of this blog are the connections that I’ve made with you. xo

weekend wrap up

Happy Memorial Day. It’s a gorgeous day and I’ve got a few things planned. I’ll visit Punchbowl Cemetery where my dad is buried. On Memorial Day it’s an incredible site with the flags and leis decked out honoring veterans. I’m doing some yoga, baking some banana bread, and Marc is making his famous chocolate souffle for dessert. It’s the one thing he makes and if you can only make one thing, chocolate souffle should be it.

My dreams are getting much more vivid. Last night I had a long nightmare which eventually woke me up and when I went back to sleep, the dream continued on! How bizarre. I know it’s a common symptom of PD but I wonder if it gets progressively more intense. I do notice that on those nights that I have them, I wake up later. Does that happen to you? I hope you enjoy your week. Here are a few things to eat, read, and watch.

Netflix has two new movies that I enjoyed this week. The Lovebirds is a romantic comedy with Kumail Nanjiyani and Issa Rae. It’s not heavy lifting but a cute movie about a couple who accidentally ends up at the scene of a crime and are afraid that they will be blamed, so they try and find evidence to exonerate them. Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler is the complete opposite. It’s an unrelenting look at the life of a guy who sells jewelry in New York and has a severe gambling problem. It’s one twist after the next and very intense. You’ll either love it or hate it but I enjoyed it. If you watched The Great British Bake Off, you may remember Nadiya Hussain. She has a new cooking series called Nadiya’s Time to Eat and it’s delightful to watch all the tips and hacks she has for making things easier in the kitchen. I love her personality and her colorful kitchen.

For podcasts, A Way with Words is fantastic. People call in with words and sayings and the hosts, who are incredibly knowledgeable, talk about the history and meaning of them. You learn a little culture, history, and new words. Home Cooking with Samin Nosrat is a four-part series of cooking during the quarantine. She has the best laugh. If you’re looking for some deep and inspiring talk, you’ll want to listen to Unlocking Us with Brene Brown. I’m a big fan of anything she writes and hearing her conversations always makes me feel good when I’m done.

I’m reading Five Finger Discount by Helene Sapinski. A memoir set in Jersey City, Helene describes with affection her family which included swindlers, bookies, embezzlers, and mobster-wannabes. Another memoir I just finished and enjoyed was Notes from a Young Black Chef from Kwame Onwuachi.

And I can’t forget my favorite part of the day is when I’m eating. In Hawaii we eat butter mochi which is an addictive sticky and chewy dessert. For dinner I made this super easy and delicous Chicken Shawarma Sandwich with Greek Salad. I read a good comment that you can freeze the chicken in the marinade and just pull it out and bake. As Ina says “how simple is that”. xo

aloha friday

I didn’t do too well this week with exercise, so I’ll get back on track this weekend. If I don’t do it in the morning, I find many excuses in the afternoon and my energy is lower as the day goes on. I know it’s been drilled into you probably a million times about the additional importance of exercise for people w/parkinson’s but it bears repeating. Aside from potentially slowing down the disease, your body is stronger, more flexible, it relieves pain, helps with digestion & constipation, relieves depression & anxiety, and you always feel good after you do it. It’s a gorgeous day today and the parks just reopened only for exercising so off I go this morning for a long walk.

I found a couple of new shows to watch. Manor House on Amazon is a British reality series about a group of people living on an estate as if it were in the Edwardian era. You have the wealthy family living upstairs and the downstairs help. It’s a fascinating glimpse into what day to day life was like in that era. Upload is a cute new comedy series. After Nathan’s untimely death he is able to choose his afterlife.

Well here are few things I’ve been eating this week. Grain bowls are easy and delicious, but Melissa Clark has a great tip. The basic formula is grains, toppings, sauces & flavorings. For the veg toppings she slices them on the thinnest setting on a mandolin. What it does is create a different crisp than a dice and delicate texture that I’m loving. Lettuce, cabbage, carrots, celery, radishes, fennel all work beautifully.

I made a batch of Everything Bagel seasoning from Cookie + Kate. It’s a good one and I’ve sprinkled it on toast, tuna sandwiches, and roasted sweet potato fries. This Turkey & Lentil Chili is a regular of mine. It’s just Marc and I so I freeze half of it and I’m always happy to pull it out of the freezer for an easy meal. I also see the beginning of strawberry season so I picked up a basket and made my favorite Strawberry Cake. Oh boy do I love this cake.

I’m reading The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. It’s a twisty mystery and I just started it but really enjoying it so far. I’m also reading If I Understood You, Would I have This Look on My Face? by Alan Alda. It’s his journey about learning how to communicate better with others. I like his earnestness and simplicity.

I hope you’re doing well. I know it’s a long haul but we are resilient and still have lots to contribute in our little worlds. Reach out to someone today (that someone could be me:) and say hello. Have a wonderful weekend.

rinse & repeat

Good morning. I hope your week is going well. Yesterday I did my rounds of calling and checking in with friends and family. They all involve what we ate, what we watched, and what we read. Rinse & repeat. I’ve got lots of kale in the garden so we’ve been looking for new ways to incorporate them into meals. Today was the most unusual one with a peanut butter & greens sandwich from Lukas Volker’s new cookbook called Start Simple. I know it sounds strange but it was delicious.

I did an online yoga class and gave myself a pedicure. With my tremor, I end up getting the nail polish on my toes as well as my nails, but I find that once it’s dry, it comes off my skin easily so don’t worry about trying to do it perfectly. I let it dry and after I took my evening shower, it rubbed right off.

We’ve been watching After Life on Netflix. It stars Ricky Gervais as a husband who lost his wife to cancer and his efforts to grieve and create a new life without her. It is sad, but also has humor and is very heart warming. Unorthodox is another good one to check out.

Today is a beautiful day so I’ll be potting up a new calamansi lime tree. I’ve run out of room in my garden for any trees so I’ll plant it in a large container and see how it does there. I have a meyer lemon and lime tree and use them almost every day that they are fruiting, so I thought it would be interesting to give this new variety a try. They are tiny fruits and from what I’ve read they are a cross between a lime and a kumquat. It’s wonderful seeing all the home gardening that has been going on lately. Even the smallest thing like regrowing scallions from cuttings in a cup of water is rewarding.

We still have a ways to go but it looks like there are little bits of light at the end of the tunnel, with cities trying to plan ways for resuming some activities. Hang in there and be well.

P.S. - The FDA approved a new medication for Parkinson’s ONGENTYS (opicapone) for off periods.

monday at home, again

asparagus and egg salad w/walnuts and mint

OK I’ve been eating way too much sugar and white flour the last month and I need to slow my roll a little. So for the next few weeks, guess what, I’m going to try and reduce my sugar and white flour and eat more whole grains. So take that, frozen brownies in the freezer! For lunch today I made Deb Perelman’s asparagus and egg salad w/walnuts and mint on a delicious old world rye loaf I scored from a local bakery called Breadshop. You go to their website and choose a day and time that’s available and it let’s you know what type of bread they’ll have. You order and pay for your bread online and at the appointed hour you pull into their parking lot and someone brings your loaf to the car. It’s the most complicated loaf of bread I’ve ever eaten but it’s local and delicious, and I hope they are doing enough business to keep things going.

Yesterday I painted a wood bench that sits on my lanai. It was an old bench that was being thrown away so hubby and I brought it home and ripped out the old seat cushions. I have a hodge podge of outdoor furniture or as I like to call it, assembled over time, and paint them all the same pale garden green, which makes them more cohesive.

The weather is beautiful today so I’ll definitely be in the garden. The orchids are so lovely and colorful, and the lilikoi or passion fruit vines have also taken over my fence and starting to flower. The vines can go crazy and over take everything but I love the sweet tart fruit so I let them ramble over the summer and then cut them back in fall. The little surinam cherries are very tart and I make a firm cherry paste that is delicious served with cheese and bread.

The weather is starting to get warmer so I thought this would be a good time to go through my wardrobe and swap out jackets and the like for cooler summer pieces. The last few summers I have been enjoying linen. It’s cool and the modern linen is not stiff like it used to be. It’s just starting to pop up online in a few of my favorite online stores like JCrew, Everlane, & Boden. I’m also on the search for a summer dress. It’s difficult to find one that has the right scale because I’m short so I end up looking frumpy or like a child. The search continues.

I’ve been listening to an excellent bookish podcast called Diving In. The hosts Louise and Virginia are from Australia and life long friends who love books. They’re descriptions and banter are delightful and it’s such a pleasure to listen to. I recently listened to an episode about Nancy Mitford and her eccentric family that was interesting so I’m now reading The Sisters, The Saga of the Mitford Sisters and next reading Nancy’s novel The Pursuit of Love.

I hope your week will be a good one. Stay safe and stay in. xo Kai

slow living is the norm

Who knew there could be such a thing in our lifetime that would stop the entire world in it’s tracks. Everything and everyone has had to slow down, stay in, and find a new normal, and amidst the changes there is a response that I have been surprised to hear. I’ve noticed that a number of people that I have spoken to, who are elderly, have a health issue, or some similar situation are taking the current challenges very well, considering.

The fact that they are the most at risk, I thought they would be the ones having the most difficulty dealing with it. But in reality they’ve already had to make adjustments in their life where they are not able to leave their home as much, have had to find ways to keep connected to the world, and new ways to work from home. One person told me that she guiltily felt a little better because instead of feeling like everyone around her was whizzing by, everyone has had to slow down to her pace, which made her feel more normal. Not that she is happy about a pandemic, but her honesty made me think about that more.

Our current situation is taking it to an extreme but some of the challenges we are facing in terms of the social distancing are things that people with chronic health conditions deal with every day and here is a time where our experiences can help others who may be having a more difficult time of it. Maybe it’s our turn as those with PD to reach out and talk to our friends, neighbors, family and let them know it too will be OK. Be the sounding board and provide support for those who are having a more challenging day. “The storm will pass and the sun will shine again.” Be well. xo- Kai

and the beat goes on

I heard this interesting thing the other day about how because everyone is posting their perfect quarantine routines on social media, it’s giving people FOMO about how they are spending their days. That’s when an old school blog can be helpful. You can enjoy people sharing their experiences both good and not so good, but not feeling that it has to be summed up in the wittiest paragraph or the perfect picture. It can feel a bit more long form and more like a shared experience. And since it seems we’ve got more time on our hands I’ve been enjoying many of them.

What I have been loving on Instagram is people live streaming. Since everyone is stuck at home, many of my favorite people are doing impromptu cooking segments, sharing their hobbies, even their walks to the grocery store. I love the stream of consciousness without the edited perfection. And some people are funny! Who knew quarantine could bring out the comic in all of us. Our family has a text chain with 10 of us and each day someone jumps on with some silly joke, updated information, or whatever they feel like. It’s a great way to blow off steam.

Is it me or does all of this madness make me want to eat more, especially sweets? I made a batch of these brownies and put them in the freezer. If you’ve never had a brownie out of the freezer, you don’t know what your missing. I’m sure the quarantine diets are being written right now so they’re ready when we turn the corner from this and we’ve all gained 20 pounds. Hopefully it will include things to make with all the stocked up panic buying food on our shelves. Well, cocktail hour is approaching so I’ve got to run. We’re staying with a classic gin & tonic tonight. How are you doing right now? Be well.

keeping busy

I’m trying to keep a routine and keep busy with projects around the house. My morning routine of reading, writing, and thinking has been very helpful in keeping things in perspective. Everyone has a different level of stress right now but here are a few things that have been helpful to me so far. I read the news updates just a couple times a day. I’ve also been trying not to read any news that are just opinion pieces. I’m looking for actual information and I also don’t need to hear it repeated over and over, and this one change has reduced the amount of actual news to read tremendously.

I’ve also been keeping up with my favorite blogs and sites and people are really making an effort to find creative ways to stay positive, find joy, and help others during this difficult time. It’s inspirational how people, companies, and communities are coming together to help each other. People are coming up with creative ways to keep connected like having virtual lunches and happy hours and phone trees to call elderly people who don’t use technology well.

My cooking routine this past couple of weeks has been the opposing forces of trying to eat all of the food lurking in the bottom of my freezer but yet I keep making double batches of new food to put in the freezer to eat later. The food sites are exploding with creative meal making while we are social distancing and I’ve saved enough enough cookie recipes to last a lifetime.

If you need a laugh here are a few funny posts. Enjoy the rest of your day.

aloha friday

Well, it’s been quite a few weeks for everyone. It seems many of us will be staying close to home for a bit. Let’s check in with others who may need help with getting their daily needs or a friendly voice to talk to, practice things that reduce our stress, and hey maybe we will finally start doing all those things around the house that we’ve been putting off. Here are a few idea of things to do. Have a cozy week.

~ Exercise at home - These are all free and have a great selection of classes from as short as 5 minutes to an hour. Yoga with Adriene is the best online yoga I’ve tried. On Fitness Blender you put in the type of exercise, duration, and difficulty, and it gives you the classes that fit your parameters. You can save the ones you like to your favorites. Super clean format and straight forward workouts. Take a walk, no instructions needed.

~ Over haul clean out of your closet- Spring is around the corner so this is the perfect time to clear out your winter clothes. The Anna Edit is a darling gal from the UK and Style at a Certain Age is a daily fashion blog. I honestly don’t know how these ladies do an outfit of the day, everyday and look great. I could do the un-outfit of the day I suppose.

While we are clearing out our closet, Audrey Coyne has some good tips on how to layer jewelry which is a fun trend. What a great way to change up a look and use pieces that you’ve not worn in a while.

~ Speaking of clearing out, some of the grocery store shelves seem to getting low so I was thinking about how much food I should stock up on. What I’m going to try and do instead is cook out what I already have. There is a lot of strange stuff in my freezer and pantry and this is time to use it. That may mean some very creative and interesting meals over the next couple of weeks….

~ Reading - How about starting a book series? Book Riot and Off the Shelf are great places to start if you need ideas from different genres. I’m reading The Nature of the Beast which is in the Louise Penny series and started The Murder on the Links which is the 2nd book in Agatha Cristie’s Hercule Poirot series.

~ Watch - Same as above. Instead of watching just singular shows, start an interesting series so you’ve got the next one to look forward to. Or make your own theme like watch a bunch of movies all with the same actor, director, or genre. TCM does a great job with this and it’s interesting to see how an actor progresses over time with different roles.

~ Listen - Did you know there are over 900,000 different podcasts? And the great thing about it is that they are getting more niche, so whatever you’re interested in, there is a probably a podcast about it. New ones are constantly coming online so check the top charts in your favorite podcast apps frequently to see what’s popular. Here is a list of the most popular podcast apps and if you’ve never listened to a podcast here is an article on how to get started.

~ Take an online class

walkable neighborhoods

I am a walker. I love to walk. I will walk anywhere. Parks, random neighborhoods in any city from industrial areas to out in the middle of nowhere. You see and observe things so much better when you walk. It’s endlessly fascinating and part of that fascination lately is the idea of living in a complete neighborhood, which is a neighborhood where you can walk to your basic daily needs. So I’d say within a 15 minute walking distance to a grocery store, a cafe, a library, and a park. It’s about a mile give or take. Your daily needs may include mass transit station, schools, community centers, entertainment and others.

Now that I have PD, it’s even more interesting to me as I think about my future health and how it may impact where or how I live. I live on a beautiful island where I can get to the big city, the beach or the mountains in less than 10 minutes and the weather is gorgeous all year long. But my neighborhood is also on a steep hill with no sidewalks so walking to any of these places is a challenge.

If in the future I have limitations on driving, living in a complete neighborhood would allow me to still enjoy these daily needs with more independence and more frequency. It would also provide more ways to get exercise, to be outside & to engage with others in my community. A complete neighborhood can also be in a big city or in a small town. It’s encouraging to see that some new communities are planning with this concept in mind and many existing communities are retrofitting areas to make them more walk and bike friendly.

Walk Score is a fun way to see the walk-ability of your neighborhood. You put in your address and it gives you a score out of a possible 100 and a break down. It works for the US, Canada, & Australia. Mine was a 23 out of 100 which is low. Do you live in a walk-able neighborhood and if so does it add a positive quality to your daily life?

aloha friday

What’s going on with you this week? I’m looking forward to a hike to the Makapuu light house this weekend with our support group. The photos above are the views from this beautiful hike. Here are a few other things that have interested me the last few weeks. Have a wonderful weekend.

~ Parasite - Winner of Best Picture at the Academy Awards & The Palme d’Or at the Canne Film Festival. I saw it described as a tragicomedy which is perfect. It’s about a destitute family and a wealthy family and how their intertwining creates all sorts of drama. You never know what’s going to happen next which was so entertaining. All the characters are played to the hilt and the house that it’s filmed in adds to the atmosphere.

~ I had breakfast with a friend of mine who recently got diagnosed with PD. It’s difficult because you know their fears, confusion, and that limbo you feel in the beginning, until you find your place back into the new story of your life. But we can be there for them and become part of their support system, that we all need. Here are two thoughtful blog posts if you or someone you know is newly diagnosed. One from Twitchy Woman and Parking Suns.

~ Time to bring back sun dried tomatoes - In the 90’s sun dried tomatoes were the thing and now you rarely here about them. But they are a great flavor booster and since a loss of smell and taste is a common symptom in Parkinson’s it’s an easy way add oomph to lots of different foods. Bella Sun Luci is the brand that I like. When you want to use them, microwave a small cup of water until it boils and throw in a handful of tomatoes and let them soak for a couple of minutes.

This Double-Tomato Bruschetta is wonderful in the winter when all you have is cherry tomatoes. Here is a quick pasta dinner. You probably already have all of these ingredients, just pick up a bag of arugula and you’re ready to go.

spaghettini or any long pasta
sliced garlic
olive oil
sun dried tomatoes, chopped
white wine
chili flakes
arugula
toasted bread crumbs or grated parmesan cheese
Boil water and cook pasta. At the same time saute sliced garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Add tomatoes, white wine & chili flakes, let wine reduce. Add cooked pasta and arugula and toss. Sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs or cheese.

A handful are also delicious thrown into a soup, added to whatever sauce your making for chicken or pork, and is delicious added to ground turkey for burgers.

~ I just love the spring colors in this post from Emily Henderson. Isn’t her patio gorgeous!

“My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far I’ve finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.” Dave Barry

what i'm reading

Have you had a good month with reading? I have, but lately if I read in the afternoon after lunch, it makes me very drowsy. I’m in the middle of The Whisper Man by Alex North. Scary thrillers have never been a genre I read before, but I heard good things about it from the Currently Reading Podcast so I thought I’d give it a try and I’m really enjoying it so far.

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

Arthur Pepper is a recent widower and after finding a gold charm bracelet in his wife’s possessions that he has never seen before, it takes him on a life changing odyssey through London, Paris, and India. It’s a charming, easy read that I enjoyed.

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Hell Bent: One Man’s Crusade to Crush the Hawaiian Mob by Jason Ryan

This book was interesting to me because it’s set here where I grew up. Chuck Marsland was the city Prosecutor whose son was killed by alleged mobsters in the 1970’s in Honolulu. It’s full of descriptions of local law enforcement, politicians, and alleged mobsters that were names we heard frequently growing up, and how they are all intertwined. It’s an interesting deep dive into the case and the influence of the mob on the local society.

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The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Anna Fox lives alone in her home. She is unable to leave her house. So she watches classic movies, plays online chess, and spy’s on her neighbors. One night as she is watching the new neighbors across the way, she sees the wife stabbed and bleeding through a window. But no one believes her. It’s a psychological thriller and I kept wanting to read more to find out what happened. It’s sort of twist on the movie Rear Window.

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French Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising, Happy, Healthy Eaters by Karen Le Billon

Wow that title is a mouthful. I randomly saw this at the library and picked it up out of curiosity. I don’t have small children but in the vein of “French Women Don’t Get Fat” I’m always interested in food and eating customs. The most interesting part to me was the concept of no children’s menus or food, and less snacking so that kids are more hungry at meal time and therefore willing to try different foods. You may not agree with everything but it was an interesting read.

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Me by Elton John

His warm and humble stories from childhood through his life challenges including drug addiction, to his fulfilling life now with a husband and children. He has met and been friends with many interesting celebrities along the way. I listened to the audio book while I painted my bedroom and really enjoyed it.

Happy Reading. xo kai

Favorite Books of 2019

This year has been a super enjoyable year of reading for me. Although there are always more on my to read list than I can get through, a few things help me keep my reading in a positive direction. One is that I put down a book if I’m not enjoying it. There are too many good books out there waiting. Sometimes I also have a slow burn book, which is a book that I read very slowly. Sort of in the background while I’m reading other books. This is helpful when you have a book that may take more thinking, or can be a more complicated book than you feel like reading all the time. I read a few pages at a time and it can take me months to finish it.

Here are a few of my favorite books this year. I try to use the library and the library book sale as my main source of books, so many times getting the newest releases are difficult, but I’ve found over the years that it’s actually a plus. Sometimes new books are over hyped, so by the time I get to them, the reviews are more balanced. I’ve added a short review from other sources as I’m terrible at writing reviews, they all end up sounding the same. Happy Reading!

Non-Fiction

Non Fiction

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan - Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Autobiography. Included in President Obama’s 2016 Summer Reading List. “Reading this guy on the subject of waves and water is like reading Hemingway on bullfighting; William Burroughs on controlled substances; Updike on adultery. . . . a coming-of-age story, seen through the gloss resin coat of a surfboard.”—Sports Illustrated

I.M.: A Memoir by Isaac Mizrahi - “Heart-rending…[an] honest rendering of how the underdog Mizrahi, whose self-image and livelihood are alternately crushed and affirmed, moves through the many creative phases of his life.” ―The Washington Post

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover - “Tara Westover is living proof that some people are flat-out, boots-always-laced-up indomitable. Her new book, Educated, is a heartbreaking, heartwarming, best-in-years memoir about striding beyond the limitations of birth and environment into a better life. . . . ★★★★ out of four.”—USA Today

Inheritance by Dani Shapiro - “As compulsively readable as a mystery novel, while exploring the deeper mysteries of identity and family and truth itself... a story told with great insight and honesty and heart.” —San Francisco Chronicle

Catch & Kill by Ronan Farrow - "At the heart of every great noir is a conspiracy of evil that imbues the initial crime uncovered by the hero with a weightier resonance than was immediately obvious. So it goes with Catch and Kill."―Elizabeth Bruenig, The Washington Post

She Said by Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey - "An instant classic of investigative journalism...‘All the President’s Men’ for the Me Too era." — Carlos Lozada, The Washington Post

Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur - “Exquisite and harrowing . . . [WILD GAME] is so gorgeously written and deeply insightful, and with a line of narrative tension that never slacks, from the first page to the last, that it’s one you’ll likely read in a single, delicious sitting.” —New York Times Book Review

Wild by Cheryl Strayed - “Pretty much obliterated me. I was reduced, during the book’s final third, to puddle-eyed cretinism. . . . As loose and sexy and dark as an early Lucinda Williams song. It’s got a punk spirit and makes an earthy and American sound. . . . The cumulative welling up I experienced during Wild was partly a response to that too infrequent sight: that of a writer finding her voice, and sustaining it, right in front of your eyes.” —Dwight Garner, The New York Times

Fiction

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey - “Part mystery, part meditation on memory, part Dickensian revelation of how apparent charity may hurt its recipients, this is altogether brilliant.” -Booklist

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz - From the New York Times bestselling author of Moriarty and Trigger Mortis, this fiendishly brilliant, riveting thriller weaves a classic whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie into a chilling, ingeniously original modern-day mystery.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - "If you're looking for a summer novel, this is it. Beautifully written, a story of a Russian aristocrat trapped in Moscow during the tumult of the 1930s. It brims with intelligence, erudition, and insight, an old-fashioned novel in the best sense of the term." —Fareed Zakaria, "Global Public Square," CNN

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer & Annie Barrows - “A jewel . . . Poignant and keenly observed, Guernsey is a small masterpiece about love, war, and the immeasurable sustenance to be found in good books and good friends.”—People

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett - “Patchett’s splendid novel is a thoughtful, compassionate exploration of obsession and forgiveness, what people acquire, keep, lose or give away, and what they leave behind.” - Publishers Weekly

The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth - "Behold: the book that'll make your subway ride an actual enjoyable experience! This suspenseful thriller is impossible to put down." ―Cosmo

The Passengers by John Marrs - “A fast-paced thriller that offers a discourse on morality and ethics…Marrs excels at thrilling readers by creating a real sense of tension and delivering a believable, harsh criticism of modern society through this dark and entertaining story. Driving…will never feel quite the same.”—LA Times

Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell - “O’Farrell has done it again. . . . There is a deliciousness to this novel, a warmth and readability that render it unputdownable and will surely make it a hit.” —The Guardian (London)

looking back at 2019

“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” Soren Kierkegaard

As the year comes to a close, I look back and think about all that has happened. The things that worked and didn’t work, and take stock. Each year I choose two words that are my focus. This year they were “growth” & “connection”. I loved thinking about those words throughout the year and all the many ways I could incorporate them into my daily life. I added “gratitude” into my thoughts on a daily basis and the more I focused on it, the more abundance I saw.

There were of course challenges. The ever changing efforts to maintain my physical and mental health when having a chronic illness is never far from the surface. A family member had a major health challenge this year and thankfully it had a positive outcome.

This year my words are “trust” and “express”. It will very interesting to see how these words manifest. I’m looking forward to this year and all that it holds. I’m grateful for you as a reader of this blog. I appreciate every connection I’ve made, all the wisdom and strength that I’ve gotten from our community is immeasurable.

I wish you a very happy and fulfilling new year! xoxo Kai

aloha friday

Western Motel - Edward Hopper

This has been a really nice week with my son Bronson visiting. We had a fun day at the Polynesian Cultural Center and went horse back riding at Kualoa Ranch. This weekend we have a holiday party and I’m planting a bunch of herbs in the garden. Be well and have a good weekend.

~ Audrey Coyne has a very helpful video on How To Find The Perfect Jeans.

~ Books - I’m finishing up Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this is a fascinating memoir about his life and a glimpse of how surfing is more than a sport, but a lifestyle, and has taken him all around the world. I’m really enjoy The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. I’m listening to the audio book and Tom Hanks’ narration is fantastic.

~ This documentary looks fascinating. 63 Up follows the same group of Brits every seven years from 1964 to now.

~ Homemade fudge from White on Rice and Stollen Bars from Molly Yeh are on my holiday treat list this year.

~ For the Holidays, the Gift of Self-Care - five simple steps to quiet your mind and sooth your stress any time of the year.

be well. xo Kai

enjoying the holidays

Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving! We enjoyed dinner at my moms and everyone brought a few dishes. It was a real united nations of a meal. There was mandoo which are Korean dumplings, turkey, smoked brisket, Chamorro red rice, potato gratin, baked beans, ham, pumpkin mochi, and tons more. It was all so delicious.

And although it can be an enjoyable time of year, it can also be stressful. I heard someone yesterday say they felt pressure that they were behind. Having a chronic illness can add to the stress, so it's a good idea to think about things we can do ahead of time to keep it positive and enjoyable and not overwhelming and unrealistic. Most of these we have all heard but it's a good reminder to help us not to get too caught up.

1. Pace yourself. Don't feel like you have to participate in everything and when you need to rest, rest.

2. Keep up your exercise. It can be tempting to skip or put off exercise during the holidays when there is so much do. But keeping up our exercise can actually give us more energy and keep us feeling better.

3. Enjoying holiday food doesn't mean going on a free for all from Thanksgiving to the New Year. Plan ahead to eat healthy meals between events. If you overindulge at meal, that's ok just eat normally at your next meal. The idea that since you've blown a meal, you may as well blow the whole day, but when you just get back on track at your next meal, you won't feel like it was a big deal.

4. No one has the perfect holidays, no matter what they say. Don't try too hard to create perfect moments. Seeing social media shots of everyone having the perfect time can make your imperfect life feel magnified.

5. It's not about stuff. Really. It's not about stuff. Do you remember what you bought or received as gifts last year? Probably not. Our family decided to purchase gifts for the kids in our family only and it has made it so much simpler and enjoyable.

6. Do something for someone else. Contact a local charity. They need lots of extra help during the holidays. Invite someone to a holiday meal who doesn't have a place to go. Bring some extra cookies to a neighbor. Helping others also helps us feel good.

xo-Kai

aloha friday

This year I’m in the mood to do a little holiday decorating. Nothing crazy, just a few things. So this weekend I’ll take a look at what I have and look for ideas online and plan on putting them together on the week of Thanksgiving. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

~ Always happy to hear more positive news that gardening is the new exercise. I also love this beautiful post about the pace with which we garden by Tara Dillard.

~ Books I’ve read recently. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. This is a profoundly compelling portrait of Stevens, the perfect butler, and of his fading, insular world in post-World War II England. From Scratch by Michael Ruhlman. He is one of my favorite food writers and the audio version is wonderful to listen to. You don’t get all the recipes that you would in the printed book, but you get tons of techniques that you can use in your daily cooking. His books are always easy to read and well researched. Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow. An in depth accounting of Ronan’s investigation & Pulitzer Prize article for The New Yorker about Harvey Weinstein. The Other Woman by Sandie Jones is a thriller. It’s a page turner with a twisty plot and is an easy read during the busy upcoming holidays.

~ Two podcasts that I recently found are Next Question with Katie Couric. Katie has in depth interviews and a fun banter with her producer co-host. If you watch Shark Tank you may like The Pitch. It also has people pitching their ideas to potential investors and people have some really interesting ideas.

~ If you’re looking for an easy and fabulous fall dessert, this Apple Cake from Dorie Greenspan is a winner.

~ Oprah is back with her holiday Amazon shop with a few of her favorite things. The Peepers Blue Light reading glasses are so cute and these gold hoop earrings never go out of style.

Be Well. xo Kai

aloha friday

This weekend is the Hawaii Parkinson’s Walk at Ala Moana Beach Park. I’m sure it will be fun day for all, to help raise awareness of PD and to raise money for the Hawaii Parkinson’s Association. If you’re in Honolulu, please join us. Aside from that I’m doing a little diy project of painting my kitchen counter stools and of course reading and gardening. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

~ Liz Dennett’s inspiring story of hoping to become the first person with Parkinson’s to row across the Atlantic Ocean. Go Liz!

~ These are two fall vegetable dishes that I’m looking forward to trying this week that both have a mouth watering miso glaze. Miso-Glazed Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes w/Sesame Pistachios & Miso-Citrus Dressing.

~ This simple tan colored silk top from Everlane is on my wish list. It looks great on the model but since I’m so short it may be too boxy on me. Hmmm….I’ll think about it.

~ I’m in the middle of reading The Butler Speaks by Charles MacPherson. The author is a Butler and it’s a fascinating read about the history and current day knowledge and skills that Butlers utilize in their work.

~ Dolly Parton is one of my favorite celebrities. Now there is a podcast about her. Love it.

~ A year from now…Will today’s emergency even be remembered? Will that thing you’re particularly anxious about have been hardly worth the time you put into it?

Better question: What could you do today that would matter a year from now? - Seth Godin

aloha friday

by Morgan Harper Nichols

What’s going this weekend? I’d love to take a hike or a long walk in a new neighborhood, followed by a good read and a nap! That sounds perfect to me. Have a wonderful weekend.

~ Morgan Harper Nichols Instagram - Her site has such beautiful words of inspiration.

~ Recent books I’ve read: Little Big Lies by Liane Moriarity. I saw the HBO series before I read the book. The TV series is a lot more glamorous than the book but I still really enjoyed the book.

~Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep

~A Beautiful Mystery & How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny. Books 7 & 8 in the Armand Gamache mystery series. Love this series.

~Mrs. Beeton’s Book on Household Management - This is more of a book you will skim than read. She was sort of the Martha Stewart of her day and you get interesting information about life in that time with servants and everything basically being done hand. It made my housework seem easy after looking at this. It’s also a free e-book because it’s out of copyright.

~Inside Out: A Memoir by Demi Moore - Good as an audio book, read by her. Very honest about her family life and struggles and I really enjoyed it.

~I have a bumper crop of lemons on my tree this year, so I made lemon curd, which was super delicious with yogurt and granola, this lemon almond pound cake, which was on a recent episode of Milk Street TV. Now that it’s fall, I have this Butternut Squash & Ricotta Bruschetta from Ina Garten on my list to make.

~Are you looking for some new underwear? This article asks 26 stylish woman about their favorites.

~When we visited Japan, I was impressed with how clean it was without a public trash can it sight and this BBC article explains a little about why.