gigi-hawaii

I took this photo at the Waikiki Aquarium a few years ago.  Aren’t the colors beautiful?

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Despite my various ailments, which are chronic and incurable, I still manage to be independent and don’t need a caregiver. I can drive, cook, clean, and write a blog.  Not bad for a 71 year old woman.  If I can remain independent and live in my own house until I die, then I can honestly say that my life had a happy ending.

Never mind all the bad stuff that happened previously. As Puck said in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”:  “All’s well that ends well.”

David is such a good husband. This June will mark our 37^th wedding anniversary.  The good thing about David is that he helps me maintain our property and he takes me places.  On Sunday, we will attend the opera (Andre Previn’s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” based on the play by Tennessee Williams).  On the first Wednesday of February, we will take advantage of the free admission to view the new Islamic art exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art.  And on the following Sunday, we will record the Super Bowl and attend the symphony (featuring the Brahms’ Double Concerto).  When we get home, we will watch the Super Bowl, rooting for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

What an exciting week! I am so looking forward to it.

I am not blind, I am not deaf, and I am not in a wheelchair. As I said, I am independent and don’t need a caregiver.  I am not a burden on anyone.  Life can’t get any better than this.

Coconut trees in Hawaii.

David and I were waiting for a table at a restaurant yesterday, when the couple opposite us asked David, “Is your last name Hinchey?” David said, “Yes.”

It turned out that the other couple is named Glenda and Walter. They are sister and brother residing in a house on Prospect Street.  David and his family lived in the house next to theirs back in the 1950s-60s.  After all these years, they recognized David.

Small world!

What makes it even smaller is the fact that Glenda is my real name, and Walter is the name of my former boyfriend, who now resides in Europe. Seeing the other couple with the same names at the restaurant made me nostalgic for the good old days, when I was romantically involved with my former boyfriend in New York.  I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if we were married to each other.  I guess I’ll never know.

This is a photo of a sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

I have not been posting, because WordPress has changed its posting format.  Very difficult for me.  I am not sure if this post will go through.  Cross my fingers.

Well, I recently saw my doctor regarding my blood test.  She told me to lower my total cholesterol and LDL by not eating cheese, pizza, and ice cream.  She also told me to eat fish twice per week.  Since I am not a fish person, I think I will eat salmon just twice per month.  At any rate, I don’t need to take cholesterol medication, so dietary changes might do the trick.

Be happy everyone.  Count your blessings.  I sure do.

Well, that blog break was short.  I have decided to post periodically as the need arises and visit your blogs periodically, too.  No stress, huh?

Anyway, David has been experiencing back and hip pain for quite some time.  He saw Dr. Akau (orthopedist), who took X-rays, and was told that he has arthritis in his hips and arthritis nodules on his back.  He was referred to Dr. Ching for physical therapy.  Dr. Ching told David that he is lopsided and must center his body.

These are photos of David doing two types of physical therapy, ordered by Dr. Ching.

Lean back and forward:

Push ups on the bed:

David is supposed to do these exercises prior to doing anything strenuous.

Hi folks,

I have decided to take a blog break and focus on Facebook.

Aloha,

gigi-hawaii

I recently bought two more tablecloths plus matching napkins from Bed Bath & Beyond (online) to add to my collection.

A yellow one:

And a white one:

You have already seen the two tablecloths that I purchased previously.

The red one:

And the blue one:

All of these tablecloths are Microfiber, which means they are moisture resistant. When you spill a glass of liquid, it beads up and does not soak through or run off the table.  It’s so easy to mop up the moisture beads with a paper towel or sponge.  Further, these tablecloths are machine washable and dryable, and don’t need to be ironed.

We have been using the red tablecloth exclusively for dinner guests. It will be nice to use a different color now and then instead of the same old red one.

Last Thursday, my sister, Sylvia, treated me and David to a fine birthday dinner at Mediterraneo, an Italian restaurant. It was very sweet of her to do so.

The food was excellent. We ordered many courses, such as Crostini Porcini, Contadina Salad, Mushroom Ravioli, Veal and Chicken Piccata, and Teramisu.  Everything was beautifully presented.

The chef is from a town just outside Rome, so our food was truly Italian.

This small restaurant (7 or 8 tables) has been in existence for 25 years, and it’s located on the corner of Hauoli Street and South King Street. Free parking in the rear of the restaurant.

Thank you, Sylvia, for being so nice to us. The dinner was delicious, and we had such a great time conversing with you.

All of my siblings have pieces of real estate that they are renting out for profit.  One sister has an apartment building, another sister has a studio condo, another sister has a room in her townhouse, and my brother’s children have an extra condo — all of these rented out.

So, now, I have decided to get back into the landlord business, myself.  If my siblings can do it, why can’t I?

Our previous tenant paid us $1,000 per month.  But, I think I will lower it to $900 and perhaps increase it to $925 or $950 the following year.

It’s a good source of income.  The only catch is finding a good tenant, who is compatible with us.

On Monday, I opened my front door and saw this cute bouquet of flowers on my door step:

I placed the flowers on my dining table:

The card said it was from Charles, Kanani, and Toni to mark my 71^st birthday.  Charles and Kanani are my brother’s children, and Toni is Charles’ girlfriend.  My brother, Dathan, died at the age of 55 in 2003, and his wife, Pat, died at the age of 73 in 2016.

This is a photo of my family and Pat’s family at the Willows (2014):

Thank you, Charles, Kanani, and Toni, for thinking of me and bringing your cheer to my home.

Love you,

Aunty G

I drove to T&L Muumuu Factory on Sunday and purchased three muumuus.

These two are quite nice:

This one has red and black colors, but the photo does not show the red specks. I wore it to the symphony concert at the Blaisdell Concert Hall on Sunday, jazzing it up with fancy jewelry and heels:

These muumuus are machine washable and dryable. They don’t need to be ironed.