Ponderings from the Lido Deck

Today we are in Kona on The Big Island. We have an easy day planned. We're going to get in some pool time, walk around on the pier and maybe go to a beach for a while.

Right now I am sitting in my pool lounger .... lounging.

And I am thinking.

Last week I almost fell in. I almost fell into that neighborhood catty female clique fighting junk that has been swirling around me since we moved there three years ago. I have always resisted getting anywhere involved, because I have seen it happening with other neighbors.

When I was a little girl, I had a group of "friends". But, were we? It was definitely a clique. Whether we proclaimed ourselves as popular, or were given that title by others, I don't know. I do know that in high school we were called The Snobs.

I never felt like I belonged in that group, and was always fighting to stay in and be included. As I look back now it is obvious who I really should have been friends with. It was that group of girls I still stay in contact with today. But I guess I was desperate to be coined "popular".

Through my life I have found myself in similar situations. Ironically it's usually at whatever church I am attending. Nothing comes from those situations but hurt feelings.

Then when we moved to our neighborhood it was clear that there was a clique on our street, and I wasn't included. In fact, the glares and such were so evident that it was clear I would never be. As time has passed, I see that those women are not the kind of women I want to be friends with anyway. We are very different. And, that's okay. I don't have any expectations from them to befriend me. I don't even really have any expectations from them to like me.

But, it does annoy me that they talk about me loud enough that I can hear it. It makes me uncomfortable to be in my own backyard. And, that's unfortunate.

Some things have been said recently, and I have responded by making a blog post, and I got a response from a neighbor that sounded supportive but that I took as threatening. And, I wanted so badly to run to my next-door-neighbor and spill to her the can of worms I had opened.

But, I just felt God telling me to shush. It had immediately consumed me to where Rick was annoyed by it. I got myself all wrapped up in it. I even got scared of retaliation. So I felt God very gently tell me to just put it away and not get involved .. to not talk about it again.

Addressing the issue with these neighbors might do some good, or might make things worse. But, most of all it most likely wouldn't make any difference at all. And it would just give them more things with which to talk about me.

So, I'm dropping it. I'm not addressing it at all. After this I will never mention it again ... not to Rick, not to any person and not on this blog. I am going to enjoy my home and my property without the fear of ridicule or retaliation. We have worked hard for our home and we are determined to now enjoy the fruit of our labor.

But all of this does give you a clue as to why I am the way I am. I don't like any kind of group or clique that includes some and excludes others, or makes them feel excluded. That's why I don't join PTO, why I don't do our neighborhood ladies monthly get-togethers, why I don't play Bunko, and why I'm not in a Bible study.

I never want to feel like I am fighting to be included in anything. And I don't want to ever make someone feel like they have to.

I do hope this changes in me someday, because I don't want to be some little old lady with absolutely nobody. I have always envisioned myself living in some spunky little retirement home doing old lady things with the other old ladies. But, time has shown me that mean little girls turn into mean 40 year old women. Why do I think they won't turn into mean 70 year old ones? I guess only time will tell.

In the meantime, I really am happy and content taking care of my family and my home and my puppies and my garden. I have my hands full with that. But I am also Fullfilled! And I don't deserve to be treated badly by other women.

Anyway, the Hawaiian sun must be getting to me, and it's time for a refill of tea. And there's Rick back from his walk around the ship. It's time to get out there and explore.

Have a great day!

Nicole's Daybook ~ Hawaii Style

Outside my porthole... the Big Island awaits.

I am thinking... about how there is no place in the world I would rather be right now than exactly where I am and with the man I am with.

I am thankful ... that Rick and I have these opportunities to explore the beauty of our planet!

I am wearing... a bikini and bathing suit cover up ~ my uniform for the week.

I am remembering... that I am one of the most blessed women in the world!

I am creating... a rejuvination of my marriage and memories to last a lifetime.

I am going... to go pick up our rental car and drive around the beautiful island of Hilo in search of the most beautiful waterfalls.

I am reading... The Freestyle Daily newsletter to find out what the ship has to offer us today.

I am hoping... that we find a waterfall today that we can walk up to and swim at the base.

On my mind... is nothing but sunshine, eating, sleeping, relaxing and hanging out with my best friend.

From the learning rooms... who the heck cares!

Noticing that ... I am a completely different person away from the responsibilities of my life than I am on a vacation with my husband where I can focus completely on him.

From the kitchen... we are eating some of the most delicious food and gaining back every pound we lost before the cruise!

Around the ship... are happy, relaxed people, tons of food and amazing scenery.

One of my favorite things... is happening at this moment.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Today we are on Hilo for the day. Tomorrow we are on Kona for a day. Then on Thursday and Friday we are on Kauai for two full days. We dock back in Honolulu on Saturday. That night we are going to a luau. On Sunday we are going to Pearl Harbor, and we fly back home late that afternoon. Thankfully we upgraded to First Class, so we will be able to relax and sleep on our overnight trip home.

From my picture journal.

Our home away from home this week.

Get to know other special women at The Simple Woman's Daybook. (Not that I'm "special", but you get the point. Well, actually this week I am feeling pretty special.)

Menu Plan Monday ~ Cruise Style

Well, we are on board the Pride of America, and have been since Saturday. My plan is to eat as much as possible.

Here's a sample of what we're having ...

Monday ~ Chilled jumbo shrimp cocktail, Caprese salad, Broiled Atlantic salmon with broiled potatoes and grilled asparagus, Creme brulee.

Tuesday ~ Baked french onion soup, Classic Caesar salad, Herb marinated grilled chicken breast with red bliss mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, honey glazed carrots, Apple pie ala mode.

Wednesday ~ Yep, I'm F(ending) F(or) M(yself)! Perhaps it's a burger, fries and ice cream cone next to the pool.

Thursday ~ Antipasti platter, Creamy lobster bisque, Grilled New York sirloin steak with loaded baked potato, carmelized shallots and tender green beans, Chocolate souffle.

Friday ~ Perhaps tonight we'll celebrate with a private dinner at one of the specialty restaurants .. maybe Japanese or Italian?

Saturday ~ A traditional Hawaiian buffet at Paradise Cove Luau in Honolulu.

Sunday ~ Probably McDonald's at the airport in preparation for our overnight flight back to the States. After all this fru-fru food, it's time for some grease! A Big Mac will never taste so good!

** Of course, these menu ideas are just a guess, and just a fraction of all the eating we are doing this week!

We are in Paradise

We landed yesterday, we boarded, we ate, we slept,

we got lei'd ...


(Hee ... hee ... Ok, seriously ... we were up at 2 a.m., flew for about 10 hours, boarded the ship at 5 p.m. mainland time which means it was only noon Hawaii time, so we were ready for bed by 4 p.m. Hawaii time. Those flowers were the only Lei'ing going on!)

But, we woke up to this ... (or something like it)


We are in Paradise!

Don't Even Think About It

By the time you read this we will be well on our way to Hawaii!! Yippeee!!

I just wanted to provide you with a warning: Don't even think about breaking into our house and stealing all of our prized possessions.

Our neighbor across the street, the cop, will not hesitate in shooting you dead.

Our next-door-neighbor, the doctor, will know precisely what deadly concoctions with which to inject you should you survive the shooting.

Our neighbor cop's husband, the medical examiner, will promptly pronounce you dead from natural causes.

And the doctor's husband, a down-home kind of guy, won't think twice about throwing your dead body off the bluff to be eaten by the very hungry coyotes, mountain lions and buzzards.

No one will ever know you were here.

And if none of that does you in, these will surely scare you away.


So, don't even think about it.

(And, seriously, the characters depicted in this story are real life people. And, they are very closely watching our house.)

Rick Rocks ~ Because I Get To Do This With Him, Alone, All Week

(Our 2008 cruise to Bermuda)

Bon Voyage

There's not much to say today except Bon Voyage!

It's a crazy day of preparation .. the day I always dread before a vacation. It's all that "last minute" stuff I hate. So, I'm busy, busy , busy today!

The kids and I are leaving at about 2:00 today to drive the four hours to my parents' in Missouri. Rick's staying here to play in a charity golf tournament tomorrow. I'll get the kids settled and get a chance to visit with my brother and sister-in-law who I haven't seen in quite some time because they live in Portland, Oregon. I'll also get a chance to see Kyndal and Dawson this evening. They left last Friday to spend some time with their dad and I haven't seen them since.

Tomorrow I'm going to get my hair cut and colored, and just spend some time with the kids ... soaking them in before we head out to soak in the sun in Hawaii.

Rick will come to Missouri late tomorrow night. We'll sleep about 4 hours then get up in the middle of the night to drive the 2 hours to the airport in Kansas City. After 10 hours of traveling, getting from the airport to the cruise ship, boarding and getting settled in, we'll probably be ready to eat and then sleep. We're "looking forward" to an exhausting day on Saturday.

But, it will all be worth it when we see sights such as this .....

Pray for Jen

Please be in prayer for my sweet friend Jen who lives in Dallas. She is pregnant with Baby #4 and went into pre-term labor last night at 28 weeks. The baby is strong and doing great, but she has been ordered to strict bedrest for at least the next 8 weeks. That's hard on a mama with three other kids home for the summer. And, it's hard on three kids home for the summer with a mama in bed.

I'm planning a trip down in a couple of weeks to make some meals for her. If you have something you would like to do for her, let me know.

She is a sweet, sweet girl and I love her to pieces!

Here we are at the bloggy get-together I went to last summer.

More Cruise Tips ~ The Road Less Travelled

At each port, you can do the easy thing and purchase an excursion through the cruise ship. Although you are completely protected by doing this, you pay at least twice as much as booking it yourself and you negate the possibility of finding any gems off the beaten path.

My advice ... don't do the "touristy" things, unless there is just something you want to do. And, if you decide to do it, book it yourself instead of through the cruiseline to save you a ton of money.

On our trip to Hawaii we are going to do a zipline and attend a luau, which are "touristy" Hawaii things to do. But, we booked these things on our own.

We learned a very valuable lesson when we were in Bermuda. By not planning, sometimes you happen across the greatest experiences!

We were wanting to go to a lighthouse in Bermuda. We purchased the two-day bus passes, grabbed a map, and headed to the lighthouse on our own. We stopped at the designated spot and got off the bus. There were two roads ahead of us. We could see the lighthouse from where we were. One road went up a treacherous curvy hill that screamed "death", so we opted to take the other path. Little did we know that the other path would take us winding around for several hilly and winding miles. Luckily we had bottled water.

We did finally make it to the lighthouse, and upon leaving we noticed that the other path went straight down to our beginning spot. It probably would have taken us 10 minutes to walk it (that is if we didn't get killed by a car on the narrow road). But, the things we saw along the way on the long path were breathtaking and we would have missed them had we taken the easy path. Gives additional credence to "the road less travelled".

Only one of many hills we had to climb.

But the view from the top of it!

One of the very cool things we saw on the way.

I am currently in the process of researching some out-of-the-way experiences for us in Hawaii. In Maui we have a zipline tour booked, and are renting a car to drive up the Hana Highway on the second day. But on the third day we are in Hilo on The Big Island. There's not much there. So, we are renting a car. I really, really, really want to swim in a pool at the bottom of a waterfall. And there are very few opportunities, if any, although I have found a possibility. But while researching I came across a website highlighting a 4-mile stretch called the Onomea Bay Scenic Drive. The authors took much time in laying out the specifics of this scenic tour, and have indicated a particular swimming hole at the end. I am hoping this ends up being an incredible experience.

Anyway, the purpose of this post is just to advise you to take a chance and dig deep in your research! You just might happen upon a gem that very few people knew about.

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... the fence guys are putting up our fence in the backyard! Yay for the doggies! (Oh, and it's stinkin' hot!)

I am thinking... about the situation with our neighbors and whether I should address it or leave it alone. I'm still undecided.

I am thankful ... that I get the privilege of staying home with my children, especially when summer arrives.

I am wearing... gray sweat shorts, my Scrap Pink (scrapbooking for breast cancer) t-shirt and pink flip flops.

I am wondering... why grown women (and their husbands for that matter) can be so nasty and mean to someone they don't even know.

I am creating... an organized house and clean house so that I come home to one after our vacation.

I am going... to take the little kids to the library in a while to sign up for the Summer Reading program. Then I'm going to try to read some of my book this afternoon while doing some housework.

I am reading... The Last Promise by Richard Paul Evans.

I am hoping... that Buck is not getting the bacterial infection that Quincy had. He has started having some of the symptoms. That stresses me out with us leaving for vacation in a few days!

On my mind... is our cruise and hardly anything else! I can't wait to spend some one-on-one time with Rick!

From the learning rooms... a few days' break before our Summer Bridge books get here and we start doing a page a day, along with reading. I am really hoping to keep my kids' brains running a little bit this summer.

Noticing that ... I am so fulfilled and content and happy. And it's because my life is simple.

From the kitchen... I am making double batches of meals this week to freeze for us to eat when we get home from our vacation. We're also trying to really suck it up this week so that we can feel free to gorge ourselves on our vacation. Oh, the food that awaits!

Around the house... are packed suitcases. We are mostly packed and ready to go.

One of my favorite things... is watching the birds use our home for their sustenance. We have a mama bird in her nest under our back porch. The birds routinely fly in to eat the birdseed in our little birdhouses and to drink out of our birdbath. And the hummingbirds are certainly enjoying their feeder! I love to watch them and know we are providing for them.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Today and tomorrow will be filled with final preparations for our trip (cleaning house, getting things organized, etc.). On Thursday afternoon the kids and I are leaving to go to my parents' in Missouri. My brother and sister-in-law will be flying in from Portland, Oregon, and we haven't seen them in a long time so we are really looking forward to that! My niece also has a softball game, so we're going to go watch that. On Friday I'm getting my hair done and then late that night Rick is joining us at my parents' (after one last round of golf before we leave!) Then he and I are getting up at about 2:00 a.m. to get ready, load up and drive to Kansas City to the airport. Our flight is at 6:00 a.m. We'll fly all day and get to Honolulu at 11:30 a.m. Hawaii time. Then it's cruisin' time! I can't wait!!!!

From my picture journal.


A summer rite of passage .. playing in the sprinkler.

Get to know other special women at The Simple Woman's Daybook. (Not that I'm "special", but you get the point.)