Author / princesshotflash

by princesshotflash

My Beloved Ollie

My beloved Ollie has passed. On Saturday evening, he collapsed and was screaming in pain. I rushed him to the emergency animal hospital. His lymph node was enlarged and was bleeding internally. The next step was to do exploratory surgery, but he was not stable enough to have that surgery. He was in pain, and I knew I had to put him down.

I’m so sad. It all happened so suddenly. Although Ollie was not feeling well on Friday, he got up to eat and drink on Saturday morning. I thought he was feeling better.

My Ollie was such a friendly cat who always greeted visitors to the house. I’m glad I listened to Oat and brought him home with me. For seven years, he kept me company, entertained me, and made me smile on my saddest days.

Orange and I will miss you so much, Ollie!

by princesshotflash

From Cora’s Garden: Pikake

Pikake blooms on the new growth

Cora’s pikake is in bloom. Pikake, also known as jasmine, is a drought-resistant plant that grows better in hotter weather. Waipahu is a perfect place for it. This leggy plant shares a pot with gifted papaya from the birds.

Mom trimmed it about a month and a half ago, and it recently started blooming. She’s so proud that she told me to share it with you. This plant’s variety is the double-flowered rose pikake.

The bougainvillea are also blooming. I’ve trying to be more attentive to the ones in the front yard recently. They need trimming and weeding, and have been fighting a good fight this hot summer during water restriction. These are shots from a couple that I’ve been taking care of.

by princesshotflash

Thrifty Finds: Two Musubis

On a slow day at Kuakini Thrift Shop, I was scanning the shelves, and I came upon this Christmas ornament of two musubis sitting on the couch. It made me smile. So kawaii.

Wouldn’t this look cute on your tree?

Here are a few other items that I wanted to share.

  • Vintage wooden cutout Christmas tree–I love the graphic label on the packaging.
  • Two small ginger jars–I loved the color of the jars
  • Vintage sunglasses–I thought these were very on point with today’s fashion, very 70s
  • Japanese charms–A tiny wooden cow and a carved bead with a bear(?) on it.

These two flowers aren’t for sale. They were part of vintage Japanese hair ornaments that were falling apart—now used as decoration for the shop—each petal of the flower created with ribbon. I remember wanting long hair so I could wear these types of ornament in my hair.

I initially thought this would be a weekly feature, but I realized there wasn’t always something to show you in my thrifty finds. I’ll post when I find something interesting to share. These pieces may not be something I’ve purchased, but they are thrifty finds I thought others would like. Look out for more of my Thrifty Finds.

by princesshotflash

Short and Up

My latest hike. A new one for me I had never been. All I knew was that it was steep.

I can never get stronger if I don’t continue to challenge myself.

Amy from Human Playground, Breaking the Pain Barrier

I heard this statement while writing this post and liked it. As a hiker, I hope I learn from this statement to conquer fears and weaknesses to make myself more vital to do these incredible hikes.

Up we go.

The view as we go upwards

Then more upward we go.

With some assistance

Whew! We made it, and the amazing view from the top. It was worth the workout.

The clouds were beautiful!

We stopped off at the fish pond when we got down. What a peaceful spot to cool down.

by princesshotflash

Fav Pics: My walks to work

I used to walk to the office when I worked in Hoboken. I’d get off my bus in Jersey City (the next town over) and do a three miler with my laptop in tow. It was an excellent start for my day of mostly sitting.

I walked on the Hudson River walkway from Bayonne to the George Washington Bridge. My section was from Exchange Place to Hoboken, approximately 3 miles. Most of it was on the waterfront, with beautiful morning views of the Manhattan skyline.

I decided to capture images of my morning walks to take advantage of having the opportunity to be at these locations at beautiful times of the day. I walked in all seasons and types of weather. The city of Jersey City and Hoboken kept the walkway as clear as possible to make these images happen. Here are some of my favorites.