It is January 28 and we just came back from a holiday in Hawaii.  Lovely weather over there, but apparently not that bad back here in Paradise.

Before we left I actually moved the Snow Blower from the back of the garage to a position behind Little Red waiting for the one week of snow that we should experience.

We came home to warm weather (well 12 C or 55 F)  and the daffodils are sprouting in the yard.  Talked to our neighbour and this has been the normal temp since we left.

Today I put away the Snow Blower to the back corner of the garage and drove to the other end of town (where my favourite barber has her shop) for a haircut with the top down on Little Red.

Who says Global Warming is bad………..

The family have the details of our recent vacation in Hawaii, so I do not have to repeat them here.  Let us just say we flew back from wonderful weather and found out that it was not that cold on our arrival.

You spend that kind of money to fly to Hawaii you want to leave the – 30 C of Winnipeg, have a holiday at + 30 C  and fly back to – 30 C so you can brag to your friends and neighbours about the experience they missed.  A feeling of superiority plus the slightly browner tinge to the skin.

But, when you fly back and the temp is +12 C and everyone says “well it was quite nice when you were gone” you miss that part of the bragging benefit of the vacation.

In any event Pat and I felt we gained a few grams (or possibly kg) in body mass on our trip so started our recovery tonight with a nice stir fry of veggies and chicken in a light Indonesian sauce with ginger and mango.  Lovely meal.

A dessert of ginger snaps.

We will see how long this lasts.

Still great to be home and sleep in our bed.

I am on vacation, so declared that I would not produce a blog until I returned home.  Every artist needs a holiday.  Granted a significant part of this decision was the limited typing skill I have on an IPAD.

But this revelation came on today and I must share it with my readers.

When we moved out to the island, Pat and I had this initial dream of a property on the ocean with a great view.  Did not come about so we live in a great place 5 minute drive from the shore.  Every now and then I think of what we might have had.

This week we are staying in a condo overhanging the ocean on the west coast of the big island of Hawaii.  Beautiful views over the ocean with gorgeous sunsets,  but the waves crashing in on the shore below is deafening.  I know you are thinking that the sound of surf on a Pacific beach must be heavenly, but trust me, it is not.

Now I am glad that we found a retirement home off the beach.

I feel as if I were Pat going to confession.  Forgive me my Blog audience, it has been 3 weeks since my last entry.

It is not as if nothing has happened in my life.  Our daughter and grandson had major operations, the wife and I flew off to an exotic Christmas in Ohio, major flooding in our home town etc.

Apparently I have taken a vacation from my Blog responsibility, but to be honest, tonight is the first meal Pat and I have shared alone together in almost a month.  And, as she polices the area, I was sent off on my literary duty.

It is Friday Jan 2.  We arrived back home late in the afternoon yesterday in time to dump the luggage, take showers and walk over for a New Year’s dinner at our good friends Harry and Marie.  Wonderful evening but, Boy, were we grateful to slip into our own bed last night.

As it is Friday we had a fish dinner tonight.  Cod in seasoned flaked potato crust, lightly sauted  and then baked in the oven with sweet potato fries, Edamame beans and a Kale salad.

I only add this last sentence because my kids assumed I would write these blogs when I was alone.  I love the fact that my children are concerned about my meals when I am by myself.

Granted not one of my best blogs, but I did get the report from WordPress on my blog activity for 2014.  2500 people accessed my site in 30 different countries.  Unfortunately I need 10 times that activity before they start running ads on my site and 10 times more before I actually could make money.

I suspect I will have to work on my blog titles.  “Naked Nun Nights”  “Free Big Toe Replacements” “Cheap Cuban Rum”  could get me up there.

Anyway it is Friday night and I see Pat is almost finished dishes so we are going to watch a movie.

Welcome back my blog fans.