Hot Off the Press

Welcome back, my dear readers, to the Weekly Read!

I'm sorry your reading escapes have been so far and in between, but you see, my days and nights have been filled with visiting an old friend...

That's right; a physical book at last. To my new readers, allow me to introduce, The Animal Court, the second edition of The Feasts and Follies of the Animal Court.

Now, for those of you who think you know Gertrude, let me assure you that time changes all. I invite you to reacquaint yourself with the story of Gertrude Kemenova and the animal court, particularly those of you who are suffering from Game of Thrones withdrawals (trust me, I'm right there with you!)

Pick up the Second Edition to have and to dog-ear here.

One more major announcement; pack up your bags, we're moving! The expanse of my writing universe has become too great for this wonderful site, so we're off to our new blogging location: sfaxon.com. Consider it a second edition of sorts. We're nearing the big leagues together, dear readers, and I cannot thank you enough for supporting me this entire time.

Until next time at our new location,

Your humble and GRATEFUL author,
S. Faxon

Maui, Day Two

Hola, Everyone!

I came to realize this morning that it has been some time since my last post AND that I left you hanging on my vacation in Hawaii. Well, that simply will not do.

Maui, day two.

Julia and I woke up early so that she could make it to work on time. We drove to the house where Carolyn was staying and after waving ta-ra to Julia, Carolyn and I watched the sun bring the island to life. We sipped coffee by the window and listed to the birds sing "good morning." For some time, we nursed our coffees and watched the soft, rolling waves stroke the shore.

We then donned our bags and headed out for our day of adventure. On my flight out, the man sitting next to me told me to always wear my swim suit, always have snorkeling gear, and always have hiking shoes. I essentially did all of that, except wear my suit the first day...I learned after that. (Ladies, being that it's so warm, it's far more comfortable to wear your suit and or exercise/style clothing that's loose fitting. Trust me, you will not be or ever feel under dressed.)

A lovely breakfast at a beachside restaurant filled our bellies with the local flavors. I enjoyed an enormous plate of loco moco, which I'm suddenly craving...(my gluten free/mostly carb free current lifestyle probably has something to do with that as well.) Loco moco, if you're not familiar, is a delightfully satisfying and certainly filling meal. Think meat, gravy, eggs and rice...yum. There's no shortage of "yum" in Hawaii.

As we sat and enjoyed breakfast, I text a photo to my aunts, who would soon be visiting Maui as well, and would you believe it? They were going to be staying at the resort adjoining the beach we were overlooking. Once I learned that I replied in my text, "We're warming up the shore for you!"

Carolyn and I jumped back in Rabbit, the car, drove up the coast to enjoy a lovely walk along the shore. The path wound its way alongside gorgeous resorts and landscapes that varied from tropical paradises to what I can only imagine would look like the moon. Stunning, all of it. Carolyn and I talked and talked, all the while keeping our eyes sharp in search of whale spouts.

The little Volkswagen in which we traveled, lovingly referred to as Rabbits took us farther north. We drove beneath incredible pines and through some tight turning roads. The roads took us by a lovely lagoon with what I would consider a forest surrounding its keep. Dogs were diving in and out, chasing after the balls their humans sent a flying.

The beach accompanying the lagoon made me think of the coasts of Oregon. Every corner of Maui surprised me more and more. There's really something for everyone there.

 Back in the car and further north we went. We drove by one of the large golf resorts on the north-western coast. There were ENORMOUS evergreens reaching up for the heavens above.

We

We stopped at a little trading post, grabbed some caffeine (of course, it's me traveling, after all), then headed off in search of the northern Blow Hole.

The road was steep and very twisty, but eventually we found a neat little park that ended up being a little shy of the blow hole we were after, but the views were spectacular, so we did not mind.

With the wonderful assistance of a man arranging a circle of rocks, he pointed us over to a trail where we had the view you see above and where, if we had been wearing sweatshirts, we probably could have taken flight. The wind was incredible.

 But we didn't want to stay out that way too long as we were hoping to meet Julia in the late afternoon, so back in the car once more, we headed south to see what else we could find.

From one cliff's vantage point we watched a dozen surfers wait for waves while we enjoyed the local flavors of coconut ice cream...........yum. The vendor used her machete right before us gawking tourists as she split open the precious coconuts from their pods. The lady said that she comes up with all of the flavors and there were some amazing ones to enjoy. I had a cinnamon flavored ice coconut cream and Carolyn enjoyed chocolate.

Eventually, happy hour in Lahaina called, so we drove back down the coast to meet Julia once again. Carolyn and I sat and sipped DELICIOUS Mai Tai's prior to Julia joining us at which point we switched to pints.

Maui Brewing company was essentially the only beer we enjoyed while over there. I'm a particular fan of their Pineapple Manna, but their Bikini Blonde Lager and the IPAs we enjoyed were fantastic as well. Ahhhhhh, it was all so good. Anyway, we enjoyed kalua pork nachos and watched the sunset from our happy hour location, although there was some confusion regarding whether or not our table was reserved, we didn't mind and it did little to tarnish our sunset experience.

Until next time dear readers, which I assure you will not be that long from now.

Your humble author,

S. Faxon

A Week Away

It was o'dark-thirty in the morning when my friend picked me up to take me to the airport. The kittens were fed and well played with by the time fur, ops, I mean, four-thirty rolled around. I was going to miss the little fur balls, but adventure was awaiting me.

Ahead of schedule, my 737 took flight took off, westward bound. Now, I live about as west as one can get, so my trip above the clouds was mostly over the Pacific, a direction I've never gone before. The flight was smooth, relaxing. A wave of inspiration took over me; I wrote, I drew, and I edited one of my stories. It was a lovely flight. The seat next to me was vacant, but the gentleman sitting at the window shared a delightful conversation with me, telling me all about the AMAZING sights, sounds, flavors and experiences I was about to enjoy. My excitement built by the second.

The airline attendants brought us all a refreshingly strong local beverage on the house to set us in the right frame of mind for our destination. As we neared the shores, the gentleman in the aisle beside me pointed out the window and said, "Look! Whales!"

Indeed, right before the shores there were whales dancing and playing in the sunlight, right before the beaches of Maui.

"On behalf of Alaskan Air, we'd like to say 'Aloha' and welcome you to Hawaii."

Ah-ha!

Maui.

This was my first visit and I was thrilled as could be. My good friend from college lives in the islands and I have been promising her for years that I would come out and visit, but it wasn't until a colleague from work came up to me to initially ask if I would sit her house while she awayed on vacation. I wasn't sure that I'd be able to, but then a week later, she asked, "Sarah, if you have a good friend already there, why don't you just come with me?"

So I did.

Almost as soon as you step out of the ramp for the plane, you're outside. A warm, refreshing breeze kisses your cheek and welcomes you to paradise.

Of course, paradise is much warmer than home in winter, so I had to quickly change out from long pants and into island garb. One of the pieces of advice that I received from the gentleman on the plane, was to always wear my bathing suit, because you never know when you're going to swim and trust me, it's way more comfortable anyway. Alas, I didn't take that advice until day three, but learn from my mistakes, dear readers...learn.

Anyway, I strolled through the airport with my eyes wide open, hoping to absorb all that was around me. My friend from work, Carolyn, picked me up from the airport in a fun and quirky VW Rabbit, then off we went! We drove to the nearby bird sanctuary and took in a quiet, beautiful refuge for our feathered friends.

From there we went to a little diner where we enjoyed fish burgers with yummy papaya seed dressing salad. I was already a happy camper.

We had plans to drive over to Lahaina to meet my friend Julia who I had not seen in four or five years. (Since before I started blogging!)

We drove through the heart of Maui and over to the west coast where we pulled over (like everyone else) to watch the whales fly. Oh...my...God. In the twenty minutes we stood up on that cliff, I saw more whale activity than I have in my many years of whale watching on boats at home combined. They were spy hopping, playing, and spouting everywhere you looked. January through March is whale watching season in Hawaii. Every year the whales have their babies and make babies in the channel between Maui and Linai. I told my friend Carolyn as we stood up there, "Well, all I need to see now are some turtles and my friend Julia and I can go home."

 
We loaded ourselves back in Rabbit and off we went.

The road was so beautiful. It felt like home.

We parked in old Lahaina and walked to Front Street where we found my friend, Julia!!!! We greeted with a great big hug, before she took Carolyn and me on a brief tour around the old city. We walked to the Banyan Tree, which was HUGE!!!

It was all ONE tree! Have you ever seen such a spectacle? It was wonderful. The really interesting thing was when a gentleman climbed up in to the tree and plucked a chameleon out from the branches like it was his kitten.

We walked around the marina and the parks, we saw something called the Birthing Rock, which was the sacred spot where women would go to give birth at the hands of the sea. From there we walked around a bit more and settled for happy hour at a historic destination, Pioneer Inn.

Of course, when in Rome...The Mai Tais were delicious! So was the beer, which we'll get to in later posts.

As you can probably see from the photo, it was a bit bright. We had a rather chatty parrot sitting beside us, so we moved on to another Happy Hour where we enjoyed ourselves for some time. The second place was called Down the Hatch and it was a fun little spot.

We walked to the seaside once more to watch my first sunset in Maui.

It was a breath of fresh air and a nice signing-out to the first day of my vacation.

Can't wait to tell you all about it next time on, The Weekly Read.

See you then!

Your humble author,
S. Faxon

In Pursuit of Life

2017 has been proving to be a year of life. I've enjoyed NUMEROUS hikes and walks in the great outdoors. I have taken two lovely strolls around the beautiful Balboa Park. I've partaken in the beauty of our incredible trails around Mission Gorge and stood atop a mountain. I found a park in my neighborhood and listened to the joyous tunes of frogs singing to the sunset. These walks beneath the stars and sun are not really a part of any new year's resolution. I don't much care for following the "what I will do better this year" mentality. I DO like the idea of a fresh start, a new breath and seeing what the road will bring. 

Hey, would you look at that? Looks like I'm somewhere over the Pacific writing to you. If you're ready for an adventure, buckle up, make sure your tables are in their upright position, and come along for the ride. 

Stay tuned to see where our plane will land! 

Your adventuring humble author,

S. Faxon

A Golden Eve

Good evening, All and Merry Christmas!

I'm sure you've been enjoying Christmas cookies, wrapping and unwrapping presents, preparing for outlaws...in-laws...cleaning, budgeting, spending....well, maybe it hasn't all been fun and good cheer, which is why you may be finding yourself here. I certainly hope you've had nothing but Christmas miracles this season (I've enjoyed one or two myself!), so I hope the Golden Perspective of Spiders, will help to change your moment around into something more bright! This is a story that my grandmother used to tell my sisters and me. She had these lovely golden beaded spiders that she would hang on the tree every year. I've posted this one once or twice before, but it's a classic we cannot let go. This is a section telling the tale from a book I published on this blog called Providence. If you'd like to see that read, here you go: Providence.

In that space of time the reverend stared at three faux-gold beaded spiders perched atop a mess of silver tensile on the far side of the room. The story of the three spiders briefly popped into the reverend’s head. He was very familiar with the tale of the arachnids being very curious about a tree, which came into their home. From their corner in the living room, they happily watched the family of the home adorn the tree with all sorts of sparkling decorations and candlesticks aglow. Once the family decided that their task had been one well done, the people left the living rooms to adjourn to their beds. The spiders took the opportunity to look at every limb and trinket upon the tree. They oohed at the golden beads. They awed at the knitted angels. But they were most struck and most impressed with the beautiful glass star that crowned the mighty tree. Quite simply, it was the most spectacular thing that the spiders had ever seen. Feeling satisfied by their explorations, the spiders lowered themselves to the ground, only to discover in great horror that they had unintentionally completely covered the entire tree and decorations with their webbing. The spiders began to wail and cry because they thought that they had had ruined the hard and magnificent efforts of the family with their mess of web. They wept from their despair. However, a shimmering light appeared and an angelic voice spoke to the three spiders and he said to them, ‘But, no, look again,’ and in an instant the grey web turned to silver tinsel and the three spiders glittered like gold from their unintended gifts. The tree was not ruined, but changed into something even more great. 

The reverend smiled to think of this story, which he told every year to the children of Providence on Christmas Eve with the intended message that no matter how messy or entangled life could sometimes become there is always a chance for a happy ending if one only looks at the situation another way. The changed perspectives of the spiders warmed the reverend's heart even though indeed his present situation  still appeared to be very dark. 

Merry Christmas everyone!!!! May it be blessed and full of peace!

Until next time dear readers,

Your humble author,

S. Faxon

This is Christmas

We've reached the season of Christmas. It was kicked off as it has been since 1924 by the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The balloons, the celebrities, the street performers were all there, but we all know there's really only one reason why we watch the parade; to see the man at the end. The world's most beloved soul, that magical being of Santa Claus, came riding down the streets of New York City on his magical red sleigh, with his dear reindeer leading the way. Thousands lined the streets and millions more tuned in on TV to see St. Nicholas, to be inspired by his cheer.

There's truly nothing like Christmas in New York. It can be a dingy, grey city, full of life and the buzz of millions doing their own routines. But, come Christmas, the city transforms. There's lights up and down Fifth Avenue. The ice rinks are filled with decorative skaters. There's a refreshing crisp bite to the air that makes you dream of sipping cocoa or sitting in warm pubs with friends. People transform. They're bright, they're kind. That's not to say New Yorkers aren't kind, but there's just a different lightness upon the air. The extra effort to smile at one another is made with almost every encounter. A good friend of mine in New York who is Muslim once told me that Christmas was his favorite time of year because everyone got along. This year, this Christmas let us carry that cheer, that warmth, that peace in our hearts with jubilant and joyous cries. Help your neighbors, help strangers. Extend hands to those you might not have before. Think of the pink-cheeked Santa riding up and down the streets of New York, bringing hope and glee to the children. Think of that lightness he brings to the city. Let your children know that he is real because he exists in our hearts. It is the love of Santa that we must share with our little ones this year and that, dear Readers, like the streets of New York, will also fill you with Santa's sweet cheer.

Until next time...

Your humble author,
S. Faxon

Thanksgiving Read

If you find yourself needing groceries today, but don't have time or the helpers to run to the store, use your Amazon Prime. They deliver fresh food from grocery stores to YOUR door within TWO hours. It's insane and amazing. I have a hard time in stores when there are a ton of people (shopping at Costco is always a challenge for me), so the Prime Now is a great deal. There are minimums, but they vary from store to store that Amazon uses. See for yourself. Try it out!

If you're looking for something different and easy to make, here's what I'm doing (all of these ingredients are available on Prime - guess how I know!):

4-5 ripe (squishy) persimmons
Box of mixed baby kale, baby spinach - or a box of each. Whatever you can find.
Soy sauce
Frying oil of choice -avocado works really well.
Mushrooms

Take 4-5 persimmons, dice them, then roast them at 350' for 15-20 minutes.

While that's going, pan sear mushrooms. There are a few tricks for mushrooms - if you can, buy prewashed. You want your mushrooms to be as dry as possible. If you can't find them prewashed (like I couldn't) wash them HOURS before you cook with a moist paper towel. Then, take a handful of mushrooms at a time, add salt to the oil to draw out flavor, and sear until brown. I use avocado oil. It takes about twenty minutes to do a standard box, so it works out nicely with the persimmons.

Next, mix the persimmons and mushrooms together and set aside.

Use a box of baby kale and baby spinach.  Mix in about a 1/4th cup avocado oil, and a tablespoon of soy sauce. Place veggies in oven and stir every few minutes. These really don't take long, so keep an eye on them. Once the veggies are about half way done, add the persimmons and mushroom. Once it's looking good, serve.

The flavors work beautifully together. If you have vegetarian folk coming to your Thanksgiving dinner, throw in a few Italian soy-sausages. We did this the other day when I hosted a Thanksgiving with Friends. Turned out pretty good.

The dinner was a ton of fun and I am so grateful to have such wonderful and dear friends.

What are you grateful for this year?

I'm also grateful for my dear readers! Thank you for tuning in and have a wonderful, happy Thanksgiving!

All my love,
Your humble author,
S. Faxon