A Hooked on Memory Mosaic

Update: The husband says there are NOT many luxury hotels in Lanai, there’s just two hotels and not many people. Now I really feel privileged.

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This week, I’ve committed to an exercise of restraint, starting with my blog. So I’m combining a few posts for people that I like to visit in the blogesphere all into one, the gifted Gayle for her Monday Memories, the wonderful Mary at Mosaic Monday, and the fabulous Julia at Hooked on Houses.

Then I’m tackling my diet with some restraint too.

My memory this morning is of our ten year anniversary. We spent it at The Lodge at Ko’ele on the island of Lanai in Hawaii. I remember it today because I was rummaging around in our basement and I found some Asian inspired furniture and pottery that I really should bring upstairs to show off.

The husband was a part of the local aeroclub. We rented an airplane and he flew the two of us from Honolulu to Lanai. It was so special. Lanai is the smallest of the Hawaiian Islands but it has beautiful scenery and many luxury hotels there. I felt so privileged.

The hotel was full of wonderful Asian inspired furnishings and I felt immediately at home. Before we left Hawaii, I bought some Chinese monarch chairs and an old Chinese desk because I was inspired by the furniture in The Lodge. The Chinese desk is now the vanity in our powder room, I’ll show you another time.

Even with the Asian interior, there was also a touch of colonialism and a plantation style in the manicured formal gardens.

The plantation style was particularly evident in our bedroom. The pineapple as a symbol lent continuity to that. The curtain was made of this dominant fabric and as tacky as it sounds, I looked all over trying to figure out how to sew one like it. Except that I don’t sew.

The one other thing that I took from The Lodge was the wood. The paneling, the banisters, and the stairs were all made of Hawaiian koa wood. If you have never seen koa wood before you should spend time seeking it out. The luster and grain of the wood are gorgeous. I wish I had a koa wood dining table…but I wish many things.

We did some hiking and it was about five miles to the edge of the mountain overlooking the channel between Maui and Molokei. I was giddy with happiness to be there. It felt so special and so private.

I spent most of last weekend with my neighbors here in suburbia and there was much fun to be had. But I admit, that I love these special once-in-a-lifetime events and I truly love my husband for giving me more than I deserve!