Saying Goodbye to China!

Aging has not changed me that much. I have always loved to come home after a vacation. My own bed, bathroom, soap and night lite give me comfort after living away. For me it has always been so. But this time away was different somehow. For the first time in this lifetime of travel I have seen beneath the surface and it has left me grateful for what I have.

We returned to Tucson last night around midnight after 17 hours between Shanghai and Arizona. Seventeen hours is not that long but time really has no meaning when we are talking about two cultures born of different history. I have a hard time making my mind jump the gap.

I love China and all it has to offer. I love the juxtaposition of old with the new. They are in so many ways ahead of the United States and centuries behind at the same time. The lack of freedom to communicate with the outside world for most Chinese is screaming to be remedied while their ability to construct freeways, buildings and in fact whole communities of people is amazing.

The Old

The New

American Roller Skates come to China!

Today I switched on my computer here in Tucson after a month of using a laptop that belongs to my husband and my family's personal computer in their home in China. I was astounded at the speed that my internet came up on the screen and the selection of websites I could simply click on without a message appearing telling me that the site was not available. Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and so many more are blocked in China so we were not able to have that instant communication with family that we have become accustomed to. I am waiting for Four Square to be blocked or it may already be. The fact that, in our family at least, we have quit using email and instant message or post on Facebook was a problem for me as we traveled.

Henry (in the vest) living the dream!

Business with no Name....Henry's Dream come true!

I had my hair cut yesterday by a young man that has been learning computer skills and English from my daughter-in-law. I told him that I wanted to bring him home with me because he did such a good job. The words that came out of his mouth did not surprise me..."I want to come to America" he said, "but visas are very hard to get." I could only think that he did not realize that he was living the dream. He had managed to climb up by hard work and seeking knowledge and was now a business owner. In America when we can be successful on that stage, we are living the dream. It turns out that dreams are coming true in China too. Beneath the surface we are not all that much different on many levels. Now if freedom of speech was not such a threat to the Chinese way of life their world would be almost perfect.

Just a thought.

b

Five Little Ducks...stories played out!

The children's song about the little ducks leaving the nest to fly away has always been one of my favorites. Every mother has seen their babies fly away and rejoiced. Life comes full circle. Animals live that same cycle. Babies grow up. Birds leave the nest. Life goes on. So when the three ducks show up every year near my patio I am not surprised. But I am puzzled that it always seems to be the same three. Something just doesn't seem right. It appears the one did not fly away at all. Five little ducks Went out to play Over the hills and far away. The mommy duck went "quack, quack quack," Four little ducks came swimming back... And then Three Two and One. A drake, a female duck (a hen) and a not quite a drake but still not a hen gather here on the 5th green of the golf course. She leads and the other two follow along obediently. They eat, sleep, and guard each other. Each and every day this time of year they come. I have not named them. Jinxing them would be very pos...

How to be a 12 Month Snow Bird

Vacation Rental in Mexico I live around snowbirds 6 months of the year. I have heard those people say that they all want to live the "snowbird" lifestyle when they go home. But it just is not possible. They are isolated and cold. Social activities with friends and beautiful weather are greatly missed when they return to the realities of their "real" life. One couple I visited with lately returned to Florida this morning where they own a home. The woman is a nurse and works in the summer. They are not going home until May this year. It is too cold in Michigan in the spring so they are hoping to extend their good weather season by simply staying away. Besides that they love their Florida lifestyle a lot. Last week I visited with a woman that lives the snowbird lifestyle year around. No going home to the Midwest in the spring. They essentially vacation 12 month out of the year. And I thought their solution for avoiding unpleasant weather and keeping their lifestyle in...

If You Build It, They Will Come...Maybe!

It all began with a antique window in front of a local shop. It had been painted yellow, the glass was loose and all of the hinges and latches were gone. My old friend Betty would have approved...she would tell me it was just broken enough and damaged enough for me to drag it home. When my dear husband saw it, he wondered what he was meant to do with it. Imagine his surprise when he was presented with the plan to build a small neighborhood library exchange. It wasn't the first time he had heard me ask "How hard could it be?" Now it is six weeks later and we mounted the darling little library exchange on two posts in our front yard. I love it. Now the question is, will they come or has the time passed when people actually read something made of paper? Our association president stopped by and admired the box but left after telling me that he only read books on his Kindle. We will see. Would you bring a book and take a book? b+

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