I Spy

The thirst for travel and new adventures was one of the many things that attracted Sir and I to each other. Back in the early days of our relationship, we traveled to spend time with friends in New Jersey. On a trip to Atlantic City we each had $20 to spend to win the big money. Being the lightweight gambler, I chose the slot machines and doubled my money. I repaid the banker (Sir) and kept my $20, then went to the boardwalk to enjoy the ambience of Atlantic City. . . I had a plan.

Without a large budget for traveling and with the desire to “shop” on our trips, I devised a plan to acquire something small from each trip... I bought a shadow box with my $20 from Atlantic City. I found an organized approach to shop, yet keep our memories for many years.

It was hunt to find the right piece! What could we find that depicted our trip and fit in the multi-sized squares in the shadow box.

While unpacking recently, I found the dusty shadow box—many items broken from too many moves. What fun it was to go through piece by piece, remembering our trips to places all over the world. We are wondering . . .would they still take the chips in Vegas?

So, I spy something with my eyes – how many countries, towns and experiences can you find?

Valentine’s Day just passed. Loved by those in love, hated by those without love. $15.7 billion dollars was spent this year on Valentine’s Day. Items included: cards, sexy lingerie, flowers, Viagra (yes, there was a spike in sales) ecards, organic flowers, chocolate alcohol, and chocolate. Chocolate only accounted for 1.5 billion in sales. Humm . . .

Sir was very sweet to me. Red roses and a beautiful heart shaped necklace were presented to me at the end of the day. Don’t’ get me wrong here – a love receiving the flowers, eating Sirs favorite meal and getting extra kisses and hugs from Daughter #2 but settling in to watch my favorite movie is a pleasure I love on Valentine’s Day. I am a sucker for love stories. Stories from long a go up to my modern day favorites – Love Story (which was terrible advice), The Way We Were, Pretty Woman, The American President, Nottinghill, The Holiday, Music and Lyrics, Letters to Juliet, and . . .


I do enjoy a few minutes on Valentine’s Day looking through the previous generations of love birds in my family. Sure, they are not Robert Redford, Jude Law or Julia Roberts, but they were couples that passed the test of time. I look at the old photos wishing I knew more of their love story – but for now, I will keep making up their stories in my head. Who knows, it might be the next block buster!

Parents

Paternal Grandparents

Maternal Grandparents

Guilty or Grateful

This woman on the move doesn't know if she should feel extremely guilty or overwhelmingly grateful. Guilty or grateful you ask? While the Windy City was under attack with a record breaking storm, I sat in Daytona Beach at the pool getting a sunburn.

Guilty - I left Daughter #2 at home with Sir holding down the fort, a job is is competent to hold, while I headed to Florida to spend a couple days with my parents while they were vacationing for several weeks - a yearly ritual. My quick get-a-way to Florida turned into a near week long adventure!

Grateful - I was in sunny Florida staying on the beach! I sat by the pool with my parents, Aunt and Uncle listening to the waves crash on the beach. I took a long walk and had a smile on my face with every step I took down the sandy beach.

It was not piping hot everyday, but warm enough to throw on a pair of shorts and head out. I watched dolphins play in the inter coastal waterway while eating lunch - they played the whole time we were at lunch. I enjoyed running by the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse - I do love lighthouses. We went out to eat. We went to two movies - The Tourist and The Kings Speech - loved them both! Relaxing, working out, napping, playing games and working a puzzle kept me occupied.

I am guilty for enjoying myself - but don't fret - the storm got me. I sat in the Orlando airport for 7 hours, yes, the plane was delayed - the weather and still repositioning aircraft - so they say. The aftermath of the storm didn't get the best of me - I came home with a sunburn!

Those Old Oak Trees

I am snuggled up in my office with a hot cup of tea. White fluffy clouds are hanging in the beautiful blue sky but it is all an illusion. You see, it is freezing outside and a winter wonderland. Snow covers the ground and still sits on the trees and bushes. I keep looking out the window staring at the oak trees and reflecting on their history.

Pocahontas might not have roamed among my oak trees but the children from a Native American tribe lived and played here. My house is located on an oak savanna which was the site of a Native American encampment 1,000’s of years ago. Archaeologists and students excavated artifact from this oak savanna finding remains from life of this area earliest visitors. Artifacts they found included: stone knives, spears, arrows and tools for food preparations and to shape bone and wood. They also found fire-cracked rock from cooking and heating.

Sadly, the big oaks closest to my house and drive were hurt during the building of my house. The arborist I consulted told me it takes very little to hurt an oak and about seven years for it to die. In the front, two trees had grown together to reach over 70 feet high. The limbs and branches spanned the front yard. The tree in the back was even bigger; measuring over 54 inches around, taking the prize of the largest tree my crew had ever taken down.

After careful planning, the tree removal company and the tree harvester showed up with machines and men to start the three day event. It was an amazing process and I couldn't keep my camera put away!

It broke my heart to watch over 200 years of history disappear branch by branch but made me happy knowing that the tree has been harvested and will live on. Some of the wood went to the wood chips piles to be put back into the earth, some went for fire wood to sustain others on cold nights and what the crew could save went to Horigan’s Urban Forest Products. They take sections of the tree, cut it, dry it, prepare it for customers to turn it into furniture, wood floors, etc. Already, some of the pieces from our tree was cut and prepared for a popular coffee house for it’s tables. Urban renewal is the way to go!! Think about it for your next project!!! (No, I am not being paid to advertise – it is just a great company making the right choice to reuse our natural resources) www.horiganufp.com

I look out and miss those big old oak trees. The snowy view just isn’t the same.

Enjoy the pictures. It was a cool process!

On The Move To China - Day 12

Flying for 13 hours! We left China Sunday morning. Flew 13 hours and arrived in USA in the early morning. I love living the same day twice!

Our recap for the trip

Favorite place we visited:
Linda The Water Towns
Shelly The Terracotta Warriors

Least favorite:
Linda A terrible meal we had in Beijing
Shelly Smog and pollution

Favorite item we purchased:
Linda A Jade Sculpture
Shelly A Terracotta Warrior

Favorite food:
Linda Dumpling Banquet
Shelly Hot Pot Meal

We had a great time. Jet lag is almost over. Our families missed us? Regardless, we are happy to be home with them. . . . it is a good thing we only stayed 2 weeks because we were becoming accustom to being catered to everyday!

Thanks for joining us on the journey. I am sorry these were not submitted to you daily - the Chinese government blocks all blogs and face book!

On The Move To China - Day 11

We were pleasantly surprised to discover our flight back to Beijing didn’t leave until 5:00 pm so we had a full day of sightseeing in Xi’an. Our first stop was to the Bell Tower located inside the city walls. Luckily, it was a Saturday morning and the traffic was not bad getting inside the city walls.

The Bell Tower was built to house the bells that rang to signify dawn in old times. In modern times, they don’t ring the bells every morning, but they maintain the architecture of this beautiful old building to preserve its history and continue to use it as a focal point inside the city walls. Looking out from the Bell Tower, you can see the Drum Tower. Built in the same time period, the Drum Tower looks different from the Bell Tower but it is as beautiful and rich in history. The Drum Tower houses the drums that were used in old times to signify dusk.

We went to a restaurant in a local hotel that is famous for its “Hot Pot” meals. Bottom line, it is Chinese fondue. The Japanese have a dish called sukiyaki which is real similar. It was a great meal and we found out, it is not a local dish, but the Hot Pot is popular all over China. We were a bit put out other tour guides didn’t take us to one earlier!

Our last sightseeing opportunity in China was on the way to the airport. We stopped at the Hanyang Tombs. This tomb is for the Han Dynasty Emperors. It was built in 153 AD. It was amazing. Around the tomb mount they have found excavated 10 tunnels/mini tombs that run away from the emperors’ tomb. They believe there are another 70 tunnels that run all around the tomb mount. The Chinese have done an excellent job preserving what is left from the tomb raiders. The raiders took all the gold and silver but left enough pottery that archeologist can give an accurate account of the emperor’s life. They know this was a peaceful time because there are only a few warriors (unlike the Emperor with the Terracotta Warriors). I loved the tunnel filled with clay concubines and next to them is the tunnel filled with eunuchs to take care of the concubines. The Emperor was worried about the well being of his concubines! Linda loved the tunnel filled with animals – especially those darn cute pigs.

We loaded up, headed to the airport, went to Beijing and were so excited to be greeted by two cute girls from our hotel. We had no idea how we were going to navigate with our all bags to the hotel and didn’t know how to find it! We were like two giddy school girls when we read our name on a sign as we exited baggage claim!

On The Move To China - Day 10

We actually slept in this morning! I was grateful because I had a horrible night sleeping. We have to have the window open because the room is so hot and on the street is some HORRIBLE music playing over and over. The room was HOT all night, the beds were rock hard (Linda loves ) and the street was noisy most of the night.

With bags under my eyes, we headed out of the city to visit what we came Xi’an in search of – The Terracotta Warriors. After a stop at a factory which makes the Terracotta Warrior replicas that we can take home we headed to lunch at a local restaurant. We were thrilled to eat at a non-tourist restaurant. The place was filled with local men eating, drinking and smoking. Many people were having a very good time!

Finally, we arrived at the Terracotta Warriors burial site and it was huge! It was amazing. A poor farmer found remains while he was trying to dig a well. He took the artifacts to the government officials and they determined they were part of the Chin Dynasty.. The warriors are 1.5 kilometers away from the Emperors’ Tomb. This Emperor ruled for 38 years and was known to be very extravagant. He had many years to get ready for his after life! The poor farmer was given a months salary, the government built him and everyone in the village apartments, and they gave him a job at the gift shop. He signs books and posses for pictures – of course for money! Considering the cost to get in is around $20 per person and they average 40,000 people a day – the farmer did not make out too well!

They have found three separate tombs. The first one found has 6,000 warriors, horses, and chariots in it. To date, they have excavated and put back together 1,000. We loved the warriors they have put back together, all the piece still in ruin, the horses, the bodies without heads, and the work in progress. I kept thinking of the ad -"if have fallen and I can get up."















The second hall has the layers taken off the top and shows the ceiling that was over the top of the tomb. They have excavated a small portion to give them clues as to which figures were in this tomb so they can determine the importance and significance of this tomb.









The third tomb was the most important – it was the deepest and most important because they believe was the “operational headquarters” for the construction of all the tombs. This tomb had very few warriors, all of higher rank and most without heads! They believe this final tomb didn’t get finished. The Emperor died suddenly and at the young age of 50 so they were not able to finish all of the heads and fill the tomb with more possessions!

After visiting a shop and negotiating a good price and I am proud owner of good looking warrior –an officer, mind you. Linda negotiated a good price for a mask of an archer. Once again, our guide couldn't believe our ability to negotiate.

Happily we headed back to the downtown of Xi’an begging to eat at Pizza Hut. We went inside the city walls to a great area to eat. It was good, very similar in flavor to our pizza but had some interesting combination. My favorite – breaded deep fried chicken pizza. I settled for a New Orleans thin crust pizza and shared it with the tour guide. The restaurant was very swank and the menu was ½ inch thick offering everything from fried rice, smoothies, pizza and desserts. We loved the experience – everyday people having a great time on a Friday night. The traffic was horrible, the lights were bright and the city was busting with energy.