Wow.  I just opened this not long ago and what a blast to see the life we had.  So much has changed since my last post.  I am thinking it would be nice to revisit my blogging.  Life is certainly different with only one child left home and a return to the United States.  So much going on in life always and visiting this different season would be wonderful.  Hope to see you there!

5 days until the 1940's census is released

https://the1940census.com/

i signed up to do indexing for the release of the 1940 census. maybe the link above will inspire and help you do the same.  i have never done indexing before and i am hoping i will enjoy it. 

in the news

two stories of interest to me in the news this morning. 

China to ban transplants from executed prisoners 2012-March-26 08:53 Shenzhen Daily CHINA has pledged to abolish the practice of taking transplant of human organs from condemned  prisoners within three to five years, a senior health official said Thursday.China is creating a national  organ donation system to reduce its reliance on inmates and encourage donations from the public,  Huang Jiefu, vice minister of health, told a conference in Hangzhou.  A trial system has been launched  in 16 provinces to achieve the goal, Huang said.  Health officials have said insufficient organ donations by the public mean that the majority of transplanted organs in China come from executed prisoners —  but only with prior consent.Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that about 1.5 million people  in China need transplants, but only some 10,000 transplants are performed annually. China has been making efforts to improve its regulations on organ transplants. The State Council issued its first regulations on human organ transplants in 2007, banning organizations and individuals from trading human organs in any form. A revision to China’s Criminal Law marked the first time for authorities to single out criminal  activity related to transactions involving human organs. Criminals convicted of “forced organ removal, forced organ donation or organ removal from  juveniles” could face homicide charges. (Xinhua) Pursuit of luxury brands by students triggers concern Wang Yuanyuan It's summer vacation, a time when students are free and annual summer sales reign. On the busiest shopping streets in Shenzhen, young student shoppers  are everywhere, even in the shops selling luxury world-famous brands that would frighten even some white-collar workers with their sky-high prices. Some students even cross the border to Hong Kong on shopping sprees. Many go home with a pile of booty. When Zhong Shuhua saw her 16-year-old daughter's shopping bag, which was filled with trendy clothes and cosmetic products, she found herself gobsmacked. "I was so surprised to see what she had bought in Hong Kong," Zhong said. "Lipsticks from Revlon, eyeliners from Rimmel, dresses from I.T., a necklace from Swarovski and skin-care products from Lancome -- all the things she doesn't need at such a young age." What Zhong didn't know was that her daughter was definitely not an exception.Unlike years ago, many middle school students now seem to have abandoned the cheaply fashionable products in the Dongmen shopping area, once a paradise for fashionistas with little money in their pockets. They've shifted their playground to the high-end shopping malls for the brand products that are quite beyond their means. "The beginning of every semester is always a time to show off," said a teacher surnamed Cai at Bao'an Senior Middle School. Many students come back to school with the prizes they've purchased during vacation. "Boys have the latest cell phones or new PSPs and girls spread all kinds of skin-care products on the table and trendy shoes under their beds in their dormitories," Cai said. Of course not all students are like that, said Xu Qin, a soon-to-be Senior 2 student from Shenzhen No.2 Experimental School. But the phenomenon does exist among Xu's classmates and friends, Xu said. Xu thought these problems might be the result of massive TV commercials and popular fashion magazines widely read by students. "We have lots of channels to get this kind of information," Xu said. "The more information you get, the more you want to have them. So those who have a large amount of pocket money start to buy these things, and the trend will gradually spread to their friends, classmates and eventually the whole school." Xu said she was not a brand-name fanatic but occasionally buys some of the expensive products when shopping with her friends. "After a half-day shopping in Sasa Cosmetics in Hong Kong with my friends, it was a mission impossible to wind up empty-handed, even though I knew they were far too expensive for me," said Xu.  The trend has triggered concerns among many parents and teachers who regard the pursuit of brand-name products as stunting the proper development of students. "These things are expensive and, most importantly, unnecessary for students," said Cai. "The most important thing for them to learn now is the value of hard work, which can make them realize wasting their parents' money is a shame. They must get to know that in the future, they have to rely on themselves." Schools have a role in educating students about this, said Pi Aimin, principal of Shenzhen Wenjing Middle School. But Pi thinks parents can do more. "Family education plays a crucial role in the issue," Pi said. "Parents should control the amount of money they allow them to spend and never encourage their children to get high scores in study by offering luxury gifts. Instead, they can encourage them to participate in social work and help those in need. Cultivating children's sense of independence is helpful to prevent them from using parents' money for unnecessary things." Shenzhen Daily E-mail:szdaily@szszd.com.cn

still in china

thanks everyone for your kind comments and thoughts.  no, i haven't fallen off the edge of the earth,  i'm still here!  eager to get on with life and blogging, and of course catching up with all of you.  many of you have moved and had great changes in my year of no blogging.  i will be so happy to catch up with you and to peep in on you.


before summer vacation my family took a 10 day china trip.  we went to some places we had been wanting to see and i had been meaning to share some of the images but, of course, never did.  i am going to do this now.  enjoy.


we spent a few days in beijing.  i had so much fun and there was so much to do that i would love to return and have a more relaxed visit.  not always as fun to cram more in to your time.  i like to relax and enjoy my time.  anyway,  first we visited the forbidden city.  there was quite a crowd and the non-queueing ( which translates to pushing, shoving, and dog eat dog atmosphere) was at its best.

holding hands so they don't get seperated

the iconic view of the front of the forbidden city

dragon rubbed shiny and smooth by the many fingers walking past.  i hope they all received good luck.  i rubbed extra hard. this was around a window frame.






all right guys,  i am having trouble loading my pics has taken me three hours to load two pics will try again this evening

ninth folder, ninth picture

someone asked me to do this. so i opened my pictures went to the ninth folder and then chose the ninth picture. this was taken on a trip to hong kong. we were riding on the open-top double decker bus. whoever would like to do this please join.

chicken soup with rice

In April I will go away
To far off Spain or old Bombay
And dream about hot soup all day
Oh, my, oh, once, oh, my, oh, twice
Oh, my, oh, chicken soup with rice

let's talk a little about chicken soup. chicken soup is the supreme comfort food. it is the soup your mother brought you when you had a cold or were sick in your bed. you ate it with crackers and let the warm broth slide down your throat. it is the soup you ate when coming in from a days play in the cold weather. it melted all the icicles and warmed you from the inside out. it would warm your frosty fingers as you cradled the mug between your hands.

today though when i am speaking of chicken soup i am speaking of the need to take a break. i am in need of a break. my children are in need of a break from me. when i sing carole king's chicken soup to my five year old all i can think of is the escape the song evokes. the escape from everyday problems and the saving grace of chicken soup to right all wrongs. a little chicken soup is much needed in our home today, with the power to heal and soothe and rather like calgon take you away.

we are celebrating thanksgiving here on saturday. of all the holidays that i miss not being in the u.s. for, this is the one that is hardest for me. christmas was always about just my husband and kids. rarely did we travel or spend it anywhere else but at our own home and in our own way, so this really hasn't changed much.
thanksgiving on the other hand has always been about spending it with extended family. the brothers and sisters i grew up with and my parents. people getting their feelings hurt. teasing. burning the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes. i miss those things. i miss that my children don't get to complain about sitting at the kids table, or the thrill of finally not sitting at the kids table. football games and heralding in the christmas season by getting out the decorations and listening to christmas music. so as we try to make our own thanksgiving traditions tomorrow, think about what your traditions are. what are the things that you cherish about this holiday?

quotes

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!" -Henry Ward Beecher

magical reindeer gems

for a mere 20 dollars you could purchase that unique gift you are looking for. the gift that will put all others to shame. yes we are talking about the gift that is sure to be on everyone's list.

limited edition

reindeer dung necklaces.

i know 20 dollars may seem steep so if you are on a budget you could opt for the $7.50 ornament instead.

evidently there is a zoo in illinois that has the dung dehydrated and sterilized. wouldn't you like that to be on your resume? reindeer dung sterilizer. anyway, so they dehydrate, string them, add a little paint and glitter and presto, the world's most sought after christmas gift. do you give this to people you like? i do know people who have received "crap" for christmas only they didn't get any glitter with it.

maybe i should buy a pet and go into business for myself. magical goldfish gem bracelets. guinea pig gem earrings. it could be a thriving enterprise. so if you are looking for that gift for the person who has everything, or maybe someone who loves to recycle this is the gift for you.

http://www.cityblm.org/parks/Miller-Park-Zoo/gift-shop.htm

celebration of communism

in october china celebrated 60 years of communism. today i came across these fabulous photos of some of the celebrations. the chinese attention to detail strikes me. i also loved the human blocks of color. i don't have them pictured here but the military women who marched in the parade were wearing mini skirts and boots, well maybe midi, anyway my kind of military. enjoy

viewing in a local mall




this is actually hong kong's victoria harbor

life is so daily!

productive morning:

everyone out the door and off to work and school by 8:40. xxx ooo

chinese lesson with tina - she won't tell me her chinese name. she says it is too difficult.

hot chocolate from starbucks. hao hu! ( spelling?)

shopping for presents ( hubby returning to the u.s. wednesday - without me. boo hoo)

deliver school lunches. hao chi!

return home

listen to pomplamoose while blogging.


hope the rest of the day goes well.

quotes

"by taking down one of these volumes and opening it, one can call into range the voice of a man far distant in time and space, and hear him speaking to us, mind to mind, heart to heart."

Gilbert Highet

it is 12:40 and this is not where i should be spending my time. i have a confession to make -

my house is a mess

i know those of you who know me are saying: how can this be, she is so neat and tidy? doesn't she have a maid? What else does she have to do all day?



the truth is my house at the moment looks like we had a monster truck rally here.

the floors - yuck
the bathrooms - double yuck
the kitchen - ewww

not to mention the unfolded laundry


i mean is it really that hard to keep some semblance of order? is it necessary for me to have to stay up till the wee hours of the morning in order to have a clean and shiny home? the truth is that this is the home my family deserves - the clean and shiny home.



so yes, it is sad but i must leave and attend to these pressing matters so i may enjoy my sunday and so you do not have to read the sad and pathetic post about how my family deserted me for cleaner pastures.

brrrr!

number 2 son is settling into school at last. we have not had any tears upon departure this week, and when asked about his day, he says, "it was a little good" instead of the "horrid" response i usually get. this morning i was overjoyed to hear him singing a little chinese song as we got ready.

it has been unusually cold here. last year i can remember the girls riding their christmas scooters with no jackets. it does get cold here in southern china, but not like the cold in the north of china where they are already experiencing power outages due to the cold, and there have been reported deaths from the snowfall a week ago. here it does get chilly but is semi tropical. when the temp dipped last week i turned on my heaters and broke out my sweaters. even today i am still bundled, with the predicted high of 67. i know it is pitiful. this of course is the reason i will be someday retiring to a place of tropical warmth. year round summer is my friend.

i always loved those first crisp autumn days. the sun would still be warm on your face but there was that wind blowing in your hair and making you pull your jacket a bit tighter, preparing you for the months to come. i have fond memories of cold and snow. my friends and i would have snowball races. we would push our snowballs around for days to see who could make the largest. they would grow so large, eventually we would need help to maneuver them. we would make what we called slidees. you scoot with your wellies until you have a long smooth slide in the snow and then of course you run and slide. i have lots of snow and cold weather memories. i fear now that i shall never again enjoy the cold. what a shame, because of course what comes with cold is HOT CHOCOLATE!

in the news

baby dies while doctor plays game online

this 5 month old baby was admitted to the hospital with and eye infection. the infection led to swelling within the babies skull. the family had been told all was all right. after a few hours the baby boy died.

a few days before this 10 patients who were having laser eye procedures got infections because the opthalmic center used the same laser machine they had used to do experiments on animals.

there is a lot of negligence and malpractice in chinese hospitals. china has had over 10,000 lawsuits over medical disputes since 2002. healthcare reforms are being called for.

the u.s. healthcare system looks pretty good from where i sit.

i leave you with a cbs obama visits china video.

many of these souveniers have now been banned. i am not sure if it is out of respect for obama or mao.

i am so tired! i stayed up last night ordering all my u.s. christmas presents and things my hubby will try to stuff into his suitcase from his brief trip to the u.s. in about 10 days. i sat down to write a post and i was actually sitting here asleep. so i am off to nap. something more exciting later.

favorite quotes

“ Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own."

Carol Burnett

i like this quote. i think i have written before about how much i love words. it is indeed sad to me that i am not the master of words. i am a terrible writer but i truly appreciate the way others can put them together. i wonder though what carol burnett was speaking of. was it something that she said, or another. i smell a scandal.

work day

my children slept in today, those who do. it is saturday and i think everyone should be entitled to an extra hour of sleep on a saturday. i can remember my dad marching through the house on a saturday morning, flinging open bedroom doors with the loud refrain "get up, it's a work day."

of course this was met with moans and groans. i have to say though that these work days are some of my best memories. i remember, having recently moved to the country, cleaning out the barn and clearing the lot. a lot of hard work but also a lot of family fun. i used to climb onto the tractor and shred the pasture, for me this was a prime chore as my imagination would have the time to dream as the tall grass fell behind us. i recall saturdays painting the house, and washing the windows with vinegar and newspaper.

my children i fear live a charmed life of endless computer games and very few chores. today is a work day. a thing they are not used to and something that to them is akin to child abuse. this announcement is met with me being told that no one else's mother makes them work. their ayi makes their bed for them. i am undeterred. some day maybe they will have fond memories of working as a family toward a common goal. striving to contribute to the group, valuing a job well done, and maybe they will have their own work days with their families.

paraskevidekatriaphobia

today is friday the 13th. i suppose that means that i am just going to have a stinky day and i should just accept this. i have read that friday the 13th is actually one of the safest days. fewer accidents are reported on this day because i suppose the world is full of superstitious people who either in fear do not venture out or are just extra careful.

in honor of the day here are a few friday the 13th myths:

• a child born on this day will be unlucky for life but their lucky day will be friday the 13th


• if you cut your hair on this day someone in your family will die.


• if a funeral passes you on friday the 13th you will be the next to die.


• bad luck will befall you if a black cat crosses your path.

so for today friends, beware. try not to crash your car, or fall down the stairs. please don't light yourself on fire or walk under any ladders.

what superstitions do you have if any?

favorite quotes and art

"And forget not that the earth delights

to feel your bare feet and the

winds long to play with your hair."

Kahlil Gibran