Regrouping

Nine hours into my 12 hour layover in Shanghai (don't ask), I found a computer area with FREE Internet service. Unfortunately, it was slower moving than molasses, but I did manage to look at my e-mail.
We are now in Seoul in the comfort and companionship of Meme's place, my daughter-in-law's mother. We are washing clothes - desperately needed. It has been so hot, humid, and occasionally rainy, that we have not been able to re-wear anything and it doesn't dry when we wash out in the sink. Reminds me of why I cried when I found out we were moving to Houston from Australia.
Rosa is cooking Lumpini and it smells great. The biggest draw here, however, is getting to play with "W" since he is hanging out with Meme while we travel.
Leaving Monday for Beijing, back through Shanghai but with a shorter stopover.

Bangkok, Thailand

Here in Bangkok and quaking in my boots....
The airline has made yet another change and I cannot access it. Hopefully, I can make it to Seoul and a telephone before I become a resident persona non grata somewhere.

Having dinner tonight at the "Penalty Stop" just down the street from the hotel and found free Internet upstairs. This place rocks! Loud! Good food...especially the "morning glory," now DS' new favourite Thai dish.
Off for a good night's sleep and one last sightseeing day tomorrow before we head to Seoul.

Quick Note.....

A quick hello from Chiang Mai, Thailand. DS and I are having a great time seeing everything possible. We are wet all the time! It is so hot we sweat, then the heavy rains come and we are soaked to the skin. Still, we are enjoying every moment and cramming everything possible into our allotted 24 hour days.
We are headed to Chiang Rai tomorrow, back to Bangkok on Wednesday, thence to Seoul for a few days. Have lots to write, no time right now.....

"Practice Packing"

DS, Tia, and "W," are safely in Seoul. Now their adventure begins.
I will be traveling alone on most of the flights, having booked separately from DS, but am looking forward to meeting him in Bangkok and traveling. NO TOUR.....YEAAAAHHHHH! We will be feeling our way around the country with very little agenda. We do agree on Wats, historical sites, and the out-of-the-ordinary. I must add textiles as well. There is no better way to travel, in my opinion.

Have already hit one "snag." The airline canceled my flight from Bangkok to Shanghai and booked me on a MUCH earlier one - 2AM instead of 9AM - so, not only do I get to get up in the middle of the night, I get to spend 11 hours at the Shanghai airport waiting for my connecting flight to Seoul. I should know every shop and item in the airport by then. Of course, my perusing will most likely be limited to the transit area. Hmmmm...I wonder if I can gain access to an airline lounge. I think I will be a living example of why they call it the "Red Eye" flight.

Meanwhile, I am getting ready for my departure. This includes "practice packing," which is on the schedule today. I have not tried this before, usually throwing a lot of things in at the last minute, especially when traveling by car. This time, I am taking one small suitcase and a backpack, so I must practice the various tips I have gathered, and used in the past. The problem is not how much I might take, but wanting to have room to bring "stuff" (read "fabric") home. Yes, I will be leaving a trail of abandoned clothing.
The countdown has begun....

Fog!

Now, this is some thick fog! Cutting driving speed and keeping a safe distance prevented over-driving my visuals. The real problem was people slowing to a crawl or stopping along the roadside because they were too scared to go on.

I vivdly recall very dense fog occurring frequently on the California coast. My dad was stationed at Vandenberg AFB and sometimes we could barely see the white line on the road.

This photo was taken on the way to Texas from St Louis. I almost turned around and went back to get the REAL photo I missed - an arched steel bridge rising out of all this fog.

Seeking the Source of the Cat's Meow

Joey is one smart cat. He has seen "W" eyeing him and knows to stay high enough to be just out of reach. While the cat's meow is enough to send him into gales of laughter, "W" rocks and rolls to attain his vantage point. When things are really tough and he is in a hurry, he reverts to a "commando's crawl." So far I have seen only soft paws. no claws,from Joey. We remain vigilant.

Pipe Cleaners and Creativity

Also from their Great- grandmother's "stash of stuff" - pipe cleaners. Well, they were used to clean pipes at one time, but crafters discovered they could be used for a whole lot more. I don't know what my mother had planned to do with them, but the three hearts, make that four when their creative dad arrived, managed to turn them into a series of things.

Every designer needs a jazzy pair of glasses.... "The better to see you, my dear"....

Dad, alias "Gunner," dreaming up something new.....

A new outfit needs to be completely accessorized....

Junior, wearing an Em's Original Design neckpiece, has a pipe cleaner man with a line and a fish....

Project Runway II

Some buttons and a few bit and pieces of fabric directly from my mother's discarded stash, an old sewing machine, and a vivid imagination, serve to encourage the creativity of a, self-professed, future clothing designer.

Eleven year old Em has a willing model who adores all her sister's creations.
"She is so talented and she can do anything," says 7 year-old Abs.

I think it is time to introduce our designer to patterns and different kinds of seams, but.......

I don't want to hamper her creativity.....