Austerity Plan

The economy's bad and we all have to cut expenses. No more lattes, you say? Given up reading magazines? Carpooling to church? Watching Hulu instead of cable TV? Given up eating? I hear ya.

But we can all learn something from the Chinese. My cheerful Chinese neighbor (above) and her froo-froo doggy (also above...no, that is not my dog) have found a way to avoid spending $40, $70, or whatever it is you pay to take your dog to the groomers these days (and yes there are scads of dog groomers even in China).

The key to saving money is to pull the hair out of your dog's eyes and secure it with a BARRETTE. You heard me. A barrette. It's cute, it's cheap, it's clever, and it's funny.

My Eyes Deceive Me

My eyes think it is spring, but if it is spring, why am I still wearing long johns and running the heater?

This place has four seasons, and three of them are cold.

You were Wondering, Weren't You?

If you are really honest with yourself, you have probably been wondering what happened to Mimi. I mean, it's been months since you've heard of/from her. She's fine...just as lovely as ever, bored with technology, violent with rawhides, a great source of laughter. In case you were wondering....

In the Middle of Town

This quaint little city where I live is criss-crossed with canals and charming architecture. This was taken a few weeks ago...now there are leaves on the trees.

Celebrate Life (or not)

Seldom do Easter and Qing Ming (ching-ming) festival fall on the same weekend, but they do this year. One celebrates victory over death. The other commemorates fear of death, evil spirits and an unknown afterlife.

Qing Ming festival is also known by the name Tomb Sweeping Day, as people go to tidy up the grave sites on or around this date, and worship the deceased ancestors.

The photo above is that of Chinese graves, taken in a poor village in 2007. Due to lack of land, city people buy vaults (like little lockers in a big building) for the storage of the urns.

I much prefer to celebrate victory and resurrection...far less morbid, don't you think?