"Celebrate" (we use that term loosely) Our 26 Month LIDiversary

This month's drawing includes goodies from China purchased at the China pavillion at EPCOT and imported from Patterson, New Jersey. It looks like Pineapple Cake is one of the delicacies and we're really not sure what the other 2 items are - it's written in Chinese and the Nutritional Information box is printed too small to read - sounds inviting, no? Come on, thrillseekers - leave a comment indicating that you want to be considered for the drawing and we'll pick the lucky blogster on May 24!

The Happenings

Another entry in the concert lineup at EPCOT - The Happenings. Most famous for their hit "See You In September" they also scored some minor chart recognition in the 60s with "I Got Rhythm" and "Go Away Little Girl".
Two of the original members are still a part of this vocal trio - the guy with the painted on stache/goatee combo isn't one of them - and despite their advanced ages, they STILL had incredible range, pitch and harmonic ear. After seeing their names on an entertainment schedule at my folks' old retirement complex, I hesitated to make the 20 minute drive to go hear them, but they were indeed worth the price of the gas. Those jackets have got to go though - what the heck color is that anyway - flamingo?

Topiaries at Epcot Flower & Garden Show 2008

The EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival is a real favorite of many.

It's topiaries are a real draw.

Here is a sample from our visit yesterday -

we got through the gates when they opened, so we had the benefit of

viewing them without being caught up in the mob scene later in the day.

In the Flower & Garden display building, a cut-away of a topiary

allows visitors to see the building process.

Click to enlarge for easier reading.

Before

After

Peter & Gordon

Then .....

...... and now (with beautiful groupie)

Not much has changed since we saw the duet last year at the Flower Power Concert Series - it's not sounding like they've taken any vocal coaching to get their singing chops back to the level of their recordings from back in the 60s. They still sing full out, making some of their softer passages become edgy. The rougher sound is OK, except that the backup band played each song practically note-for-note as on the recordings, so there was a somewhat uncomfortable melding of old and new. Some of their tunes included "A World Without Love", 'Nobody I Know", "Lady Godiva", "I Go To Pieces" & "I DOn't Want to See You Again". Glad we have the Disney season passes - not worth a big ticket price for nostalgia.

And the winner is .........

...........Paula from "The Baby Journals".

Just e-amil us with your address and hopefully, we'll get it to you faster than a China adoption referral.

Next month's contest will be posted in about a week. Thanks for playing and enjoy, Paula!

Giveaway "Celebrating" Our 25th LIDiversary

OK Blogsters - here's the next giveaway - win this beautiful set of chopsticks "for special guests" - sure to impress when you order take-out.
Painted in 5 muted shades (lead free paint) these delicate pieces can be yours by leaving a comment indicating that you'd like to be indluded in the drawing.
Hey - while you're here, take a look at some of the items: concert reviews, photographic excursions and my latest entry on weight loss that that was a bit over-the-line for the adoption blog. Enjoy "The Other Blog - Content: Questionable" ........

Drawing will be held on April 24 - Anniversary of our 25th month waiting for Joanna Mei.

Thank You

I usually don't pay attention to forwarded e-mails, but this one was worth reading......


Subject: thanks for the emails


> Thanks for the e-mails


> I just want to thank all of you for your educational emails over the past year.


> Thanks to you, I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel.


> I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.


> I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pass-time while driving alone is picking your nose. (Although cell phone usage may be taking the number one spot)


> Eating a Little Debbie sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans fats I have consumed over the years.


> I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom. Yuck!


> I must send my special thanks to whoever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.


Also, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.


> I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny > Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time.


> I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.


> I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's novena has granted my every wish.


> I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.


> I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.


> Thanks to you, I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an email to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.


> Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.


> I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.


> I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God' on their cans.


> I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.


> And thanks for letting me know I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face...disfiguring me for life.


> I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.


> I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.


> I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.


> I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army.


> I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica , Uganda , > Singapore and Uzbekistan ..


> I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.


> Thanks to you, I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.


> And thanks to your great advice, I can't ever pick up $5.00 dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.


> I can no longer drive my car because I can't buy gas from certain gas companies!





> If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 PM this afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician...


> Have a wonderful day....


> Oh, by the way.....


> A German scientist from Argentina , after a lengthy study, has discovered


That people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse.


> Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

2 More Entries in the "Flower Power" Concert Series

EPCOT's "Flower Power" Concert Series continues until the end of May and we intend to see many of the remaining acts in the series. Having bought yearly passes to the Disney parks, we are afforded the luxury of going to whatever concerts we please and since renewing the passes in February, we already have our money's worth for the investment.

"The Fifth Dimension" were on the entertainment menu last week and filled the American Gardens to SRO status. The one original member, Florence LaRue, (red dress in photo) made a valient attempt to being us back to the 60s and the "Age of Aquarius" by dressing in a tight, spangly outfit with a spangly baseball cap, which was not quite fitting for her 60+ years. She sang the leads, but not with the same smooth, covered sounds that we hear on the recordings of decades ago. She and her other female backup singer sang full out to reach the notes, so consequently, that smooth unison sound which she and Marylin McCoo so seductively posessed in the heyday were absent from the performance. Nevertheless,

LaRue and the restructured vocal band performed the old favorites admirably and a fine time was had by all. For the younger folk, some of The Fifth Dimension's songs include "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine" and, of course, "Up, Up and Away".

I'm standing in the queue at EPCOT for the Herman's Hermits concert - I'm standing there, 1st week of April in tee shirt, shorts and flip flops - Be had taken a walk,
the evening was beautiful with a cool breeze coming across the man made lagoon, an evening that makes you close your eyes and breathe in the smells of ethnic foods being prepared in the vacinity and the aromas of the flowers at the Flower and Garden Festival - when suddenly, I'm interrupted by the sounds of wheezing and hacking around me - I look around and have the startling realization that "Hey! I'm the youngest one in this line!" Way cool.
I saw Herman's Hermits with my sister, Maryann, back in 1967 (mom took us because I didn't have my driver's license back then) and guess who opened for them .... you'll never guess ... The Who !!!! .... we sat there wondering why they were attacking their instruments and setting them on fire and thought "How very odd but cool!" I still have the pictures.
Anyway, the original "Hermits" were now replaced by more trendy instrumentalists - the drummer had many, many, many tattoos and appeared angry that the best gig he could get was playing as a replacement Hermit - the lead guitarist did kicks, 'whirling dirvish' moves and Irish folk dancing as he played lead lines and appeared to have a rather good time - and the other instrumentalists did a fine job as well.
Peter Noone (Herman) worked the audience to the max, posing for pictures while singing, giving out CDs and conversing, soliciting cheers, & orchestrating singing competitions and sing-alongs during the 30 minute set. He's pushing 61 and looks dang good - the show was like an event at the largest pub you can imagine as we sang "Henry VIII", "Mrs Brown", "I'm Into Something Good", "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat?", "Silhouettes", and (my favorite) "There's A Kind of Hush".
We walked away saying "What a fun time!" ....... even though we had seen almost the exact same show in years past.

Old Salem, North Carolina

This past week, while visiting family in Winston Salem, North Carolina, I had the opportunity to breeze through Old Salem on a photo spree. The morning was cloudy and misty making an almost mystic backdrop for the images of this old settlement.

Salem was founded in 1766 by the Moravians – a Protestant faith that began in what is now known as the Czech Republic. The Moravians were missionaries who established an earlier settlement in Bethlehem, PA before beginning "Wachovia" in the North Carolina backcountry in 1753. In the Wachovia Tract of nearly 100,000 acres, Salem was the central administrative, spiritual, craft, and professional town surrounded by outlying congregations.

Although many buildings are now private homes, some display signs characteristic of businesses which may, at one time, housed traders and craftsmen.

The Village Bakery - the only building that was open for my 8 AM visit.

Bakery Interior - costumed characters, representing the 18th century

residents serve up coffee and delicious cakes, cookies and breads.

The Moravian Church and Salem residents kept meticulous records and accounts of their lives, their interactions, their buildings and landscapes, and their evolution into the town of Winston-Salem. These records, diaries, and accounts provide accurate details to tell the stories of those living and working in Salem.

An unusual entry to one of the private homes in Old Salem.

Salem residents were also well respected for their architecture and eye for detail. The architecture and landscape of Salem are still quite accurate, as many of the Historic Town buildings are original structures.

Gunsmith

Stable at the town commons area.

Step down from the street to the sidewalk.

The Old Salem Tavern features traditional Moravian favorites alongside contemporary fare.

Specialties include Sauteed Lobster Crab Cakes and Moravian Chicken Pie.

We've eaten here several times on past visits and return when time permits.

A grapevine arbor at the Old Salem Tavern provides ambiance for outdoor dining

when weather permits.

From the tavern keeper to the doctor, the Gunsmith to the boys’ schoolteacher, every person in Salem played a vital role.

A water pump, still in operation, in the Old Salem town commons area.

Happy Tomb Sweeping Day

Celebrated two weeks after the vernal equinox, Tomb Sweeping Day is one of the few traditional Chinese holidays that follows the solar calendar-- typically falling on April 4, 5, or 6. Its Chinese name "Qing Ming" literally means "Clear Brightness," hinting at its importance as a celebration of Spring. Similar to the spring festivals of other cultures, Tomb Sweeping Day celebrates the rebirth of nature, while marking the beginning of the planting season and other outdoor activities.
Qing Ming Jie in Ancient Times In ancient times, people celebrated Qing Ming Jie with dancing, singing, picnics, and kite flying. Colored boiled eggs would be broken to symbolize the opening of life. In the capital, the Emperor would plant trees on the palace grounds to celebrate the renewing nature of spring. In the villages, young men and women would court each other.
The Tomb Sweeping Day as Celebrated Today With the passing of time, this celebration of life became a day to the honor past ancestors. Following folk religion, the Chinese believed that the spirits of deceased ancestors looked after the family. Sacrifices of food and spirit money could keep them happy, and the family would prosper through good harvests and more children.
Today, Chinese visit their family graves to tend to any underbrush that has grown. Weeds are pulled, and dirt swept away, and the family will set out offerings of food and spirit money. Unlike the sacrifices at a family's home altar, the offerings at the tomb usually consist of dry, bland food. One theory is that since any number of ghosts rome around a grave area, the less appealing food will be consumed by the ancestors, and not be plundered by strangers.
Honoring AncestorsHonoring ancestors begins with proper positioning of a gravesite and coffin. Experts in feng shui, or geomancy, determine the quality of land by the surrounding aspects of streams, rivers, trees, hills, and so forth. An area that faces south, with groves of pine trees creates the best flow of cosmic energy required to keep ancestors happy. Unfortunately, nowadays, with China's burgeoning population, public cemetaries have quickly surplanted private gravesites. Family elders will visit the gravesite at least once a year to tend to the tombs.
While bland food is placed by the tombs on Qing Ming Jie, the Chinese regularly provide scrumptious offerings to their ancestors at altar tables in their homes. The food usually consists of chicken, eggs, or other dishes a deceased ancestor was fond of. Accompanied by rice, the dishes and eating utensils are carefully arranged so as to bring good luck. Sometimes, a family will put burning incense with the offering so as to expedite the transfer of nutritious elements to the ancestors. In some parts of China, the food is then eaten by the entire family.
KitesBesides the traditions of honoring the dead, people also often fly kits on Tomb Sweeping Day. Kites can come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors. Designs could include frogs, dragonflies, butterflies, crabs, bats, and storks.