At FRA, Soon off to WDH

Just a quick note now that I have a REAL GOOD WiFi connection to say that in 30 minutes Dick and I will be boarding our last flight = overnight 10 hours to Windhoek, Namibia. We are so excited I think we could fly there without the aircraft. In a few days we will be seeing these exquisite dunes with our own delighted and awestruck eyes.
Love and hugs to you all, Marian

NEPAL 032812 Elephant Bathing Action Pix

I just downloaded some pictures of me and Donna getting our elephant bath that were taken with her camera by our guide Gopal. He got some great shots. Have fun laughing with us. As you can see, ducking "so that Donna would get splashed" did not (ever) keep me dry :-).

Namaste, Marian

CHICO 081912 Two Cats in Suitcases

Well OK, this is actually another test post so that Marian, the cyberphobic blogger, can learn how the email alert process works.  So please just bear with her while she tries again.

For your amusement this time we have Pink and Black engaged in a little protest action here in Baldyland the the local, national, and international press has dubbed "OCCUPY SUITCASES." This is a little political protest with the goal to prevent their owners from filling the suitcases with clotes and toiletries, leaving town, and abandoning them as well as removing the body temperature furniture from the house yet again.

Pink occupies a piece of to-be-checked luggage

Black "sits in" to prevent the packing of a piece of cary-on luggage

CHICO 081912 Packing for Southern Africa

Hello from Chico

This Friday August 24, Dick and I will will leave to meet Roy and Charlotte Ekland in Windhoek, Namibia on Monday August 27.  We will travel with them in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls), and South Africa with our friends Paula and Titia Van Deventer as guides.  We are getting REALLY EXCITED.

I've been playing with my blog and wanted to test the "subscribe by email" feature, so this post is as test of that, as well as a little -- hopefully humorous -- note about our packing and a couple of "things" I will miss in Chico.

Namaste, Marian

Pink glances left as Dick comes into the bedroom where she has been helping me pack

Dick cuts duct tape to secure the bottles of Hershey's chocolate Syrup in Bertha -- our faithful yellow thrift shop Samsonite -- so that they will not pulverize the gift boxes of western shirts

Something in Chico I will miss -- gazing at and -- sometimes even eating -- these colorful macaroons at the Tin Roof Bakery and sending pictures of them to my beloved granddaughter Lisa Pham

"Something" I will miss in Chico -- or is it "someone?" -- Black our other cat whose favorite lace to be petted is on the keyboard of my computer.  maybe that's why the F1 and F2 keys have "surprising new" functions?

A latte for here -- at Tin Roof.  So much for renunciation of the objects of the material world.  Next lifetime?

NEPAL 080312: Nepal in My Heart, a Reflection

OK folks.

Here it is August 2, and I am still trying to finish an email for you that I started on June 4^th.  It’s about why our trip to Nepal was so meaningful for me.  At this point I have been home for 3.5 months.

Marian, dear, what is going on? Where is your final email for us about Nepal?

Well, some of those 100 or so days since we returned I used to get over jet lag and the trek cold, re-write the lost trek emails, take a class on Chekov’s SEAGULL, go on a 5-night meditation retreat, throw parties for Dick’s mom on Mother’s Day and her Birthday, attend grandson Patrick Pham’s high school graduation in Kent, WA, show Paula van Deventer, her daughter Titia and grandsons Herman and Dirk around the northern Sacramento valley, celebrate my 68^th birthday 8 times, and “host” friends for theater in Ashland.

But still, one must ask, “Why are you still thinking and writing about Nepal?

NEPAL 050212: A Simple Question About Our Trek – How long was it?

Hi Patient Email Readers

Well.

 Here I sit at my desk two and a half weeks after our return from Nepal, and I‘ve still not written anything to all of you about our actual trek – beyond the description of trekking vs. backpacking and its addendum about “pony caravans.”  Oh my.  

I sit and muse,

“Is it jet lag?”

“Is it getting over the trip cold?” 

. . . spring allergies in Chico?

. . . that end-of-April weekend in Ashland?

. . . a lack of good editorial help?” (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1:  The bewildered author at work with her editorial assistant.

NEPAL 042112 Cats, Coughs, and Chaos

Dear Everyone

Greetings from 25 Oak Drive, Chico, CA :-)

We have been home in Chico since noon on Thursday 041912.  

We began our trip home Tuesday April 17 with breakfast with Maisie and Sky at the hotel followed by efficient transport to the airport in KTM with Jawane in a luxurious Toyota Corolla taxi.  Placing ourselves into the competent hands of Thai airlines, we arrived at LAX Tuesday at 7:30 PM PDT for an overnight of happy cuddling and snoozing in a QUEEN SIZE BED for four hours before being whisked to SFO by United, then bussed to Napa into the welcoming hugs of Dean Donaldson, his son Matt, and Matt's husband Steve Kyriakis.  They took us to the Bouchon Bakery in Yountville for coffee and French macaroons before delivering us to the Donaldson's home in Calistoga. [left to right below are Dean, Dick, moi, Steve, and Matt]