Garden Variety Family

me, my blog -- all askew but thankful none-the-less

Something is amiss in the Garden Variety Family blog. I began writing my post commemorating our 16 months of waiting on the 16th of this month. Well, I got sucked into the prime time Olympic swimming last night that it didn't get it posted. I woke up today to finish it up and post a day late (worse things have happened) when I discovered that things have gone curiously awry. I put a post together thanking my Secret Pal a couple weeks ago. Through my April log in group we have had a 10 month long secret pal gift exchange. I am not sure what was wrong with me because all along the process I didn't post the gifts I received here. I did in our group blog but not here. Why? I don't know. So I put everything together took a bunch of pictures, created a post and scheduled it to go live the next day.

So today as I was finishing  last night's post which I wanted to link to my Secret Pal post, but the Secret pal post has disappeared. It is totally gone. I can find no trace anywhere. I have never had something like this happen. I don't know what to say. So even though this is a repeat for me it should be new to the blog and new to my beloved Secret Pal, Karen who gifts have been the highlight of every month for nearly the last year. She was thoughtful, kind and really came up with great ideas. She certainly spoiled us, she had to go way over the spending limit even if she were a champion bargain hunter. I'd love to hear from you if you are out there reading my blog Karen, because my appreciation is deep and I'd love to thank you even better.

So here they are a year's worth of pictures. Looks like a I had a giant shower, but it is all from one great not - so - secret - anymore - Pal.

This is a double bed covered with everything. I think I got it all!

There are books for every occasion (even one of Chinese folktales )and softies I want for myself and the most beautiful collection of onesies, I just might cry the first time they get stained.

We are set to travel with silverware and travel packs, Chinese vocabulary, hats and blankies.

I have a calendar for planning out 2009 - I hope  "travel to China" will be written somewhere in this book.

I couldn't have imagined all of this stuff. All I can say is thank you thank you. And Karen if you are reading please e-mail me or leave a comment.

8.8.08 at 8:08

Today is the day. The start of the Olympics. I am an Olympics junkie. I will watch more t.v. in the next 2 weeks than I have in the last two years and it all starts tonight. From the opening to closing ceremony I will bathe in it all, human interest stories, cultural information, political debate, competition of all sorts, even the commercials; I am all about it.  I think it speaks to the eternal optimist in me, to my deep down belief in utopia. China called it with their slogan, One World, One Dream. It is the closest we get to celebration and peaceful exchange of more people from more countries in one place in such a concentrated period of time. And it is being hosted in China. I have a love affair with the far east and China is the mother of it all.

Seven years ago I swore I would be there basking in the splendor of it all, but I am not. Two years ago I thought for sure I would be very close to being there at this time because our plans for a family were going to take us there roughly around now. I had given up on the games and ceremonies but being there during this pivotal and historical moment for China was enough. Now our money, our hopes, and dreams are in China but we are not. So I plan to live vicariously watching everything 12 hours after it happened tonight and every night for the next two weeks on the tube.

The opening ceremonies are uber important to me. I can't wait to witness the splendor of Chinese culture artistically represented as China lays out seven years of hard work and preparations. I can't wait to witness the elegant details, from the traditional to the modern. I am excited and proud as I will be eternally linked to this country. Instead of recovering from a night of splendor in Beijing I am just gearing up to get started. I am ok with it, I just wish I had my baby here to watch her country as it dances, for better or worse, in the world spotlight.

More to come...