My mom (aka “Gracie”) turned 90 on April 22. To help her celebrate the big occasion, my sister and I launched a campaign for her to receive 90 birthday cards. By the end of the day on the 22nd, she had received 136!!! We had a lovely brunch with family and a few friends on […]
Happy Birthday, Gracie! Here are 9 Things You May Not Know About Her
Yesterday (April 21) may have been the birthday of Queen Elizabeth, but the Queen of our clan is just one year and one day behind her! In celebration of her nearing the end of her ninth decade, here are 9 things you may or may not know about her: She loves road trips. She’s been […]
I Love Beijing Traffic
One of the teenagers on the “Birthday Tour” last week, a 15 year old young man from California, told me that he loved China and wanted to stay here forever. “What do you love about China?” I asked. “Everything,” he replied. “Come on,” I said, “give me some specifics….what specific things do you love about […]
Getting Gracie Gone
My phone rang at 7:00 in the morning on Saturday. “Hello. This is Capital International Airport. Please come to collect your mother at Terminal 2, Door 6.” With that, I knew that my mom had definitely NOT made it onto the Delta flight to Detroit. I jumped into a cab and headed to the airport, […]
A Birthday Fit for an Empress
Last night (the 22nd) we had a birthday banquet for my mom at the Bai Family Courtyard Restaurant. It was originally a palace for a Qing Dynasty prince, but is a delightful place to get a taste of Qing food and culture. Because of a scheduling conflict by the restaurant, they put us into a […]
Birthday Tour
Five years ago this week, my mom arrived in Beijing, along with a dozen or so friends to celebrate her 80th birthday. We spent a week seeing the sights, visiting friends, and of course eating wonderful Beijing food. At the end of that week, my mom announced that it would be her last trip to […]
