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Category: Beauty and wonder

THE GIRLS LOVED THE BALINESE DANCE PERFORMANCE AT THE HOTEL AND THE MESMIRIZING KECAK DANCE AT THE ULUWATU TEMPLE .

We gathered for a “theme” dinner at the Padma Resort Legian. Marla and the Girls try a Balinese dance. A wonderful group photo with the performers. The Padma does a great job combining cuisine and entertainment at their “theme” dinners. Time for a swim. Enjoying the…

BALI WITH THE TWINS…MYSTERIOUS TEMPLES AND JEWELRY SHOPPING.

Marla and I were very excited to take our granddaughters to Bali last month. We chose the 9 hour, Bangkok direct flight to Denpasar, Bali. Our hotel for this trip (our 27th+ Bali trip) was the Padma Legian Resort. It was “not” Marla’s favorite as we…

EXPLORING BEAUTIFUL AND EXCITING BANGKOK

Marla and I have stayed at numerous hotels in Bangkok over the years but we find the Chatrium Riverside Hotel our favorite for location, comfort and value. Marla shows the Girls the view of the Chao Phraya River from our terrace. We made a dinner reservation at the Deck restaurant…

A WONDERFUL AFTERNOON AT THE BEAUTIFUL AND ETHICAL “ELEPHANT ECO VALLEY”

The driver and our guide, Nop, drove us about an hour north of Chiang Mai to visit Elephant Eco Valley. https://elephantecovalley.com/ Nop was our guide when we took the Girl’s brothers here in 2023. We rode EcoValley’s transport up a very bumpy dirt road…

THE MAGNIFICENT GARDENS AT THE HOTEL CHINZANSO IN TOKYO, JAPAN

The gardens next to the Hotel Chinzanso in Tokyo are just magnificent! Marla, and I, with our granddaughters, explored the gardens every day during our stay in Tokyo. In 1878, Yamagata Aritomo came into possession of this area, built a large mansion with gardens and named it “Chinzanso.&#8221…

MARLA AND I BEGAN OUR BIG ASIA ADVENTURE IN TOKYO WITH OUR GRANDDAUGHTERS.

I spent over a year planning a trip with Marla and our granddaughters to Japan, Thailand, Bali, Singapore, and Hong Kong but it almost didn’t happen! A week before our departure Marla was in the hospital for 3 nights with a fracture in her foot that had not…

WHAT CITY RANKS NUMBER 1 FOR TOURISM IN THE WORLD? THE ANSWER IS BANGKOK AND I COULDN’T AGREE MORE!

Bangkok welcomes over 30 million visitors a year! There is truly so much to see and do. You have gorgeous ornate temples, ultra modern shopping centers, tasty street food and bustling markets. The Chao Phraya River is Thailand’s most important waterway, flowing for over 230 miles from…

THE PERSONALIZED WORLD OF…GEWGAWS, BAUBLES, TCHOTCHKES, TRINKETS, KNICK-KNACKS, BIBELOTS, AND DOODAHS.

Why do so many of us surround ourselves with personal little treasures? Look around and you’ll probably see a number of little odds and ends on your desk, the bookcase, night stand, or in the kitchen. There are many answers to this…along with many questions. For…

MY FAVORITE ENCOUNTERS WITH FLOWERS AND PLANTS IN 2025

I am from a long line of horticulturists. Marla’s plants do very well with her loving care. My grandfather had a large greenhouse and grew beautiful orchids. My Mom and grandmother knew the names of just about every flower and plant. But, alas, my talents are not at…

EARLY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION AT THE LAKE HOUSE IN TEXAS

Marla and I celebrated an early Christmas at Stacy and Stan’s lake house on Cedar Creek Lake in Texas. The family will be touring India during the Holidays so we were happy to join them for early Christmas festivities. Vaughan is home for Christmas break from Auburn University…