Ah....just when I figured a way around the "censor" issue I ran out of photo space on my blog. What a bummer! I am sure there is a way around this too.....I just have to figure out how to work the system...

Tim is in Vancouver this weekend. Abi stayed out very late last night as it was her Senior Prom. We both slept in this morning then went to lunch at TaiKong Lu (a fun lunchy/shopping place) and did a little browsing. And...tonight we took Peter to dinner at a new place called Cool Docks. It is just across the river from our apartment. Swimming would be the fastest way to get there....but....we would die from the nastiness of the water....so....we took a taxi because the ferry was closed for the evening.

OOPS!
A crazy thing happened on the way to my hair cut appointment today.

My taxi crashed into another taxi...or... did the other taxi crash into my taxi? The yelling started before either driver got out of their respective cars. It has been hours since that happened and I think they might still be yelling at each other.

I am totally fine....just a little "freaked".

What does one do when your taxi gets in an accident in Shanghai? I have no idea. So....I watched what the passenger in the other car did. She got out of the taxi crossed the road through the traffic and haled another taxi. So....I did the same thing.

I am still blogging like a mad women...and feeling a little smug and tech savvy that I "worked" the censor system.

Monday - this week

Happy Mothers Day

My new baby arrives!!!

My new baby is a Juki industrial sewing machine. It came in three boxes and was assembled in our foyer.

Ta Dah!!! Isn't it a beauty?

It is like driving a very fast sexy sports car. Top speed is 5500 stitches per minute.

Strip piecing here I come! Watch out I am a wild women!

I am working on perfect 1/4 inch seam allowances while going full speed....well maybe not full speed. I don't have a 1/4 inch guide foot (yet) so this is a little tricky. Then.....my quilting friend Vreni gave me a great tip. Place a magnet on the throat plate at the 1/4 inch mark. The magnet sticks to the metal and works as a perfect seam guide!!! Wah Who!!! Full speed ahead!

One more post today before I get caught (see below)

Flash back to last Saturday....

The school hosted a brunch for all the graduating seniors last Saturday. The kids met with the counselor for a few hours in the morning and talked about repatriating and living on their own at college. The parents were invited to join them for the afternoon. We had one on one time with our student....they had a set of questions that we answered and then we listened to the Counselor read the Dr. Seuss book, Oh the places we will go. That is a perfect book for the graduating senior!

Afterwards the Mr. Harris gave us a tour of the new high school. All I can say is WOW! Our senior were just a little green as they are just a year early to enjoy the new facility.

Bud, Amanda, and Abi ready for the tour....

What a fashion statement!!! I think we need one in every color!

After the tour we went to Yu Garden in search of a dress makers mannequin. Abi wanted one she could drape fabric on and take to school with her next year.

We went several places...I thought I knew just where to find one....but I was in the wrong building. We finally found the "right" building but they were closed. We were very disappointed.

With the help of our "ribbon lady" and some might fine Pictionary we walked to another area of the "notions village". With luck we found a store that was still open.

We found a "body" shop and we were immediately directed to follow the sales guy into an alley...

I started to have flash backs from a previous visit to this street with my friend Teri...

Down the alley....into his house...and then into the storage room... Okay....so it was a little creepy but Abi was there so I wasn't scared.
In the storage room... Who has a room full of "models"???

Ladder to the "upstairs" storage area....We measured Abi and found just the perfect model...Her name is now Sally...
Abi making her purchase

Happy shopper....

Abi and Sally on the streets of Shanghai...

Okay....I am posting like a mad women before they find out my secret "go around the system" access to the blocked web sites...

Concordia Auction 2009

This is the 10th anniversary of Concordia International School Shanghai and in celebration of that occasion all of the funds raised at the auction this year went to the Yunan Education Foundation. This foundation was started by two high school students and has continued to grow. The funds go to a village in Yunan that support education and build water systems so the people can have safe drinking water.

Here's our "Shanghai Gang"...don't we look pretty.....Okay...we always dress like this....NOT!

Shelly, Tom, and our "return for a visit" friend Hakan

Angie and Mike

Kathy and Mike

Kathy and Brian

I posted some more pictures from Ohio....the narrative is not finished but I wanted to post the pictures while I can.....

OH MY GOSH IT WORKED. I am free....free....free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Forgive the missing blogs for the past few weeks. The "great firewall of C" blocked all blog sites for the past three weeks. They are still blocked....but....I learned a way to "get around" (shhhhh!) that issue so I am FREE to blog as I want. Yippee!!!

So here is the quick and low down on the Spofford family...

Tim is currently in the US...soon to make a stop in Vancouver and then in Bellingham to see Tucker.

Tucker is busy finishing many projects for school and looking for an apartment for next year.

Abi finished her last final and is writing her last essay (today) for her high school career. She is very excited to be done with the "school part" of school. She will start a two week internship on Monday at Hyatt on the Bund. She will then have one week of presentations and graduate on June 11th. Yippee!!!!

Tucker and Hattie will be here for Abi's graduation then we are all off to Tibet to climb to the base camp of Mt Everest. Tim will celebrate his 50th B-day at the base camp. Pretty cool way to turn 50.

How long will the Spoffords be in China you ask. Well that is a good question....stay tuned for the answer as it is always changing. We may have some firm answers in the next few weeks.

Okay...I feel that I have been "repressed" for the last few weeks so I am just typing a mile a minute just to get this out! I am sooooooo excited to press the Post button and see what happens!

I hope to post some pictures soon!

Today is a national holiday in China. It is Labor Day holiday. Xiao Zhang and Mr. Zhang have the weekend off so the back-up driver (Tim) and the back-up Ayi (me) are on duty. So far the back up driver is working out okay....he drove us to JinQiao for breakfast this morning. However...the back-up Ayi is not doing so well....the beds are still unmade and the dishes are piling up in the sink. :)

We have had gorgeous weather for the past two weeks. Spring is actually lasting longer than 3 days this year. Everyone is shocked! The smog has gone away thanks to the afternoon wind so we have enjoyed magnificent views. Currently there is a Blimp flying over the city and up and down the river. The sight for the World Expo (which will open exactly one year from now) is perfectly framed by the Nanpu bridge.

Abi has only 42 more days of high school. Wow! Tim and I have been gearing up to be empty nesters starting this summer. Hard to believe! Abi actually had to go to school today...it is a school holiday too....to take a test. It is so weird...this happens often here. Tests on holidays and on Saturdays. The kids don't seem to think this is strange....I think it is totally strange. Can you image a US school telling the kids that had to take a test on Saturday?

Speaking of Abi....she is home from her test and bugging me to go shopping for Prom shoes...better go.

Also....Congrats to Abi again. She has been accepted at UPS (University of Puget Sound). Western Washington is still the front runner.