This Just In! Locals Go Crazy Over Gracie

Chen locals 6
Originally uploaded by mc10672

The day started off waking up in the beautiful White Swan Hotel. Wow! What a difference from Nancheng. Marie and I looked out the window and saw what a clear day it was and couldn't wait to get out. Of course Gracie was moving at "Gracie speed" and only paid heed to the "Gracie Clock". We did eventually make it down to breakfast and what a breakfast it was! The waffles are delicious and there are so many choices. The view, seating area and wait staff are fantastic. Watermelon and banana for Gracie, waffles for Marie and scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, french toast, cereal...need we go on...for David.
On to Chen Family Temple, Wow! What a beautiful day!!! All the families were in great moods as usual and Rui, our guide, was her usual patient and cheerful self. The Chen Family Temple is full of amazing reliefs, statues and quiet and peaceful sitting areas as well as many shops to purchase great souvenirs.The local people here are also very curious of our little bundles of joy.
The local Chinese ladies stopped Marie several times and commented on how beautiful Gracie is and they loved her hair. Rui told us that some of the women were talking about Gracie and just couldn't believe how cute she is, they were going crazy over her and Gracie took it all in stride. Gracie was good natured as all the women had to touch her hair and cute little face. What a great time we had.
After the Chen Family Temple we went shopping and found Gracie a little glass ball with "inside painting" they call it. The glass ball is hollow and the artist does a painting on it from the inside using a special paint brush. This one had two little dogs on it because 2006 is the year of the dog also the year of Gracie's birth. I had the artist paint Gracie's name on the inside and it will be one of her keepsakes. Then it was back to the hotel and of course lunch at Lucy's. I had to have a double cheeseburger with cheese and boy was it good. There at Lucy's we also saw several other Great Wall Families having another great meal. Lucy's is the place to be.
Marie, Gracie and I, well maybe not so much Gracie, had to walk off our meal so we did some shopping. You know how you tell yourself I'm not spending too much today, and the next thing you know you're down 5 or 6 hundred Yuan. It's neverending. But what great purchases. A new stroller for Gracie, a few more Beijing Olympic Baseball caps, some t -shirts, squeaky shoes.....I could go on and on. So we moved on and it became a little overcast but then the clouds parted and there was Starbuck's...how could we pass that up. Marie saw Green tea frapuccino and had to have one. Here we also ran into another nice family adopting from China, Tom and Linda from Albuquerque(is that spelled right?) New Mexico and we all sat down together with our Starbucks and had a nice chat. Hey this would be a great commercial for Starbuck's...yeah like they need to advertise.
Back to our beautiful hotel room for a nap and then it was out for a Dim Sum dinner. One of the courses on the menu was pigeon and hey I gotta say it was really good...hhhmmmm!! All those pigeons hanging around our house back in Vegas....I wonder? Miss Gracie decided we were interrupting her naptime so she let us know. Marie tried taking her out for a walk but that didn't work. Marie came back in and got a to go box and loaded it up with baked pigeon and other delicious delicacies and we headed back to the room. What a day! Marie is relaxing in her silk robe which was laid out on the bed for her and little Gracie got her wish and is fast asleep in her much safer crib snoring away and here I sit typing away...Oh Man!! Is it already 9 o'clock...past my bedtime folks. Had a great day and Gracie is such a joy! Gotta go! Ciao Y'all!!!