{We at least got SOME Magnolia Blossoms}

So pleased with the turnout of SOME Magnolia Blossoms on our Magnolia x soulangeana!

Tuesday, February 23, was such a lovely and even warm day when we got these photos made.

Don't you love to see an almost blue sky and such huge magnolia blossoms?!

The previous days were rather dark, not good for photos.

On Monday, February 22, Pieter took this photo where we still had more blossoms on this tree but no sunshine, just a dreary day...

Luckily, this 2nd Magnolia tree was not blooming yet on December 30, so it had a lot less frost damage later in January.
You can find the links below this post from December 30, and also from spring 2011, when we had PERFECT MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS!

Love the house when the sun is out; things look so happy even with the dead winter grass.
Yes, Centipede grass dies completely back during winter!
Do you notice that the shadow of our live oak tree on the wall looks like another tree?

Sadly our Italian cypress trees are brown...
Not looking too happy and we lost already one of the total three.
Again, looking like two live oak trees with the strong shadow on the wall!
Also in the photo below, that shadow remains.

Husband Pieter took those last three photos.
Taken from behind the pond with the gazebo visible too.
One of our kitties is walking past the wall.
The sunshine makes that wall look almost white; which is not the case as you see in the above photo.
Love the reflection in the water.
Spring is in the air and I'm happy because of it!

Related links:

{Magnolia Blossoms on December 30} | previous post by me

{SPRING 2011 IS GRADUATING!} | previous post by me showing PERFECT MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS

{Part I of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia}

Let's start with these series of husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia on his People to People Citizen Ambassador Program.

On Friday, March 20, 1987 we both left for the Atlanta airport to leave the USA.

Pieter was flying west bound to East Asia and I was flying east bound to Europe...
So we hugged each other goodbye for 3 weeks and Pieter left with Northwest Airlines for Seattle, Washington state, via Minneapolis/St. Paul in Minnesota.
My plane left some 7 hours later so I stayed with some elderly friends till than.

This is an actual photo from Pieter at his final destination in China!
~ 
Everything on Pieter's Northwest flight went well, and upon arrival in Seattle, they did have a briefing with the entire delegation.
They also had to practice eating peanuts with chopsticks, followed by dinner.
They stayed at the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel in Seattle

The Four Seasons Olympic Hotel is now the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle but the address and even phone number did not change! 

Next morning after breakfast they again had some briefings, with Max Gerber of the Citizen Ambassador Program and guest speaker Karl Lo, Director of the University of Washington East Asia Library. 

After that we went by bus to the airport for check in.

Pieter got an upgrade with Northwest Orient and had seat # 12 in Executive class from Seattle to Tokyo, Japan on Northwest Orient flight 07.

Than somebody made a mistake and the evacuation slide came out and got inflated!

That caused two hours delay...

The flight to Tokyo was about 10-½ hours and it was a strange experience for having daylight the entire time. 

It was Pieter's first time, flying over the North Pole but he could not see anything because of cloudy weather.

To be continued...

Related links:

{People to People Citizen Ambassador Program - Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia} | previous post by me

{The Most Poisonous THREE-Letter Word... "EGO" - Overcome it}

 Here is another quote about the Most Poisonous Three-Letter Word... "EGO" - Overcome it.

We better let go of this "EGO" and become a more lovable person!

That makes us a little more 'angelic'

Like seen here on this Italian silver Giovanni Raspini Charm, with alphabet letter "E" and Angel for wearing your Name's First Letter.

Buy this 925/1000 silver 'E' alphabet angel for only USD 33.25 and FREE shipping within the USA:


Other alphabet letters are available at Spectrenoir ←just click.

Related links:

{The Most Selfish ONE-Letter Word... "I" - Avoid it} | previous post by me
{The Most Satisfying TWO-Letter Word... "WE" - Use it} | previous post by me