Equal Time for Minority Females

Lila is the female one-fourth of my grandchildren, and she seems docile compared to her brother and KS cousins at three months. Yet the way her face lights up at anything interesting, her ready chortle and quickness to babble, and her facility for rolling over suggests that she’s going to live up to a reputation as an energetic red head.

Here in Montana, FedEx chugged up the mountain to bring a Visa in plenty of time for my NEW departure date, October 1. I’ll arrive Missoula-Salt Lake-LA-Guangzhou-Sanya around noon, Sunday, October 3 (add a halfday to US time) in time to see what my apartment looks like; all I know is that it’s a small kitchen, squat-toilet/shower bathroom, furnished living area with air conditioning, and two bedrooms. I’m expecting hot, tropical weather as I eat free meals with the kindergartners, relearn Chinese teachers’ names, and see what is expected in my new job next door at Golden Sun Kindergarten.
 
I started to say I’m still “hanging around Montana like a bad penny,” but I remembered a longtime friend’s name for me, “Ginny, Bright as a Penny,” and decided she might take offense when she read that. I can’t play with my own grandkids here, but I’ve been feeding brother’s horses, hearing some great music, and putting in a lot of sunshiny outdoor hours. Stay tuned!

In Meiguo until October 1

MeiGuo (“Beautiful Country,” Chinese name for America), is certainly gorgeous this time of year in Montana. Quaking aspen and rain-renewed grasses stir slightly outside my window as I write. A bear was sighted heading toward my loaded apple trees yesterday.  Mom, Janet (whose boys appear here), and KS friends are sick of hurricane-related rain. All family members are glad to hear that nephew Ben weathered Gustaf, along with his live-on boat and truck in Gulfport, LA. 

CA enjoys good outdoor weather most days for Road31’s grape harvest, Kent reports. Here’s Owen, third grandboy,  pleased with a zoom down the slide on Mare Island. Thanks to technology, I’ll keep up with the boys’ and baby Lila’s growth when I finally commit my year’s time to a China address.

I got an e-mail today that told me I can now arrive later because China’s celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day vacations until October 5. I changed my Delta ticket to October 1-3, arriving SanYa just after noon, cooler rainy season on tropical Hainan Island.  Meantime, I’m looking at calendar time’s gift–Fly down for Winfield’s Bluegrass Festival? Go to Hot Springs Swap Meet? Drive to Missoula for Strings of the Rockies Concert? Play piano for assisted living gatherings a few more times? Finish LEGACIES: A Chinese Mosaic, by Bette Bao Lord? Enter Art on the Walls’ juried Fall Show?  One thing’s certain, I haven’t much patience to hear the repeated information and opinions about the election–little new or substantial there. Maybe that’s why my TV just conked out!

Suddenly, my biggest decision is whether to tell the friends who plan a sendoff cookout on September 18 that I’m sticking around another couple of weeks. Buffalo burgers, corn on the cob, Ron’s beans, and fresh tomatoes make it tempting to keep mum and celebrate early, but I guess this blog just spilled the beans.