THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE KICKS OFF DERBY FESTIVAL!

This is it! Today is the day that opens the non-stop, two-week long celebration known as the Kentucky Derby Festival. Derby Festival concludes with the annual running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchhill Downs on the first Saturday in May. It is an absolutely beautiful day for the airshow and fireworks extravaganza known as, 'Thunder over Louisville'. As I indicated in last year's post, 'Thunder over Louisville' is the largest annual pyrotechnic celebration in all of North America and consistently rates in the top ten world-wide. Discovery Channel includes it in its list of Top 100 Events in North America. This evening, an estimated 750,000 people will line the banks of the Ohio River in anticipation of this megapalooza of stratospheric illumination and its concussive, color-laden, multi-hued explosions. Many of those spectators have already assembled and are at this moment enjoying picnics, watching the airshow, sampling the wares of dozens and dozens of vendors on the Great Lawn at Waterfront Park and basking in the warmth of a beautiful, sunny, Spring day in Kentucky. In addition to the fireworks display, Thunder also features an incredible air show over the Ohio River that precedes the evening activities. If you've never attended Thunder in person, you owe it to yourself to make every effort to get here at some time in the future. It is a spectacular sensory experience. . .auditory as well as visual. I am including a link that will take you to the Thunder 2009 web page http://www.thunderoverlouisville.org/index.html and a slideshow of past Thunder displays for your enjoyment. Perhaps one of the least talked about features of 'Thunder' is the soundtrack to the fireworks show. One word. . . . incredible. You can also check out http://www.whas11.com/ for info, pictures and video of today's events.

This year we have opted to stay home and watch the day's events from the comfort of our living room in glorious HD. By the way, staying at home to watch Thunder afforded me the opportunity to go fishing for a couple of hours this morning. GREAT way to start the day.

A KENTUCKY EASTER SUNDAY AFTERNOON

We enjoyed a very nice, relaxing and special Easter Sunday this past weekend. As several other families in the Elizabethtown Ward enjoyed the company of their extended families - we too had that pleasure when Michael, Amber and Madi came down from Louisville and attended church with us. After church, the entire clan headed out to Penny's home in Glendale where the brood of grandkids (and some adults) participated in the traditional Easter Egg hunt. Penny's daughter, Linda and son-in-law, Wes - along with grandkids Amanda and David - had come down from Indiana for the weekend. Penny outdid herself with a wonderful and sumptuous Easter dinner that included ham; mashed potatoes; asparagus and cream cheese rolled in prosciutto; pasta; rolls and the obligatory (and equally delicious) green bean casserole prepared by Amber.

What was doubly nice about the long, four day weekend for me was that we also got to visit (over the phone) with the grandkids in Utah. Kayden called us on Saturday to thank us for his birthday and Easter presents. We had a great visit with him and with Cheniel. She is sooo ready to have that baby! On Easter morning, just as we were preparing for church, Lily called and left a voice mail thanking us for her birthday and Easter presents. We picked up just as she ended her message. We called right back and had a great talk with her and big brother Nick, who is also celebrating an April birthday. The Lehi gang, aka Tyler, Kim, Nick, Lily, Andrew and Max are making plans to be out here in late June or early July. Lynne's already making plans for Six Flags - Kentucky Kingdom, Mammoth Cave, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, etc. Truth be told, she's just a big kid herself. . . especially when she's around her grandbaby, Madi.

CHINESE VISAS, CATHERINE ZETA JONES AND THE AQUARIUM

FedEx delivered our passports with the attached Chinese Visas yesterday afternoon! As the date of our departure draws closer, we have begun to feel more and more like it's actually going to happen. One of the items I will be taking on the China vacation is my new cell phone. My Samsung slider had begun to act slightly demonic in its operation of late and since I was entitled to a full upgrade on my next phone, Lynne met me at the T-Mobile store after work one night last week. I was looking at the Blackberry phones and really liked a couple of them. . .almost picked one out, in fact. I was impressed with the Curve, the Touch-Pro and the World Edition. All are smart phones that would enable me to retain Internet, email, international calling, etc., that I currently have on my slider. But then we looked at the G1. Ah yes, the G1. This is a phone that was made for me. 3G smartphone, touch screen, 4gig micro SD card, language translator, Google Earth, hundreds of applications, GPS, Scriptures, enhanced international calling and sooooo much more. And, get this - the G1 phone...very appropriately named. G for Great and G for Greg and the number 1 for. . .well. . .you know - self explanatory. Lynne said, "I think you should get it! It has more than you'll ever need and it's never going to be at a lower price than now with your full upgrade. . . besides, I'll bet Catherine has one. . yeah, you should definitely get it." That was the clincher. Not Lynne's ringing product endorsement, but the fact that 'Catherine probably has one'. That would be Catherine Zeta Jones, the spokesperson for T-Mobile and the primary reason I went with them as a carrier eight years ago. Their quality and coverage has been outstanding. I have not had, let alone voiced, a single complaint to T-Mobile in eight years. Their service is stellar and the quality speaks for itself. But, come on, Catherine Zeta Jones? That was the kicker. Who in their right mind could refuse to at least investigate a product she was hawking? I mean, did you see her in 'Entrapment' sliding underneath those laser beams? Catherine Zeta Jones and Sophia Loren (no explanation required) are the only two women that Lynne has consented to allow me 'drool-time'. The only two for obvious reasons - not the least of which is the fact that I will never be any closer to either of them than the Movie screen or the flat panel HDTV at home. You see, the way it works is Lynne allows me this (Catherine and Sophia), I graciously allow her Sean Connery, Dermot Mulroney and a couple of other beefcakes. Heh, heh. . .works out fine for each of us.

Since I had today off, we headed for the Northern Kentucky /Cincinnati area for our date night- date day thingie. We spent most of the day at the Newport Aquarium and had a fantastic meal at Mitchell's Fish Market at Newport On The Levee. Great food. . .and somewhat ironic in that first we look at all the aquatic life at the Newport Aquarium. . .then we go next door and EAT their relatives. I took about a hundred pictures. Here are thirty or so in a quickie slideshow.

A PEEK AT WHAT'S COMING IN MAY. . .

In little more than 46 days we will be wheels up to China! As the days, hours and minutes continue their steady countdown - the excitement, anticipation and eagerness for what lies ahead have begun to intensify. Although she is very excited for this trip, Lynne still harbors images of being swept up by the Chinese police and being locked away for jay-walking in downtown Beijing. This, I am certain, is a direct result of her having watched several episodes of 'Locked Up Abroad' on the Travel Channel and Discovery. She says that she's also afraid of saying the wrong thing in Chinese (I've taught her several simple expressions) to the wrong person at the wrong time and ending up stuffed in a rice bag at the back of a dark warehouse. An over-active imagination? Perhaps. Nevertheless, she said she's keeping, "aholta" my arm (yes, that's a word in Kentucky - aholta) wherever we go.

Belinda Bu has arranged our transportation from Beijing to Chengde and then back to the airport once we are ready to leave for our return to the States. She has also graciously offered us the use of one of her apartments for our stay. It is located across the street from the University where I taught and is centrally located to all the places we will be visiting. While Chengde is not a particularly large city by metropolitan Chinese standards (its population is approximately 350,000) it is home to several universities, trade schools and is a bustling hive of commerce, trade and tourism. Of particluar significance and tourist interest is the Mountain Resort which was built as a vacation home for the emperor while on hiatus from Beijing. It is the world's largest Imperial Garden. Construction of the resort began in 1703 and was completed 89 years later in 1792. The Mountain Resort is exquisite in its detail and is listed as a World Heritage Site. It is a beautiful and tranquil location and I visited it as often as my teaching schedule would allow.

One of my good friends (hi Pam!) said she is eager to see all of the photos that we are going to be posting while we are there. . . and with that in mind, I thought I would put together the following slideshow with pictures from my last visit as an impromptu preview of sorts. These photos were taken in May and June, so they pretty much approximate what conditions will be like while we are there. This should give you an idea of what Chengde, the Mountain Resort in Chengde and surrounding areas look like. Enjoy.

IT'S FINALLY SPRING IN KENTUCKY!

It's really amazing how suddenly Spring can 'spring upon you' here in Kentucky. Just a few short weeks ago, there were piles of shattered and shorn tree limbs stacked next to the streets, awaiting the dump trucks and flatbeds that would haul them to the landfills. The final vestiges of the freezing ice-storm have been reduced to occasional views of broken branches and trunks that remain high up, in the trees themselves. Last week there were no blossoms, very few bulb shoots tentatively breaking through the soil and even fewer patches of greening grass in the neighborhoods.

What a difference three days can make! Now the white and pink dogwoods are blossoming everywhere, the redbuds are out and the grass is greening all over the place. Cool. Better yet, I've already been fishing twice. Now, there's a sure sign of spring for you. . .frequent visits to Cabela's, Bass Pro Shop and the Walmart fishing aisle. It's often been stated that the first sign of Spring is a red-breasted robin earnestly seeking its first worm of the season in the soft, damp soil. "Oh contraire, mon ami!" If you ask Lynne, she will tell you that around these parts, the first SURE sign of spring is Greg relishing his first cast and earnestly seeking his first fish of the season. . . the worms I can buy year-round.

In any event, here are some dogwood and redbud photos to give you an idea of what we are now seeing and what we anticipate seeing soon in Kentucky:

OH WHAT A NIGHT!

WOW!!!! OH WOW!!!! OH WOW!!! Do I have something to tell y'all. My husband could give Prince Charming lessons let me tell you. Oh, by the way, this is Lynne. Greg generally updates the blog because he has such a great way with words...big words...but let me tell y'all what else he's REALLY great at.....IT'S ROMANCE. Yesterday was our 4th Anniversary, and Greg really wanted to do something special, but his work schedule wouldn't allow it - however he did give me the most beautiful, personal, heart melting card with his special sentiment attached. BUT THEN..... Today was his day off, and we enjoyed it together - all while I bugged him to death about what he had planned for our Anniversary (celebrated a day late - that's OK).

I asked a ton of questions all day long: "where to?", "when?", "what do I wear?" and he patiently, but comically put me off.....THEN...finally, he told me it was time to get ready and to dress semi-formal. I got ready and then it was off for the VERY SPECIAL DATE. Mr. Manners opened the doors for me (but he always does that) and then after we drove a few feet, he pulled a blindfold out of his pocket.

He actually blindfolded me and told me to sit back for the ride. I really thought I knew one of two places he may take me - but BOY was I wrong. He decided to throw me, so he drove me all over town then left me in the blindfold as he walked me into the restaurant - but not before walking me through obstacles in a mini-garden just outside the restaurant. Boy was I baffled. Then he carefully guided me into the restaurant. It smelled sooooooo good. People were looking and whispering amongst themselves about me holding to Greg's arm and the blindfold I was wearing. Greg signaled for them to be quiet. . with his finger to his lips. .so he told me - because I literally couldn't see a thing.

Then I heard very romantic country music (which was a clue how much he loves me because he's really not a fan of country music all that much). Little did I know he had taken me into a private reserved room with a view. The hostess closed the door to keep out the outside noise and all the other patrons. He said I could remove the blindfold. We were all alone. He had reserved the ENTIRE DINING ROOM just for us!! It had great ambiance and like I said, smelled just wonderful. He ordered some luscious appetizers and we had a very delicious meal with such large portions that we had to bring some home with us. The restaurant's name is BACK HOME and it is housed in a two story 19th century, brick house here in Elizabethtown. . . of all places. It was built in 1872.

On the ride to the restaurant, there was such romantic music on the car stereo, and then once again on the ride home. There were sweet kisses, hand holding, sincere compliments, manners, and big smiles. I felt like a celebrity or better yet, HIS SWEETHEART. On the way out, he walked me through the pretty little garden and a sweet ride home followed. Once home, I told him I wanted us to just rest and relax the rest of the evening by kicking back and watching some NIT basketball. What a perfect evening. What a sweetheart. Better yet....WHAT A GUY!!! I adore you Greg and love you too. What a memory to add to all the other special ones you give me each day - but 'OH, WHAT A DAY AND A NIGHT' it has been. I told y' all - He's a real Prince.

ANOTHER STROLL . . .THROUGH THE MISTS OF TIME

I included in a recent posting a photo and an article from my high school newspaper that a fellow alumnus (Lyle Nelson) had posted to my FaceBook page. The nostalgic sojurn into the past that those two items provided was. . interesting. .and somewhat revealing to say the least. It was interesting to see and read something that had transpired in my life nearly forty years ago. It was revealing in the sense that it had been a long time since I had seen pictures - other than my graduation picture - from my high school days. Bear with me a moment and I shall endeavor to explain.

Shortly after my return home from serving my LDS mission in Hong Kong, China - and while I was attending school at Ricks College - my home in Idaho Falls caught fire. Although no one was injured, lost in that fire were all of my junior high and high school yearbooks - not to mention a TON of albums, 8-track tapes and cassesttes. Additionally, many items that I brought home from China were destroyed. . not all, but several. Although structural damage was minimal, the fire practically guttted the basement of the house. What the fire and smoke damage didn't destroy, the water finished off. Bottom line is this. . .I have never been able to replace my yearbooks and therefore, many of the pictures, classmate autographs and comments, etc., are long gone. And now, some 33 years after the fire, Lyle Nelson posts some of those pictures to my FaceBook page. I have no idea why he kept these things. No doubt they represent only a fraction of the items he has saved and categorized from the halcyon days spent at Bonneville High. I am simply grateful for the fact that he not only saved them, but scanned and sent them to me at this late date.

He has added three more items; two photographs and an article from my Junior year at that prestigious bastion of adolescent academia. I am including those items in this post. In addition to illuminating the fact that I was - at one time -in possession of a decent amount of hair and a slimmer. more svelte build . . . these photos have inspired me to undertake another project. In the not too distant future, I will be posting photos of all of our children, photos of Lynne and photos of myself. These photos will be before and after images for each of us, utilizing our graduation photos and photos of us now. . .side by side. . . . hmmmm. Should be pretty revealing, eh?