Dishes, Cats and Quilts!

First off today I must apologize....It is not Ya Show Market in yesterdays post.....Mike and I cannot remember the name so when I find out I will correct it.  It isn't like they have a giant sign out front or anything!!

 For anyone in the family....you know what these are, just like home:)  For the uninitiated these are a family tradition for breadsticks at breakfast.

We were given a set of dishes by Mike's team at work.  It was a welcome to China, house warming gift.  A tradition here as well as in the US.  Blue is supposed to be an important color here and fish are also important, representing plenty, that you may always have plenty to eat.  I am not sure I have the exact meanings as there were 9 people gathered around as we opened the gift and they were all talking at once and very excited.  I don't think they knew just how much I like dishes so, for me anyway, it was the perfect gift.

Another pair from the bad day good day pictures out the second floor balcony.  This is not rain or fog, this is smog.

Just so you don't think it is all bad, below, the next day!

 And below that, sunset, out the same window.

Sparkles likes to get in things.  Her first day here she got into the sink in the tiny bathroom where the litter box is.  We don't actually use this as a bathroom because we have four other full baths in the house.

This looks like a black and white shot.....it's not, just look at her eyes!!

Here she is sitting in the basin I got for soaking laundry!

 This is one of the bihou we keep finding in the house.  I think we are up to six....the cats got to one of them before we did:(
They appear to be a type of gecko, I have tried looking them up but not  finding much information.  These guys are all babies.  they are so cute!!!

Random shot of the living room to show my quilt my Whoo friends made for me before we left.  It keeps them close as I see and use it everyday.  (Ayi folds them up neatly everyday..I prefer the draped look, oh well.) Also, the 2,000 piece puzzle we put together since we got here.  We brought a bunch of puzzles so we wouldn't get bored.....I don't have time to be bored!!  But, we had time to do the puzzle.  Our furniture is here in China but not here in our house:(




Just a regular house in a far away place full of leaky parts!!  Still working on getting Olivia's room done.  I hope they finish before our shipment makes it through customs.
Olivia got back last night from her trip to Harbin.  She seems to have had a good time.  We will post her pictures soon.

Love, fondly, sincerely,
Zaijian,
Ramona