Wow, what a trip!!

I am finally back from the Far East.  Wow, what a trip!  I had so much fun and I learned a lot.  But I am so glad to be back in the old U.S.A.!!!!  There is no place like home!!  Seriously!

I returned this past weekend, but I was so tired from "jet lag", or do they call it that when you travel to the Far East?  I lost a day going there and gained a day coming back home.  Hmmmmmmm!

I was most excited to see Minny Moose.  She was so happy to have her daddy back home!  She is the love and light of my life!

As you know, I went to China first.  Some beautiful country and very crowded!  We did see some sights between business stops.  You saw the one picture I put in my last blog of all of us in Shanghai.  Here is a picture of John (he is my boss, you know) pointing to the dragon carved in stone.  Of course, I am ever the "ham", and looking at the camera and not the dragon.

This was in China.  I forget where as we saw so many things in so many places.  I won't bore you with all the pictures.

But I do want to show you this picture from the Philippines.  Can you take a guess on where we were and who the memorial was dedicated to?

This is at Red Beach in Palo Leyte in the Philippines.  That is a statue of General MacArthur (second from left behind John).  He is the General who told the people of the Philippines, "I Shall Return".  This was during World War II.

General Douglas MacArthur was the son of a man who fought on the Union side during the Civil War.  His mother was from the south and her brothers fought on the Confederate side.  General MacArthur graduated from West Point with honors in 1903.  He served during World War I and President Franklin Roosevelt chose MacArthur as his military advisor to the Philippines in 1935.  In 1941 he was called to active duty and was commander of the U.S. forces in the Pacific during World War II.   A Japanese invasion of the Philippines that same year drove MacArthur’s forces from the country.  Thus his promise to the people of the Philippines, "I Shall Return".   On October 20, 1944, he kept that promise and landed on Red Beach in Palo Leyte.  "People of the Philippines, I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil -- soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples. We have come, dedicated and committed, to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy control over your daily lives, and of restoring, upon a foundation of indestructible, strength, the liberties of your people."  That was a historic day.  I am glad I got a chance to see this memorial.

Can you believe it?  Christmas is almost here!  Minny is so excited.  She loves Christmas!  I have to say that I love it also. 

Now try to stay calm and not overdo it getting ready for Christmas.  Minny and I will be in the mountains of New Hampshire enjoying the holidays.

Merry Christmas!!