We live in an area with a history of greatness! Our roots run deep and our work ethic runs deeper. Our city of Flint, Michigan has had its ups and downs in the past, and thanks to some local entrepreneurs with great vision, we are again on the upswing.
When one ventures to Budapest, one really must visit the spa; which should be simple, as there are 18 of them, not to mention the various smaller, private baths lurking around the city. In all, there are 118 springs churning out 70 million liters of thermal water each day, at temperatures ranging from a cool 68°F to a broiling 172°F (ouch).
Some might know about the association of Benjamin Franklin with Daylight Saving Time. In 1784, his satirical essay for The Journal of Paris, “An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light,” Ben lightheartedly proposed that the French would be able to conserve their candles by waking up earlier in the morning and making use of the natural light.
I recently wrote the most difficult thing I’ve ever written: my mother’s obituary. My mom – an artist, potter, equestrian, tennis player, animal lover, golfer, traveler – passed away in August at the age of 87. She lived in my home state of Maryland, which had made it difficult for me to spend much time with her. But when she became ill a few months ago, I was able to travel there to spend a week and help care for her. I spent every minute of that time doing what I could do to ease her pain and make her comfortable. The last thing I told her before I returned to Michigan was how much I loved her and that I’d be back soon.
You may think it’s too early to say, “Bah! Humbug” – but if you do, it’s because you have not been in a retail store lately. Any store. I am actually not talking about the already ubiquitous Christmas displays in every retail cranny across the land … I am talking about Halloween.
In early August, the headlines were inundated with the news the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) had decided to devalue their currency in relationship to the U.S. Dollar. Not only did they devalue their currency, but they actually devalued it against our dollar three times in the same week. This was the largest currency devaluation by China in over 20 years. Our markets in the States were quite rattled by the news, as it seemed to come from left field. The Dow Jones Industrial average* dropped 277 points the day after the announcement only to rally to close the day near the flat line. The U.S. Dollar also had a few very volatile days as it traded from .975 against the world basket of traded currencies to .960 a day later (roughly a 1.5% drop in the U.S. dollar in one day). There is much speculation regarding the reasons why China decided to take these drastic steps to weaken their currency, but looking deeper, it is most likely a combination of factors that persuaded the PBOC to make these moves.
I have been obsessively following the search for Elsa – a black Lab-mix dog that went missing from her home in Swartz Creek. Her owners created a “Find Elsa” Facebook page, dedicated to bringing her home. On it, you will find videos featuring her tiny human siblings, pleading for her safe return. There are photos of this sweet pup, happily playing dress up, just being part of a family.
This past month, I had the opportunity to visit Flint’s Buick Automotive Gallery for the first time. I’m not a car aficionado, but I could not help but gawk at the beautifully restored and preserved vehicles. Contributing to my awe was the difficulty I had imagining them actually being used by people at some time; they looked like props, or artifacts – not cars that people drove.
I have always enjoyed reading and wanted to pass my love of books on to my grandchildren. So, one of our favorite things to do together is a trip to the library – something we have enjoyed doing since they were very young. I’m sure the trips were made even more fun for them because they included a stop at the nearby candy store, where they could each pick out a fabulous, handmade chocolate.
For lovers of alternative/non-mainstream cinema, the best part of the year is just beginning. Perhaps we’ve journeyed to Traverse City to visit that city’s ever-growing film festival, or are awaiting a trip to Canada to one of the continent’s biggest cinematic events, the Toronto International Film Festival, which has become kind of the unofficial launch of awards season. The Toronto festival turns 40 this fall; I was first there when it was less than half that age, and Roger & Me was the talk of the town.
In the course of my world travels, I have run into a lot of advice from other explorers. It mostly boils down to this: travel like a local.
