March 2024

Moving the dining and kitchen areas to the former studio area. View from west end.

The dining area is our chinoisserie area. On the left is a framed work by a celebrated Chinese brush artist. Unfortunately I can't recall her name, but it was sold to me by a co-worker when I was still at the U.S. Embassy. The decorative plate below it is a traditional Jingdezhen piece featuring a scene called "100 Sons of Wu." The chrysanthemum vase is an antique that my father used to own. The crane and the 100 boys are typical symbols of long life and prosperity.

The iron tea stove for tea lights and the wooden case containing tea things are a few oF many gifts from Sim Teow Lii, a very special friend in Singapore. When my granddaughters visited Singapore last year, I arranged to have Teow Li meet up with them. At first my granddaughters refused to meet anyone they didn't personally know--until I told them that Teow Li was the closest I ever had to having a girlfriend.

Look, Ma, no more easels, canvases, and taborets!