A STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM = GREAT TRAVEL

Bone broth (r) with a wedge of fat & cooked bones (l). 

Travelers at one time or another have been ill on a trip, which is a very uncomfortable and an

unpleasant experience.

In fact, I was very sick at the end of my trip to China last year. It took almost a month for me to recover. It's just not worth it to me to ever repeat that illness.

My excuse was that there were just too many things going on all at once. And there were. Or there was no time, I was exhausted in trying to accomplish my current workload and that for the next 2 weeks. Plus there were things to take care of on the home front. It was always something. I was burned out when I left Detroit.

But I loved China and look forward to returning this fall to the land where the Mongolian winds blow. This time though my immune system will be stronger. How?

Bone broth is my secret weapon to build my strength, diminish joint aches, enliven my skin, fix a leaky gut and more. Like anything it requires time and patience. And, the benefits of drinking it daily are cumulative. I treat myself to a cup every day first thing in the morning for the best results.

It's easy to prepare. I use a crockpot rather than the stove because of the amount of time it takes to make. 

1. Make sure your crockpot does not have a timer on it. Turn it on low.
2. Stuff the pot with bones. Sometime I use a combination of beef, pork, chicken or lamb. Whatever I can get my hands on. My butcher is used to me so she knows to cut the bones in 2 inch chunks. 
3. Add one cup of apple cider vinegar to draw out the nutrients. Without this secret ingredient the results just won't be there.
4. Add water to a half an inch to the top. There will be overflow and this will help prevent scouring the cooker of the crockpot, however, I don't count on it so I scout all the time.
5. Keep the crockpot on the counter and away from everything.
6. Cook for 48 hours. Remember, bones  must partially disintegrate to leech out the nutrients.
7. After two full days, remove bones with a slotted spoon. I put them in a metal pan. Toss. I save the larger beef bones for my 11 month old puppy who relishes them.
8. Strain the mixture 3 times with the last using a fine mesh strainer.
9. Put the broth in a bowl and in the fridge so it gels
10. When the mixture gels, remove the fat. In the picture you can see that I removed all but a wedge of fat. I toss it, but some say to save it for frying veggies. I don't.
11. When the fat is removed, put the broth in a covered container and keep in the fridge. The broth generally lasts about a week.
12. For best results, drink on an empty stomach. I used to mix with Ramen noodles and veggies, but now I want to full benefit of the broth without taking anything away from it.

For me as a tour leader and being in confined spaces with a lot of people, bone broth is the ideal method I use to keep my immune system healthy an strong. It does take time to work. It's an "Old World" method. It works. So give it a chance.  

TRAVEL PILLOWS FOR COMFORT & CONVENIENCE

Comfort, convenience & easy access neck pillow.

Comfort is king when traveling especially during those long, 13 hour flights to and from Beijing, China, for example. Easy storage and access is the two of a kind for travel.  

Here's why I like the inflatable pillow shown. 

• Very comfortable
• Curved to cradle the head
• Inflates in just a few breaths
• Includes stuff sack 
• Stores easily in a case
• Wipes clean

Inflatable pillows can be purchased at major department stores like Walmart, Target, Sears, J.C. Penny's and travel shops. Or buy online. The key is to always try out before travelling. 

The neck pillow shown is ideal because it's in your possession at all times and is easy to clean and disinfect. The last thing you want to do is to lug a bulky pillow in addition to your carry on and luggage. 

When finished using the inflatable pillow, I squeeze out all of the air, fold and put it back in its case so it is contained at all times and ready for the next adventure. Obviously I follow the lines. 

Remember that the one thing you want to avoid is purchasing a neck pillow in an airport where the price is 2-3 times higher than in your local store. 

Don't wait until the last minute to purchase. Always keep in your travel arsenal for grab and go. You'll be glad you did.  

MEXICAN TOWN MURALISM IN SOUTHWEST DETROIT

Notice the Mexican symbolism behind the head & flowers. 

Vibrantly painted murals on buildings in Mexicantown, Detroit, capture actual Mexican Muralism of the large cities, a social and political movement that started in the 1920s in the country with the goal is informing people about the importance of Revolution.  The murals united the Mexican population.

And the movement spread as more people immigrated from Mexico to different areas of the U.S. including Detroit.

For example, in Mexican Town, extraordinary large outdoor paintings of people, ideals, flowers and movements punctuate the Bagley and Vernor areas, the main thoroughfares – yet there are more streets that capture the essence of this beautiful and historic culture.

Spend a day there and you can see murals under bridges, on fences, on portions of overpasses and rocks.  Even the benches at Clark Park boast incredible paintings – rich, lush and colorful with its own vibration.

The artists themselves understand how to prepare their “canvas” to create a lasting work.  They clean the surface, use acrylic exterior paints; pour them into plastic containers with wide openings, have a large flat brush for big open areas and a rounded brush for outlining and seal it with polyurethane.

Artists, painters, musicians make up the residential population in Mexican Town, and they have no inhibitions about showcasing their work. It's the best place to see theme-based outdoor art in one section of the City. And there is plenty of it.

Professional artists as well as students from Wayne State University visited some businesses and offered to paint their expressions, with the owners permission, on the outside of the buildings. Works are jaw-droppingly wonderful.

There's even a section called The Alley Project, a one block museum where you can sit and contemplate the awesome billboard style paintings.

Southwest Detroit has a character all its own. Park your car , take your camera and explore.

CHINA'S MONGOLIAN WINDS

Entering China's canals by boat -  a portal.

When the Mongolian winds blow the clouds away in Sozhou, a city just west of Shanghai, the beautiful countryside reveals astonishing mountains, seemingly built by the Gods, temples dedicated to rulers and emperors of the past, and lush vistas and landscapes:  This is China --  ancient and vast, the the trip of a lifetime. 

That was the first awesome impression that I had as I traveled to China for 9 days in late October. I was part of an elite group of travel planners on a site inspection of the country,  checking out the trip for my  travelers. As a result, I am now also be featuring a luxury trip to China including hotel, meals, all airfares, taxes and tours out of Detroit, all at a cost of $2799.

Our trip featured luxury motorcoach transportation from one city to the other. Driving in China is fast and hair-raising, with the majority of the  1.6 billion people always on the move in the world's most incredible rush hour, a chaos of buses and trucks and more bikes than one can even imagine. Yet our drivers were extremely cautious and very courteous, caring about our comfort at all times.

China's formal tourist attractions are so varied and so widely dispersed that my first trip was basically a preview of this exciting country. Still, I experienced the incredible diversity of China, the third largest country in the world in terms of area. (Russia and Canada are in the top spots.) As I mingled among the Chinese, very few spoke English, we met only very friendly, hospitable folk. Everywhere I went they took my picture or snuck selfies with me being none the wiser.

The winds are blowing outside my door right now, and I am longing to return to Golden China, a most incredible place on the planet.  

CONVENIENCE IS THE COLOR OF VERA BRADLEY

Vera Bradley bags. The women in my sparse family love them.  

Travel bag is ideal for carrying 3 bags, boots & video gadgets.

My niece who got me into Vera Bradley in the first place and her mother, my sis-in-law who is quite the saint as she is married to my brother, a handful, swear by them. Those two have bags, purses, wallets, wristlets, clutches & accessories for every possible thing you can imagine.  The color they put in their lives shades their personalities, too.

And, it spilled over to me. Now I have Vera Bardley bags, too. It'sa family thing.

Basically, I am a one purse woman and always have been. My “Go Bag” -- has everything including the kitchen sink  that is with me constantly as well as a bag for daily work items not to mention my laptop bag. Yes, I am the bag lady.  Being on the road and on the go constantly means that I have to keep as organized as possible. Bags are the best way for me to do so. And, I welcome all bags of every color, size and type.  

Yet, the only way I can do it is with this giant Vera Bradley carry-all.  All of my bags go into this large container. It sure helps keep items contained especially when some of the items in the bags spill over. And, what's really sensational are the bright colors.  

In case you don't know, Vera Bradley is the leader in colorful cotton quilted patterned bags and luggage for women in all sizes.  Back in the early 1980s, while awaiting a flight in Atlanta, longtime friends, Patricia Polito Miller and BarbaraBradley Baekgaard noticed a huge lack in feminine-looking luggage. So they developed a line, which really took off with word-of-mouth advertising, the best kind.  

When my sis-in-law gives me these beautiful bags, I generally say to myself, 'oh boy, this will get so dirty and beat up, do I deserve this?' The answer is yes I do. And so do you. 

For the person who has too much on their platter and puts others first, this is just a small way we can honor ourselves. 

“The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most.” 
― John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice

Ring in the New in an Old-Fashioned Way

Celebrate 2016 in Amish-Mennonite Country!

Looking for an unusual  way to start the New Year?  Then plan to set aside raucous, noisy partying and too much of everything, and step into the past on an overnight tour of northern Indiana's Amish-Mennonite culture.

That will happen when you board the motorcoach and begin your trek back in  time during a traditional observance of the New Year.. You'll have your own private, professional escort on a comfortable, all-amenities drive to the picturesque village of Goshen, where you can shop both quaint and up-to-date shops, like 10,000 Villages and the Book Store.

Then on to the Round Barn Theater where you'll take in the Old Year's final performance of Mary Poppins, gathering afterwards in the Restaurant Barn for a post-theater buffet featuring finger food snacks, punch, chocolate confections and other treats including champagne. That will be followed by the Mary Poppins cast themselves, adding fun, laughter and delight as they present its 16th annual Cabaret.

As midnight approaches, the countdown to 2016 approaches. There'll be the traditional singing of Auld Lang Syne, and then, with buttoned-up overcoats, you and your tour mates will visit the quiet town of Goshen to take in the glittering display of fireworks ushering in the New Year.

Off to a good night's sleep at one of the comfortable Inns where you'll be staying, and a delicious New Year's Breakfast in the Geranium Room or Milk Parlor at the respective Inns. But the Year has only begun! There will be a guided tour of actual Amish farms and stores, a buggy works, plus a visit with an actual Amish family, where your guide will introduce you to the fascinating Amish culture and customs. And don't be surprised if your guide whips out his banjo and entertains you with traditional and Gospel songs!

"It's one of our most unique trips for people who want a different kind of holiday," says  Rose Szwed, Tour Planner of Step On Bus Tours."And it's a wonderful learning experience about America's history and culture."

Cost of the New Year's Tour is $199 per person double occupancy, or $249 per person single occupancy. For more information, contact Rose Szwed at StepOn Bus Tours, 248-619-6692 or at steponnbustours@gmail.com

GET RID OF E-ITEMS SAFELY AND HELP A SCHOOL, TOO.

The Detroit Free Press printed this article in Jan. 2015

Rather than blatantly tossing stuff I no longer use in the trash, I seek ways to re-home it. Like all of the cords and electronic items no longer in use. There are boxes of it from our office computers and gizmos throughout the years.  

I could never safely remove the important parts from cords and computers. But someone can and they can make money for a school's programs. Giving back to the community never felt so good. 

So on March 7, St. Mary School, 2 Union St, Mount Clemens, MI 48043, is hosting a computer and small electronic recycling event from 9AM - noon at Union Street and South Gratiot. All things computer, monitors, attachments, printers, ink cartridges, keyboards. audio, video equipment, cameras, calculators, hard drives, CDs, DVDs, cords, wire, clocks, music players, batteries, phones and more will be accepted.  

All information is to be removed. Someone there will help you.  Suggested donation is $5 per family in support of the school.  

So, what happens to the stuff. Well, what you don't know is that the items are filled with heavy metals, and no, not the group.  Let's forget about long term exposure to fragments of these toxins like lead and mercury, but the stench that they give off.  Don't smell it? Your body does and it absorbs these odors. 

Billions of computer parts are tossed into our landfills and that infiltrates our water supply. There are many environmental concerns and we will hear more about it in the near future.  

However, St. Mary School is able to turn our e-trash into cash. Let's help them while cleaning out our homes of the cords, cameras and e-junk we no longer use.  This is a convenient and practical solution for  to the ever-growing problem of commercial electronic waste disposal.

St. Mary School is definitely not close to my home or office. But, I believe in their philosophy. I want my old trash turned into treasure that they can use and create income for their school programs. 

I have several boxes, computers, monitors, and the list goes on.  They will dispose of it safely and make money doing so. As a business owner, I laud these young entrepreneurs. 

I thank the Detroit Free Press for printing this article.  More importantly, to my traveler who told me about this great program so I can free up two shelving units! Rock on.