Royal dishes for pins, rings and other things

The other day I came across a couple of rather battered looking biscuit tins among the things my now deceased  mother-in-law had given me. I fully expected them to be filled be photos and souvenirs upon opening, but oh no, it was yet another set of what I call Royalophile little trinket and commemorative dishes. I sort of grouped them by what they were about and at least three of them were about the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spenser back there in July 1981.  So I've dutifully photographed them and posted them up on Ebay for sale as I really don't know what else to do with them. I'm not a collector of these items myself and I'm hoping there's a at least a few persons out there in Ebay land who would want these. They are all quite pretty and have interesting images on them and some are gilded. They are all made in England so I am fairly certain she acquired them while on trips to the old country.  The best use of them is probably as pin dishes (like glue a magnet on the underside!) or as ring catchers beside the kitchen or laundry sink. Or maybe use them as soap dishes?  Natch, I have put up the biscuit tins for sale also on Ebay!
Follow up Note: It looks like I've sold all of these on eBay now. Very happy they found new homes!

No ancestor temples in Washington, DC, or are there?

Right in the middle of Seoul, Korea I visited what used to be the sacred shrine of a Chosun dynasty king from the fifteenth century who was buried in a tomb on the top of the hill. Standing next to his tomb are several stone figures of revered administrators as his dynasty was known for organizing the Korean culture and establishing stability in the kingdom. I don't think it likely that we would find such a memorial in Washington, DC to "administration" as it is our bent to make fun of federal employees and the federal government but maybe there is something here in terms of respect for God-given government which does in fact made our world safer and more stable.  I also visited the nearby Buddhist shrine where the the royal family would perform ritual services for their ancestors, such as this king. Of course, off in the background is modern-day Seoul, with residential apartment towers and office buildings scattered over the hillsides which once were agricultural lands owned by the king and the traditional administrative families, who lived in pavilions amid the plum trees, I was told. It looks very different today but this city of over 10 million people seems to be well-run and organized, and the people that these stone figures may commemorate may be proud of their reach into a bustling 21st century world.

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• Seoul 2 - Seoul, Korea Rep. (travelpod.com)