Hello from Blogger-land!

Wow!  Where did the last 3 months go?!   I've got lots of catching up to do.  Seems facebooking is quicker and easier than blogging.  But for those who don't facebook, I'll try to update a little more often.


When I left off, Mailia was just starting 4th grade.  A lot has happened since then.  She loves her new school, new friends, and riding the bus.  She joined a karate class and is enjoying that very much.  


 In late Sept. I travelled to England to visit my sister, Cindy.  What an awesome time we had.  We visited York, which is a city established by the Romans in the 8th century.  It was breathtaking.  We also visited the home and burial place of the famous Bronte sisters, Emily, Charlotte and Anne, where Wuthering Hts. and Jane Eyre, among other famous books, were written.  I love, love, love old history.  We visited pubs, ate fish and chips and Yorkshire pudding and took tons of pictures.  I was there for 9 days, but it was gone in a flash.  Hoping to go back in the spring or early summer. 

October was warm and beautiful.  Went for walks and drives just to view and photograph nature at her best.  I've missed the fall colors.

 I started a new job when I returned from England, but sadly, it ended just 6 weeks later.  The owner couldn't keep the place open in our present economy.  I'm looking for work again.
 Mailia was an astronaut for Halloween.  It was a deal we made last spring when we went to Kennedy Space Center and she wanted that astronaut suit SO badly.  Fortunately it still fit.  She went trick-or-treating twice....once at the lake where Aunt Sheila and Uncle Ron live.  We all rode in a little hay wagon around the lake, while she jumped off and on for the goodies.  She scored HUGE both nights.


We also rode a zipline this fall, at one of several visits to local apple orchards and pumpkin farms.  We even talked my 76 yr. old mom to try it...she did and she loved it!   Mom, Mailia and I did a corn maze too.  Will probably not ever do that again.  lol   

In late Oct. we went to Greenfield Village & Henry Ford Museum.  I hadn't been there since I was a kid, so I enjoyed it all and Mailia was totally fascinated by everything.  We rode in a Model-T Ford, and visited the garage where the first Ford was built, the lab where Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, and the Wright brothers cycle shop. 

November was relatively quiet...the weather turned cold, the beautiful leaves were gone and it was time to stay mostly indoors.  Mailia joined the girls basketball team at school.  Her first game is tomorrow.  She made the honor roll for first semester with ALL A's.  The school had a nice ceremony to honor all those who made either all A's or A's and B's.    Mailia and I went to get flu shots....Mailia was out of sorts the next day, but never missed any school.  I, however, was down for nearly a week.  Never had a reaction to a flu shot before.
We celebrated Thanksgiving twice!   Wonderful food and good times with family.  The day after, we put up our 'fake' Christmas tree, and hope to get our 'real' one this weekend.    Dec. 1st came and gave us our first measurable snowfall.  It wasn't a lot, barely an inch, but it was enough for Mailia to make snow angels and try out her snowboard she bought at a yard sale this summer.  She can't wait for the really deep snow to go sledding and ice fishing.
I think that brings us fairly current.  I'll post some pictures of the above events.