Merry Christmas!

How did it get to be Christmas already?   Only 3 days and it will all be over.....again.   I love the season, I love the spirit of Christmas, but it also makes me sad and blue. 

We're having a 'white' Christmas this year.  Don't think there was ever any doubt about that.  It hasn't  been bad yet....but it's only the 2nd day of winter.   January and February are looming.   What snow we've had so far has been beautiful.  And as long as I don't have to drive in it, I'm good looking at it thru the window.  Mailia on the other hand loves it.   She doesn't seem to ever get cold, and still tries to sneak out of the house with just a T-shirt and jeans, instead of long-sleeves or a sweatshirt.  She went ice-fishing with her Dad today and caught 8 fish.  They're going out again tomorrow. 
I love this picture of her with her Ron Jon boogie board in the snow.   lol    Santa is bringing her a sled, but in the meantime she made do with what she had.  She said the boogie board was "ok", but the skim board is "lightning fast".  
She joined the 4th grade girls basketball team and is doing really well.  Plus she loves it.  So now we spend one night a week at karate, two nights a week at b-ball practice, and then b-ball games every Sat. starting in Jan.   She wears us out, but we're all enjoying it.  Santa is also bringing her a basketball hoop which will cause shrieks of joy!   We got a letter in the mail today from the school saying that Mailia has been selected as student of the month.  Another proud mommy moment. 

Otherwise not a whole lot going on up here.  I lost my job b/4 Thanksgiving when the trucking co. I worked for went under.  I'm desperately searching for another job, but like just about everywhere, jobs are few and far between.  I worry that Jan. and Feb. will be even more depressing if I don't get out of this house and do something. 
I miss Florida.  I miss the sunshine.  I miss going to the grocery store in my capris and a t-shirt.  I'm going to miss planting my garden in Feb.  I'm seriously going to miss the Daytona 500.  I miss our house.  I really think we made a mistake moving back.  We both wanted to be close to family, but because we live about  35 miles from the nearest family members, we rarely see them.  Not at all what I was expecting.  It's actually quite depressing.  No family get-together for Christmas this year, so I don't expect to see anyone except my mom.  
Oh well, just kinda feeling sorry for myself I guess.  I'll stop complaining now and post a few pictures.   I'll be ok when spring rolls around and life is new again.  I'll miss the smell of orange blossoms, but so looking forward to the smell of my lilacs. 

Oh yeah, I miss walking my dogs in my shorts and flip-flops.  Takes me 20 min. to put on enough clothes to go out and walk them now.  But it's so quiet and still when we go after dark that I always enjoy those walks, regardless of the weather.

Hoping you all have a VERY Merry Christmas, and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

AND.........DID I MENTION???????

JIMMIE JOHNSON WINS HIS 5TH NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

Pictures!

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.  

First Day of 4th Grade

School finally started here this past Tues., day after Labor Day.  Mailia was sooo ready.  She loves her new school, has made many friends already, and the bus picks her up and drops her off right at the end of our driveway.   Couldn't be much nicer for a parent.

Fall is definitely around the corner.  The 80s and 90s are gone.  Most days are low-mid 70s falling to the upper 40s at night.  Just a few leaves starting to turn.

I start a new job on Monday.  Am anxious to get back to work.  And with Christmas coming, the timing couldn't be better.

We're still settling in here.  But the stacks of boxes are gradually dwindling.  Still doesn't feel like 'home' tho.  I'm thinking it might take a year of 'firsts' before it becomes 'home'.  Still half expect to find Darrell's mom sitting in the living room.

So many things I miss about Florida, but then there were so many things I missed about Michigan when we were IN Florida.  NOT looking forward to the long, cold winter, but the glorious fall leaves and the rebirth of nature's best in the spring, will make that one season seem worth it.  I'm looking forward to planting some tulip and daffodil bulbs this fall that we will get to enjoy next spring.  And the lilacs in May.  Yes, I'll be counting the days until spring.

New GM (gov't motors) Car

Public Service Announcement!!!

(borrowed from a friend)


Information about Gonorrhea Lectim:


The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning about a new virulent strain of this old disease. The disease is called Gonorrhea Lectim. It's pronounced "Gonna re-elect 'em," and it is a terrible obamanation.

The disease is contracted through dangerous and high risk behavior involving putting your cranium up your rectum. Many victims contracted it in 2008...but now most people, after having been infected for the past 1-2 years, are starting to realize how destructive this sickness is.

It's sad because Gonorrhea Lectim is easily cured with a new drug just coming on the market called Votemout. You take the first dose in 2010 and the second dose in 2012 and simply don't engage in such behavior again; otherwise, it could become
permanent and eventually wipe out all life as we know it.

Please pass this important message on to all those bright folks you really care about.