Frosted Spider

Michigan had a record breaking low of 20 degrees this morning. When we left for work/school, our spooky Halloween spider had turned into a frosted spider. He looked cool enough for me to grab a quick cell phone image before heading out for the day.


Happy Halloween!

Hey Little Sister

I did some engagement photos for my little sister and her fiance a few weeks ago. The colors were gorgeous and I'm really happy with how the photos turned out. They're getting married on October 17 of next year...good times are ahead for our family!

This Smacks of Desparation!

All I can really say is...wow. Some people are just crazy!

This modification to my friends' Obama sign was awaiting us when we got back to the house after some sightseeing today. And this is an affluent area, right here in America. Gees, sometimes I'm shocked at how ignorant people can be! I don't mind founded disagreements with my viewpoint, but to foolishly perpetuate lies and rumors is simply going too far.

Happy Birthday, Doggy!

Today is Ditto's 9^th birthday! I'm finding it hard to believe she has been with us for so long, and at the same time I can't really remember a time without her. I can still distinctly remember the day she came home as a tiny little puppy--it was love at first sight. Happy birthday, pup...here's to many more!

P.S. Yes I have a web site for Ditto...check out her Dogster profile and leave her a birthday bone!

A Special Time of Year

There's nothing quite like fall in Michigan. The tantalizing smell of warm cider and doughnuts seems to permeate the air all around. The colors burst forth from the trees, offering their brilliant farewell on the way to winter. The days are crisp and the nights are cold. You can see your breath in the air for the first time in a long time. Early morning frost covers the world like a blanket. I could go on, for every year when autumn rolls around, I remember that fall is my most favorite time of year. Then again, every time of year is my favorite time of year! When the first silencing snow falls in December, I'll have to admit that in fact, winter is my favorite time of year...and Of course when the flowers bloom in early spring I will smile with the notion that spring is indeed my favorite time of year after all. And then summer will come again and I'll be reminded that the long, languid days in the sun are really the best part of every year, hands down. What can I say - I'm a seasons person. I sort of feel like Michigan chose me rather than me choosing her, but I don't think I would be very happy living in a place where the seasons were a blur. Michigan is my home and she fits me well.

Today husband and I went to the cider mill as an ode to this delightful autumn. The day is ideal for such a visit, as was evidenced by the many families who shared our idea of what to do on an autumn afternoon in Michigan. We got there at around 12:45 and the lines were just beginning to get long. We bought our bag of apples, got our hot cider and warm doughnuts, and sat down at a lovely table under an old tree to share our delights with the few remaining bees in the area. It was a lovely outing.

Autumn in a cup!

Good enough to share!

Jury Duty...Are You Kidding Me?!

Doh! I knew it was coming because I had to fill out a questionnaire not too long ago regarding my eligibility as a juror. Sure enough, I checked the mail today and there sat a summons demanding my appearance at the courthouse in downtown DETROIT later this month. I don't live that far away from Detroit, but I don't live that close either! The LAST thing I want to do when I could be subbing instead is drive down there at the crack of dawn to spend the day in the court house. I'll get "paid" for my services, but the amount I receive will be less than half of what I could make if I had a subbing job. Money is not the only annoying aspect of said summons. This is a really bad time for me to be summoned! Couldn't they have called me this summer when I had nothing but time? No - they had to wait until I'm smack in the middle of my 16-credit hour semester and knee deep in substitute teaching jobs. And to make matters worse, I'll be arriving back home from a weekend trip to MD (which I'm super excited but will post more about later) at 10:33 the night before I'm due in court at 7:45 a.m. Gahhhhhhh!!! Needless to say I'm more than a little annoyed about this irritating requirementt of being a responsible American citizen.

Whatever!