Late Addition/Edition: Tuesday

I returned home tonight in a less-than-stellar mood, to find a picture cd stuck in my door.

Photos from a fun halloween party - yippee!! - where Kristy let me use her cool camera - yippee!! - and I got a few good pictures, regardless of the lack of flash in a dim room...yippeeeeeeeee!

Kristy, turn about is fair play - you gotta be careful about what you do when someone else is holding the camera!!

Thanks for being a great friend! Please put me on your calendar sometime (I've heard that you book months in advance for weekend dates...).

Tuesday: Thanks for...

Music. Dance.... Good Energy!

Today a group of incredible high school students from Saline, MI (plus one college student) came to campus. They took a tour, heard some Alma background...and entertained us at dinner with their fiddling, dancing and singing!

Fantastic sound, energy and personalities - thanks Doug and Sabrina for bringing them! Check out http://www.fiddlersrestrung.com/home/ for more information or to order a CD!!

Emotive? Fun? Yessirree! And....

....multi-talented!

Monday. I'm thankful for. . .

Noon ball. And all of the AWESOME people who play.

This is just a sampling. Great shot for Julian. Not so great for Chris. But he's a good sport (as are all the noon ball people).

Thanks, noon ball people, you are a highlight of my new career and I consider you all great friends!

Giving Thanks.

I hope to spend lots of time this week thinking about - and enjoying - the people and things for which I am thankful.

Tonight, the first installment....dinner at Bennigan's with a group of my Midland friends.
(L to R) Amy, Noel, Brett, Kevin, Christy, Shawn, Chad, Alex, Jill, Brad and Emily. I am very thankful for each of you!!!

Pictures from the edge.

I spent a fun weekend in the Traverse City area with my sister and her family. Here are some of my favorite pictures...



Huh. I'm glad the county didn't go with the plan to pave a road into the water. That might have been a waste of money.

Gina and Kevin's neighbor's house makes a nice backdrop for my car. The husband is an artist. Can you tell? I get the lime green with purple accent, but the yellow...it doesn't fit for me. Guess that's why I'm not an artist.



Pyramid Point was beautiful, but a long .6 mile trek up for "little" people!

The walk back down was much easier!

Kayla's not paying homage to the christmas tree (they won't be back up at their cottage until christmas), she's just trying to block my shot... nice job!

Sleeping Bear Dunes ~ you won't find me going down this hill any time soon. Even though it's only November, the sand has blown over the area that generally contains the boardwalk walk-ways.

"They" made me do it...

I have always sworn that I would NEVER buy a new car.

I'm suffering buyer's guilt as we speak. Or as I write and you later read, as the case may be.

I bought a new car. Brand new. 2008 and everything. Only 10 miles on the odometer when I test drove it this morning.

Let me defend myself:
1. My dad (!) has started to say that I should buy a new car with a FULL warranty (yep, he's had to do a lot of work on my car in recent years, ESPECIALLY over the last two months.

2. After much debate, I decided to get a corolla. Pretty inexpensive compared to larger cars, and better gas mileage (the true decision came when I saw the beautiful speedway blue corolla S at the dealership a few weeks ago, but I DID do some research too!)

3. Well, I tried to buy the above-mentioned corolla (a used 2007 with 5,000 miles - fit both my and dad's criteria!), but the dealer refused to give me a good deal and said (after my extensive legwork, research and entrapment) that he could get me a new corolla cheaper. Oh, except that the new blue one had just been taken in to have a moonroof installed. Add $800.

So. This morning I went to a new dealer. Told them the great "deal" the first dealer had offered. Told them I didn't want to be treated like a dumb female. And told them I wanted the speedway blue version for less.

Out with the old, in with the new. I guess I'll need to slow down, because the cops will see me in this one for sure!

Um. Yes, mom, I was driving 40 miles per hour when I took this picture. And there was traffic on the road. It's not a very good picture, though, so you can tell I wasn't looking through the eyepiece, just at the large display... and one hand WAS on the wheel...

Millions of...

leaves fill my yard, front and back. During normal times I can't keep up. With commuting, I'm mostly not bothering to try to keep up. But I can't stand the piles of leaves for long, nor do I think having leaves everywhere will help sell my house.

I need some leaf-b-gone. Or lots of friends who like to rake.

:)