Isaac Andre Miller was born to Amanda & Michael this afternoon ~ 8# 6 oz, 20" long

We think he is a "Keeper"!

Hey!   It looks like I was flying but I was probably doing 22 MPH!  It was a beautiful Sunday evening, not very often it is warm enough to go without my long sleeved shirt.   We went to Berlin, Becks Mills, Charm and then needed to take the "around the block" way home.  It was too early to quit!

Scootering on back roads

Dad sent me this video from his phone. I wonder if he was still trailing mom on the scooter when he sent this to me.

Favorite Activities to do with Andy

2nd to scootering is going with him in the evening to Black Diamond Golf Course ~ he hits balls and practices and I ride along and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Spending the morning with Aila

A couple weeks ago Jill needed a sitter and she called me ~ Yeah!   I was washing the dishes and Aila wanted to wash, so of course Grammy left her, not thinking there were glass glasses in the water and she is 5!   Of course one broke, no harm done (except to the glass!) and then she convinced me that she was allowed to jump from the counter!   Will Jill call me again?   Hmmm, we will wait and see!

Oh what a beautiful morning!   To hear the sounds, feel the breeze, smell the wonderful scents of the fields, grass, trees, flowers (and other things!) from the seat of my scooter.   Yes, I made it safely to work this morning, even got through Mt Hope on Garage Sale and Auction Day,  many people on foot, in vans, trucks, bicycles,  like NYC at rush hour!   Well, maybe Millersburg!   I had a busy day at work and could hardly wait to don my visor, helmet and sunglasses and hit the road.  I had Ina take some updated pictures ~ I was actually moving on the second  one.   Had a nice uneventful ride home - didn't know what to make for supper so we went to der Dutchman!   Always a treat for me.

I wanted to ride my scooter so badly to work on Monday, made it out the driveway and to the neighbors strawberry patch!   Pushed it back home and into the garage.   Drove the car and it would have been such a beautiful morning, and evening, for a ride!   Andy worked on it Monday evening, I rode it 10 miles, came home and decided to ride to work this morning.   Made it about 1/2 way to work when it started to putt putt and then stopped.   Called Andy and he came from the job and took me to work.   SO tonight after supper, he got all his needed tools together and we went to get the scooter.   Then he realized the gas had drained out of the fuel pump so we came back home to get a little gas.   He primed it, started it, and hopped on and away he went down the road.   Not too far and I saw him stopped at a business.   He checked the gas tank and said it was bone dry!   So we made another trip home for the gas can.   We drove approx 42 miles to bring it home tonight!   But he thinks I will make it to work tomorrow.    I think I will text my co-worker and tell her to look for me along the way to work!  There was a switch not working that is activated by the kick stand but he switched mine and his and the fuel gauge must have been stuck.   I rode it home and again thought, "This is so much fun!"

First of all, I need to say "Hello!" to my friend Colin Bontrager ~ I love this picture taken by his grandmother, Dorothy.   "Hi, Colin, take good care of Grandma!"

Maine 2009

September 25th (107 more sleeps!) this group (minus Marilyn) will be headed for "The Way Life Should Be" in the great State of Maine.  It will be the 7th consecutive year for us to rent a house on the water and enjoy our time together traveling, exploring the area we are in, eating out (most enjoy seafood), shopping, sitting on the rocks and enjoying the water, reading, puzzling, cross-stitch, digging and searching for sea glass, watching the lobster boats and the schooners as they go by, eating baked oatmeal with blueberries and on and on.   Maybe we will spot a moose this year!

Our Great God brought us together in a fabulous way and we are ever grateful to Him for the friendship we share.  We enjoy anticipating the trip as much as the week together.  And enjoy (?) the drawing for bedrooms ~ no further comment!

So here we are:   Lana Turner, Judie Yoder, Elaine Starner, Marilyn Miller, Betty Miller

Dorothy Bontrager and Yours Truly

Click on HeartsofMaine and then scroll down to "Sea Winds" to see the house we will be renting this year.

Maine-iac Friends!

Facebook

Trying to do more with Facebook, visit me there also.

Sunday Scooter Ride ~ June 7

A beautiful day demands a scooter ride!   Andy wanted to go check out 2 bridge jobs so away we went.   We were near Shreve for the 1st one, a gal took out the guardrail on an old bridge.   On the return home we went up the Township Road past the Holmes County Sheriff's Dept.   All of a sudden, going up a steep hill, we were on a gravel road.   Those of you who know anything about riding know that gravel is as dangerous as ice.   Andy went to the top, came back and said we were turning around.   He said to wait and he would come back and turn my scooter around.   He did, I got on it, he went ahead of me and I must have touched the hand brake as I started down.  Wrong thing to do - I was immediately falling to the right.   I got off and held on and laid it gently on it's side!   Then amazingly, I got it back up, but could hardly hold it with the hand brake.   Andy came back and rode it through the gravel for me.   It was only about 10' but 10' too far for me!   I was glad to be on blacktop again.   I have a few scratches on the side and on my mirror but nothing serious.   I just have to know I cannot ride in gravel.   We got home safely after a 55 mile ride.  I will need to take another picture on the scooter.   

The sights we see, the smells we smell, it is all so beautiful and I love riding.  and yes, I wear my helmet!

Trip to Michigan ~ May 28-31

Well, no mushrooms  :(   Andy looked and looked as only he can look and could not find anyplace that he thought suitable for even seeing a mushroom and he should know.    We arrived at Uncle Warren and Aunt Annabelle's home around 1:30 Thursday afternoon, we had rain a lot of the way and it was chilly.   Andy walked the property, no luck.   Uncle Warren took us into the boondocks over roads that only a 4 wheel drive should be on, just to show Andy around.   After eating in Fairview, we settled in for the evening to watch the Cavs - you all know what happened there!   

Friday morning he left to go searching, Cousin Verda came and visited with us for about 2 hours and then I went outside to do some planting for Aunt and Uncle.   Planted Begonias in the flower box on the front porch.   Then I tackled the flower bed behind the house.   We went to the funeral home for calling hours for Roger's father (Verda's husband is Roger), spent a long time there visiting with them, Greg and Amy, their son and wife.  Andy was home when we got there - empty-handed.   He had already eaten so we went to a Cafe' in Comins - delicious fish and waffle fries.   The evening was again spent watching another ballgame.

Saturday morning, Andy and I headed for Mackinac Bridge, about 100 miles north.   What a fantastic sight.   It is almost 5 miles across - wish I could go up for the Labor Day walk across the bridge.   We had talked about going to the Island, but it was rainy, cold and not a good day to go.   maybe next time.   So we paid $3 to go north across, turned around and paid $3 to come back!   The lady we handed our money to was handling 2 lanes.   We figured  that she took in approx $17,000 in an 8 hour shift!

On the way back we drove off road looking for a patch of dead elm, he saw a couple but no mushrooms - we also drove off the road to find "Sinkholes"   found where they are but didn't walk into the woods to see them.  We were back at the Bontager's in time to go to eat ribs!  Again, delicious!   Somewhere in there I planted tomatoes, cucumbers and squash for them.   So glad to be able to do that!

We left the house around 8:45 Sunday morning and arrived home about 4 - a good trip even tho there were no mushrooms to share out of the cooler.   Thank you for the hospitality, We enjoyed ourselves very much!

going to Michigan to find mushrooms

leaving as soon as I can get packed and laundry dry

home sunday or monday hopefully with LOTS of mushrooms

have our cell phones along

This was a special day for me!   It is my birthday and I slept in till 8:30, well, I stayed in bed till then!   Then the beautiful morning beckoned me outside and I started cleaning the flower bed by the shed.   At noon Andy said I should tear myself away from the outside work and we would go for a scooter ride somewhere and eat lunch.   So I got out of my scrubbies and we headed to Dutch Valley for lunch (Chicken salad croissant and raspberry iced tea!  Yummy!)   We took the back way to Dundee and then home.   What a beautiful day for a scooter ride!   Probably 30-35 miles!

I put the scrubbies back on and went out to finish around the shed.   When I came inside at 3:45 there was a loaf of homemade bread, pear butter and chocolate chip cookies from my dear neighbor Ina, who always remembers my birthday!  It was time to go to Berlin and watch Aila graduate from Berlin Center Preschool!   (Jill, the next 13 years are going to go fast!   Hang on and enjoy the ride!)   I was impressed with the attention and quietness of the children during the different activities!   I stopped at Raber's Greenhouse in Berlin and bought some more flowers to plant.   Sometime when they are mature and beautiful I will take some pictures.   The mulch makes them "pop", it looks so nice.   At 8:30 I was inside again.   I really enjoy these kind of days.

Thanks Jill & Joe for inviting me to be a part of this special "Grandparent" activity.   I guess it was really the first one with Aila in "public" and I look forward to many more!   What a nice birthday gift!

Good Evening!   I think it is time to add some new things to the BLOG!   I wanted to post some pictures of my Dad, my siblings and Grandpa and the kids.   So here goes.   It has been over 4 months (Jan 8) since Dad went home to be with his Lord.  Makes me wonder what he is doing!   Praising the Lord and Singing?    Telling Mom everything that has happened in the last 19 years?   Praying for our family that we all join them someday?    We don't know, but we do know they are in a place of no more tears or sorrow.                 Our sympathy to our friend Dorothy.  Her 95 year old mother, Anna Bontrager, also left this earth last Friday night.   Being at the funeral and burial brought sad (yet happy!) memories to my mind.

The picture of Dad by himself was taken at a Shoes For Mongolia fundraiser that Shannon sponsored in Columbus.   The one of us outside was taken in July, 2006 at a Miller Family Reunion.  (Karla, Shirley, Dad, Marlene     Keith, Julie, Ken and Ethel)   I really like that picture and am glad we took it even if we "older" ones had a hard time getting up off the ground!

Dad had banks made of the cherry wood from the Kandel Farm for all the kids and grandkids.

Shannon, Michael and Joe with Grandpa after getting their banks.    The last picture was taken by a longtime friend of Dad's at the funeral lunch.  I am glad we took that one also.

Current Picture

Here is a more current picture of Fish & Chips from Joe & Jill's wedding - We clean up well!   They had a Valentine's Day wedding, Joe doesn't think he will ever forget to get a gift for Jill for Valentine's Day or their anniversary!   Smart kid!    The pictures of us on the header of the Blog are from Christmas, 1980 - 2004 - 1972.   Have we improved with age?

The picture of the family was taken on May 10, 2008.   

We certainly enjoy having the kids all home, even if it is just an overnight stay.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Well, the day is almost over and I didn't get much done but figuring out this page!   Michael will go home to his life and I will lose my  IM with him for awhile!  We will probably be eating some of the 135 mushrooms Andy found today!  Sorry, wish I could share with all of you . . . . NOT!

Wondering what the advantage of a BLOG is over email . . .  we will see if there is one!   Michael thinks my grandchildren may be checking this blog 40 years from now!  Wow!

Shannon runs a half marathon tomorrow in Columbus!   Have fun!

For the MLC - only 147 more sleeps - well, let's say 21 weeks from tonight we will be enjoying the hospitality of Shearer Hill Farm B&B in Vermont!   and then baked apples, maple syrup and ice cream for breakfast!   You know how fast the weeks go!

Need to finish some tasks and then go for my 2 mile walk - it is a beautiful spring evening!   Want to join me?

Will look forward to many comments - Be nice!

The Emperor's New Clothes

Well, thanks to Jill, here I am but I have no idea what to do!

Now it is Friday am and my good son is helping me muddle through!

Little by little (very little) I am making some progress!

John Daly's body with Andy's head!   Andy said he knew it wasn't him because he is using the wrong putter!