A Torch Lake Update

Greetings from the chilly north! It has been a very cold October in northern Michigan-and rainy as well. We have been hoping for the traditional 'Indian Summer' so that we can finish up end of the season jobs like raking leaves. But it seems as if there will be no reprieve and we are waiting for the flakes to fly tomorrow. Guess it is time to fire up the snow blower instead of the leaf blower.

Since my last update, Bob and I traveled to CA. Andy and Katie needed some help with childcare while their regular child care provider was on vacation the last week of August. We drove out so that we could take some time visiting places on the bucket list on our way home. After 10 days in CA, that included a visit with Jon and family, we started home stopping at Crater Lake, OR and Glacier National Park in Montana. We also visited with a cousin of Bob's who lives in Spokane, Washington. It was a great trip! Saw some beautiful parts of our country that I had never been to before.

Our family is well. Andy and Katie are busy with their jobs. They spend evenings and week-ends trying to keep up with Will. Will is a great pretender!! He organizes everyone in the house to be part of his 'band' several times a day. He is usually the drummer with others available assigned to play pretend horns, pianos and guitars. One must be careful to hold the imaginary instrument (oh, except for the drums, there are always drums!) in just the right way in order for the music to go on. Will also loves to play and watch baseball. He can hit a wiffle ball with amazing frequency when it is pitched to him-much better than his grandma. He also likes to walk to their neighborhood park and play on the swings or sit in the bleachers to watch the senior citizen softball games. The California Spencers will probably not be coming to MI for the holidays this year.

Molly and Dave are in the time of life when school and community activities keep them very busy. Ben is in second grade and Andy is going to all day kindergarten. They get on the bus at 6:50 a.m. and get home about 3:00 p.m. pretty well exhausted. Laura goes to pre-school three mornings a week. She proudly reports that she is in the 'big kids' class this year. Ben played flag football this fall; both boys are in cub scouts. Molly is still trying to do some writing. She participates in a writer's group two times a month in which other poets like herself share their work, and provide constructive ideas for improvement to each other. Bob and I are headed to West St. Paul to help celebrate Laura's fourth birthday next week.

The Sparta branch of the family is fine. Sami Kate is sleeping through the night so that means that Matt and Elaine are feeling more rested too. Jake is in first grade. His teacher is a woman that I hired many years ago. He played flag football this fall too. Eli is going to pre-school two mornings a week. When asked to tell us about his new sister, he replied "She's pink." Sadly, Elaine's grandpa died two weeks ago. During the funeral luncheon, her Dad fell and severely injured his knee. He has had surgery and already returned to work. They are hoping that bad things only come in twos this fall.

It was great to so many of you this summer! Hope everyone is well!

Jill