And now for a more up-to-date update.

It's amazing how the internet can play such a huge role in our lives. Patrick and I now keep track of our joint schedule on Google Calendars, and our joint to-do list (which seems endless!) on Google Spreadsheets. But that's just practical stuff. What I'm finding cool is how the internet is helping me get in touch with people in my community.

Through a meandering search starting from the Catholic Diocese of Vermont, I found out about a group for Catholic Moms of young kids that meets once a month in Essex. On Craigslist I found someone looking to start a social group for new vermonters in their mid-20s to mid-30s. I also found on Craigslist a book club that will be reading Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods this month. And a young woman (29) who has lived here with her husband for a couple of years and is looking to meet people her age. It is suprising how it seems there are lots of college-aged kids and lots of, well, parents of college-aged kids around. But not so much in between. There's constant talk (and has been for over a century) about how Vermont loses young people who move away to find work - purportedly in southern New England.

*** warning *** feel free to skip this paragraph if you're short on time or get scared by Shamalyan movies ***
I went for my own walk in the woods yesterday through a nature area, adjacent to St. Mike's, owned by the city of Winooski. If anyone is looking for a good site for a haunted trail this Halloween, this path would be it! The path is used regularly by St. Mike's students & faculty for a nice run - the trail is more or less free from rocks & roots, it has a couple of mild ups & downs, and is a loop of just about a mile. But then.... there's the odd pond that has a burbling drain from who knows where - and on the other end of the pond is the interstate... and then a bit further there's an 8-foot-high chain-link fences with some sort of municipal infrastructure operation on the other side... and then, and here's the really weird part, there's a drain that leads from the municipal land and under the path - and the water is rusty-orangeish-red. Can that really be natural? For the next quarter of a mile, the trail passes various types of "bodies" of this red "water" - a stream, a still pond, a... rectangular "pond", and THEN there's this canal-type thing that is about 8-feet wide with a wooden foot bridge over it -- and a 10-foot high wrought iron fence - is the fence keeping something in or something out? Just past that odd canal, the path suddenly narrowed. I wondered if I was lost - and heading farther away from civilization, and into the plot of a horror movie, but in a short while I saw some red brick buildings in the distance, which were probably dorms at St. Mike's, and finally I returned to the opening in the fence that separates this "nature" area from the college. Phew!!! It was a relief to be out of those woods - I don't think I'll go back there alone again (but that's okay - there are plenty of woods around here, I was in a different park on Sunday that was not nearly as creepy). I told Patrick that if he was looking for a good scare he should watch Signs or The Village and then go for a walk in that nature area at dusk. I shudder to think about it...

And speaking of haunted things... fall is upon us already. Leaves are changing (not rapidly, but they're definitely changing). Night-time lows are falling into the 30s. And "foliage season" - Northern New England's equivalent of football season - is here in force. And as with football season in South Bend or Ann Arbor - if you can avoid it, it's best not to go out on the weekends. On Saturday I spent 20 minutes circling a parking garage hoping to (and I eventually did) find a spot. Apparently September/October is peak tourist season for Vermont. Patrick and I hope to find some weekday to scoot off for our own drive through the mountains - since we're "natives" we can do our best to avoid the weekend traffic jams that crowd otherwise quiet Vermont country roads.

And with fall and foliage season comes apple season. On Sunday, our next door neighbors brought us an apple pie from Sam Mazza's - perhaps equivalent to the stores at Elegant Farmer (which the Klests will know) or Wiard's (which Ann Arborites will know - and if you don't know it, do check it out). Nothing beats apple pie made with fresh apples... except maybe warm apple pie with fresh apples - a la mode. Ymmmmmm....

And on the other end of the health spectrum... Patrick has squeezed working out into his schedule most days of the week. He goes to the St. Mike's athletic facility. And I joined a pre-natal water aerobics class at the Y. I was the only person in the first class (not a great way to meet people - besides the very friendly instructor), and in the second and third classes I was one of two expectant mothers in the class - different girls each time.

I had a great time hearing my friend Jenny on Morning Edition yesterday - although I must say it reminded me just how far away all of my nearest and dearest friends and relatives are (except my hubby and baby). I miss you all and look forward to you coming to visit!!! (and if you're not coming here - we're still hoping to be in Ann Arbor/Chicago for late December/early January).

And now I think you're fully caught up - and I'm off to bed!