Phone:

Marcus and Bryan

Biography:

I can't believe I am going to miss the reunion! I can't believe it's been ten years since our last reunion! The only classmate I've seen in those ten years is Linda Morgan at the Ann Arbor Art Fair about seven years ago. Out of nowhere I heard someone say, "I think I know you!". That was actually quite amazing to me since there are hundreds of thousands of people who go to that
fair every year...and also that she recognized after so many years!

I now have been living in Saline, Michigan near Ann Arbor for thirteen years. My husband & family moved here from Kalamazoo in 1988 when my husband, David, joined the trust department at NBD in Ann Arbor. After Bank One bought NBD in 1999, he now works at a small bank in nearby Tecumseh. (Small is better in the banking business. They spend more time caring for their clients than keeping the big corporations happy.) It ended up being a great move for us.

We have been "empty nesters" for five years. Our oldest son, Marcus, graduated from University of Michigan with a degree in Economics and is living in Ann Arbor. He is working for the Institute of Social Research at U of M in their computer area. His wife, Julie, is a full time student majoring in Anthropology at U of M. She just took her grad school entrance exam & has mentioned a possible Ph.D.

Bryan, our younger son, just graduated from Indiana Institute of Technology with a degree in business. While there he played on their soccer team. He now works for Comair (part of Delta Airlines) in Fort Wayne. He is not married yet, so between our two sons, we have no grandchildren.

David & I are considering renting grandchildren since we aren't seeing any in the near future! We have substituted them with three cats. Simon (a red Tabby) whose mother was Siamese, Tuxedo (a black & white cat, naturally) and Nigel (a silver Tabby) who is our gray ghost...he's our 'fraidy cat and it's unlikely you'll ever see him.

You have probably noticed that I have not mentioned what I do. I do not work for a living. (I guess I am a dinosaur... I am almost extinct.) I made a decision to stay home when my kids were little. When the oldest son was ready to go to college, I did consider getting a job to help pay for the added expense, but had no marketable skills to speak of. I really didn't want to go back to school, so about all I was capable of was working for McDonalds. That didn't really appeal to me, so I convinced my husband that we really could survive college expenses without me working.

So what do I keep myself busy at, you wonder? Volunteering, of course! That's what any person who doesn't work for a living does! You work, but you don't get paid. I have been volunteering for the Saline Celtic Festival for the last five years. (Our festival is completely run by volunteers...over 450 volunteers, actually.) Since I work in the office I am considered one of the
chairman. I have also designed the annual logo for the festival for the last three years that is used in advertising & on T-shirts. I usually spend the festival day in a Welsh costume...and that's indirectly why I won't be at my 35th high school reunion.

Saline has a very active sister-city relationship instead of the usual government organization with little personal contact. Saline has developed it into a very active people-to-people organization. About every five years about 50 Salinians go to our sister city in Brecon, Wales. Every five years about 50 Breconians come to Saline. We usually go for a two-week visit and stay in a person's home instead of a hotel. And the reason I am not at my high school reunion is because Tony & Val Bell from Brecon, Wales will be arriving to stay with us two days before the reunion. They stayed with us for two weeks in 1993 and we stayed with them for two weeks in 1997. As you can see, the relationships in this sister-city organization are long term commitments.

Saline started the Celtic festival in to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of being their sister city. This year I designed a commemorative tile that the Saline-Brecon Friendship Guild will give as an official gift to the Welsh visitors.

My other passion is my watercolor painting class. I have been taking this community art class for seven years now. It is more like an open studio. Once you take the class, you sign up over & over! (Or none of us ever get good enough to pass the class!) The instructor spends most of his time with the new students and the students who have been there awhile "feed off of each other"! For the longest time we only knew each other by what we painted. Such as, the guy who always painted rusty trucks was known as "The Rusty Truck Guy", or the woman who painted barns, "The Barn Lady", or the woman who always did a great job on flowers was known as, "The Person Who Does Those Great Flowers", etc. Anyway, I was known a "The Sheep Lady" because I painted sheep twice. I only found out their real names when I organized a class art show. We have had three art shows now, and I have never sold one of my paintings! The reason being that it would be like selling one of my children and because I have never put one up for sale! Our instructor started us out by telling us to paint something we are passionate about. Most of my paintings reflect the three visits to Wales & other vacations I have taken. Who'd want to have my vacation photos, I ask? (OK, so they are paintings, but I still won't give them up!)

Anyway, I will miss you guys at the reunion! I wish I could be there!
Shiela Grace Tillotson Blough