July 31, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. Positano's Restaurant.

Tonight began our celebration. Andrew, Christina, Kate, Mary Frances and Molly joined us at Positano's in Bethesda. We drank sparkling wine from Italy and toasted each other all evening, especially to Family...and friends!!. But that is another story for a later date. Positano's is a splendid place to take children. The food is excellent and in addition, they seem to love having the children, so of course, the children are always on their best behavior. The evening was very festive and pleasant. Every night our circle of friends and family will grow, while the whole clan will be together in Nova Scotia, helping to celebrate our 50Th Anniversary. We will have a grand party.

So now we are ready. Our vehicles are in the garage and the bags are packed. The boarding passes are in my pocket. Andrew will pick us up at six o'clock, for our 8:50 flight direct to Halifax. Mr. Gaskell will pick us up at the airport at noon or shortly after. Soon we will be home by the shore. It seems ages since we were there, but actually it has only been two weeks. But it has been two busy weeks, both at work and at the farm. Now the fun begins. Tomorrow night we dine with the Ely Family at their home next door. Their three children and spouses and children will all be there, along with Gill and her sister and her two grandchildren. Also the Mitchell's. It will be noisy but we will love it all. Then later that evening David and Suzanne, Sarah, Abigail, Allison and Samantha will arrive. Andrew and family come on Saturday, along with all our brothers and sister. The party will just roll on and on. Now we have begun the festivities.

July 30, 2008. Bethesda, Md. Rabbitts.

This is the year of the rabbitts. They are everywhere. At the cottage in Nova Scotia, a very tame bunny lives under the deck, and sits looking at me while I walk by. Of course, there also little bunnies hopping along too, but none of them at all afraid of me. The farm also has lots of rabbits this year. Every time I go walking, I see them both near the farm house and the barn, as well as our house on the hill. Even the woods are full of them. I have been told that squirells and rabbits cycle, so right now we seem to be short of squirrils, but have many many rabbitts.

The Bedford Fair had a whole building of them, and they all seemed to be for sale. Kids raise them for their 4H project, then bring them to the Fair to be judged and sold. No auction for the little bunnies, just for sale signs on each cage. It was astonishing how many different types of rabbitts there are in the world. We saw them all, some looking like dog ears and some looping down and 8 inches long. I never knew so many types of rabbitts existed in the world, let alone in Bedford County. For ten dollars you could a very lovely rabbitt to take home for a pet. Or you could merely sit on my porch and watch our rabbitts strole by and have them look after themselves.

July 29, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. Wheaton Dining.

When we lived in Kensington, which we did for twenty years, we ate dinner in Wheaton about once a week. It was just a ten minute ride up Connecticut Avenue and then University Blvd. What you found was oodles and oodles of ethnic restaurants, so many that we could go to a different restaurant every week and never go to the same place twice. Our custom was to jump in the car and drive around Wheaton until we spotted a new place, then try to find a parking spot while we could still remember the name of the new place. Almost always, we could eat for twenty dollars total. The food was great and the cost was low, so we loved it. Then we moved. We now live near only three eating places. Of course, Bethesda is close by with it's 185 restaurants, but those places are fancy and expensive, and besides, they are close to my office which reminds me that I am on duty. No. Nothing comes close to Wheaton for dinners on the cheap.

Tonight, Ken had to take his truck to the dealer for a recall. The closest dealer was in Wheaton, so after work we drove both vehicles up to the dealer, to leave his truck to be repaired tomorrow. We loved being back in Wheaton, so we ate dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, new to us but very good. Of course, most of the places have changed hands since we moved in 1997, and many spots are being spruced up. But the same deals were all around... many ethnic eateries on every block. We have decided to eat in Wheaton once a month for now on. We miss it. Nothing comes close to the variety and the cost close to our present home. Perhaps in the Columbia Heights area in the District you could find the variety, but that is almost an hours drive , so mostly we do not go. But from now on, we are going to gather our friends together and eat in Wheaton. It is tacky, but the food is good.

July28, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. Bedford Fair.

It takes all day, but all the animals are sold at auction. The good folks who work at the auction are volunteers. They deserve a gold star in heaven. The farm kids look after their animals through the year. They feed them and groom them and love them. Then, at the fair, their animals are sold, and the money goes right to the kids. The kids are all members of the FFA or the 4H Clubs, which meet once a month. The rest of the folks in the community come to buy the animals to eat, or to donate to a charity, or to give to the local butcher who will pay 85 cents per pound. So when I pay $1.30 per pound, I am really giving $1.30 less 85 cents from the butcher, even tho the child gets the full $1.30. We bought a full steer, raised by Erin Jay, and it will go straight to our freezer, of course after Alan butchers the steer and wraps the meat for us. It really is a huge show of support for the young folks of the community, from the older folks of the community. Both Kelley and Jay won top awards at the judging held on Wednesday, and I bid on their animals, but they sold for too much money. It is so interesting to watch the children show their animals in the ring. All three children were wearing new spiffy clothes and smiling to everyone in sight. They were so p[leased to be there. And their money will go straight into their college fund.

First were the goats, then the pigs, then finally the steers. I was not really interested in anything but the steers, but I watched part of the pig auction. One auctioneer was on duty all day, along with three young men watching the crowd to spot the bidders. They watched the crowd very carefully in their section, and if anyone bid, they yelled the number to the auctioneer. They were having fun themselves, and also with the crowd. I noticed that these three men often talked to each other. I discovered that these three were in a friendly competition, to see whose section won the most number of sales. There was great joshing to each other about how far ahead one section was to the others. Then they rotated to another section. It was fascinating to observe, that in a totally volunteer operation, these three men made it into a competitive event, and in so doing had more fun for everyone, as well as interesting for themselves. The competitive instinct seems to be bred in the bone.

July 27, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. The Farm.

The farm was a bee hive of activity when we arrived on Friday. On the way up the driveway, we met Andrew and Mary Frances, just as they were coming up from the creek with a bucket of crawdads. It is great sport to find these critters in the creek, but it is not easy, as they are quick. After showing off their catch to Christina, Mary Frances takes the crawdads to the pond to release them into the shallow water. Then as we turned the corner we found two wagons full of baled hay, sitting in the middle of the lawn, ready to be put in the barn. We knew that soon our farmer friends would come over to fill up the barn, and they did. Soon the fun began. Three more wagons arrived, along with three pick up trucks, so from five till eight, they used the elevator to put the hay away in the barn. Andrew went to help, as this is labor intensive work and it was hot. The bales must be taken off the wagon, placed on the track that takes it up to the top of the barn, where another person must put the bale in the proper place. The bales are heavy too, so on a hot night, the temperature at the top of the barn is scorching. But it was fun to watch them all work. The best worker was a young man 22 years old, named Adam. As is everyone around the farm, he is related by marriage to our farmer friends daughter. Her husband is his uncle. He was in to help Alan with the haying. I have never been able to determine how anyone gets paid at the farm. There is a group of men we have known for years and help Alan now and then. They all have other jobs through the week, but they help out sometimes on the weekend. I don 't know if they help each other if needed, or if Alan pays them. One day I will find out.

Andrew had put a stew in the oven at noon, with the vegetables and meat at a low temperature, so we were able to eat on the order of whoever was hungry. It was delicious, sitting around the fire listening to the men work. Mary Frances wanted a fire, and as Andrew was working, he suggested that she lay the fire, then get Ken to help her light it. So she did. Ken taught her to use the started, and after she got the fire started, she tended it all night. She did it again on Saturday night too. Finally, on Friday evening the work was finished. The empty wagons were left on the lawn, and we were left to wave them goodbye. The farm on Friday night was a very busy place indeed.

July 25, 2008. Bethesda, Md. The Agents.

I was asked at work if the anxiety by agents in the office was what I spoke about in my small web log the other day. "No", I answered. I was speaking about every-one else, certainly not the agents of the Bethesda Gateway agents of Long and Foster. They remain in good spirits and are working very hard with great enthusiasm. In fact, the more the other agents get anxious, the better we tend to do. Right now, we are almost always double in volume and units any other Long na Foster office. For years, we have been the number one, but not usually twice the volume of other offices, but just now, we double the next down the list. But we must be aware that the Sellers and Buyers and other agents are full of hostility and anxiety. They should have sold two years ago, they say, and that is true. But in this year and this month, this price is what this buyer is willing to pay. If we as agents are aware of the sense in the air, our ability to keep our responses in check are easier. It actually makes no sense to be in the depths of despair just now. Most people have good jobs and bought their houses years ago so have oodles of equity, but some folks are hurting for sure. Free floating anxiety is in the air, and does have an impact on the real estate market. But we are thriving and keeping our spirits up, whether I am in town or not.

Now we are working towards a Billion in sales this year, which will be the sixth year in the row to have beaten a Million Dollars in sales. The first year we made the Billion, we went to New York for the weekend, as it was the first time in the Company any office had met that level. The next two years we exceeded the previous volume, so again went to New York for the weekend. We stayed at the Plaza Hotel and it was truly a grand time. The next year we went to the Ritz Carlton in Philidelphia. Then for two years we did not exceed our all time high volume, so we had no all expenses paid trip. This year, we three managers looked at our volume, and decided that we were on track to beat a Billion this year, which in this year of Real Estate would be astonishing. I called Mr. Foster to request a trip for the agents, if we exceed the Billion. There was dead silence on the other end of the phone line. I know that the Company is trying hard to watch every penny, so this request was out of line to even ask. I also know, that in negotiation, the looser spoke first, so I held my tongue. Finally, he agreed to the trip, as long as we went to Dumphries!! He laughed and laughed, as did I. Actually, we were thinking D.C. or Baltimore. So we now all have T shirts that say Dumphries or Bust, and we are getting pictures of agents from around the world as their travels this summer. We are having fun with it, along with Mr. Foster. And I bet we get our trip!!

July 24, 2008. Bethesda, Maryland Ken The Cook.

Our anniversary is on August 27. On that date, Ken will cease to be the main cook in the household. After that time, we will both merely move food around. We had been married for about twenty-five when I had an operation to remove my gall bladder, which took me six weeks for recovery. Ken took over the cooking chores for the family, during my time of recovery. The boys were in High School. One night at dinner when I was back on duty, cooked by me, we voted to elect Ken as the primary cook. Three votes to one in favor of Ken as the chief cook as we three decided we liked his cooking better than mine. He agreed, if the term of the contract was for twenty-five years. So now we are at the end of his twenty-five years of being the chief cook. Our friends Fred and Phyllis do not think we can do this, and that we will end up with Ken continuing to cook. But just watch him. He will cease being the cook on August the 27TH. I think you can bet on it!!

This morning Ken and I went for a walk. It is my favorite time of day to walk, especially when the temperature is 65 degrees and the rain during the night cleared up the dirty air. When we returned home, the coffee was ready for that first cup, made by Ken. This is a very good way to start the day.

July 23, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. Dinner.

Andrew and Christina and the three girls came to dinner tonight. Usually, we take dinner over to their home once a week, but this week, we suggested they come to our place. Their house is for sale, and it is easier to keep the house neat and tidy if they get out of the house, so over they came. The baby is crawling. She really moves quickly across the floor, when she spots something she likes. It is interesting how watching a seven month old baby engages your intellect. She is an eager beaver. The older girls have their favorite building materials from the closet in the Library, so they are busy as bees making houses and barns. I brought out the picture takes at our 40Th Anniversary celebration of the two cousins playing in the grass. Such a change in ten years. One granddaughter is five feet five inches tall, and the Texas girl is not far behind. Soon after their return from Nova Scotia, they will make a move to Jackson, Mississippi, so our time of dinners together will end. We plan to visit them in Jackson. This weekend we will all be together at the farm.

It was simple but effective. We kept two lower cabinets full of age appropriate toys, in the Library, which we changed regularly. When they were little, the first thing they headed for was their own cabinet, as something new had been added. Now that they are older, they prefer the old and tried construction toys, so we stopped buying new toys. Now they help to set the table and fill the water glasses, and clear the table, and generally are very helpful. Hide and seek is a favorite game in the apartment, as the hiding spots are new and unusual. It is certainly true that we will miss them living so close to us, but we have been fortunate to watch those little girls grow up inch by inch. Now we will see them less often, but with the modern world of communications at our finger tips, I will hear them and see them on a regular basis. Yes we will.

July 22, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. My Car.

My can smells. It is not supposed to smell, but it does. But only when the weather is very hot and very humid. If I inadvertently leave all my windows closed when parking outside in the sunshine, the smell in my car is horrible. Not too long ago, all my carpets were shampooed. It did not smell then, but that was in the Spring with the temperature moderate. In the hot and humid summer in Washington, my car smells, but only when I drive it. Fortunately, I only have to drive for about ten minutes at a time, to and fro the office. And I am in Nova Scotia part of the summer, so my car is in the garage when I am away. If I forget to keep windows partly opened, on my return, I wish I had remembered to open them before leaving. Soon the weather will no longer be so hot and humid, so my car should cease smelling so badly.

There are two reasons why my car smells. One was my fault and one was not. One day when returning from Nova Scotia by myself, I approached my car to realize that my car smelled. You could smell it from about ten feet away. I'm surprised that someone did not think that a dead animal was in the car, it smelled so strongly. I got in the car and drove away from the garage, keeping the windows open. While I am driving, I was feeling under the seats to try to find the smell, but I found nothing. On the way home, I stopped at the grocery store. I looked under all the seats and found nothing. Then I opened the trunk and millions of fruit flies flew out of my trunk. Millions and Millions of fruit flies came pouring out of my trunk. When the air cleared, I saw what had happened. I had left a bag of fruit in the trunk, where it rotted. Of course, as I drove, the fruit rolled all around the carpet in the trunk, so I had rotted fruit all over my trunk. Using the plastic bag, I scooped up the mess, and deposited it in the Safeway dumpster. Later I scrubbed the carpet, and sprayed disinfectant. The smell stayed for a long time, and then was gone. Except in the hot humid summer.

The second reason my car smells is that one time, when we left my car at the Baltimore airport, some critters took up residence in the trunk and made some nice little nests. As the car was at the parking lot for three weeks, their presence in my trunk soiled the carpet. On the way home from the airport, the air-conditioner did not work properly, so the next day, on the way to work I dropped the car off at Community Auto. They replaced some tubes, because they said that something had chewed through several parts of the system. I thought nothing about it, until. the following Thursday, I opened my trunk to put my purse in, to find several little nests. I did what any woman would do. I closed the trunk, and kept it closed until I took the car in for body work, where they were supposed to find how the critters got into my trunk. No luck. It was magic. Now my car is perfect on the outside, and perfect on the inside, except when the weather is hot and humid. Then I just open the windows when I drive and keep the air-conditioning on full blast. It only lasts for ten minutes on my way to work!!

July 21, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. Anxiety.

I think every one in the whole world is anxious. Or perhaps just every one in the United States is anxious. Certainly, every one involved in the world of Real Estate in 2008 seems full of anxiety. The buyers are fearful to buy, because their job might be in jeopardy, or perhaps the prices might fall so the price they are looking at might be too high. Certainly, they are afraid to over buy. Then again, another house may come on the market which could be better for them, so perhaps they should wait. Anxiety leads to lack of action. The reality is that most people have secure jobs, certainly in the D.C. area, and most people here stay 10 years in their house, so to delay building equity could be counter-productive. But buyers are anxious. There is no doubt about it.

Sellers are even worse. Their crystal ball is very cloudy. Trying to choose the selling price is very difficult, because the history of sold houses is not helping. Many folks made decisions based on the probable selling price, only to find that the sold house could end up much less than anticipated. So Sellers worry through the question of their listing price, and worry even more when their house does not sell in 30 days. Free floating anxiety is the name of the game in the world of sellers of real estate in 2008. Not much to do about it if you are a seller today. The only thing to do is to test the market, and if the price is wrong, then correct the price. That is, if they want to sell their house.

Now Real Estate agents understand markets. They remember when we could not get any one to buy a condominium in the District of Columbia in the early 90s, and that we had buyers paying any price to buy the same units in the last few years. We know the last comparable sales in each neighborhood for the past few years, only to have to admit to the seller that the comps are not helping now. The agent can justify the price based on past sales until they are blue in the face, but if the buyer will not pay the price, the house will not sell for that price. So agents have to be careful to defend a price, yet, when we list a house, we want to get the highest price for the seller. So the agent is also full of anxiety. The whole world is anxious. But I said that before.

We know several facts. People need from time to time to sell or buy a home. The decision on pricing is ultimately the job of the seller, after the agent gives the seller all the facts and figures. To help both sellers and buyers, we, the agents bring a solid show of support and encouragement to both buyers and sellers, keep them both informed about trends, and then try to bring sellers and buyers together to agree on a price. And do it all with a smile. That is how you deal with anxiety.

July 20, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. Canada Geese.

Eight geese were on my lawn when I awoke this morning. They were sitting down sleeping at 7:30 . Now I don't know how close you have ever been to a real live Canada Goose, but having them just six feet away from the window was a thrill. I watched them preen their feathers and cluck to each other, then tried to figure out what made them strut around the area, still very close to the house. They never did see me, but after twenty minutes or so they took to honking, and then left the area, except for one lone goose, who spent the next five minutes honking and walking around looking in all directions. Finally, the lone goose walked into the hay field, and I lost him in the tall grass. Now one pair of Canada geese is a wonderful thing, but eight geese, if they were to stay, would not be pleasing to the farmers or to us. Fortunately, these eight geese took off. Now the real question to ask is why they there on my lawn and did they stay all night? I can not tell the differences between the sexes, so I don't know if they are pairs or not. As they all seemed to be about the same size they could be wending their way south. I loved seeing them, but I was pleased when they took off to parts unknown.

The summer is moving along when you eat the first feed of sweet corn. Today was the day. The corn at the farm is not ready, in fact, Bryan told us yesterday that they have had so little rain that the sweet corn is not looking so good. Last year, when we were over at the Jay's, Ken and I ate a dozen of ears of corn each!! Their corn is wonderful, especially when the corn is freshly picked. But on the way home, on the back roads of Maryland, we saw a farmer selling fresh sweet corn. Needless to say, we ate corn for dinner, but only three each. We have gotten so much wiser in the past year!! The corn was good too, but not as good as the Jays. Next week is a big week for the farm kids. The Bedford Fair opens on Monday, and Wednesday the cattle and the kids will be evaluated. Then the sale takes place on Saturday. The whole community comes out to support the children and buys their cattle, either to eat themselves or to donate the cattle to charity. The kids make the money and the adults give a donation so everyone wins. Farm kids work very hard, but having a part time job is impossible, so the money the kids earn from the sale of their cattle makes up for not having an after school job. Anyway, the Fair is fun, and we fill our freezer with beef, enough to last the whole year.

July 18, 2008. Bethesda, Maryland. The Other Shoe.

On the other hand, the energy and enthusiasm in Washington people is impressive. Just watching the folks on the Metro is instructive. They read, or work or talk. And they walk quickly. I must walk on the side of the sidewalk in order to stay out of the way. When I get to work I see the same energy and enthusiasm. I walked in at 8:30, to find Paul, a young agent, working with a purchaser, working hard to put together an offer on a home. The spirit of "I can do this" is everywhere. Not easy but do-able, that is our credo. And of course, there are lots of experts here to help if a problem arises. In this world of doom and gloom of the Real Estate of today, it is reassuring to know that in June these agents sold over 95 Million dollars of real estate, which is not as much as last year for June, but is still a tidy sum. So coming home to Bethesda has it's pleasures as well as it's defeciencies. It seems pretty much like your whole life. Nothing is ever perfect, I guess.

I heard a great story from our van driver, Mr. Gaskell. The other driver had 5 passengers in his van. Just outside the airport, on the highway, one of the passengers lit up a cigarette. Now there were 6 people in the van, and no permission was asked by the smoker to smoke in the van. He just lit up and started smoking. The van driver asked the smoker to put up the cigarette, as there is a no smoking sign in the van. The smoker said that he would put it out when finished. The driver quickly pulled over to the side of the road, stopped the van, opened the door and told him to get out and get another ride or put out the cigarette now. The smoker put it out immediately. I loved the story, because although most folks in Nova Scotia are very polite and friendly, they all stand up for them selves when pushed.

July 17, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. Returning Home.

Coming home to the Washington area comes as a real shock to your system. Many things are so different then when in Nova Scotia. Take the weather for instance. In your mind, you know that the air is cooler and cleaner up north by the sea, but it doesn't feel so different until you come home and you step out of the terminal and wend your way home on the Metro. This air in Washington is hot and humid and polluted. no doubt about it. The next shock is the number of people. Everywhere you look you see people. I have seen more people since I got off the plane at 4:30 than I did the whole two weeks in Nova Scotia. And the people are all different, from every country in the world I think. Lots and lots of tourists riding the subway dressed in the latest casual clothes. Now we were in rush area, so the train cars were crowded, which meant that we got to see the working folks and the tourist folks. It was fun. But goodness, what a shock to your system, the first day home.

There seems to be a new fashion trend for older men. Several times today I saw men wearing business attire, complete with jacket and tie, and wearing a baseball hat. I also saw a man wearing a long sleeved shirt and tie and wearing a baseball hat. This seemed weird to me. Why the baseball hat? GQ must have written article about the well travelled older man wearing business clothes and wearing a baseball hat. It certainly must be trendy because it certainly does look ridiculous.

Tonight we dined with Christina and the girls at a little Italian restaurant close to home. Molly has lots of new tricks and is laughing and chortling out loud. Every one talks to Christina about Molly. It's funny how babies bring out the best in people. Christina and Andrew lived in Italy for a few months when Kate was a baby, and they reported that everyone travelling in Italy should come with a baby. The Italians love babies, so they talked to lots more people because they had the baby with them. Now Kate is eleven and almost as tall as me, with Mary Frances not far behind. Now we will soon be together in Nova Scotia, and that will be nice.

July 16, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Old Friends.

Is called a Folly. You see them in old estates in Ireland and Scotland, where a building is built with ne specific purpose in mind, away off at the end of the garden, just sitting there looking beautiful. The little cabin that Barbara is having built for Gary is called a Folly. Now we should call it Barbaras Folly. I must call her up and tell her the name.

Everyone coming for our celebration in August has been very important to us, and in many cases, are connected to us and our families in many different directions. Take for instance, Eric and Margaret Lepoidevan. They are both younger than us, and they both grew up and married from the Danforth Corps of the Salvation Army. But their backgrounds are different. Eric

July 14, 2008, Western Head, Nova Scotia. Details.

Today I have competed the tasks that were not on my list last week when I thought my tasks had all ready been finished. The more I talked with friends, the more they asked me questions, so a whole new set of tasks appeared on my to do list. So now I have signs ordered to direct people to the cottage, and written directions to get to White Point and to the cottage, also new trash containers which will have signs for sorting the trash. Now I think my list is complete. Now, if I just refrain from talking to anyone about our event I will not develop any more tasks. We go home to Bethesda on Thursday, so I have no more time to do anything anyway. The housing for everyone is in place, the vendors ready I hope, the food service people all prepared, so now all I have to do is relax and enjoy the celebration.

My friend Barbara has done an amazing thing. Her husband Gary is an engineer whose expertise is management, so even though he was retired, he was recruited to work as a manager in Calgary, for a company working in the field of oil exploration. So he commutes to Calgary, and stays there for six weeks or so, then is home in Milton for two weeks. He will be coming home July 31st. His birthday is July 30. Barbara has built a cabin for Gary for his birthday. It is situated half way to the River, behind their house. He knows nothing about it, so he will come home late on the 31st, then the next morning do what he usually does and inspects his property. On the door to the cabin will be a sign that says Happy Birthday Gary. I would love to see his face. The cabin is just darling, with a Lunenbery bump in the front and a deck as well. No windows in the rear, but windows front and side. No electricity and no plumbing. For myself, I can not imagine building a cabin on our property without involving Ken in the process. But I can not imagine having Ken commute to Calgary either. It is great fun to see the little cabin and see the sparkle in Barbaras eyes. She is clearly having fun. Now I await the response from Gary.

July 14, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Dinner Parties.

We have just had the most magnificent series of dinner parties here in The Liverpool area that we began to think we were in other town or in another era. All this week and weekend we have been wined and dined in the home of friends, and such wonderful dinners there were. It makes our dinners at our house look sick!! At one meal we were served a salad of arugula with strips of mango, lime dressing dribbled over the top. It was a good mis of sweet and bitter and tart. The main course was scallops, grilled very lightly, So delicious, tender, sweet and juicy. Big Digby scallops of course. The next night we were a party of ten, served at the green house at the end of the bay right across from us. The three of them must have spent all day preparing the meal for us and it was wonderful. All the silver and crystal and chine was in use. We each had our name on a stone for our place cards. Very clever and very cute, as they live beside a cobble beach. The whole family put together the wonderful meal. Their daughter, who was a big part of the evening, is going to be a Senior in College in the Fall, so she got to use all the things she was taught by her parents and during a course about manners. We had great fun and wonderful food. One of the guests I had not met before, except when he played his bagpipes at the Mersey Band concert. His name was Ross, but I kept calling him Scott, for Scotland. He thought I could not remember his name, so every time I called him Scott, he corrected me. Of course, I kept calling him Scott. Finally, he realized that I was doing it on purpose, so he began to call me Alice. By the end of the evening, every one there had switched to calling us Scott and Alice. It was a very funny scene, and a memorable meal.

My friend Gill is very blunt. She is energetic, hard working, smart, kindly, loving, but blunt. Last night at a dinner party at a friends house, a guest was talking about her difficult husband. This was during the cocktail hour sitting outside under the trees. We were a party of eight. The husband was not there, but we all know him. So the wife is carrying on with examples of how her husband is so difficult. Finally, Gill leans forward, and in a quiet but clear voice asks if there was anything about this husband that the wife used to like. For a moment there was stunned silence, then I roared with laughter, as did the wife. But she continued to complain about him all night.

Finally our friends the Elys are here. So now we are all in our places with sunshining faces. Tomorrow we dine all together at Gills. Our good friends, together again.

July 12, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Canada. Rock.

The urge to sort, store and build with stones seems to be timeless. This morning when I was walking over to Gills, I spotted a stone construction on the cobble beach. At first I thought it was built as a fire pit, but there were no remains of the fire, so then I sttod and wondered why on earth all this effort was expended for no apparent purpose. The structure was not large enough to protect a person from the wind, although, goodness knows the wind blows hard from the sea, but there it was, about three feet high and three feet across, with the stones stacked one on top other to form a real like wall. The surfers use that part of the shore to access the water, and I bet they were planning ahead, to one day, when the surf was up and the wind blowing hard, a fire would be built on the shore to protect the fire from the raging wind. At least, that was the only thing that made sense to me. Or maybe, if rocks are in front of you, a normal person will build a wall.

Today is the kind of day that you would buy a house in Nova Scotia. It is perfect. Of course, in town, everyone will be complaining about the heat. We just smile and agree with them, but really, they do not know anything about real heat. The same is true with traffic. We just smile and agree when they get to complaining about the traffic congestion.

City people buy a house in the country or in a small town because they want to get away from the congestion. They also want a pleasant safe environment free of pollution. Shortly after they move in, they begin to ask for all the amenities they had in the city, and they soon start voting for all the changes that will change the texture of the small town. It is very difficult to resist. My friend Mary told me of the changes in their little sleepy town in Delaware. The towns people voted to keep it simple and quiet, but the city people moved and retired there, and soon changed the plan. Now it is a bustling crowded big town, not exactly what they moved for, but exactly what they got after they voted for all the changes. It is very interesting. Last night we had dinner with friends who bought a house in town two years ago. They are from a major Canadian city and come to Liverpool about ten weeks a year. By the end of the evening, they were making suggestions about what needs to be in place in Liverpool, in order for it to thrive. What they do not seem to understand is that if all those changes are to occur, the town will be changed beyond recognition, and will no long have the same charm of today. They are very nice and well meaning people, and I kept my mouth shut about my response. But one day I will raise the issue again. The city folks who have moved here part time, should be very careful to tell the locals how to run their show. The town is charming and works very well for all the good folks who live there. Let them decide, not me.

JULY 11, 2008. WESTERN HEAD, Nova Scotia, Canada.

While we were out at the cottage working, two essential tasks were accomplished at the house. First and most importantly, the septic system was pumped out. That is a story all it self. The system is working just fine, but at dinner the other night, Mary asked Ken when his septic system was last pumped our, because she knew a lot of people will soon be coming to visit. Of course, Ken reported that we have never done anything to the system, in fact he did not even know when the tank was located. A group vote was held and decided that we needed to get it pumped out. That was on Wednesday night. First Everitt came to tell us the location of the tank. Then George came to remove the part of the deck right over the tank. When the deck was built, he cleverly made sure that the part of the deck over the tank was not attached to anything else, so it was easily removed. Then he dug all the dirt from the tank to find the cap. So today the Company that pumps out septic systems arrived this morning and completed their task. We are ready.

The other task completed was to install a part to one of the garage doors. The door works just fine, except right at the bottom one side of the door does not come flush with the floor. This is not satisfactory, so now it is fixed. Meanwhile, at the cottage, Ken and Vinal put the raft in the water and pulled it out to position. Then they inatalled the ladders,and one small triangle shaped piece of the dock. Now the cottage is ready for the season. I swam for the first time this year. The weather was perfect. Blue sky, bright sun, white clouds. Perfect.

July 10, 2008. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Housework.

The dinner at our home was a great success. Joyce and Bill will be back for our 50th, so I wanted them to meet some of our local friends, so when they return, they know at least some other folks other than our Toronto friends. Instead of one long table, I set two separate tables, and then asked the couples to sit at different tables. In one way, the inclusiveness is a plus when we all sit together at one long table, actually, two tables placed together and covered with table clothes, but in another way the conversation is easier, because everyone can hear all the conversation at your table. The two table set up seemed to work well last night. The conversations were lively and spirited and every one seemed to have a good time. It is always difficult to seat large groups at dinner. I am going to keep a drop leaf table right by the book shelves, in fact, we bought a new one from Barbara Jones today. The old one I keep in the garage and just bring it in for large groups.

Tonight we dined at the Mitchells with Gill. Our house guests left this morning, and I spent the rest of the day doing the laundry and making beds. Some things in our life never changes, and that is doing laundry and making beds. Death and taxes are supposed to be the requirements , but for a woman, laundry and making beds stay with us our whole life through. Now I know that Jackie could deal with the beds, but I do not like the way Jackie makes the beds, so I like to look after my own beds, and for the beds of the guests. Silly but true. I asked Gill, Clif and Mary their opinion on the two tables. Mary said that the other table made so much noise that it was hard for her to hear her own table.(Clif and I were at the noisy table). Clif liked the smaller tables, because of the ease of conversation, while Gill preferred the one long table. Ken also likes the one table. So there you have it. No unanimous decision.

July 9, 2008. Western Head, N.S. House Guests.

Now we have had many, many guests here with us in Nova Scotia. Even Gill commented about these particular guests. They are as pleasant and refined and accomodating as guests could possibly be.. Today they headed out to Lunenberg, right after breakfast, which they had all served their own breakfast. And Bill was up early to make the coffee, so by the time I came down stairs, the coffee was all ready for that first cup. Now it is almost five oclock, and they have just arrived home, and now are sitting on the deck with Ken. Perfect guests. Tonight, our friends are coming for dinner to meet Joyce and Bill and Marion and Allistair. Also Joyce and Bill will be here for the 50th too, so I wanted them to meet some other folks they will also see again in August. We will have a merry time. Someone asked me what we serve for dinner when we entertain, especially when we eat together so often up here in Nova Scotia. I think Mario asked me. Truthfully, I never remember from one time to the next, what we ate the last time. I am sure this is a grave deficiency in my charachter, but even tho I love to eat good food, I do not love tp cook good food, so I do not pay much attention. Here for posterity is the menu: appitizers of cheeses, pate, crackers and nuts. Main corse: mixed grill of pork spareribs, pork loin and sausage, boiled new potatoes, and frozen corn. I must use up the corn because the bag has been in the freezer for a long time, and I hate to waste good food. Dessert: Fresh fruit of local strawberries, honeydew melon and watermelon cut up in a big bowl, along with cookies, fresh baked at the store. It looks easy to me. Lots of wine of course. We are going to open up the 50th wine, and hope it tastes all right. If it tastes awful, we will drink it anyway, as we have 20 cases of the stuff.

Our good friends Wendy and Claussen should be here, but their dog Schooner has bone cancer, so they had to delay their trip one week. They were just told this bad new. We are all feeling very badly about it. Schooner was named after the local beel, chosen while we were all drinking beer in Lanes having lunch and drinking Schooner beer. The dog is part of us up here in Nova Scotia. They hope to leave on Saturday, and will get the Ferry on Sunday. So many trips to Nova Scotia have been cancelled or delayed by illness or death in the Ely family relations or animals. It is almost unbelievable. But it is true. We all wish they were here, and I know they feel the same.

July 9, 2008. Western Head, N.S. CANADA. Guests.

Now I can rest in peace. I spoke to my caterer today. I was unable to speak to him this weekend, and I began to get anxious. He is providing dinner for us on Friday and Sunday at our home over the 50th , and he will drop dinners off to us six times during the two weeks, so if he has quit his business just now would make my life difficult during the time of our 50th. But Liverpool is a small town, so I called his uncle to see if he was still in business, and when George answered that indeed he was still in business and very busy, I began to stop worrying. Then of course, Mitchell the Caterer called to make a date with me to finish up on our arrangements. Now I can really sleep well tonight. Mitchell is a very nice young man, who was born and raised in Liverpool. After graduating from one of the fancy culinary schools, he went to work as the sous chef in an expensive restaurant in Halifax. One day he decided to be his own boss, and he came home and opened a carry out and catering business in Liverpool. He loves to cook and he loves to try new dishes on you. It is amazing to me. The best part is that he is still in business here in Liverpool, becauses he is the only caterer in town, so if he moves to a bigger city I am stuck with my own cooking at parties. I do not like to cook, but between the two of us, we can put on a good party.

Joyce and Bill along with two friends are here staying with us for two days. They were in Newfoundland for two weeks. This is their first time to the East coast for Bill and Joyce and they both wondered why it took them so long to go to the east. Joyce and Bill were both members of the Danforth Salvation Army at the same time as us, and have been friends for a long time. They are a bit younger than us. They will also be coming for our 50th celebration too. Florence, an older sister of Joyce was the leader of our Timbrel Group. Now that was a long time ago. The years go by so quickly. It is amazing though, because even though we do not see each other, we pick it all up with never missing a best. Good friends indeed.

July 7, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Canada. Weather

It is quite remarkable how much cooler it is at our home by the ocean than it is in the town. I would have always assumed it would be cooler out here by the ocean, but today out at Western Head the temperature was almost twenty degrees lower than at the Super Store. The difficulty is what to wear. This morning I put on long cotton pants and a T shirt, also socks and sneakers. I was cool. But when I went to the grocery store in town the temperature was almost ninety. I was hot. Then tonight we went to a Birthday Party for Mary at the Bonds, whose house is at Moose Harbor. I assumed it would be cool, as they live just along the shore from us about two miles so I wore jeans, a shirt and another long sleeved over shirt. Guess what...It was very hot tonight at Moose Harbor and I was too hot, once again.

The good folks in town do not like the heat. They complain, and then they drive out to the loop around Western Head to cool down. The heat is such a relative thing. Today I went to see the people who run the Milton House. Several friends and relatives are staying there in August, so I was checking out the arrangements. The home is lovely with very high ceilings. They were so bothered by the heat that they had our meeting on the front veranda, so I would not be too hot. Now it seemed comfortable to me, but I always just agree, that the weather is really very very hot, and that soon the weather will moderate. Out at Western Head the breezes are always blowing, and often I feel a bit chilly, so I pull on my wool socks and fleece jacket. My local friends think I have some malady. But I do not. I just live in Bethesda, Maryland, and have been since 1970. Before that I lived in Galveston, Texas for 6 years. My blood is thin!!

July 6, 2008. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Canada.

There are many advantages living in a smaller community. For instance, after dinner at home and watching a DVD, we drove the five minuted into town to watch the firework display, the traditional end of the Privateers Weekend. On the way , I called Walt and Mary, who live an easy walk to town, to see if they wanted to come and see the show with us. Of course they said yes, even tho Mary just got out of the shower. So we parked behind their house in their parking lot, and walked to town, and sat on stairs in front of the hardware store. Just a few minuted later, our friends Mary and Gill, and Susie and Jeff came by with their folding chairs, getting ready to watch the fireworks too. Now that would never happen in a big town. Many people had come to see the show too, and it was worth the trip to town. Lots of fun in an easy unhurried environment.

All day today, Ken and I and Vinal and Betty worked hard at the lake. Ken and Vinal put in the dock, while Betty and I took the furniture out of the the garage. It is a big job, but the furniture is all in place and only the raft is needing to be pulled out to the proper spot in the lake. Last winter, the ice twisted part of the deck, so now after repairs and then installing a rock crib, our next winter will not be so hard on the deck. The day was beautiful, but for some reason I did not go swimming, probably because Betty does not swim. After they left, Ken and I sat on the dock enjoying the scenery and the peace and quiet. Ponhook Lake is a lovely lake. Actually, it is a wide spot of the Medway River, so the water is clean as a whistle, but not flowing so fast, so the water is not cold. The little cottage is not quite ready for our friends and relatives who are coming to our 50Th, but it is a lot furthur along that it was yesterday at the same time. Friday we will return to finish the job.

July 5, 2008. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Ivan.

Plan a trip to Halifax to see the Tattoo. It is a magnificant spectacle of bands and dance and drill teams and singers, and of course lots and lots of pipers piping. I loved every bit of it. It is held every year, so make your plans for next years show. Of course, we stayed at the Prince George Hotel, definately not the King Albert, which is located in the red light district. Halifax is a busy place. The down town area has lots and lots of condos and apartments and houses, so people live right in town which means that people are always on the street. Lots of restaurants, lots of pubs, lots of people talking and walking makes for an interesting town, and we enjoyed being there. We finally arrived home at five oèclock today. Gill called to invite us for dinner with the Mitchells and the Bonds, to use up the left-over food from their celebration yesterday. But before we went to dinner, we went to Ivans place to get a pump.

Now Ivan is the owner of a Nursery. He and Ken are buddies, as Ken has bought so much stuff from him over the years. Ivan and Ken talk plantings. Ivan and me talk sculpture. During the winter, he makes these most unusual sculptures, which he then sells in his nursery. His brain is quirky, in that his people all seem full of horror, so I have never been inclined to love his stuff. But the year before last, he made a series of ballet dancers, and this winter he has installed his work at the back of his nursery. Now you can not see his work from the street. In order to see them, you must ask to go around the back. Tonight, when Ken needed a new pump, I asked Ivan if he had installed his ballet people, so he took me to see them. They are stunning. The dancers are larger than life, and five are placed in a row on the top of a hill, surrounded by large stones. Each figure is alone with only blue sky behind them. They are spectacular. Then furthur back in the woods in another large hill, and at the top is a grouping of ten dancers, all wrapped up together. I was astonished with their image, back behind his nursery, all by themselves. I asked Ivan how many people have seen there works of art, and he thinks maby one hundred. So, for your next trip to Liverpool, be sure to stop by Cosbys Nursery, and ask Ivan to go out back to see his work. You will be astonished.

July 4, 2008. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Tattoo.

Today we are going to attend the Royal Nova Scotia Tattoo, in Halifax. When we first told Andrew and Christina that we were attending the tattoo , they looked at us strangely, thinking that we were going to Halifax to get a tattoo, but corrected them by describing rhe event. We have been told that it is a spectacular piece of pageantry, of Scottish origin. This morning, we will drive to Halifax with Mary and Walt, our good friends, poke around Halifax this afternoon, then attend the Tattoo this evening. We will stay overnight in Halifax at the King Edward Hotel, at least I think it is the name, and return home tomorrow. I am sure that some notice will be made about July 4 Celebration of Independance Day in the USA, but if not, we will sing the national anthem all by ourselves. We look forward to a good time of music.

Once again, I am reminded that it is impossible to do everything. Privateers Day is going on in our little town of Liverpool, and we will miss almost the whole thing. But we will not miss the final event, which is the fire works on Sunday night. Also the Kings Orange Rangers have a mock battle on Sunday, so we will check it out too. Our friend Larry from Ottawa is in charge of the production part of the show at the main theater in Ottawa, and after last yearès Privateers weekend, I suggested that he might volunteer his expertise here. He reminded me that here at his home in Liverpool, he is on vacation!!.

July 3, 2008. Western Head, Nova Scotia.

Last night I could not seem to get anything done. Eventually I forced myself to umpack my case and put everything away, but as I wandered through the house and garage the task ahead of me seemed overwhelming. Today, it is all done. Ken is drinking a glass of wine in the living room prior to going to the Macdonalds for dinner. The garage is organized, and is ready for the girls to use it as a play room. I went to the grogery store yesterday so the refrigerator is full. The clothes I brought with me for the 50th are all sorted and put in their proper place. All the phone calls to set up meetings for next week are done. My lists are made for when we go to Halifax tomorrow, also for when I go to the grocery store in preparation for our return. We arrive on the first of August, the same time as David and Suzanne, and Andrew and Christina come on the second along with our other relatives, so by the time we leave here on the sixteenth, I want everything purchased and stored, so I can enjoy the company. I am always amazed at the impact of a good noghts sleep on the ability to function at peak performance.

My friend Gill is here and will be there for the rest of the summer. She has just completed a year at Cambridge University in England, on a sabattical from York University in Toronto. After this summer, she will return to York to teach and to run her research lab. She is a very unusual lady: blunt, stubborn, energetic, smart, driven. We have been friends since the early seventees in Bethesda, where her husband worked in research at NIH. Both her boys were born there and we met at the Y, and she was part of Picnic Group. They moved to Toronto, when Alan became a Professor at the University of Toronto. He died from a brain tumor in 1981, so Gill was left to raise the boys herself. And a good job she did of it too. She is very proud of her boys and their accomplishments, but she never rests on her laurels. After Alan died, Gill completed her PhD in Biology. She was offered a position at a drug company in Switzerland, so the boys agreed to move, as long as they all returned to Toronto after the two years. Then Gill went back to research in Toronto, then took the position as Dean of Science and Engineering at York. She was the first woman dean of Science in Canada. She is a goof friend and lots of fun. She is also the most unusual woman you will ever meet.

We were all at a wedding, and Gill commented to me that she has seen me wearing that same purple dress for the past several weddings. Further, she suggested that I give the dress to her and buy myself another dress, as she was an academic, and I worked in the world of business. Everyone laughed, because I am taller and heavier than Gill and the image of Gill in my dress seemed ridiculous. That was on the Saturday wedding celebration, as we were drinking cocktails. During the salad course, I spilled the dressing all down the jacket of my dress, and my friends at the table all told me that I may as well give the dress to Gill because it was ruined by the grease. Next morning at breakfast, I presented the dress to Gill, with the speech that I had worn that grease laden dress too many times. Gill has been wearing that dress ever since. She first had the cleaners get rid of the grease, the she tried it on and it looked spectacular. At subsequent weddings and parties, you can see Gill in my dress, and she looks great. Just amazing indeed.

July 2, 2008. Gull Bay, Nova Scotia. Arrivals

The town is hopping. This weekend is Privateers Day in Liverpool, and many events will be held here throughout the weekend. It is great fun. But the best part of the day is that we arrived here safe and sound. The house always looks wonderful, even in the fog. Mu favorite parts of coming here are stopping by Mary and Waltès office, and having a cup of tea at Gills house, also having dinner at the Mitchell home with Gill and the Bonds. It is all very exciting. We have not seen each other since last Fall, so this is a special day.

The man who drives us here from the airport told us a funny story. His name is James Gaskill, and he drives a regular shuttle from our town to the airport. He also drives folks to appointments in Halifax. For several years Mr. Gaskill has driven Mrs. Smith to Halifax for her eye oppointments. One day, she had her cataracts removed amd came home with the one eye covered with a patch. One week later, he drove her back for a checkup. He waited for her. When she came out, Mrs. Smith was very excited. Her vision in the eye was 20 20. She sat down in the van and looked at Mr Gaskill and said that I am able to look at you for the first time, and I want you to Know that you are a very handsome man. Then she looked him up and down and furthur reported that he was overweight and needed to go on an exercise program!! He laughed and she laughed and decided together that good vision has a good side and a bad side.

July 1, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. A Day in the Life of Ruth.

My days are not boring Today, my actions have gone from Sellers to Buyers to Agents, all in the midst of their personal trauma. I spoke with one of our Sellers today who was furious with his agent. Most Sellers would be grateful with the action of the agents, but not this one. The property was in the computer on Friday and held open on Sunday, with the Brokers Open today. Saturday, and offer was registered with the listing agent, and sent via fax to the Seller, who was on vacation. The agent has been working with the Seller for a month, getting the property ready for sale, making the fact sheets, taking the pictures, and spending many hours helping the Seller. Both Sellers are lawyers, but I was dealing the husband only, although our agent has been screamed at by the wife. The Sellers are furious, because the agent under priced the property. They have totally lost faith in the agent and would not sent the full priced offer back signed. I got involved this morning, when it became obvious that the situation was impossible. I listened, and listened and listened, then asked for his wishes. He demanded a new agent. No problem. He sent back the ratified contract tonight, and poor Suzanne will have to deal with him now and of course Ned and Carole..

Then another set of Sellers were in tears because, after ten days, their agent suggested the price be adjusted, of course, down. Not much to be done with that except sympathize. This couple in tears would love to have the situation of the screaming Seller, but the crying Sellers were at least very gracious. From the agent's standpoint, if two more weeks goes by, we will almost be in August, which is a much slower market that July. So they changed their price.

Our Sales Meeting was fun. We do so many silly things at sales meeting. Today we gave out two more bowling shirts. We are bowling for Billions, so the first Tuesday of the month, those who have been given bowling shirts wear them to the sales meeting. And of course I always wear a hat. Today, in honor of Canada Day, I wore a hat with a Moose on the top, wearing a Canadian flag. On tour, the houses are so well turned out and spiffy. Now I hope they are priced well.

Then the best thing that happened today occurred after I was at the apartment having dinner with Andrew, Christina and the girls. I have worked with this agent for many many years. He came over and asked me to come down to the lobby in private. I thought it was another difficult case, but no, he wanted to tell me that his girlfriend, soon to be wife was going to have a baby. I was thrilled for them and totally surprised. And that ended my long day on a very exciting note. Now we fly to Nova Scotia tomorrow, where we will have dinner with Mary and Cliff and Gill. And we will have a hot tub while listening to the sea. Now that is a little bit of heaven!!