January 30, 2008. San Antonio, Tx. Antiques.

It is wonderful to have a mission. David told us last evening while watching the replays of "Antiques Roadshow" that he wanted a piece of furniture for their bedroom. He wanted a very nice piece of antique furniture, either a long buffet or a hutch. Suzanne mentioned that if we are looking for the large piece, two smaller tables were needed too. After accompanying the girls to their cowboy breakfast at school, Ken and I measured the spaces and then headed out to the antique stores of San Antonio. Now we have shopped often in these places, but just to be sure, Ken looked up all the places on our new GPS and sure enough, a large antique store was six blocks from their home. Their furniture was beautiful but expensive, but we were pleased to find this fine store just around the corner. We headed down to our old haunts and found much less expensive furniture, but also not as nice, so we kept going. Nothing quite fit the bill.

On our way over to our favorite stores, Ken spotted a sign for antiques so we quickly made a U turn. Our system in stores is efficient. Ken and I start at opposite sides of the store and when we meet in the middle, we tell each other what to look for, then when we have each seen everything in the store, we compare notes and check out the possibilities. If something wonderful strikes both of us, I call David. No calls have been made to David yet, and it was past two o'clock. We got lucky. The last store we saw had one smaller table and two large buffets. When I described them to David, he came right over with his truck, chose the best of the large pieces and after paying, loaded the two on his truck. Fortunately, Suzanne was at home, so Ken and I were able to direct the action while David and Suzanne unloaded the furniture and put them in their place. I must say that the furniture in their place looks lovely. Ken and I had a mission, which was accomplished.

January 29, 2009. Bethesda, Md. Ice, Ice, Ice.

Yesterday morning schools were cancelled. The streets were impassable, all because of ice. On Monday, snow was forecast for Wednesday, so of course, all events were cancelled for Wednesday. Tuesday, light snow was falling at five in the morning, so schools were cancelled, as were all our meetings. It snowed one inch before stopping. Rain started to fall late evening on Tuesday and kept falling all night. No snow at all on Wednesday, but as the temperature dropped overnight, the rain turned to ice so by the morning everything was covered with a thick layer of ice. From the apartment the foliage looked glorious, but down at the ground level not everything was so rosy. My car has not looked so good for years with it's thick covering of ice soating every surface. Just getting to the car was a trick.

It took me thirty minutes to get the ice off my windows and by then my car was warm so I was comfortable on the drive to work, but those thirty minutes of scraping were not easy. Ken's truck is parked in the garage, as the by-laws prohibit parking trucks outside in the parking lot. In truth, Ken's truck is much more valuable than my old car, so until now our system has worked very well. But in the morning, at twenty degrees with a half inch of ice covering my car I decided that our system was not fair. A ladies car should be in the garage!! Schools were cancelled on Wednesday too, as the roads were all ice covered. The sun shone all day and the temperature rose, so by evening, there was not a sight of snow and ice. The school openings were delayed two hours today, due to the cold weather. I just put on my fur coat and stepped into my car, newly washed by the ice, and headed into work, feeling smug that it only took one minute to leave the parking lot, rather than the thirty minutes it took me yesterday.

To top it all off, the cable into the building was broken by the ice, so last evening we had neither Internet or TV connection. Tonight we fly to Texas, where snow and ice will not be in their forecast, but where four little girls will come to greet us. I am not wearing my fur coat!!

January 27, 2009. Bethesda, Md. Snow.

You will not believe it, but in the Washington area, when snow is forecast, all scheduled events are cancelled. Monday, the weather man told us that a snow storm was coming on Wednesday, so immediately, most events were cancelled for Wednesday. The reality is that most forecasts for snow are wrong, so mostly the snow does not come, but in the Washington area, when it snows, everyone stays home, except for those hardy Canadians who get to work in any weather. Also those folks from Buffalo. They think it is ridiculous to cancel. Today, schools were cancelled at five o'clock a.m., even though it stopped snowing at nine. In the office, when the schools are cancelled by inclement weather, we cancel all scheduled meetings, so today we had no sales meeting. The reason people stay home when it snows is interesting. Many people have moved here from the South, so drivers have no clue while driving on ice and snow. The hills are many and high. The equipment for removing and plowing snow is too few in number. And everyone knows that if you wait, the snow will melt. Sometimes the snow does not melt, so eventually the snow must be shovelled and the streets plowed, but in the meantime, everyone stays home.

Years ago, we had a really big snow and of course, only four or five agents were able to get into the office to help out with the phones. To say thank you to those few folks, I ordered Chinese food for lunch, as a way to say thank you. I continued that policy, without saying anything to anyone, but bit by bit the rumor got out, and soon calls come into the office to ask if we are serving Chinese food today. So the agents will come into the office just to each lunch with us. It is a lot of fun, and from a practical standpoint, once the staff and agent gets to the office, work is what they do. We get a lot of work out of the agents and staff, just because I set out to reward the good behaviour of those few agents. But Thursday is our all office seminar, and our event goes on despite the snow or the schools. We are a hardy group of rugged individuals, and we stop at nothing...except two inches of snow.

January 26, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. It's the Age.

If it wasn't happening to us I would not believe it. Four of our agents have died in the past two months. I think it is due to our age, but my goodness, we have been brought low with these deaths. All the agents who died had been agents for a long time and we have all worked together for many years. They were all honorable productive agents and we will miss them all.

Kristine Redman died six weeks ago, after several years fighting ovarian cancer. She was Belgian by birth and married Buck, who was of Spanish descent but who was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. Kristine was a lady, very soft spoken and quiet. She was an excellent agent and an excellent gardener. Kristine and Buck loved to travel as did their two daughters. Kristine's Mother died of the same disease and died when Kristine was pregnant with her first child. Five years ago Kristine was diagnosed with the cancer, and during those years saw her grandchildren born and thrived. She was thrilled to be able to enjoy being a grandmother. We will miss her.

Jung Lee died four weeks ago. Jung was a prince of a man. He was elegant and hard working and was very successful working with the Korean society. He was Korean, and worked in the Korean Military before emigrating to America. His children were born here and he was very active in his church. In fact, for his family, he was the rock. Three years ago, Jung started to have difficulty with his back. This was the first time he was unable to complete every task and he did not enjoy this feeling. Next he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and worked through all the necessary medical procedures and he seemed to be getting better. but he died just before Christmas. We will miss him.

Gerry Bernstein died two weeks ago, the same afternoon after working that morning. He was the oldest agent in the office, and came to us after a successful career building large commercial properties. After a heart attack, he sold his company. Over the years working with Gerry, every one learned from him about how to lead your life. Every morning he came to work, even though he was 81 years old. He was a wealthy man but he wanted to earn his money now, and to spend that money to pay his daily bills. He was an amazing man. He was a gentleman and loved talking to people. Every morning he walked around the main floor speaking to each agent, just to say hello. He wanted to work right up until he died, and he did. He had a massive heart attack the same afternoon that he had worked in the morning. We will miss him.

Jay Schuck died this weekend, from a massive stroke. He fell at home, in their basement and his head hit the floor. He never regained consciousness. Jay came into real estate from the government, joining his wife Susan who was a successful real estate agent. Two of their boys joined them too, and the Schuck's worked together successfully for many years. Jay was a very funny man and we all enjoyed his humor. Physical ailments surfaced and he became a diabetic, then three years ago he under went triple by-pass surgery which was successful. His recovery was long and difficult and he did not really ever return with his former spirit. Now he has died. The Family is a very close loving family, which is not easy to do when the Family works together, but they were able to be supportive of each other, even when Jay was not feeling at his peak. We will miss him.

We have lost four honorable productive agents. All agents enjoyed working. I remember these four with gratitude.

January 25, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Friends.

Our friends are going to all kinds of places. Wendy and Claussen are going to New Zealand for three weeks, leaving mid February. Claussen is retired, sort of. He works forty hours a week, takes one full day off in addition to the weekend, and he is taking three weeks away every time they are away. Their plans are to fly to Los Angeles and stay overnight with Tish and Matt, then fly directly to Sydney for three days, then on to New Zealand for the three weeks, staying the whole time on the south island. Their resorts and itinerary sounds interesting. They fly home to Los Angeles, then directly home after changing planes. That is a trip I would like to take, except for the very long plane ride. Mary and Cliff were there last year, so while Gill is in town in February, they all will gather at their house in Annapolis to see their pictures. Also in February, Mary and Cliff will journey to Death Valley, California. Mary gave Cliff a book for Christmas telling all the National Parks that have beautiful big rustic lodges, and Cliff wants to see the place in Death Valley. They are staying only one week out West. Of course, we told them that one week is too short a time, so we will see if they are going to change their plans. In April they will visit friends in New Orleans and travel out into the country for day trips. The area around New Orleans is very interesting and historic, and most folks visit New Orleans and then head for home, without visiting any of the surrounding attractions. Ken and I are always either going or coming. Now we soon go to Texas late this week. While we are gone, Gill is coming here for the weekend, just to visit. She will stay with Mary and Cliff in Annapolis.

Tonight we had dinner together, at the Ely's home in Potomac. Tonight it was a special night, because this was the first time we have seen the Mitchells since we were all together in Nova Scotia. Wendy cooked a stew, which was perfect for a cold night. Mary and Cliff are both totally retired and enjoy every part of their retirement. Mary is learning to play a flute so she can play in the Mersey Band next summer. Gill is still working full time with her research projects. She also teaches a course at York University, where she was the Dean of Science and Engineering. Her work load is much diminished from her days past . Wendy looks after her dogs and cats and horse, and reads more than all the rest of us. In fact, she has given each of us a new book, to be taken to Nova Scotia to be shared to each other. And Wendy is continuing her new years resolution of disposing one object each day, except she is using the Irish method of throwing out three items at a time, then forgetting for a few days before adding a few more for the dump. This morning Wendy told Claussen very proudly that she had thrown out three objects. He asked her what they were, because he did not want his stuff put out for the trash. Of course, Wendy could not remember what the three objects had been that went to the trash bin. This aging process has it's bad sides!!

It is wonderful to have good friends. We have known each other for over thirty years, through good times and bad times. We have watched our children grow up and watched each other grow old. The one constant over the years is that we have always had a very good time together. And we still do.

January 23, 2009, Bethesda, Md. Difficult Times.

Even the Washington area is feeling the impact of the economy. Buyers are eager to buy their new home, but are very reluctant to put pen to paper and write their offers. The mortgage industry has moved the pendulum from ridiculously lenient to unreasonable strict. For instance, a person is able to own only four mortgages, so at a time when an investor who is wealthy and able to purchase investment property, the mortgage industry is prohibiting the purchase. This is a stupid practice and is harming sellers as well as buyers. The Sellers are the most anxious, as although many buyers are looking at their home and visiting the open houses, the offers are not coming in so their houses are not selling. Of course, the price at which the buyer will write an offer is difficult to determine, so unless the seller is determined to sell that house and will make the necessary correction to the price, the property will languish. For a real estate agent, it is a time of trying to figure out the correct path for each particular home.

Agents are following two paths. One the one hand they are adding patience to their already big bag of expertise when dealing with buyers. If you are wise and have a strong stomach with secure income, buying is the right thing to do in the Washington area, so the agents are catering to those buyers who are in that position. On the other hand they are all increasing their sphere of influence by 20%so when that great train full of buyers and sellers comes down the track, barrelling our way, we will have the buyers and sellers ready are willing to use our services. The anxiety of the agents is high, but they are all putting their efforts into activity, rather that spending any time worrying about the market. We believe that this real estate market in Washington is the best one we have right now, so we will embrace it and try to not only survive but also to thrive. Regina and Carol say that they both are looking for the agents success, because they have become to enjoy their life style!! And we all know that what every Carol and Regina tells us to do, is what we will do. In 2008, our volume of sales was just shy of one Billion, so we almost kept Carol and Regine happy. This is pretty good for economy we experienced in 2008.

January 22, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Kennel Club.

This year we had fewer people at Kennel Club. I was delighted to have 30 agents on the list to qualify for Kennel Club. But the spirit was the same. Lia's was the restaurant of choice, in Friendship Heights. The meal was magnificent and was perhaps the most elegant dinner ever , with a different wine for each of the six courses. The gold dog was a terrier. All the agents in attendance loved the evening, and now are keen to make the list next year. Receiving an invitation to Kennel Club is very difficult. An agent must have three transactions for ten months of the year, or have 36 transactions in the year. Each month we have a Top Dog Lunch, for all the agents who had the three transactions that month. It all is very silly, but it is a lot of fun. I give each Agent a different gold dog at Kennel Club, so by now an agent who made Kennel Club each year would have 18 gold dogs. As the price of gold continues to go up, the size of our dog goes down, so perhaps we will end up with a toy poodle. It is all great sport and the agents love the event.

For my 65Th birthday, the agents gave me a gold charm bracelet. Each charm was one of the gold Kennel Club dogs. Each year I add the latest dog to my bracelet. By now I wear on my wrist a lot of gold. This year at Kennel Club, Rhonda was wearing a new bracelet, given to her for Christmas by her husband , containing all her gold dogs as charms on her bracelet. She was not aware that he had removed her seven dogs from her drawer, but when she opened her Christmas gift, there was her charm bracelet of all her dogs. Now she moved from California eight years ago and joined our office seven years ago, so made Kennel Club every year. She was thrilled with her gift and has been wearing it every day since Christmas. Gary was the only agent last evening who had been present at every one of our dinners, so last evening he wore every dog on his tie. It looked very impressive indeed, although a tad ridiculous. It is all in good sport. It certainly is one of the most enjoyable events of the year.

January 20, 2009. Bethesda, Md. Inauguration Day

It was a special day in Washington. The Mall was full of two Million people. Almost eight hundred thousand people used the Metro. Almost everyone in town watched from the comfort of their home. At the office, when we usually have one hundred agents at the sales meeting we had twenty five, so we used our conference rooms for the meeting and held an intimate brainstorming session. The weather on the Mall was cold too , so in addition to the crowds of people and the crowded subways you had to put up with trying to keep warm. But no matter the stress and difficulty, many of our agents wanted to be part of the action down town. The spirit in the town is alive. It is really quite a remarkable weekend. Now the agents are wandering back to the office, trying to get warm. One of our staff person got to work at 1:30, after leaving for home at ten o'clock. The Red line, which she normally uses, was closed when a man fell in front of a train and her car was trapped. So she waited. Now the rest of the people on the Mall will watch the parade, after they have thawed out. I am so glad I was not down on the Mall today.

The transfer of authority to the next President is always so impressive, especially when you see how other countries struggle with the transition. I have lived here for almost forty years, and as the President is sworn in every four years, I have seen many inaugurations. This one is different. Every one knows that this is different and wants to see the story unroll right before their eyes. I certainly wish the new President well. We certainly do not need him to be a failure. I was trying to remember how many agents took part in the inauguration in times past. I quite frankly can not remember the agents being involved at all in the past. But this year was different and special and was clear to even me!!

January 19, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Cold.

To say that something is cold is very inaccurate. Ken was talking on the phone to his Mother one day many years ago and she commented to him that they were having a warm spell in Parry Sound. She went on to say that everyone was so pleased to have this lovely warm weather for a bit after the bitterly cold weather they had been experiencing that winter. When asked what the temperature was, she said the thermometer outside her back door was registering fifteen degrees F. where it had been twenty below zero. Ken agreed with her, that it was lovely to have this mild spell in Parry Sound. She further said that at twenty below, a person had to bundle up when walking to town, but now the temperature was fifteen degrees, walking is easy and you don't bother much about many extra clothes and scarves. At the time, we were living in Texas, where the good folks talk about cold weather when the temperature is forty, and they certainly do not sent their children out to play in this cold weather. On the other hand, any temperature below zero F. is cold in any place in the land.

Friday night at the farm we went down to the hot tub. The outside temperature was six degrees F. That is cold in any place on earth. It was exhilarating to get into the hot tub, though you had to move quite quickly. The sky was clear and the stars bright. It was a beautiful night. The snow was crunchy and the air was dry, and we sat for a long time n the hot water enjoying the heat. Eventually we were forced to get out into the cold air, but by now we have a system. Our big terry robes we leave in the bathroom to keep warm, and we wrap ourselves in large towels to get into the hot tub from the house. Then we quickly get into the tub and cover up to our necks, never taking arms or shoulders out of the water. Also no bubbles or jets, as they both cool down the water. When you get out of the water, steam comes off your whole body. Ken looks like a spirit instead of a husband. The temperature first thing Saturday morning was minus ten degrees F. which at the farm is about as cold as it gets. By Sunday afternoon the weather was mild, at thirty eight degrees F. and our friends there were happy with the mild weather. Of course, our Texas Family tells us that things are very cold this year. Today it was forty degrees F. Now I ask you, how can a person stay warm with this cold weather in Texas? I guess all temperatures are relative to what you become accustomed to experience.

The Inauguration will be held tomorrow and it will be cold. They are predicting twenty with a strong wind. I am sorry for all the people who will be out for so long in the cold. Several friends from work have tickets for the swearing in ceremony, while others are going to watch the parade. I hope they dress warmly!!

January 8, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Friends.

We are so fortunate. While we were away in Mexico enjoying the warm weather, Bedford County had a storm. It rained and it rained and it rained. The real problem was the temperature. It was very very cold, so when the rain fell, the rain turned to rain, and the tree branches cracked and fell and the roads were impassable. Of course, the electrical lines came down when the broken branches fell to the ground. Our electricity was out of commission for thirty hours. Our friends Tammy and Bryan come by to be sure everything in the houses are fine, but after the third day, Bryan was fearful that all the meat in the freezer would thaw, so he brought the generator up from the barn to hook up our electricity to keep our meat frozen. Now I call that a good friend. Remember that when the electricity is not working, the water pump will not work, so Bryan can not run the water at the barn. Normally, the cattle drink at the creek, but the temperature is so low the creek is frozen, so Bryan keeps a tub of water in the barn. Now when we moved from our Franklin house, we had Keith build a wine cellar in the basement, so our wine could be transferred. Keith had never built a wine cellar, but Ken gave him the details, and it has served us well ever since. Keith commented at the time that our wine cellar was the first one in Bedford County.

We bought our first farm in 1973, along with Dave and Irene, so we have known our local friends ever since. They have always considered us as ordinary nice people, even though Ken was a Doctor who they could question. We bought our new farm in 1997, and I can tell you, installing the wine cellar in the old farm house moved us into a whole new group. The story of our wine cellar was told to everyone. Andrew had always been an endless number of stories for Bryan to relate, as Andrew had over the years come up with several actions that a country boy would never have done. Bryan and Andrew get along very well together, but Bryan still calls Andrew "City", not Andrew. Bryan had a young man with him when he was hooking up the generator, and told the helper all about the wine cellar. Three other men who had been working at the barn came over to the basement to see the wine cellar too. Bryan took them all over to the wine cellar, only to discover that the cellar was locked. He told us today that he was kind of glad the door was locked, because he felt sure the men wanted a bottle to drink right then and there. Bryan regaled us with the story today. Ken and I were just happy that such responsible friends take care of our property. We are very fortunate with our Family and Friends.

January 16, 2009. Bethesda. Sourpuss.

Do people get to become a sourpuss or are they born? Yesterday at the airport in Mexico, I observed a lady waiting for her husband. Her face was glum and her mouth was turned down and her forehead was frowning. Now I wondered if she was always like this or was this unusual for her to look so glum, or perhaps was she irritated with her husband? Ken and I were eating breakfast at an Italian restaurant and we were having a wonderful time. It was almost eleven o'clock and Ken was eating spaghetti with meat balls and I was eating Pizza, so no wonder we were loving life. The other aspect of our day was that we have fun at airports. We have nothing to do but enjoy our day, so I spy on people and Ken reads. And we talk. Several other times during the morning this same lady appeared, and her demeanor never changed. I wanted to ask her why she was so angry. Did she not want to leave the wonderful weather? Ken thinks that people have a predisposition to find the sad part of any event. You know the old thing about the glass half full or half empty. He thinks you are born with it. Now she may be the nicest person in the world, but as she is over 50, her face is probably fixed in place by now. She certainly presents an angry face to any stranger, and I bet she gets angry responses back.

Now last night in Bethesda the temperature was six degrees F. Today is very cold too. But the sun is shining, and any day the sun shines is fine with me. Now we go to the farm where it will be even colder. But we have very little snow in Washington, nor at the farm. We know the cattle have plenty of food and we hope that neither house has run out of oil. We will see. The hills of Western Maryland are always beautiful to see and we will enjoy the drive.

January 14, 2009. Mexico. ECOLE DE CUISINE.

Gilles FeFort is his name. Last evening he cooked dinner for us, and what a good chef he is. He prepared dinner while we sit around the counter drinking champagne and eating pate. While he cooks, he talks and tells us what he is doing and what he is using in the preparation. It was very festive and gay. The menu was provided along with the recipes so we watched to be sure he was following the recipe. He and his wife opened the restaurant/cooking school in 2000 in Bucerias, and the first thing they did was build the dining room and kitchen for the restaurant, and they have operated like this school every since. He cooks when he has six customers, up to a maximum of eighteen, and so far they are still in business. He is French and his wife Margarita is from Mexico City. They met and married in Southern California and they have three daughters, two who joined us at dinner last evening.

Before our very eyes, be made Quiche Lorraine, then popped it into the oven. Beef Fillet in pepper sauce was next, also the sauce for the meat, followed by Raspberries Jubilee while the meat was setting. I did not know much about setting beef. I thought it just had to wait until the next course was ready, but no, that was a plan. When all the food was ready and the quiche artfully arranged on the plate, we adjourned to the large dining table, where one by one the courses were served by the daughters and wife. The food was wonderful and the setting elegant. We will certainly return to Gilles kitchen for another dinner. The first people to make reservation get to chose the menu for the evening. Next time we will choose something very complicated. It was a lovely evening indeed. Now tomorrow we travel home, where the weather will be cold. But I always love to go home!!

January 13, 2009. Mexico. Massage.

It started by being told no. The Japanese restaurant looked interesting, so a couple of years ago, we went into the hotel lobby, only to be told NO. This Vallarta Palace is an all inclusive hotel, and only guests are allowed to eat at the Japanese restaurant. We were shut out. Every day we walked past this restaurant and every time we were irritated by this situation, because the restaurant was never full. One morning last week while walking by, I suggested to Ken that we go into the hotel and ask for information, so we did. First we had to speak to the security man at the gate, who took us to the person in charge of information. He told us all about the hotel and their system, and told us to go on line for additional information. Finally, I asked him the real question which was, "How can we dine at the Japanese restaurant?" He laughed and said that it was impossible, except for two options. The first was to buy a day pass for $81. each, which would include everything going on at the hotel for that day. The second option was to take a tour of the facilities, and hear their story for an hour and a half, then be given a day pass for any day we wish, at no charge. As we had nothing to do at all, we made a date for the following Monday at 11:00. So now we have it after all. We are going to be able to dine at the Japanese restaurant at no charge, other than a few hours of our time. And it all started out by not accepting the NO.

I had a free massage too. The day of our all day pass, Ken and I ate every meal at the Vallarta Palace, and attended their concert in the evening. It was fun being a part of an all inclusive resort again, and the guests are friendly and pleasant, as is the staff. I was given a free massage that afternoon and it was wonderful. Ken would say that it was not free. It was given to us when we signed up for 100 weeks at the Palace resorts, situated in Mexico and the Dominion Republic. So out of our free day has come the membership, plus the right to visit and pay for their resorts. Again we were thinking about our aging years and planning ahead. We will be ready when we are eighty, and we have enough weeks for friends and family. But my massage was still free!!

January 11, 2009. Mexico. Sunday Afternoon.

Suzanne is walking on the beach. Ken is napping while watching the football game between Pittsburgh and San Diego. I was reading "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene, but decided as the network server here is often out of business late at night, I would do my little web log. Several times during this visit I have been unable to get on the Internet late at night, so I have taken to write early in the day. You might have thought that I was lazy, but that would not have been true. I was foiled by the Server. This morning we three rode the trolley. The last time Suzanne was here it was not running, nor was Ken able to ride it, so today we rode around twice, before walking around on the other side of the canal. An artist lives and has a studio over there. He is very good too so the next time we are over there we will speak to him. Today an older couple were deep in conversation with him, so we were not able to find out any information, such as his prices. I am a little tired of the art in the apartment here. Every unit has the same prints of typical Mexican scenes. Our lunch over there was delicious. Red Snapper for Suzanne and Ken and Mussels for me, along with an exotic salad. When arriving home we ate ice cream and drank a cup of tea. Life is good.

It seems that Chicago has a long history of corruption. I have just finished "The Devil in the White City", by Eric Larson. Dave and Irene included it in my Christmas books, even though their book club read it a few months ago. I was delighted to read it, as I have read a lot about the 1893 Exposition in Chicago, but had not written this particular book. It is a good read, especially is you like Chicago. I did skip over the evil character, Dr. Holmes, but I was fascinated with the people who put the whole Fair together, especially when you realize that they did it all in just over two years. Those nineteen Century people took on those big projects and did not think anything about it. They just did them. In this day and age, trying to get anything done at all is difficult, but trying to get the big projects approved and implemented and completed is almost impossible. But one thing that has not changed is that even all those years ago, an under current of crime and corruption existed in Chicago. Somethings just never change.

Now, this book belongs to Irene, so I am taking this book with me to Nova Scotia and will lend it to Mary M., who has not read it and who was born in Chicago, Then I will return the book to Irene this summer when they come to visit us in Nova Scotia. That is a good plan.

January 10, 2009. Mexico. New Friends.

It was a charming scene, the little girl wearing a gaily colored hat, staring at a map trying to match the numbers with the pictures on the wall, with her Father just behind trying to be helpful. She was wearing a shirt over her bathing suit and wearing crocs. It was the hat that first caught my attention. She seemed to be about four or five and was certainly intent on matching every number on the map. Finally the shuttle bus came and I suggested to the Father and Mother that she might become a cartographer. They agreed that she was certainly very interested in maps. The sports club was our destination, they to take the little girl to the water play area and they then to play tennis, Ken and I to work out at the gym. That was our first but brief encounter. Two days later we were again waiting at the shuttle, but now the little girl is telling her Mother very confidently where all the numbers belong on the map. Again we chatted with the Mother, while the Father was working on the computer in their apartment.. They are again going to the play area. The Mother casually mentioned when getting on the shuttle bus that she had forgotten her sneakers to use while lifting weights. I suggested that perhaps the powers that be in the gym would allow her to lift wights wearing flip flops.

I was using the stationary bike which overlooks the large lap pool, and noted that the Mother was swimming laps. I was just at the end of my exercise program. Normally I use the bike as warm up, but the bikes I like best were full, so I finished up with the cardio stuff. I thought that perhaps the Mother could use my shoes. I always wear crocs in the locker room, so wear them out for lunch and then home. So after my work out but before my shower I stopped by the lap pool, to discover that the person I thought was the Mother was not the same one, so I figured that the girl and Mother were in the play area. I found them and offered my sneakers, which pleased the Mother, then arranged for the three to come to our apartment for a glass of wine at six o'clock and return my shoes. Now we had no pen or paper and I just told her our number 701. She repeated the number several times but I can tell you, unless the number was written down, that number would never stick in my brain. Up till then, we had never exchanged names. When the time came of six o'clock and they had not appeared, Ken suggested that I had just donated my shoes, as other than a description, how could they ever find us, if she forgot the number.

They did appear and we drank beer and wine for the next few hours, sitting in our living room, eating cheese and crackers and talking. By the time we realized the time, it was nine-thirty. Kinsey Joe, who has just turned five, was a perfect guest, enjoying one type of cheese, and playing with her cars and trucks. She loved exploring our apartment, which was like hers in furnishings and style but otherwise is just like her place. It was a marvel to her. Mike and Tracy like to travel so we had much to talk about and of course, they are young energetic and live in Seattle, so our conversation was lively and engaging. Ken and I enjoyed meeting them. Today they return to the real world of Seattle, so they suggested that we have dinner together their last night, and that we dine in a new restaurant to them, but somewhere we know and have enjoyed. We selected The Fajita Republic, a restaurant just a long walk along from our resort. The moon was full and the evening was warm and we had a wonderful time. Kinsey Joe discovered that the adjacent table had a small computer, showing a cartoon to the little boy, and she watched that cartoon the whole meal, until the adjacent table left, where she promptly asked her parents for one of her own. Now we have exchanged e mails, and I feel sure that these good folks will be part of our life. We enjoyed talking to them. He works for Microsoft, she looks after the little girl and plays a lot of golf and tennis. She broke 90 on the very difficult golf course here on Thursday, so she was thrilled. They discovered that we are much older than they realized, in fact, we are older than their parents, but they seemed to understand our adventuresome spirit, which we hope will never leave us.

I am delighted to have gotten to know these new friends. Now we await the arrival of Suzanne R., who is definitely not a new friend, but as the old adage says, 'no friends like old friends'. We will enjoy her visit.

January 8, 2009. Mexico. Ice and Snow.

When I turn eighty, winter for me will never see ice or snow. My intention, when I am eighty or older, is to be either in the South or in Mexico. Not even a week will I see ice and snow. No Never. My Sister just fell in the parking lot of a store. Her feet flew out in front of her and her head hit the pavement hard. A very nice man came to her rescue and helped her into her car, where she called her son Ben who came immediately and took her to the hospital where after multiple types of x rays determined that she had no broken bones but had a concussion. It left her nauseated and prone to fainting, so they kept her in the hospital for two days until she was able to be up and about on her own. Now she is home, but not able to get around much. She is the only driver in their family, and as they live on a lake south of Owen Sound, they are very much isolated. Except they have good friends in Owen Sound and around the lake, so I think they will be fine, but it is not a pretty picture for her.

The most irritating aspect of the whole thing for Carol is that she was being very careful, picking her way across the parking lot and staying away from the ice. She was wearing very clunky boots with a heavy tread. But she stepped on a piece of the blacktop that was covered by ice, the so called 'black ice', and her feet just flew up in the air and her head hit the pavement behind her. I asked her if she was walking quickly, but she said she was not. Of course I do not believe her because she does everything quickly, but I guess for her she was walking slowly. She still hit her head on the pavement and now is at home recovering from her concussion, unable to drive or do much of anything at all. So you see, when I am eighty, I am not going into the land of ice and snow. No, not me. She is older than me too. Now that I am 71, I promise I will be careful when I am in the snow and Ice season, and when I become eighty, I will winter in Texas, Mississippi or Mexico. You can bet on it.

Now one of the reasons I am so sensitive to falling on the ice has to do with my Grandmother. She was in good health at 95, still able to speak at church meetings. She read widely, and still read, wrote and spoke French as well as her native English. The only problem for her was her arthritis. She fell on the ice when she was getting into the car, and broke her hip. She lived in Toronto , where the medical care was excellent, but she contacted pneumonia while in the hospital and she died. It seemed so silly to me, that this very able lady slipped on a piece of ice and then died. I decided right then and there, that when I am 95, I am not going outside in the ice and snow. In fact, now that I am smarter now than when I was 22, I have decided that 80 is the cut off. Call me a chicken if you want, but not for me a slip on the ice. No never. Not me. Not ever.

January 6, 2009. Mexico. Lunch.

I love to have lunch there, sitting on the balcony overlooking the eighteenth hole. i am not sure just why I Ike it so much. Of course, the view is beautiful, looking all the way down the fairway and watching the golfers get in and out of the sand traps. And of course the weather is lovely, with the sky blue and the temperature 80 degrees. The birds amuse us there too. The sparrows peck on the dishes that are left by the waiters to be carried to the kitchen. We spotted the great Kiskadee from that balcony, and after we bought a bunch of books we have seen them every day. The food of course is excellent too, and after our exercise, we are always hungry. So put it all together and it adds up to a great place for lunch.

I really think that watching the golfers refuse to putt out the whole is the reason I like to sit and watch. And the other reason is watching so many golfers cheat. Now it makes no sense to me, but apparently it is common in the golf world to write down your score when you have never put the ball in the hole. This is not one inch from the hole. We see golfers pick up their ball when they are three feet away from the hole. Not being a golfer means I do not know the proper etiquette, but I know one thing, and that is the good golfers quit when they put the ball in the hole and then record their score. Ken says the reason they cheat is that the score does not matter, or they think they are holding the waiting golfers back from continuing their play. Being a bit of a purist, it seems to me that if you are going to play the game, all the rules should be in force. Maybe they have made up a house rules, that anything within three feet is considered to have finished the hole. I wanted to ask some of the golfers to see if those were their rules, but Ken kept me in check and said it was really none of my business whether they cheat at golf or not. He is right, but my goodness, from my observation, about eighty percent of the golfers that we watch when we have our lunch, cheat in one way or another. It is just amazing to me. And I think that is why I enjoy our lunch at the golf course so much.

January 5, 2009. Mexico. The Christmas Quails.

Two small quails were in a cage in the garage, when we arrived for Christmas in Texas. The menagerie at school asked for volunteers to adopt two button quails and of course, Abigail and Sarah put up their hands. Both the fifth and fourth grades share all the animals in the menagerie, so after a phone call request for approval to the Mother, the two very cute quails arrived home. The agreement was for the girls to care for the birds totally, which included feeding, watering and cleaning. Suzanne's role was to purchase a much larger cage. Another rule was to keep the quails in the garage. Now Suzanne does not like the birds and David thinks the quails should be let loose in the back yard, but all four girls are addement. " We will look after the quails".

Now the cold weather arrived to find the poor little birds shivering, so the quails came into the craft room, which meant the cage had to be cleaned every day. Next, the dining room was the home of the quails. By now the feathers are coming in very nicely and are actually very pretty little birds. David and I went into the craft room to see them and hold them and of course, one got away from David and he had a devil of a job to get the bird back in the cage. By now they kind of fly around. Another interesting thing about these birds is that Crush, their yellow labrador retriever dog never even notices the birds. Now we have a bird dog living with these birds and Crush does not as much as sniff at them. Unless the two older girls do their duty for these quails, the birds will be left to go into the yard, I am sure.

Over Christmas, two eggs appeared in the cage. Not knowing anything about birds and eggs, we did not know whether to eat the eggs or to let the birds incubate the eggs so we can have more birds. At school, the children put the eggs in an incubater until hatching, when the childrem took turns feeling the babies with an eye dropper. The family decision was to do nothing yet and see what happens. Ken and I call them the Christmas birds. I fully expect to arrive the next time to find four little button quails , but now in an even bigger cage. Or, when the weather gets warmer, the birds and their cage will be kept in the back yard, where the birds can go and come at will. Never a dull moment.

January 4, 2008. Mexico. Reading and Drinking.

Today is a day of first events. Ken made us a cocktail we call 'a lime squeeze'. When you visit us here he will make you one, if he can remember how he made them. And for the first time this visit, we spent time down by the pool, reading in the shade under a little shed. It was late in the afternoon and even though the weather was beautifully warm, the water did not look appealing. I like to swim when the air is hot and to cool down you can go into the swimming pool, so as I was not inclined to mswim, after two hours of reading, we retreated to our own living room to continue our reading at home. Yesterday we rode to trolley and liked it so much we stayed on for two whole trips around the place. Quitoxo, a new Spanish tapas restaurant just opened in December, so we dined there last night. Great food and great service. The owner and his daughter are from Vancouver. This will be on our list of places to go when you come to visit.

One of my Christmas books from Dave and Irene is "The History of Love" by Nicole Krauss. I finished it yesterday, and a good read it is. Your wits need to be alert to keep up with the players. It seems in another of the second world war impacts on ordinary people. And I am almost finished with "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Shaffer and Barrows. Susan M. at work lent it to me and I am enjoying the writing and the humor. Once again, the place is just after the second world war, where Guernsey was occupied for five years or so. Both good reads, if you haven't read them already. Ken for Christmas has given me a gadget that allows you to read 200,000 books, all included on this little machine. You read it on a screen, held in your hand. Actually, he has one, but it hold only a few hundred books, so he gave me this new machine so he can borrow it from me when I am not using it. Now I have a stack of books on my side table by my bed, so now before I can turn on my new gadget, I must finish reading my big stack. Fortunately, delivery time will be in March, so perhaps I will have time to complete my task. Ken keeps several books on the go at any given time. Even here, he has a book by his chair in the living room, one by the bed and yet another on the bar. It is so interesting how many different patterns there are with reading. Mostly I start and then I finish, then I start another book

January 3, 2009. Mexico. Traditions and Customs.

How many times does it take for a tradition to be instituted into the life of a Family? It is our custom on New Year's Eve, for Ken and I, to go to dinner at the best restaurant we can find in the area where we are visiting. Charleston was the first. Andrew and David and Ken and I were staying for a week at Kiawah Island, a barrier island in the Carolina's, and for the first time, we four chose to go to dinner in Charleston, to a wonderful French restaurant on New Year's Eve. The boys were early in their teens. We had such a good time that we decided to do it every year. Now is this a custom for our family or is it a tradition? Before that time, we celebrated at home with the boys, along with friends and their children. What we have never liked are the large noisy events that ring in the new year. Everything seems so very forced. We prefer the quiet celebration with family and/or friends. One year we were in The Canary Islands for New Year's Eve, with Suzanne and David along with Andrew and we all decided to attend a large party being held by the resort, thinking that it would be interesting to see how non-Americans celebrate. The evening was warm, with the event held around the swimming pool. We discovered that drinking was the order of the night. Our evening ended shortly after midnight when Andrew assured the Russian men that the custom in America was to jump into the swimming pool to celebrate the New Year. As they were all in business suits at the time, we five decided it was wise to vacate the area. Now as the Russians spoke no English and Andrew spoke no Russian, I never did figure out how the "custom" was passed through to these Russian tourists, but no matter, everyone certainly had a good time. The next day we all decided not to attend a big party again. But last year we changed our mind with the party here in Mexico.

This year, Ken and I celebrated at our favorite restaurant in the Marine area. Ken made our reservation two months ago, using the Internet and received two e mail confirmations. Our reservation was for seven o'clock. When we arrived at Tikul, the very nice man at the desk said that it was impossible. He did not have our reservation, and the restaurant was full. Our response was to talk to him very nicely, and perhaps convince him to tuck us into some corner. He was very apologetic as we had with us the reservation confirmation number. But we were not on his reservation list, which of course is the only one that matters. Finally, as I looked at the list of reservations, and realized that they were holding tables for 9:00 and we were there at 7:00, We finally promised that we would be gone at 9:00, so he gave us a wonderful table off to the side at the back
and we ate dinner, although the courses arrived more quickly than is the custom in Mexico. They also offered us a complementary liqueur after dinner, but we declined as our deadline was fast approaching. Most normal people would have just walked away to find another restaurant when told the reservation was lost, or they would have had a temper tantrum. Our way was the better way, that resulted in the best service from the waiters and the manager we have ever had in Mexico. And we made our New Year's resolutions too, one of which as to always phone to confirm the reservation!!

January 1, 2009. Mexico. New Years Resolutions.

Wendy has already decided. For 2009, every day, she will throw one thing out. Claussen hopes she means inanimate objects only. Now this is a good resolution, because it is well within her ability to carry out, and I believe it will be done. Now, will she have a weekly task to throw seven things out at one time or will she really search out one object each day to donate or put in the trash bin? When we moved from our Franklin Street house which was large, to a small apartment, Ken and I came to the decision about what to keep and what to discard. The rule was simple: we kept any family treasure and everything we used regularly, plus all our books. We donated everything not used for a year, including clothes and small electric appliances. The rule was simple and effective. Wendy can use the same rule for the rest of her life if she so chooses. Clifford is still
writing out his list of resolutions, but is not prepared to share them with me, perhaps because he thinks I will tell all my friends and relatives. Ken intends to thrive this coming year. Actually, that is my resolution for him, and he accepts it as if it is his own.

Last New Years Eve we were also in Mexico, but with David and Suzanne and the girls. It was the first year that the four girls were able to come to a fancy dinner and celebration and stay up to ring in the new year. The evening was held outdoors on the beach. The whole scene was beautiful and festive. During the dinner time, I suggested the custom of making New Years Resolutions. The girls thought it a good idea, so one after another around the table, both adults and children made their resolutions. Both Samantha and Allison said that they wanted to learn to read in 2008, which they have done. Ken said he wanted to survive next year, which after his surgery in January he has done. In retrospect, he was not really feeling too well, but of course, he wasn't saying anything about it. Suzanne wanted to learn how to say no gracefully. The next day she and I went through a variety of scripts. Now she reports that she has great strides in her ability to say NO. Both Sarah and Abigail made for their resolution to read all their Bluebonnet books required for their school, which they both were able to complete. David wanted to surpass his Company income. For the first three quarters of the year, he was successful, but at the end of the year he is just a bit behind, but you can bet he will have the same New Years Resolution this year too. And true to form, even though I was asking the questions, no one can remember what my resolution was to be, perhaps because when we finally got around to me, the topic had become boring, or perhaps the fireworks were starting, or a good tune being played by the dance band. If I think of one for this year I will let you know.