February 26, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Business Book Club.

The first meeting of our business book store was held Wednesday. This is a new venture in the office. Jeff Wilson, one of our very good agents has offered to lead the discussions. Our first book to read and discuss was "Shift" by Gary Keller. The discussion was lively and useful, although we have worked so hard in the office the past two years to try to change our actions along with the changing market that almost nothing in the book was new to us. But reminders are always helpful. The decision to form a business book club started at our Gold Team Lunch, held every Wednesday at noon. For the past twenty one years the top agents had lunch with me, the Manager, to discuss any topic that was pertinent to top agents. We met for one hour only, and is a brown bag lunch. For a Manager to have the opportunity to meet with top agents was a real treat. We called it 'Lunch With Ruth'. Then when we merged with the Metro office we called it ' Lunch with Carole and Ruth' and then when we had our third Manager Ned, we switched to 'Gold Team Lunch'. The purpose of the group has never changed but the impact on the rest of the agents has been enormous. We discuss a topic that is of concern to top agents, then Betty takes the notes and pulls together the information into a readable form and e mails to all the agents in the office all the information discussed at noon. That means that the top agents in the office are passing their wisdom through to all the other agents in the office, and all during the lunch hour.

At one of the Gold Team Lunch meetings, someone mentioned another book club being run by a Settlement Attorney. Everyone thought it a great idea, so we, just like a flash, made the necessary decisions, to designate the last Wednesday of the month the Book Club and that the Club would be open to any agent in the office, rather than only the top agents as is our usual Gold Team meeting. Jeff was at that noon discussion, and several days later, I asked Jeff if he would take the role of moderator, which he graciously agreed to do. The whole Training Team is made up of agents, which is a good thing, because these agents are on the firing line and really know what the needs of the agent is right now. Our system of training the agents has been hugely helpful to everyone. But the impact of the discussions coming from the Gold Team Lunch has been invaluable. Now I look forward to our discussions on the business books we will read over the next few years.

Next month the group decided to read the 1932 book 'How to win Friends and Influence People' by Dale Carnegie. Everyone has read it, but not recently so this will be a good review. Susan F. who has an MBA has given the book to each of her children when they went off to College, and she thought that we would enjoy the review. It is always fun to try something new in the office, at least I like new stuff!!

February 25, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Calves.

Twenty seven calves have been born at the farm this year. The whole side of the hill is full of black cows with their calves. Bryan is pleased and so are we. Eleven calves are ours, with two more to go, and the rest belong to Tammy and Bryan. We are all happy with our bull, who we bought two years ago, so this is his second time of siring our calves. One more year to go, and then we must buy another bull. Buying the bull was fun, but anxiety producing for Bryan. Several friends from the farm came to the auction, and Ken and I were along to pay the bill, but poor Bryan had the job of choosing our bull. Now everyone is happy, although the bull is still very lively and unpredictable. Now the bull has his own enclosure on the other side of the barn, where he will stay until some time in late April or early May, where he will be re-united with all his girlfriends. The plan is to sell the bull calves and keep the heifers so they can make more calves. The herd is improving every year. Bryan loves to come around the corner and see all those black cattle and calves. "It is a dream come true," says Bryan.

Country life is interesting. The Everett High School Band has been invited to go to New York to be a part of a concert at Avery Fisher Hall. They spend the weekend in New York and are taken to all the high spots in addition to rehearsing both alone and in the group mass bands. This is a hugh undertaking for this small school but they are going to go. The School Board will advance the funds for the trip, then the band members must raise the money to pay the School Board back. No child in the band has ever been to New York, and I suspect that they never will, so this is a once in a life-time visit. I suspect that some of the kids will love the travel while others will be wanting to get back home. The Concert Band has 125 members, which includes both the Junior and Senior High Schools, who are adjacent. Helen Jay has told us for years about the music program at Everett High School. Five years ago, a new teacher came to town who increased the whole program with more bands both large and small and added the Junior High students to the Concert Band, going from a band of 50 to it's present 125. The New York group organizing the event heard the band on TV when they were playing in a parade, so they were invited. It is quite a thrill, but the kids are scared to death. Saturday night they held a spaghetti dinner fund raiser. We sent some money, but not enough!!

February 24, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Nature or Nurture.

You have read so much throughout your life about the question of whether your talents and skills arrived announced with your birth or whether you had to slog and work in order to achieve the results. In the book 'Outliers', the author says the answer comes down to date of birth and to culture. I have heard these arguments all my life. When you have raised a child or two, it is clear that the child arrives into this world endowed with differences that are specific to them. Then the child is required to learn and advance their skills. Even watching a litter of dogs will make you a believer in the Nature part of the equation, as each dog acts differently from each other dog. It is clear though, that many traits and habits acquired when young will smooth your path as an adult or will cause you to re=think your path. For the most part, much of the habits nurtured by my Family, have made my life easier. For much of the time in my life, I have been able to operate on automatic pilot; in other words, I did not have to think about my reactions to events. It has made my life easier and allowed me to do my various jobs without stress. I did not have to pretend to act a certain way, that was how I responded automatically. Of course, many jobs would have been unsuitable for me with the skills and talents I was endowed, but my cultural training certainly has allowed me success in my chosen endeavours.

One thing I learned was to pay attention to the other folks in my life. My Brother tells me of bringing Mother flowers every payday, a habit my Sister picked up as did I. I did not have to be told, I just had to observe the behavior. My response to crisis is just to be quiet and listen and try to figure out what to do. Our home was not a place where people screamed at each other or yelled a lot. Just back off and figure out the options. My real estate world has benefited from that early training. My Mother did not criticize other people, in act she did not really talk much about others, certainly not their faults. As a young adult, I was uncomfortable when friends spent time gossipping about others, so I did not engage much in those conversations. That kept me out of lots of troubles. I was very busy as a teenager, as were my Parents and siblings, so I learned everything about time management during my youth from watching my parent's efficiency and by balancing my own hectic schedule. My Parents left my schedule up to me including my homework. So much of what I observed at home has worked for me very well with my careers. We were always encouraged to speak up and say our minds in dinner conversations and not to be fearful of differences of opinion. I automatically include others in a group, without even thinking about it, because that was my early training. It has certainly made my life easier, to have had that early training, to have my habits of response easy. I feel very fortunate indeed.

February 24, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Culture.

February 23, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Bedford Springs Hotel

Who would ever expect such a luxurious hotel in Bedford? Bedford is a quiet and small town, and although it was an important town years ago, in recent years the little place has faded. Saturday, Ken and I went for lunch to the newly renovated Bedford Springs Hotel and Spa. This is the place where we will hold our 55TH Anniversary party, so we need to keep track of the place. The news we heard on Saturday was that Omni is now managing the hotel, which is a good thing. This hotel is just beautiful. And it is huge. The complete renovation was completed about one year ago, by a group of investors from Texas, and they spent an arm and a leg putting the old hotel back in order. Also they added a full wing for the spa and swimming pool. The renovation is very tastefully done, in fact it is perfectly done, both inside and out, with a full update of the golf course. We ate lunch in the Bar, called the Founders room, and we wined and dined and enjoyed ourselves, right until a group arrived meeting and greeting each other, while staying for a drink, prior to their first event of the weekend, which was a Scavenger Race. They were noisy and happy so we left. Now these investors never intended to open that very large hotel just in time for a major recession, so they must be hurting.

All the large rural resorts are having trouble surviving right now. The Homestead is for sale and the Greenbriar has many attractive enticements to come and have a weekend there. The Bedford Springs Hotel appears to be doing well. The staff seems friendly and enthusiastic, the restaurants were full and the gold course had folks playing. My thinking is that everyone could go for one meal a year, so we can keep this hotel functioning in four more years. I'm just happy that I am not responsible for running those very large and luxurious hotels. For me, I'll stay at the farm and go to the hotel for lunch. Their food was wonderful.

We arrived back home to find the Cable for the TV and Internet not operating., so we were back to the good old days. We like the modern world, but now we are back with the real world of today. It is really interesting how dependent we all are on the Internet.

February 22, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. The Town of Everett.

You just never know what will cross your path. I walked into the framers on Saturday morning to discover two men leaning over a small but lovely painting. Rodney, sitting behind the counter was the talented young man who with his wife, owns the ‘Barber Framing Company’. His day job is to sand blast words and pictures on marble, where he works four days a week for nine hours a day, making it into a full time job. The rest of the time he does the framing, while Karen , his wife, runs the Company. They have been doing this for ten years. As a child, Rodney drew all the time, and he painted with water color, but no one paid attention to what he drew, except him. He also carved birds from chunks of wood. As life goes on, with marriage and children taking the bulk of his time along with work, his painting took a back seat. We met them about eight years ago. In the store could be seen pieces Rodney had drawn. Wonderful drawings of ducks and wrens. I admired them and asked about other work. He showed me several carvings of birds, which are also lovely. I don’t like little bird carvings so I asked about another piece on the wall, which it turned out was his but not signed, and which he would not sell. It was the first watercolor he had painted as an adult, so he was loath to part with it. But I bought two or three of his pencil drawings, and more importantly, I asked him to paint the old farm house for us. Now he was fearful as I wanted it done in oil and to be a good sized piece. This is what he did.

A friend from school who also drew as a kid has kept in touch with them, so Rodney suggested that they begin to paint together every week, and critique each others work. Bill Decke was the other young man on Saturday. He had just brought a new piece for Rodney and Karen to frame for a friend. They are both so excited about their painting. Bill works in Hagerstown full time and lives in Waynsborough, Pa. but they still get together to paint about once a month. Both men are determined to keep painting until they find out how good they are. Rodney completed our painting of the farm house and now hangs on my hall in the apartment. Rodney sells originals and prints of his work in their shop and has submitted his work to several shows. Bill has three of his pieces for sale in the shop, but he said that he mostly gives his stuff away. Now Rodney is beginning to paint other parts of our farm, perhaps the barn or the Hill House. I am excited for him, as he gets better all the time.

From there I went to a gift store just across the street. Now I tell you. This is as good a gift store as you could ever want to see. How on earth can they stay in business in this very small town? The older couple retired there and enjoy the town and the people and they do well enough to stay alive and paying the bills. The place has so many beautiful objects, collected from all around the world. It is a treasure. You just never know what you will stumble upon an a Saturday in Everett, Pa.

February 20, 2009. Bethesda, Md. Home Again.

I still wonder why I am so pleased to come home to Bethesda? Just riding the Metro home from the Airport gives pleasure, watching all the different sizes and shapes you see on the trains, to say nothing of the nationalities before your eyes. I saw a young lady wearing a hat and coat that you could see in 1914. She looked great. And the apartment always looks so welcoming. I walk around the whole place, inspecting the art and the books, even to see what is on the pile to be read over the next month. And of course I look out the windows at all the trees. The trees in winter are so attractive and from my fourth floor apartment I can see all the outlines of the trunks and branches, with nary a leaf in sight. Soon a rosy glow will come to the trees, and we will know that the leaves will soon follow. My friends Mary and Clifford have always been bothered by all the traffic in Bethesda, but as I work just one mile from work, the traffic is not much problem for me. They have moved to Annapolis for the winter months, to Nova Scotia in the Summer, and to their beach house at Ocean View in Spring and Fall, all places with very little traffic which pleases them a lot. I like Bethesda and our apartment in Chevy Chase and am always happy to be back at home.

Another great pleasure that comes with returning to Bethesda is to see all the agents and staff at work. This group of people are so energetic and enthusiastic and competent that they make me smile. They also make me feel good, welcoming me back and asking about our next trip. Life comes with surprises. Sarah T. who taught me to blog has broken her back while falling with a basket of laundry. I always knew that laundry was bad for you!! Her surgery is complete and she is home recovering. Already she has attended a home inspection. Also, three other agents from other Companies I have known for many years have died, all who were younger than me. Goodness, I am becoming part of the aged well, and intend to stay that way.

Yesterday we came home on a new discount Airline, Air Tran. The decision to try that new Airline was based on several factors, but most especially the cost. Southwest has been our airline of choice between San Antonio and Washington, as they are the only direct non-stop flight, and they have been the less expensive. The cost between Southwest and Air Tran is not much different. once the charges for the seat and extras are added together, but what made the difference was the Airport. Southwest arrives in Baltimore, while Air Tran comes into National Airport in D.C. where we can take the Metro home. Even in rush hour it cost us two dollars each on the Metro, while from Baltimore it is a hundred dollar cab ride. Tes, I know, that a shuttle will take us home for thirty dollars each, but often the van is full of people, all of whom get dropped off sooner than us, so we arrive home two hours after our arrival. I was not in love with the airline. David has used them several times, but yesterday they had reverted back to all the other airlines and become surly and not customer friendly. The planes are very very crowded and the air maids were if not surly were certainly not friendly. Next time we will probably come home on Southwest where we will not have to change planes in Atlanta. Ken and I will have a conversation I am sure.

February 18, 2009. San Antonio, Tx. My Father.

My Father, Norman Buckley, also taught us that Mother's Day had nothing to do with him with regard to his wife, my Mother. He expected us to pay attention to our Mother every day of every year, but especially we must pay attention to our Mother on Mother's Day. My sister Carol has reminded me of that attitude of his. His own Mother was a lovely lady; everyone who knew her told me that was true, but his Father, Harry Buckley was not a good husband, other than at Mother's Day. Mother loved flowers in the house, her English background I suppose, and as soon as my Sister Carol started working, she would stop on the way home for a bunch of flowers for Mother, every other week when she was paid. I worked on weekends and often brought home a single rose for Mother's rose bowl. Our Father's edicts were taken to heart by all of us.

Ken on the other hand, had no model of how to be a good husband so he had to think through how to have a happy family. I have never discussed with Ken his attitude to Mother's and Valentine's Day. I only know that he tried to be a good son to his Mother, even though they did not get along at all. No harsh words of course, but he had a hard time being with her. In fact, whenever we visited Parry Sound. where she lived, Ken got sick after we left. I had the good fortune to be brought up in a loving home where I got along well with each family members. Even though my sister and brother have never been kindred spirits, they have supported and assisted each other through the years. My Parents would have been pleased I am sure, to be able to see their children and their families and the grandchildren. It all started with Frances Houghton and Norman Buckley, meeting at Training College. The rest is history.

fFebruary 17, 2009. San Antonio, Tx. The Mall.

You never know what the day will bring you. Our plan was to putter around the Lake House, finish up the laundry, try to complete my book so I can leave it for Suzanne, and have my hair cut. While Ken was working on the computer trying to reserve our air tickets to Toronto in May, the computer stopped working, at least the information moved up the screen and would not work. Ken talked to the Help Desk at Apple and suggested that he make an appointment for the tec support at the Verizon store is San Antonio, so he did. Quickly we closed up the lake house, put together all our belongings and headed into town for our appointment at 8:20. We arrived in time to eat dinner at a Thai restaurant, then met the young man who could check our computer. We were not even aware when we bought this machine, but we did know that as we are not very often at the lake house, this machine has not been used much.

While we were waiting, I sat on a comfortable bench and watched the people walk by me. I must say, the dress is quite remarkable indeed. This North Star Mall is the only enclosed Mall in this city, as their growth came after enclosed Malls were popular. All the other large shopping areas are our doors, with the large stores free standing and where a customer can park right in front of the store, or at least drive around until you can see the store. These old enclosed Malls are difficult. We parked, went inside until we found the Verizon store, then went to move the car to be able to be near to the store we wanted. It is a nuisance. It was like old times though, walking around the Mall and looking at the people. I like the new concept.

The young man could not fix our computer, in fact, it would not act broken. But he told us what was the matter and that they do not service these old computers, which was a 2002 model. While we were looking at the computer and looking at the New York Times Web site, he mentioned that he was so impressed with Ford, so he bought $500. of Ford Stock and got his Father to do it too. He mentioned that it was a small amount of money, but felt that if every one did their part, Ford stock would begin to come back up. It was a very encouraging enthusiastic approach from him to say to total strangers. He told us that when he saw our Ford Escape. Ken and I had a nice evening, talking to a young American man. It was worth having a broken computer.

February 16, 2009. Canyon Lake, Tx. Valentine's Day.

We forgot all about it, despite the attempts in the stores to buy chocolate and cards. I was asking Suzanne if she and David exchange gifts on Valentine's Day and she said that if they want a piece of art, or something for the house, they used the day as an excuse to buy the item, then call it their valentine gift for each other but other than that, nothing special. We both decided that dining our was a nightmare as all the good restaurants were so crowded and neither them nor us is in need of chocolate. I really think it is my Father leading us away from these Special Days. He thought Mother's Day and Valentine's Day were ridiculous and was generated by the card manufacturers, wanting the buying public to buy and send cards. He also often commented about other men who paid no attention to their wives through out the year, then all of a sudden the men are throwing gifts and cards at the good wife. He said that it was his responsibility to treat his wife well all day, every day, not just once or twice a year. So in our Family, neither Mother's Day or Valentine's Day was celebrated in our Family, at least not much. Ken and I have known each other 52 years of Valentine's Days, and I must say, this year we totally missed it. I even had the wrong date on my web log that day. For several years Ken gave me chocolate, but when I discovered that he was eating all the chocolate I suggested that perhaps we should cease and desist with the chocolates. I do not recall any exchange of anything since that time, which in my opinion was a wise decision. But I really do give the credit or the blame on my Father.

This afternoon everyone from the lake house went home and the place is excruciatingly quiet. Tomorrow they go back to school. I hope I live long enough to see what these children do with their lives. It is so fascinating to watch them grow and develop and change. Last night I watched a game being played by Sarah and Abigail called Speed. It used to be called Hell, but the school won't allow the kids to call it that, so they call it Speed. Sarah has played the game many times before, and Suzanne used to play the game with her Grandmother and her brothers, but Abigail had never played it. Sarah wanted her Mother to play, but Suzanne was reading to Samantha and David was reading to Allison, so Sarah taught the game to Abigail. The first game, Sarah won, but for game number two three and four and five, Abigail was winning every game. Sarah was stunned, then irritated, then asked her Mother to play, which she did. But Suzanne beat her too. Now Sarah does very well at school and is used to beating Abigail, who does not do so well in school, and here it was, right in front of my eyes, watching Abigail shine. Her eyes were just sparkling. Both girls said nothing for a few moments, and finally Abigail looked at Sarah and commented that the reason she could win was that she has very fast hands, which is true. Now, what task as an adult will allow her with her very fast hands to make a good living? I hope to live long enough to find out.

February 15, 2009. Canyon Lake, Tx. Pictionary.

I am terrible at playing Pictionary. In fact, until last evening when I played with the whole Family, I had successfully avoided playing the game, because I have absolutely no talent for the game. Even at the Merrill Lynch Realty Master's Conferences when the game was played every evening with great gusto, I refused to play. I know my limitations. I can not draw. I can not make quick or free associations. So I happily avoided the game. But last night the two older girls wanted to play, so Suzanne and Allison were on one team, with Sarah and Abigail on the other. It did not last, because Allison was upset with her drawing skills, so I agreed to play, with Sarah as my partner, and Suzanne playing with Abigail. I should have chosen Abigail, because Sarah and I are just alike, with very little imagination and no artistic ability. But we had so much fun playing the game that eventually both the twins and David joined the game, Allison as the timekeeper and Samantha rolling the dice. David helped out with both teams. The rules were relaxed and we played until ten o'clock. The girls normal bedtime is eight o'clock. We were all so bad at the game it was hilarious, with both Allison and Samantha joining in the games to try to come up with the answer. Only Ken stayed out of the fray. The three adults all lack a certain artistic talent, and a lot of the topics are unknown to the kids, so the game could have been difficult, but it wasn't because we changed the rules. Much laughter and hooting and shrieks occurred before Suzanne called it quits and the girls went to bed. Then David and Suzanne and Ken and I talked until 12:30. After Ken and I had our hot tub, It was almost 1:30 when I went to bed.

An interesting thing happened today. The Family went out on the boat while Ken and I were trying to track down some hiking trails. They came home ready to play Pictionary and by golly, all four girls were as good as the adults at the game. I was just a helper, to try to tell the twins what the topics really mean, but it was such a step ahead of the expertise of last night for both adults and children that one would think they were different people. Even Allison and Samantha got their share of winners as both the one drawing and the one guessing. They played for three hours, and only stopped for dinner at 6:30. No tears, no stress, no fighting, just lots and lots of laughter. I tried to figure out the difference in the level of success, and figured out that the timing was one thing, in that no one was tired. And the children observed the adults lack of success so they were comfortable to just try out ideas even if it seemed silly. Sometimes the silly answers worked, so they got free with their attempts. So everyone got better at the game. Last thing tonight, before David and Suzanne were heading down to bed, he commented to Suzanne that her gorilla looked very much like a teddy bear!!

February 15, 2008. Canyon Lake, Tx. Books.

"No Angel" is the name of the book given to me for Christmas from my friend Wendy. The author is Penny Vincenzi. It is one on a trilogy, the others being "Something Dangerous" and "Into Temptation". I am loving the book for many reasons, not the least being the position of women in the 20TH Century, something that has been a major interest to me over my life. The Family involved is also interesting and not trivial, beginning from 1904 onward. Of course, I have not read the third book, so do not know when into the Century the novels end, but the time period is certainly within my memory bank of that time. My Mother was born in 1902 and I very often discussed with my Mother her upbringing and her education and the position of women in the world. I often heard her say "This is a man's world", from the architecture of houses to the choices of professions. For example, The Salvation Army was ahead of it's time, and required the women to be Officers also in the organization in order to be married. That having said, it was the man who received the new job, and the woman just went along to find something else to do in that area. My Mother and Father were very happily married and my Father was an able person, but Mother commented about other couples that the wife was so much more able than the husband, but they were stuck ih the husband's job due to his lack of expertise. She would complain about carrying the laundry down two flights of floors to the basement, then hauling the clean clothes outside to the clothesline on the basement level. then trudging the clothes up the three floors back up to the bedrooms. Her comment would always be to allow the women to design the houses where the laundry would be close to the bedrooms. She would love to be here to see the options open to women today. The Houghton Family, her family, had five children. three boys and two girls and I have always been interested to realize that all three boys were educated well with degrees from University, but neither of the girls went beyond high school. My Aunt Miriam went to nursing school, after she became a Salvation Army Officer while my Mother, prior going to The Salvation Army Training College and becoming an officer, worked as a telephone switchboard operator. So I was early on indirectly been exposed to the rights and opportunities of women in the twentieth century. This book, 'No Angel', deals with these issues along with lots of other themes. It is a book worth reading. Now I must read quickly so I can pass it on to Suzanne. She will love reading about these people.

The crew will be arriving any time now, to spend the weekend here at the lake. I am not sure what there is to do at the lake in the winter, but we will soon find out. Last evening Ken and I went to a new restaurant in Canyon Lake, so perhaps we will go there for lunch. The food was great, the service was quick and the cost was under fifteen dollars total. Of course they do not have their liquor license but the place was full. Evidently you bring your own wine or beer. It was interesting in that at least five men, all in their forty's, were waiting on tables. We think they own it. All the Winter Texans are arriving and they eat out a lot. Certainly last night was full when we left. It is one of the pleasures of life to find a new restaurant, especially when it is inexpensive. You never really get over being brought up without many financial resources, for good or ill. The young people are really stressed out because they have always lived with affluence. They are learning. Now I hear the car arriving so the fun will begin.

February 13, 2009. Canyon Lake, Tx. The Stream.

I wanted a pond and a stream in the back yard, so we made one, or rather, we hired someone to install one. Twelve years ago when we bought this place with David and Suzanne, we all agreed to leave the yard alone and just leave the place be wild. The path to the lake was right in the middle and was about three feet wide with railings on both sides, so it was safe for the children but gave us easy access to the lake. Once a year, David cut down all the foliage and for the rest of the year the wild flowers came and went. Everyone was happy with the system except me. I felt that all that space could be useful to the kids and beautiful for the adults if we installed a pond and stream along with lots and lots of rocks. The young man we hired along with his wife had some additional suggestions too, so now we have two streams that join up half way down where you must walk over a bridge to get down to the water. We have had a great deal of trouble with keeping it running, so I almost wished I had shut my mouth. You know the old adage that if it is not broken do not fix it. The young man seriously under bid the job and it took him a long long time to finish. That did not matter to us, as we were not there, but the worst part was that the pond at the bottom was not large enough to hold all the water when the stream was not running. Then he stopped returning our calls. Finally we hired another company to fix the defects and it runs very well. Today I feel like the nursery rhyme where I put in my thumb and brought out a plum and said "what a good girl am I".

Late this afternoon, after my walk, while Ken was waiting for the technician, I took my glass of wine and my book and sat down by the stream, about half way down to the lake. It was wonderful. The birls are beginning to migrate so I saw several new kinds of birds right down close to the streams and pond and I saw many seagulls flying around the lake. Now we do not have seagulls here at the lake, only when they are migrating, so that was exciting. And the butterflies were everywhere, at least six or seven different types. The birds like it and the butterflies like it and I like it too, I am glad we went to all that trouble. Only one other time in the twelve years we have owned this place have we seen seagulls. I spotted a whole flock on the other side of the lake and with the spotting scope I determined what they were. This was in the first few years here. Suzanne and I were sitting on the deck and I asked her if she had ever known seagulls at this lake. She could not recall and neither had I, but they only stayed two days, then they were gone and we have never seen any gulls there since. Until today. They were souring all around acting as if they lived here. I was thrilled to see them. Without the stream in the yard, I would never have gone down to sit and watch for the birds. It was worth every bit of aggravation and money.

February 12, 2009. DD Ranch, Harper, Texas. Friendships.

It is interesting the filtering that occurs in people before a friendships is formed. For instance, Picnic Group kept functioning for several years, and during those years about forty women and their children attended. There were no attendance rules of course, just come and bring some food that everyone else could eat and enjoy. The group was great for the Mothers and the children, because we met every week in a park, then decided where to meet next week at another park. Montgomery County has lots and lots of parks. But of all the ladies in the group, four of us have stayed friends. Of course, these are our good friends who have built their houses in Nova Scotia. In the early years we went to the beach together in Nags Head, where we rented multiple beach houses and certainly got to know each other well. But only four of us have stayed in close contact. Some reasons are obvious, such as a move but for others it is hard to figure out.

For two full days I have stayed in the Top House and been reading. This is a dream come true. For forty five minutes yesterday afternoon we went for a walk, but the rest of the time I was reading. I am up to date on my magazines and now I am reading a book recommenced by my David,"Outliers", by Malcolm Gladwell. He is the author who wrote "The Tipping Point" and "Blink". This newest book, published in 2008, is very interesting but still a very easy read. I started it this morning and will be finished tonight. The Story of Success is the topic of the book, and he has several remarkable insights, such as, the bulk of professional hockey players are born in the first three months of the year. It is worth the read. I have for a long time thought long and hard about success, especially for the past 21 years, where I have tried to determine who will and who will not become successful agents in our office. It is not easy to predict but I do know that talent and brains are not the only parts of the success.

Tonight we dine with Jan Miller at her ranch just down the highway. She and her husband built the ranch so the whole house is unusual but interesting. He was a scientist who developed re-breathing machines for deep sea diving and a few years ago while they were hiking in Peru, he died at age 57, from a virus that affected his brain. Now, that would be a trick, to bring a dead husband home from Peru and do it in a short period of time. She did it, by having him cremated, then carrying his ashes home on the plane. My goodness mercy. She has a great spirit and now runs the ranch all on her own. The children don't even like to come and visit because it is too hot when their children are out of school. We will enjoy our evening with her.

Tomorrow morning we drive over to the lake, to meet the man who will connect our computer...we hope. Between twelve and four, is the stated time, so we must be there by eleven.

February 11, 2009. DD Ranch, Harper, Texas. Friends.

I have never understood the behaviour. When I have moved from one city to another, some of my friends never again contact me. These were good friends, I thought, but after I left the area, or when they moved away, thoughts of me never crossed their mind. No Christmas cards, no phone calls, no visits, no e mails. Just no communication at all. This is not the way I believe is wise. I great benefits from reading a Christmas card from Martha, who was my friend in 1964. We have seen each other two or times over the years, but we have always been able to pick up the phone and chat away, just as it was long ago. It gives me pleasure to recall her antics as an Occupational Therapist in Galveston where we worked together in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. I had a very good friend in Toronto, Carolyn, who I have known since I was six. She lived in London, Ontario, and her parents were good friends of my parents. She was very talented. She played the piano very well and sang like an angel, and whenever the London Songsters came to Toronto, they stayed with us. She came to Toronto for one year to study at the same school as me, and she actually stayed with us. By then I was the only child at home so there was no reason to not have her live with us. We did have fun. My parents entertained a lot, and Carolyn and I would serenade the guests on our pitch pipes. We loved it, but I am not sure about the reception. We double dated. Ken was in the picture, so one night there were three couples going to the movie. Just as we were leaving, as we were all standing just about to go out the door, Carolyn commented on the hair style of the person on TV. It was not a compliment. Then I looked at the other girl and her hair style was exactly like the one on TV. Of course I laughed out loud and Carolyn retorted that certainly it looks good on you, but not on the TV. The evening never really recovered. When Carolyn and her husband moved out west, it was like we had never been friends. No contact at all. I do not understand at all, but one thing I know full well, she does not wish to continue our friendship.

My was is a better way, rather my Mother's way was a better way. When I was a child and the Christmas cards arrived, I would ask my Mother who each person was and what their connection was with our Family. Mother would tell me that Mary Irwin had sent her a Christmas card since she was sixteen and has never missed a year. When we then lived in Vancouver, I knew everything about the Irwin sisters so felt close to them immediately even though I was ten years old. I learned that new friends were wonderful but old friends must be cherished by regular attention, not on a daily or weekly or even monthly basis, but every so often. My Father had a habit of cutting out the cartoon from the Saturday Post. Every few months, we would go through his batch of cartoons and send one to an appropriate person. No note just his N scratched in the corner. Once he sent me a cartoon after I had gained a little weight. The picture is a lady in the restaurant about to eat a very large chocolate sundae. The caption was "It really only looks fattening." I still have that cartoon as he died shortly after he sent it. It does not matter what you say or do to connect with your old good friends. Just keep up with them and they will keep up with you. They enrich my life, my old friends. Our friends Freddy and Phyllis Ross do the best job of keeping up with old friends. I am constantly amazed at her attentiveness to detail and her efforts to connect with her old friends. So many of our friends from Toronto Days, where we moved to Texas in 1964, attended our 50TH anniversary, because we have all been in contact over the years. I know that in an organization such as The Salvation Army, at events such as a band concert and funerals, everyone asks after Ken and Ruth, so everyone finds out what we are up to at any given time. But mostly it is the tried and true methods of communication and contact, resulting in long time friendships still alive and well. But Carolyn and Dave were not there. And I missed her.

February 10, 2009. Double D. Ranch. Texas. Technology.

The Internet would not work at the Lake House. After accompanying the girls and Suzanne on their drive to school yesterday, Ken and I went by the Lake House as we are all staying there for the coming holiday weekend. Ken likes to be sure everything is in working order and the hot tub operating properly. Our intention was to stay overnight, then drive back to the ranch for a few days, finally finishing up at the lake prior to our journey home. Ken runs all our accounting on line, and when he tried to access the Internet, it would not work. Several calls later, the technician is coming out on Friday afternoon. Our evening at the lake was lovely, ending up with a hot tub, but my day was not compete without my regular edition of my small web log. Habits come very quickly, and as I have been at this for over a year, my habits are set and I become somewhat irritated with the lack of technology available to me. I have often stated that I was very fortunate to be born in 1937 rather than 1837 or 1737. My lack of good eyesight would have had me grinding meal or wheat. According to a review today, mid seventeenth Century was the worst of times to live. It seems that a very cold and dry spell sent crop failures all around the world, resulting is many riots and political unrest. Could this be true? I must read the article.

We have moved from 500 horses per square mile in New York City to today's high rate of cars, in the one hundred year time period. Communications are a godsend. Just this simple little web log allows my Family and Friends to keep up with my comings and goings. I am all for the modern world, especially when everything is working. Our new GPS brought us from the lake to the ranch, without even telling it what was the proper way to go. Now we have made that run so often and in so many ways that the first question Ken asks is "What way do you want to g,? Then we talk it out and decide. But today, we just put the ranch destination up and like magic, it told us where to go. " Yippee," said the waitress at breakfast when she saw that it was raining, but it was only a drizzle and no rain at all at the ranch. The weather is beautiful. 75 degrees today. We sat on our upper porch and watched the sun go down, and drank a glass of wine. Meanwhile, my Brother has an ice dam in his gutter, and water is seeming into their second floor bedroom. Mercy me! I am happy to be here in Texas, even though my Internet connection let me down. This afternoon we found a pig in the trap. Hurrah!! We think the pigs killed at least one of our calves this past year, as we only have four calves. David and Sarah saw thirty pigs early one morning when they were out hunting, so we must get them gone. They are a huge problem for the wildlife and the crops in Texas. One down and twenty-nine to go.

February 8, 2009. San Antonio, Tx. Rodeo.

We made a whole day of it. First we looked at the stock show, and wandered around the judging competitions which included the cutting horse contests. We all had our tickets so went our own way, with each parent with two children and Ken and I together. The first thing we saw when we arrived in the morning at eleven was the pig racing. These little pigs race around the small track while we cheered them on. Our tickets for the actual rodeo was for the one o'clock competition, so bit by bit we assembled at our seats, and we were ready for the competition. It was a great show with everything the rodeo does. Being a professional rodeo rider is a very difficult way to make a living. These events hurt. Our seats gave us wonderful views of the whole contests ,so even we did not order our tickets early, our seats were excellent. The skill of the riders is amazing but i am pleased to have avoided the riding of bulls or broncos, because it all seems dangerous.

After the show we again broke up into groups, Ken and I to go and see more animals and judging and the girls with David and Suzanne to go to the Carnival and go on the rides. The girls are given a bracelet which gives the girls free run of the rides and they had a blast. Ken and I saw the biggest Brahman Bulls we have even seen and we watched the goat contest. We are so stupid that we can not tell one goat from another so we were always surprised when the winner was announced. With cell phones working well, we were ready to gather together at five-thirty and head out for dinner. David chose a restaurant in Monte Vista, their old neighborhood, and it was a pleasure to dine at one of our old regular restaurants. At dinner, Allison suggested that we go around the table and each tell the part we liked best at the rodeo, starting with Grandpa, so we did. Everyone liked a different part, but everyone loved the whole thing including all adults. The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is held every February so next year we will try to be here again. It was a lot of fun.

February 7, 2009. SanAntonio, Tx. My Family.

My friend Martha asked me for up to date information on my Family. I am happy to oblige. Son Andrew, born in 1968 in Galveston, Tx. is married to Christina Creath, from Houston. They have three children Kate 12, Mary Frances 9, and Molly who is one. They moved to Jackson, Mississippi last August and Andrew has opened his own Insurance Brokerage. Christina is home schooling the girls. After College, Andrew lived in Japan for almost three years before completing a law degree and a Masters in International Affairs at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Christina went to graduate school with David and has an MBA from Baylor. In fact, Andrew and Christina met at a graduation party for David .

David was born in 1969, in Galveston, TX. and married Suzanne Capps. also from Houston, TX. They met at Southwestern University, in Georgetown, Tx. and married right after Graduate school, David with an MBA from Baylor and Suzanne with a Masters Degree in Special Education from Women's Christian College. They chose San Antonio as their home. David owns his own company "Financial Solutions", with about 18 people on his payroll. They have four children: Sarah 11, Abigail 9, Samantha and Allison ,identical twins who are seven. Their dog Crush is a Yellow Labrador Retriever.

My Brother David Buckley married Irene Chalk in 1953 and lives in Ancaster, Ontario. They are both retired although Dave plays in three musical groups playing his trombone. They visit us in Nova Scotia every summer and they used to visit us in Texas too, but Dave's rehearsal schedule makes travel difficult.

My sister Carol is married to Ken Barby. They live on a lake south of Owen Sound Ontario. They are also both retired. They are both still active in the Owen Sound Salvation Army and are staunch supporters of the local hockey team. In fact, Ken Barby never misses a game.

Ken's brother Keith married Wilma in Brandon Manitoba and still lives there. They also are both retired and like to travel in their RV. They have also visited us in Nova Scotia a few times. They and their daughter and all our other relatives and friends attended our 50TH wedding anniversary last August, 2008.

Ken and I enjoy our lifestyle, but most people would not enjoy our constant coming and going. Probably we both have a bit of ADD, so our present life works well for us. We love our homes, and we love best the one we live in right that moment. So we have no answer to the question of what spot we like the best. We love them all, just like our children and grandchildren. Ken and I feel very fortunate and very blessed, and hope to keep it all going for another twenty or more years!!

February 6, 2009. SanAntonio, Tx. Alice Anne.

I met her the first week we moved to Texas in 1964. She was an Intern, and Ken was a Resident at the University of Texas Medical Center in Galveston, Texas. She had moved there from Arkansas and Ken and I from Toronto, Ontario so we came from very different worlds. We both took apartments in the same new complex just one block from the beach so as we were right across the court yard from each other, we saw each other every day. Ken and I lived in Galveston for six years, while Alice Anne has never left. She followed up her Pediatric Residency by joining the Department of Family Medicine in Galveston. For three years in Galveston, I worked as a Recreation Therapist in the Division of Adolescent and Children Psychiatry. As part of my job I organized teen activities twice a week. Alice Anne played a guitar and sang. With her long hair and her southern accent she sounded just like Joan Bias. She was very friendly and fun and was willing to come to our teen group several times a year to sing with us. The kids loved it. Her opening song was always the same. She sang a song about her own name, then she went around the group and asked each kid their name, in the proper part of the song. The rest of the evening she would sing by herself or get the kids to sing along together. At the end of the evening, she returned to the opening song, but now she called each kid's name aloud to say goodbye. They were stunned by this, as often we had fifty or more in the group. She was a special person indeed.

She is my age, but she still works three days a week at the Medical Center. I know a lot of stories about Alice Anne, but the one I think most interesting has to do with Spelling. She is not a good speller. This caused her great trouble at school. Now she was brought up in the country in Arkansas, and attended a two room school house. She must have been smart and did well, but she just could not spell well. The teacher thought that she was not trying hard enough and was not pleased with Alice Anne's efforts. Now she was in the fourth grade. Alice Anne told the teacher that indeed she was trying hard, but it would not seem to come to her. She consoled the teacher by telling her that it would be OK because Alice Anne would always have a Secretary, after she finished school!! This caused a lot of trouble. Alice Anne was sent out of the classroom and her parents were called. The teacher thought Alice Anne was being a smart ass, when really she was only making the teacher feel better. The truth is, that Alice Anne has always had an administrative person to help. The really interesting question is how a child in rural Arkansas, living with loving but simple parents with no education can figure out from an early age that she will achieve and that she will always have a Secretary? Her spelling is still awful but now she uses spell check. She is still a good friend too.

February 5, 2009, Double D Ranch. Harper, Texas. Junction.

We visit Junction at least once a year. The town has an interesting history. At the turn of the twentieth Century, the place was busy and growing with tourists coming by train to stay in the resorts lining the rivers. Pecan trees were plentiful and allowed the pecan industry to flourish. The surrounding ranches ran cattle, and were part of the large drives of cattle heading north. But not any more. The town is dying, if not already dead. In just the few years of watching , most down town stores have closed. The two long blocks of the main street has one side of one block where no store is open. It is an amazing spectacle to observe. I could have stood in the center of the main street and not worry about being hit by a car. Out by the Highway there are several businesses, including a famous barbecue. But downtown is dying. My habit is to walk the two blocks of downtown and go into every store. Today it took me no time at all. Now I will watch and see what happens over the next few years. Interestingly enough, the price of country property has not gone down. This is ranching and hunting country, and is still very desirable. Also a lot of people live in the surrounding areas but I guess the ease of driving means that longer distances are easy. The high price of gas perhaps helped, but now gas is cheap so people are hitting the road. The Livestock Auction Barn has closed so now our cattle will have to go the the Fredericksberg Auction House. Poor Junction.

Actually, there are still several lovely and useful stores, but not on the main drag. Alice Anne orders her bird seed from a ranch and feed store in Junction. We go into that store and always buy something. We have purchased books and boots and hats and our friend Pat bought a funky old watch that she wears a lot. It gives her great status to tell her Canadian friends that she purchased her watch at a feed store in Junction, Texas. And there is a large store that caters to the folks who build these fancy big modern ranch houses, with the large stone gates. That store stays in business and seems to be thriving. Certainly I can not afford their prices. They have an expression often used in Texas about city people who come to the ranch just for show. The description of these folks is " Big Hat, No Cattle". And there are two Dollar Stores in town. Many restaurants too, all inexpensive. The question of why some town thrive and some do not is interesting to me. For instance, fifty years ago, Mason and Junction had about the same population and industry, but today, Mason is booming and charming and bustling whereas Junction is dying if not dead. They are both County Seats too, both with lovely town squares and court houses. So next time you come to the Hill Country, visit Mason, where it is charming and with interesting stores, rather than Junction where you will find empty closed buildings. In ten years, perhaps things have changed.

February 4, 2009. Double D Ranch, Texas. All Office Seminar

We have it every year at the office. We have held it since I first became a Manager in 1987. It is the only time of the year when all the agents come together for three purposes: to get to know the other agents , to learn something , and to have fun. Breakfast is always served followed by various and sundry different activities and/or speakers. Now our program ends at one o'clock. I really do not know if these seminars have been helpful to the agents with their productivity, but I suspect that it is one of many items helpful to the agents. Jack, my boss, once mentioned that of the fifty or more programs we have running in the office to help the agents do their job, probably ninety percent could be scrapped without loss of productivity. The only difficulty would be to find the ten percent that were essential. Perhaps he was right, but I am not prepared to risk it. It is very difficult to try to teach all the agents at the same time, as their experience is so diverse. Our All Office Seminar is the only time of the year when all agents are expected to attend these sessions. Our system must work because our agents out sell any other office in the country, so perhaps the seminar is helpful to them.

The first few years we held the Seminar in December, and used it a a planning session for the next year. Our very first All Office Seminar was very important to me because the agents developed the criteria for affiliation for future agents to join us, and from that day to now, that same criteria has been used and implemented in our hiring and firing standards. My life has been made much easier because of those four criteria developed by the agents. At some point, our training team suggested we move the Seminar to January, as a way to kick start our year. It was a good idea. My now the agents are skilled at their business plans so January works well. The idea was to hold it the first week in January, but it has evolved into later in the month, due to schedules of speakers and country clubs. I must say that in the years that I was fully responsible for the Seminars, some years were not too well received. For instance, one year I had a Psychologist with us for the whole day, dealing with the issue of breaking through to the next level. Most of us are not very touchy-feeley, and many agents hated the day. The next year we put together a committee to organize the event. I was happy not to be the one in charge. In those days we expected the agents to stay together all day, finishing at four. Now we are smarter. This year Dave Stevens, our new President spoke to the group, also Mark Fleisher, the top L.&F. agent. In the middle was a Bethesda Gateway Trivia Contest, complete with prizes. For the past two years, Ned has organized the Seminar and has done a great job. Bless him for his energy and expertise.

Now once again we will try to break the Billion Dollar mark in 2009. We were so close in 2008. Perhaps the words of wisdom from Dave and Mark will spur us on.

February 3, 2009. Harper, Texas. A Day at the Ranch.

The weather at the ranch today was perfect. The sky was blue with not a cloud in sight with the temperature of 75 degrees. Perfect weather for walking or sitting or reading or watching the birds. It was a wonderful day for me. Since our arrival in Texas I have kept up with my normal schedule of waking up at six thirty, until today, when I awoke at eight thirty to find the sun streaming in our bedroom. With windows both front and back with no shades or drapes, the morning sun comes directly into our room. I stayed in the bedroom reading and drinking coffee until ten thirty. I have been reading about Estonia, a place we hope to visit in the Fall, along with Latvia and Lithuania and perhaps Finland. After doing a load of dirty clothes at our house, I walked down to the ranch house by myself to pick up the car. Ken took the car down to pick up the Mule to use when he repairs the screen on the porch. While at the ranch house I fed the fish and watched them for fifteen minutes. They never did come up to the top to eat, probably because the water is very cold and they are not moving much.. We still have many little gold fish along with all the eight large ones. I could not find any perch.

It does not seem interesting, but it is to me, watching these stupid fish, then drinking a glass of water sitting by the fire pit looking for the birds. My binoculars are never where I want them. I spotted two little wrens but could not get close enough to tell which wrens they were, because my binocs were at the Top House. I needed Phyllis or Alice Anne here to set me straight. Gary and Diane lent us a DVD "Young at Heart" and we watched it over lunch in the ranch house. I also started laundry for Suzanne. It is certainly true that four little girls make for lots and lots of laundry. The rest of the afternoon we sat on the porch of the Top House and read our books. Wild pigs have become a problem on ranches in Texas, so Steve and a friend came to set some traps. Tomorrow morning we must go and see what is in the trap, then call Steve. Tonight we had dinner with Joyce and Robbie at their house. She is a good cook so the evening just flew along and of course we ate too much too. Now the moon is bright and the night sky clear as a bell. Steve's friend read a story about the rain in the hill country, and they suggested that it might be October before the rains come again. We have had no rain here since last March. This was a wonderful day but I understand many people would be very bored here. But not me.

February 2, 2009. Harper, Tx. The ranch.

From San Antonio to Harper takes an hour and a half of your time, but it is worlds away in spirit. As is our custom, I drive along with the girls , as they head into school. It is always interesting to watch their preparations and to overhear the conversations in the car. Spelling words are reviewed, state capitals checked, and always the anxiety of being late. No girl wants to be late for school, so they watch the clock as the minutes tick away as they approach the eight o'clock deadline. I of course, hate being late, but I try to assure them that nothing terrible happens if they are late for school. They don't believe me. They want to be on time. Of course, four girls and a Mother must be ready to leave together and often one girl can not find their shoe. Immediately after delivering the girls at school and returning home, Ken and I drive to the farm. The trip is very pretty, on an interstate highway 10 that is not crowded. In Kerrville we shop for groceries at HEB, the best grocery store in the world I think. The store is spacious and the other shoppers are friendly, as is the staff. Simple pleasures I know, but it a pleasure to be reminded that you are in rural Texas. The rains have not come to the Hill Country, so the grasses are all brown. We have had several months of drought. Many years ago there was seven years without any rain. I can not imagine that happening, but of course, it could happen again.

Directly on arrival at the ranch, we drive up to the top house, stopping to see the cattle along the way. Our four calves will soon go the auction. It is such a pleasure arriving at our home on the hill. I inspect every part and look out every window before storing away the groceries. That is the time I realize what we have forgotten, although as we had no list and we haven't been here for a bit how can we expect to bring everything we need home from the store. Steve arrives to make sure we are there and to bring a bill for the hay. This winter with no rain we must feed the cattle all the time. Normally there is winter grass to feed the cattle, but not this year. Steve looks after the cattle when we are away and always has a friend or two with him when he comes to visit or work. And always with a beer can in hand. We visit a bit about this and that and then our friends Joyce and Robbie come over for dessert. And our down the road fellow rancher Jan called to say she saw our gate open so she called to say welcome. The spirit of the country is very different than in San Antonio and also different that the farm in Pennsylvania. I am not quite sure what the differences are but perhaps it is merely the density of population. No matter, I am happy to be here in the hill country.

February 1, 2009. San Antonio, Tx. A Busy Day.

The ladies of the church were holding a retreat. Renee, a good friend of Suzanne, was the leader of the event, so for the first time, Suzanne went for the weekend, which meant David was in charge of the girls. His method of survival is to keep the girls busy. Of course, Ken and I were here to help, but David was in charge and all we did was enjoy the activities.

Suzanne left at five o'clock and David arrived home just before she left. All the children brought a friend from school to play, so the children were happy and busy. One by one, the parents picked up their child and by six thirty, the Pizza arrived and we ate dinner, followed by a DVD of Hairspray. They all saw it in New York on Broadway and they loved it so the girls asked to see it again. Bedtime came right after the movie.

Saturday was a big day. Denny's for breakfast. Everyone ate and enjoyed a very large amount of food. Bowling was next, two games each. The bowling alleys are so much more friendly for children now, with the bumpers and the automatic scoring. T he girls love to bowl. We used two lanes so the turns to bowl come very quickly. Both Allison and Samantha hold their own ball on their lap as they were very fearful of losing their own ball. Home for lunch and play. Sarah and Abigail cleaned out the quail cage. I tried hard to get them to cook all the eggs but they would not even hear of it. Next time I may try to buy the eggs from them. I suggested that the girls try to get into the water, so one by one they put on their bathing suits. Instead of swimming, they spent the next hour and a half in an old fashioned water fight. David fell asleep in the chair. I was the safety zone on the deck and using squirt guns and buckets, they all got soaked and cold. While they were warming up lying on the deck and practicing their meditation skills as instructed by Sarah, David snuck up and shot them with the water cannon. They were nice and warm and dry but now they were wet, so of course David received a bit of water too, all with great shrieks and laughter. Next on our agenda was a movie, the Mall Cop movie that is so popular. We all seven of us sat and ate popcorn while we watched this ridiculous movie, which the girls loved. On the way home we stopped to eat at Julian's, a local Italian restaurant. As the Spurs game was coming on at seven-thirty, we brought our food home to eat dinner and watch the game. The girls headed to bed at half-time, and were asleep in six seconds. We had a long and happy day.

Sunday we were all lazy. I am still in my night shirt. We watched TV all morning, looking at all the shows about real estate. Breakfast was left to each person to get their own food and eat in the Family Room. It was a lovely lazy morning. I have heard about those shows but never seen any of them at all although I have consulted with several of the producers. Soon Suzanne was coming home, so the kitchen and deck needed organizing while the girls played outside. David and Allison made a trip for compost and vegetables from Lowe's, then all girls helped him in the garden, followed by another rousing game with water. All girls went right into the water, even diving into the deep end. The girls play together very well, even switching the very desirable water cannons.

Suzanne arrived home at two, just in time to organize us all for lunch, which were hamburgers and french Fry's. The weather is beautiful as I write my small web log from the deck of their house. Eighty degrees and sunny. Now we are back to normal, with Mother and Father and us enjoying each other. The girls loved the activities this weekend, and so did their grandparents.