March 31, 2009. Mexico. Compulsive Behavior.

I first noticed it when carrying mail to the postbox. In fact I did not notice it. Someone who was with me asked me what on earth I was doing? Of course I did not really know what I was doing, but I was arranging the letters in size order. I was surprised to discover when pointed out to me, that my behavior was peculiar, in that the letters were being dropped into the bottom of a mail box and then be all mixed up together with other mail. I was a young adult, probably in my mid twenty's, but until that time I thought just everyone organized everything that touches their hand. It was suggested that my compulsive behavior was odd. It is true too, but it is also a factor in my success at every position in my life.

This fact about me jumped out on Saturday when hanging up my clothes. Ken put my clothes on the bed. I was busily organizing, putting the shirts in the drawers and the dresses and pants on hangers in the closet, when I discovered that the hangers for the pants were intermingled with the hangers for the dresses. Now I wondered to myself if I could allow this to happen, but I really tried to just hang up the clothes, without regard to where they were placed. When I was thinking about something else, without thinking, I organized them properly, and now all the dresses are together and the robes together and the pants together. But I swear I did not do it on purpose, but it is better now.

One day I was visiting my friend Martha in Galveston at her apartment. She had just moved in and was showing me her cupboards and cabinets and closets. This would be 1965. I discovered that her spices were just stuck into the cupboard with no pattern so if a specific spice was needed, in order to find it, all the bottles must be picked up. So I quickly organized her spice rack so in the future no moments would be wasted. She laughed and thanked me, but I did wonder why she didn't do it herself. Now I know that my way of organization is unusual and probably peculiar. But it works for me.

Condo Mountain View

March 30, 2009. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Wandering.

Today we wandered through our day. It is such an unusual kind of day for us to just wander from one event to the next with no planning involved or no real goal except to enjoy the day. It was actually a pleasure. Ken brought me a cup of coffee in bed, where I read my Truman book until 9:30. This Kindle business is good. It is so light and portable. After breakfast of oatmeal and bran flakes in the living room, I returned to my Mr. Truman book until 1:30 when we decided to take the shuttle to the golf course for lunch. It is a lovely spot for lunch, watching the eighteenth hole from the balcony amidst all the blossoms and trees. The Spa is at the gold club, so I booked a massage for Wednesday morning. I couldn't convince Ken to have a massage. He does not like to be fiddled with!! Straight home on the shuttle and more reading until 5:30 when we decide to go for a walk. Along came the trolley car so we jumped on to go over to the other side of the canal to continue our walk over there, which we did. While wandering around inspecting the upgrades to the docking system we met a couple from Williams Lake in Northern B.C. who were not happy with their time share, so we pretended to sympathized with them. In actual fact, I should have given them a short course in enjoying what you have in front of you on vacation instead of bitching about what you can not change. After wandering around a bit more, we walked up to take the trolley car back home, except we went to the market for two bottles of wine before walking home.

After drinking a glass of wine we needed some food so ate a bowl of soup at 9:00. Now I can see the ocean from my bed and as the doors are open we hear the roar of the waves. It is all very pleasant. But tomorrow we must get ourselves organized and get to the grocery store in Bucerias. I mispronounce that town all the time and every time I do, Ken corrects me. I wonder how many times will I do it wrong before I get it right. Since I went loopy, Ken corrects me if I make an error with my words, which I appreciate, but once I get a word incorrectly in my head, I have a hard time getting it right. It is very interesting to see me do it wrong so often. Today, all was relaxed and easy and just whiled away our day.

Evening off the balcony

March 29, 2009. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Mexico.

The airport was jammed packed full of people. Evidently many others decided to come to the West coast of Mexico and enjoy the sunsets looking over the Pacific Ocean. Every line for checking at Immigration was long. In fact it took us longer than normal to shed the formal part of our arrival. But when we walked into our building and the young men said "Welcome Home", we knew we were really here. Victor, the shuttle driver, told us today that the numbers of people are about the same as last year so I guess the bad press has not hit them too hard over here. The security is tight here. The place also lends itself to multi generation vacations. On our walk today to the Hotel we saw five families with three generation families. Not many single or very young folks here I guess. The crime seems to be drug warlord against drug warlord, fighting for control of their turf. It is a shame.

This morning we went to the shopping mall for breakfast where we both ate crepes. Ever since I was served crepes in Galveston many years ago I have been looking to match the quality at my friend's home. She cooked them herself. They were very simple: two crepes folded over on the plate, sprinkled with powdered sugar and lemon sauce. They were delicious. The crepes I ate this morning were fine but not nearly as good as those crepes in Galveston in 1966. Then we walked down to the Hotel and along the water, finally waiting for Victor to drive us home. The rest of the day we read, at least I read and Ken worked at the computer This was my first test on my Kindle. I have read 12% of the Truman biography and it has been fine. One of my peculiarities is to calculate when I think I will have finished the book. I look at the print size and the number of pages, then determine how many hours I will take to complete the book. One of the problems with the Kindle is I can not see the size of the book, but today I discovered that at the bottom in very small print the % of completion is posted. I am enjoying the book and I enjoyed not lugging so many books here. The sunset tonight was lovely and Ken has promised to try to put the picture on the blog. We will see.

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March 28, 2009. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. A Travel Day.

He was sitting at the bar waiting to board his plane. While he was eating breakfast and drinking a Bloody Mary, his cell phone rang and he answered. I was ten feel away and I could not only hear him answer, but also listen to his callers voice too. He looked at the phone but was unable to push the correct button to take himself off speaker mode so he just finished the conversation and hung up. While he was pushing buttons on his phone trying to fix the problem, another caller rang him, so once again we were able to listen in on the whole conversation. He was very discombobulated indeed as he was not alone at the bar. Eventually he figured it out and turned his phone off speaker mode. It took me several days to get my phone off speaker mode so I knew how he felt, but I still laughed.

Today, everything went our way. Ken used air miles to upgrade us to First Class, so the both flights were pleasant. We forgot about food, so we ate breakfast in Washington only to be served another breakfast on the plane. When we checked the gates in Houston we discovered a flight was leaving in thirty minutes and we stopped at a service desk and were able to get on that flight rather than wait two hours for our own flight. Now the last few times in Houston when we have wanted to get on an earlier flight, we were told that fifty dollars each would get us on the earlier flight. We are too frugal for that. Today, perhaps because we were flying first class, we got on the earlier flight with no problems. We walked from one plane to the next with no waiting at all. Every time we arrive here the system at the airport is a bit better. Today, with no luggage to wait for, we were home at the apartment very quickly, and by three-thirty the locker was emptied with everything put away. It doesn't often happen, but today, everything went our way on our day of travel.

March 27, 2009. Checy Chase, Md. Blossoms.

They are arriving, bit by bit. A cool Spring means they come more slowly and last longer so we who have lived here a long time like the cool nights. From my balcony window I can see several trees covered with blossoms. The trees are sparse but are telling us that soon the full blossoms will be big and beautiful. The trees at the tidal basin will be in full bloom this weekend but the trees in our Kenwood neighborhood will wait a week I bet. For the next two months, Washington will be full of blooming trees. First the cherry trees, followed by the azalea bushes and finally the dogwood trees. Washington is the place to be in the Spring. Of course, trying to visit at the height of the blossoms is very difficult because each year the blossoms peak at a different time. Don't come until the blossoms have appeared. It is the only safe plan.

This a very unusual time of the day for me to be home. It is three o'clock and I am drinking tea at my desk while I do my little web log. Normally I am either in the truck driving to the farm or out of town. Today I am preparing to leave for Mexico tomorrow. We read many places and on TV that Mexico is a bad place to travel just now. Our West coast location is well away from the violence of the drug wars, so we are going and we will enjoy. Once while in Nicaragua we met a couple from Montreal, who asked us about the crime in Washington, DC. They really wanted to visit the place but were fearful of the crime. They were surprised that we lived there happily. We just laughed and told them that many friends at home were unwilling to come to Nicaragua because of the crime. This Montreal couple had been to Nicaragua several times and had found no crime. Perception is everything.

March 26, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Charming Books.

Mildred Nungester Wolfe was an artist all her life, but when her artist husband was asked to retire from teaching at Millsap College in Jackson, Miss. in early 1970's, Mildred was automatically retired too, even though she was ten years younger. I discovered all this and more in a charming book she wrote when asked by her children for the particulars of her life. She died not too long after she wrote the book in 2005, and her daughter Elizabeth has carried on with her ceramics. We visited her studio when we were in Jackson and I purchased the book there but was saving it until I could read straight through. The book also has copies of her paintings, so I could savor the text and the pictures all together. I am always so interested in how people put their lives together, so when I see this small but very personal tale of one woman's life I just jump at the opportunity. She makes this statement right at the beginning of the book: "I was never seeking new worlds to conquer. On the contrary, the earth as it is---arched over by the sky and subject to rain, wind---fascinates me and at the bottom is the great subject of my painting." Now this is so far away from my way of thinking. Artists are just very different people.

Also this weekend I read a lovely book by Eudora Welty, "One Writer's Beginnings". She lived in Jackson for most of her life and I bought the book when I toured her home in Jackson. It tells the story of how she learned to listen and watch and then eventually describe. Her portrait hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. It was painted by Mildred Nungester Wolfe. I have read everything that Eudora Welty has written, but I never before heard of the artist. That tells a lot about me.

March 25, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Entertaining.

We have entertained in our home ever since we married. Tonight we did the type of entertaining that we really like. I invited friends for dinner tonight. Our friends had just returned from New Zealand and we wanted to hear a report. Also we had returned from Nova Scotia and they were keen to hear about our journey north. Our friends arrived at our home at six o'clock, where we had a drink, then we drove to Bethesda where we ate dinner at the Lebanese Traverna. The food was wonderful and the conversation lively. The best part was when we dropped them back at their car and we entered the apartment. We had no dishes to put in the dishwasher or table to clear up. I am not sure whether I am getting lazy or just smart but both Ken and I enjoyed the whole evening. We might do it again.

March 24, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Modern Lady.

I have become a modern lady. Today I wore two different earrings and was told by the only person who noticed me, that wearing different earrings is very modern. Of course, for me I just picked up the wrong one from my jewelery drawer, but today it was not my lack of good eyesight but my forward thinking that caused me to be modern. Then I arrived home to discover that I was the proud owner of an IPod Shuffle, so the first thing I did on arriving home was listen to Patsy Kline . I was in heaven and sat at my desk reading my mail and nodding along to the tunes. Now this little gadget is about as big as my thumb nail, and there it is, all half full of my favorite music. I have become just like the kids.

My teeth are on their way to being modern too. Last year my Dentist asked me if I was interested in upgrading my teeth. I asked him if my teeth functioned well. He told me that my teeth worked fine, but they were not modern. I laughed and told him that I was not modern either, so I would keep my old fashioned look a bit longer. But I got to wondering what it would take to make into teeth that were modern. I found out and within a week I have done it. For three and a half hours Thursday evening I had two implants installed. It takes six months for the bones to form around the implants. Then on Monday morning at nine o'clock I had four front teeth ready for crowns. I already had two crowns and the other two teeth had fillings in need of replacing, so I bit the bullet and am having the four all with crowns. It took me five and a half hours for the work to be done sitting in the chair with my mouth open. But it is now done, at least until the permanent crowns arrive in three weeks.

Now I am thoroughly modern with my machines and with my mouth. Who would have thought it?

March 22, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Spring.

The Farm just throbs to life in the Spring. As we were opening the gate three ducks flew up from the Creek. Our Canada Geese had arrived to take up residence in the pond. Fifty wild turkeys were along the field among the cattle and thirty two calves had been born this Spring. The birds have arrived too. A pair of red shouldered hawks were souring around one field. Bluebirds and tree swallows were busily making their nests in the bluebird boxes, with at least forty large robins were eating on the field beside the Hill House. Ken filled all the bird feeders, just so we could watch the variety of the birds. Flocks of gold finches have already arrived, but now their yellow is much brighter. The birds are everywhere. Spring has arrived at the farm.

We have my Brother and Sister-in-law to thank for all the pleasure we derive at the farm. And of course, our friend Alan Jay. Ken and I wanted a place in the country and we could not afford the place we wanted, so Dave and Irene agreed to buy our first place with us, both owning half. This was 1973. After a few years we bought them out and we have been grateful for there efforts ever since. Then one day in 1996, when asking Alan recommendations for the upgrade to our first house, Alan suggested we talk to Bill Taylor, who was selling his old farm. So Alan called Bill, who met us at the farm, where we shook hands to buy our new farm. Two years later, Alan was asked by the lady, who owns the 200 acres adjacent to us, if he knew anyone who wanted to buy her parent's property. He suggested us. She drove right over, where we were sitting drinking tea on the porch, and when she told us what she wanted for the land, we quickly shook hands once again, and the deal was struck. We are fortunate to have such a wonderful spot, but we are especially fortunate in the Spring.

March 20, 2009. Bethesda, Md. March Madness.

A great roar went up with every basket. The restaurant and bar was full. Televisions were everywhere all around the room. It was clear that the Maryland basketball team was playing their first round of the NCAA Tournament. And it was also clear that our team was winning. The Bethesda Gateway Office of Long and Foster was celebrating Spring Break at the same restaurant, because we beat '08 sales volume for February. We always celebrate when we beat last years records. Our room was right at the back of the restaurant, and a huge roar would resound all over the place. It was a lot of fun to be a part of the action. A coupe of times David and Suzanne and the girls while staying at the lake where we have no TV have gone to a sport's bar for a Texas game, and they have described how much fun it had been to cheer along with every one else at the same time. Up until yesterday, I have never seen it in action, but yesterday, everyone in the crowded restaurant and bar were excited and pleased. Now more will follow.

I love watching basketball, but Ken does not. Our whole Family over the years has enjoyed taking part of the March Madness of the NCAA Tournament. We even chose our winners. One year, Ken flipped a coin to fill in the winners, while the three of us read all about the teams and them made an educated decision as to who would probably win. Ken won the prize. Another time we were out west, so we could watch all the games both east and west, right to the final games at night. We loved it. Even Ken got interested. We watched a little guy from Victoria race up to the free throw line every time he was foulded. Of course that was Steve Nash, which was the first time anyone noticed him. I love watching all these games, but now we go to the farm where we have no TV. I wonder if the games will be on Television when we are in Mexico?

March 18, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Working Hard.

One day, a friend asked my son David this question; "Why do you work so hard?" His first response was to note that everyone works hard and he did not think that he worked harder than anyone, but in discussing the topic with me later that evening, he realized that he only observed very hard working people all his life. Working hard was what every member of our family was expected to do. He expected to work hard and he expects his children to work and play hard too. In other words, a person probably learns their pattern of work from their Family. The problem comes when the Family does not work hard for achievement and spends all their time watching TV, any individual member has a much harder time breaking out of the zone of lethargy.

Getting ahead or raising above a persons station in life is a very difficult thing to accomplish. Some people can do it and some people can not, and I have thought long and hard about the topic. But I do know a few things that are required and one of the qualities is hard work. Another is high intellect. You have to figure out what you want, then how you are going to get yourself there, then delay the gratification every step of the way. Definitely, hard work is a major component of success. Once I had a difficult time trying to explain to Abigail, when she was six, what being lazy was all about. A friend's Mother commented that another lady was lazy, because she never helps out at school and her house is always a mess. "She is just lazy," said the Mother. Well Abigail comes from a Family of workers so she could not grasp the whole concept of lazy and I had trouble describing it to her. She already has grasped the concept of hard work. And this is a good thing.

March 17, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Dentist Visits.

I hate going to the Dentist. My own Dentist is even nice, in fact, he bought a house just along the shore from us in Nova Scotia. We had a conversation about travel destinations and I told him about our home in Nova Scotia, so I told him about the house just down from us, and he bought it. Fortunately, he and Susie like the place. He is a golfer and several courses are within a thirty minute drive from his home, so he is happy there. But I still do not like to go to see him at his office. Now I have tried to figure out why I hate going to the Dentist. After all, the drills don't sound noisy and it no longer hurts. The suctions work well so you no longer choke, and the needles are very small when numbing your gums. But it is just something about a visit to the dentist that I do not enjoy. My habit is to be very diligent for a few years by having my teeth cleaned every six months, and fixing anything that needs attention. Then I go off the wagon, so to speak, and I do not darken the door of my Dentist for two years. Right now I am catching up with my two year absence. Today I re-filled two teeth, which took two hours. Tomorrow I will have my teeth cleaned.

I have figured out why I hate going to the Dentist. At the Dentist, my mouth is open and I can not talk. This fact alone, in my Family, raises great anxiety. I make my living by talking, and all of a sudden, I can not talk. No wonder I hate it. But I must confess something. Today, while my Dentist and his assistant were working in my mouth, I fell fast asleep. Not for a few moments either, but for many minutes. In fact, the two hour time slot just raced by and I was surprised when the job was completed. My Dentist has never seen a patient sleep for so long, all the while with his hands working in my mouth. He thinks my teeth are not modern, so I am going to have an assessment of my teeth. We will see. I still do not enjoy going to the Dentist.

March 16, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Kindle 2.

It is true. An old dog can learn new tricks. It is magical. Yesterday I sat in my living room right here in Chevy Chase, on the fourth floor of our apartment, and I perused a list of books on my new Kindle, then ordered the books I wanted. Within minutes, the five books were on my new Kindle and I could read any of them. The charges came immediately onto our credit card. Now this is magic. No lines, no calls, no e mails, no Fax. Just push the button to the books that you wish to read, and Bingo, the book is in my Kindle. So far I have not read any books on the Kindle, except a few pages of a book I ordered three weeks ago. It is supposed to be a comedy, but I don't like it, but so far I have not figured out how to erase the book, so I guess I will read to the bitter end. But I tell you, that Kindle is the real deal.

Ken gave me this Kindle for Christmas. I am always hauling books with me when we travel, so he is trying to get me to pack light. Also, he uses an electronic book when we travel, but his palm will only hold a few books, so by giving me a Kindle for Christmas, which he thinks I will not use, he can always take over the Kindle if it is left alone too long. Now so far I have only touched the Kindle three times. Yesterday I decided to buy some books so I will be ready for our next trip to Mexico. I figured out the system for buying books right from my own living room and I loved it. I selected from the category of History and Biographies and I am so excited with my choices. The cost is between one Dollar to fifteen Dollars with three books sold for ten each. Now I hope I enjoy reading from my Kindle.

My problem with the electronic books is that my habits with books are peculiar. I like to fondle the book for a bit before I open the pages. Then I read all about the author. Finally, if you promise not to tell anyone, I read the last chapter. Sometimes I read the last few chapters, followed by a chapter or two in the center of the book. Next I count the chapters and the pages. Finally, when I am sure that I have enough time on my hands, I start at the beginning and keep on going to the end, unless I am interrupted to eat. At no time can I indulge myself by starting a book in the evening, because I am prone to keep reading all night. My patterns do not fit with a Kindle. I will try to reform and read in the proper manner. I certainly love this ordering right from my own living room!! This old dog has learned a new trick.

March 14, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. OAKE.

I had never heard about the organization, but there we all were, in the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall, listening to most gorgeous sounds coming from three different choirs of young people. Sarah loves to sing, and her teacher at school says that she sings well, so the teacher encouraged Sarah to audition for a National children's Choir, to be a one time event in Washington D.C. for five days during Spring Break. Sarah made a tape at school, and soon a letter arrived congratulated Sarah on her acceptance to the National Children's Choir. Sarah was delighted. The Family all voted to cancel their skiing trip and go to Washinton for the week. Sarah was involved from Wednesday to Saturday, with rehearsals every day, all day. Saturday evening the concert was the culmination of the hard work. The Hall was full of parents and relatives and teachers of singing. The very large choirs sang beautifully. My Mother would have loved it.

OAKE is the Organization of American Kodaly Educators, and have been holding these annual event to promote singing to the youth of America for 35 years. I had never heard of the organization, but clearly, as in so many other volunteer organizations, many many dedicated educators organize these annual events, where three choirs are formed, just for the one event. Sarah was in the Children's Choir, for children up the the fifth grade. 170 kids were in that choir, led by Sandra Mathias. Next up was the Youth Choir, with 190 junior high school students, led by Dan JeJeune, followed by the Concert Choir of High School students. This choir is half boys and girls, and sings together several times through out the year. The leader is Janos Horvath, who teaches at the University of Calgary. 200 young people were in that choir. I am sure that in practices, the kids did not always look or act like angels, but last evening, every child from the youngest to the oldest sounded and looked like angels. The singing was beautiful and the training invaluable. Sarah had six pieces to be sung, all by memory. Of course, every child came wanting to sing and the leaders were very accomplished and experienced with children. It was such an impressive event, especially when I did not even know anything about the group until Sarah brought it to our attention.

Now David, Suzanne, Sarah, Abigail. Samantha and Allison have gone home. We said goodbye to them on the Metro on the way home. The concert was too late for an after concert treat. Now we will miss them here. Ken and I always enjoy those six lively energetic people.

March 13, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Monuments.

They are so very impressive, both to young and old. Tonight we eight toured the monuments downtown. Reston Limousine Company drove us. It was wonderful. No fuss or muss with parking or traffic, just sit back and talk to the children and enjoy the sights. Our vehicle was a large van with big windows and a big door for access and a table where the girls could drink their water. After a day of sightseeing, David and Suzanne and the girls took the Metro and met me at my office, then came home for dinner where Ken served beef stew and rolls. Ice cream pie for dessert. After a short time of playing outside, and a bit more in the Library where they played make believe with the canes, we were ready to go downtown. Our driver Bill picked us up at seven and drove us right downtown on Wisconsin Ave. so they were able to see Georgetown, then over to the Lincoln Memorial, where we parked and walked up the stairs. I have seen this monument many many times, but it always impresses me with it's stateliness. The girls were impressed. We did walk over to the Vietnam Memorial but they had so many questions which were impossible to answer that we quickly walked back to the van.

Next was a visit to the White House and another walk through Lafayette Park to be closer to the mansion. That house is impressive. We drove up Pennsylvania Avenue and around the Capitol, then over to the Jefferson Memorial where we all once again got out and walked all around the place, admiring and reading the famous words, Of course we drove around and by the Washington Monument many times, each time for a request to go to the top, but to no avail. The place is closed at night. By the time we dropped them all at their hotel, the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel at Conn. and Woodley, the girls were very tired and ready to go to bed. Our driver brought us back to the apartment. So no fuss or muss for adults or children, just a wonderful evening with the Family in Washington, D.C.

Did you know, that there are 53 steps at the Lincoln and 42 at the Jefferson? Sarah and Abigail counted them.

March 12, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. The City.

Dining in the City is always such a pleasure, that I always wonder why we don't do it more frequently. The Sake Club was the restaurant we chose and the restaurant was excellent. First thing that occurred when we were all seated at the table turned out to be the only difficult moment. Sarah broke a glass , spilling water all over herself and the table and the floor. Of course it made a huge racket, but she handled it very well and apologized to the waiter and just sat quietly while the mess was cleaned up by the Manager and four waiters.. The four girls liked the food, even though they had to be talked into the Japanese food. Great food. Great sake. Wonderful meal with David and Suzanne, Sarah, Abigail, Samantha and Allison.
We promised the girls that if they ate the Japanese food graciously, we would go to the Italian restaurant for dessert, and we did.

Sarah auditioned to be in a national youth choir and she won, so David and Suzanne and the other girls came to Washington too. They all arrived on Monday and stayed in our apartment and played tourist downtown , then moved down to the Marriott Wardman on Wednesday, where all the rehearsals are being held. She sang for six hours today and three hours last evening, will have class Friday morning from nine till one. Each day this week everyone else is seeing Washington. Tomorrow they will tour the American History Museum, then all come out to our place for dinner, before touring the monuments by moon light in a big van with a driver. We arrived home from Nova Scotia at noon so we will be able to attend the final concert at the DAR Constitution Hall on Saturday night. We met them at their hotel suite, an upgrade from two rooms when the hotel was overbooked, so they are living in the lap of luxury and using the Metro to get around in the City. They are loving it.

Ken and I left my car in Bethesda and took the Metro, and on the way home at eight o'clock, I was surprised that the train was full. That was when I realized why we do not make use of the restaurants in the city. The people on the train were going home from work. Everyone in this town works too much, leaving the restaurants and museums to the tourists. But this weekend we are going to make use of all the charms of Washington.

March 11, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Observations.

I knew they do it because the broken shells are everywhere, but yesterday, when looking out to sea from the Carriage House, I saw it with my own eyes. A sea gull flew up from the rocks down by the water, then seemed to hover over the large rocks at the edge of the grass. From a height of about six feet, the gull dropped something from it's mouth, right on the big rocks. The gull descended right where the sea urchin landed. I could not see what happened, but I have read that the rocks smash the sea urchin, where upon the sea gull eats it. Clever gull. Almost immediately, two large crows, either fish crows or ravens flew right down to the gull. I feel sure they were all fighting for the poor little sea urchin. When we walk the shore, these sea urchin shells are all over the place and now I know how they got there, and I saw it happen right before my eyes.

Snow crabs are new to us, but I want you to know, they are delicious. They are sweet and juicy and easy to get out of the shells. Last night, Betty and Vinal cooked these snow crabs and brought them over for dinner. I supplied the salad and rolls and Betty brought the special utensils. We ate the whole big bowl. It is just fairly recently that these crabs came for sale. Now the fishermen have a whole new product to sell. They are called snow crabs because they can only be caught in the Winter. Now they are even fishing for these crabs out in deep water. I wonder how long it will take before the crabs will become scarce? Very little is known about their life cycle. I tell you, those snow crabs were delicious, although messy.

David Nickerson does such beautiful work. Yesterday we saw our coffee table, almost completed. It is made of tiger maple and cherry wood, and is a replica of an eighteen century table from Nova Scotia. Of course, he takes a long time to complete a project, but if you are patient and if the task is challenging to him, eventually, the project will be completed. I spent many hours pouring over books of antique furniture and finally selected three pieces. Last March, I asked David to build these three tables, one to use as a coffee table and two as end tables, all taken from the same book. He has to figure out how the put the table together, all put together just as it was built long ago. Next time we are here, my table will be ready. He is such a clever careful carpenter.

March 9, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Party Time.

Our social life in Nova Scotia is much more active than in Bethesda or Texas. Perhaps we have more time or perhaps people are more sociable. For instance, we have been here for seven nights and we have been alone at home one evening. Sunday night we had a cocktail party in the Carriage House. Our friends here were delighted to come to a party after a hard long winter. We decided to use the Carriage House because of the view, and because of the late sunset due to daylight savings time. Also, the Carriage House has not been used since last summer, so we wanted to see how it looked. My friendly caterer was available for Sunday night, so on Thursday I started calling friends, and at five o'clock Mitchell arrived with the platters of food. I had already taken over the wine and the glasses and the beer, also put the room free of dust and dead flies. The evening was fun with sixteen friends pleased to celebrate with us the survival of another winter. By noon today, everything was back to order. Ken and I were pleased that we took the time to celebrate with our friends here in Nova Scotia and we were pleased that Mitchell brought the food and then picked up the empty platters today. His catering service is a godsend to us.

My Brother recommends that I just keep inviting people to visit and not pay any attention as to whether or not the recipient wishes to be invited. "Any friend of yours has the gumption to say no,"said Dave. I am choosing to follow his advice.

March 8, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Paddles.

Dan Peacock makes paddles. Of course he has a day job too, working for Eastlink, the communications company, but in his spare time, he makes paddles. He makes beautiful paddles. When we first went to see the paddles, he was asking us lots of questions about what we expect to be doing with the paddles, such as "will you be canoeing down or up rivers? or will you take full day trips with the canoe?". We of course have no idea what we are going to do with these paddles. We just knew that we commissioned a most wonderful canoe and now we must have paddles. So we hedged and asked many many questions. We asked about the different woods and how he made the handles and the type of glue. And then we began to choose the paddles. He makes these paddles from scratch, specifically for us, so he wants to be sure we will be satisfied with our paddles. We were very careful with out choices. We selected six paddles in all, two shot paddles for the children and two with thin blades and two with wider blades. When we had finally completed out task and paid him a deposit, he complimented us on our choice of paddles, both for their function as well as their beauty. Finally, we confessed to Dan. Both Ken and I were making our choices of the paddles on the basis of how pretty the paddles looked, rather than their function. For instance, we have paddles made of maple with mahogany and we have paddles made of birch and walnut. His wife understood and laughed. Dan just looked puzzled and probably thinks we are slightly daft.

This year of 2009 has been designated in their family as 'The Year the Wife Canoes'. Dan is an expert and his wife Dorothy likes to canoe but does not go out for weeks at a time with the rivers and lakes with just the canoe and some supplies. Dan is determined to be sure that his wife is competent too. They have two children, who both canoe, especially the ten year old boy who is intellectually challenged. Their daughter is in love with horses. This year, Dan hopes to canoe in all the lakes of Nova Scotia, all 223 of them, and he expects to teach his wife. She just laughs and rolls her eyes. I do not know why it pleases me so much to find this level of competence in this little house on a country road. Dan makes these most wonderful paddles, just from a piece of a wood. He is so pleased with his product and is always trying new ideas. It is very impressive to me and I love to see these good folks in action. When you come to the cottage her, you will now have several choices of paddles when you go out for a canoe ride. Of course, every paddle is beautiful, because we chose them well. We picked up all paddles today
and you will find them stored in our garage.

March 6, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Victim.

He chose the wrong person to mug. My friend was in New York, visiting her son, who lives in a very nice neighborhood in Manhatten. It was dark and she fumbled with the key. When she opened the door of the condo, and then opened the interior door, a man pushed into the building and grabbed her. She pulled away and ran up the five stairs to the landing where he grabbed her again. By now she turned to push him away but he was chocking her. She scratched his neck, trying to get him to let her go. She was screaming at the top of her lungs. She told us that it seemed to go on for a long time, but was probably a short time. A couple heard her screams and came down the stairs when the man took off running. This was about nine o'clock. It was midnight when she and her son arrived home from the police station.

Several good things happened. My friend was strong and fit and feisty so she fought back. The couple in the building came out to help. Her son came immediately down when he heard the loud noise and stayed with her through out all the interviews at the police station. A taxi driver saw the man run out of the building and followed the man to the subway where the driver called the police who caught the man at the next stop. Also, two bicycle couriers saw the man run and called a description into the police. The police came to see my friend within four minutes after the 911 call. After getting the details of the mugging, they asked whether she wanted to press charges and she said yes, definitely yes. It seems that many folks who are mugged will not press charges, because the process is lengthy and tiresome. If the man does not go to jail for a long time the victim is fearful of retribution, so most people, according to the police, will not press charges against the attacker. Not my friend. Because my friend faced her attacker, she had a very good description of his clothing which matched both the taxi driver and the couriers. By the end of the evening, the man was charged with five counts and the police feel the charges will stick. He had deep scratches on his neck and my friend's fingernails were scraped to check the DNA. The police have been watching that man, but up until now, no one would press charges. But not my friend. He chose the wrong person to mug.

She still has to return to New York for the trial, although the man has pleaded guilty. The man told the police that my friend spoke in a very rude way to him on the street and that was why he attacked her. My friend, right from the beginning, always stated that she did not hear his voice at all. He never spoke to her. It was a very unpleasant episode indeed, but it certainly could have been worse.

March 5, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Invitations.

It has taken me a long time to figure it out, but it has finally dawned on me that giving a person an invitation is not neutral. The invitation itself presents decisions on the recipient. The person receiving the invitation has to decide whether or not I really want them there or whether or not I am merely being polite. And then the prospective guest must decide if they really want to attend. Being a guest has it's own set of responsibilities too of course. My friend Peppy often uses the term of some people that they are "social cripples, in other words, the guest does nothing to make an effort to be sociable and enliven the event. But I was thinking specifically of an invitation given by me to a friend. This was prompted by a comment of Wendy, who when speaking of Nova Scotia, reported that they only came to Nova Scotia to humor us. Ken and I bought our property and the following Spring, we invited our friends the Ely's and the Mitchell's to come and see the place. It never dawned on me that they might not want to come, but it turned out they did not really want to come to this out of the way place, but they felt obligated to visit us, because we had invited them to come for a visit. Of course the rest is history, because they loved the place and bought a lot next door and built not one but two houses. I was startled to hear her remarks but as this comment was spoken just last summer, I realized that I have been inviting people to events all my life with no thought of whether or not they really want to be invited.

The upshot of this thinking is to make me very careful to issue invitations. In fact I have changed my patterns. I have told all our Family and friends that they are invited to visit us at any time and in any place, but I am not issuing and invitations. They have to tel us when they would like to visit and then we will check our schedule. I suspect this all comes from my confidence which sometimes leads to arrogance. It actually never occurred to me that an invitation could be perceived as a problem. But now I know, so in the future, I have no wish to impose on my friends and relatives, so, is you want to come and visit us, just call or e mail and we would love to have you visit. It never crossed my mind that saying no was a problem.

Tonight just as the sun was setting, Ken and I went out to the hot tub. We drank a glass of wine and toasted the gorgeous day. The sea was calm and still and the sky was bright blue with the moon up as the sun was setting. We have retreated to the bedroom and are eating a light meal upstairs, while we read our books. There is nothing finer!!

March 4, 2009. Western Head, N.S. In Canada.

You know you are in Canada when your glass of water is brought to you in the restaurant without any ice. We know we are in Nova Scotia in March when the journey out to the hot tub seems to take a long long time. And when the sea is boiling and the waves are high, we feel at home, even though we are cold as ice. Everything was in perfect condition when we arrived yesterday afternoon. The winds were high as was the surf, and the water was all frothy, as if someone whipped it up with a mixer. It was a great sight. All my habits kicked in to try to keep warm, my wool socks and my turtle neck shirt and my corduroy pants, but even with all of that, I was cold all evening. Walt and Mary had invited us to dinner to welcome us home, and as she is an excellent cook, an invitation to her home is always a treat, so we never ever turn down the invitation. Dinner was wonderful, roast pork with numerous vegetables, ice cream and fresh strawberries for dessert. The food was great, but the best part is seeing them again. They both looked good. Mary reported to us that they both have been trying to stay fit. Both have lost weight. Of course, both Ken and I have not lost an ounce since we were last here in October, but we will try harder the next time to try to match them with the fitness routine.

The mail here is interesting. Our life style is so peculiar that many events just pass us by without realizing what has happened. One letter that we received here in mid February was a bill for our household insurance, due February 29. Fortunately we were here March 3, which means that the policy will not lapse until March 29, so we were able to pay the bill over the phone to renew the policy. But what would have happened had we not come just at this time period? Ken asked the nice lady at the Insurance Co. if perhaps they could e mail us if anything happens with the policy, but it seems they don't have a system for that. She agreed that their old policy of mailing the bill to the home owner is not working in the modern world, so she will ask the bosses to institute a new program and try to enter the new world.

Today the sun is shining even though the temperature is below freezing. Today I wore a heavier shirt and a very heavy hand knit sweater, so I am finally warm. We were the only customers at Lane's for breakfast, and the woman who was looking after the front desk was also waiting on the table in the restaurant, so I guess tourists have not arrived in Liverpool this year. Mr. Gaskell who drives us from the airport told us that White Point Resort rented four rooms last weekend. Normally, many business meetings and conferences stay at White Point in the winter and early Spring, but I guess all businesses have cut down on expenses. A new Hotel is under construction in town out by the highway, which will give White Point some competition. This is a good thing. Now we are here and all set up, with food in the frig and fruit in the fruit bowl. Vinol and Betty have just this afternoon, arrived home after their month in the Carolina's, so they will come for dinner. I am using up left over food from our last trip here, so they will be the first candidate for left over frozen food. We will enjoy, no matter the food!!

March 2, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Solving Problems.

Almost everything that happens can and should be a part of the grand plan, so when an issue is raised that needs resolution, the return to the grand plan will almost always give the answer to the problem. That is why thinking very clearly what the end result you want, will keep everyone on the same path, heading to the common goal. A couple of examples shows how it works in practice. When the office was set up, the most important concept that the staff wanted to get through to the agents was that the office was designed to provide everything the agents needed to do their job, with no anxiety on the agents part. We wanted the agents to work hard to help Buyers and Sellers, not worry about the office. I worked in an office that lacked many forms. In addition to technology and forms and supplies, we wanted to be sure that the staff would be dependable and reliable. This covers everything in the life of the workers in the office, from the way the staff greets and helps the agent to the time they arrive at work. Nothing lesser than that would be tolerated by staff. We thrived. The agents are able to forget about the office issues, because everything the agent needs will be there whenever the agent has the need. Reliability and dependability has been standard operating procedure.

A short time ago it was brought to my attention that two of our newer staff members had been arriving late to work. It seems that both staff people thought that if they stayed late, to put in their proper hours worked, that fifteen minutes here or there did not matter. So I thought about the issues, and finally figured out that they have not understood the importance of reliability and dependability in the office. First thing next morning, I informally and individually met with the workers, to explain to them our goal, and that as their hours are posted for the agents, and as the agent might come to meet with the staff member at nine o'clock to find the staff member missing, the whole office goal of reliability and dependability goes right out the window. Now the agent has something to be anxious about, all because one staff person was late. Both staff members understood the goal, and did not understand how their actions were undermining the culture of the office. The hours were adjusted and both stall member have not been late since, not because they were disciplined but because they understood the grand plan, established many years ago. Just like everything else, if you start with the end product in mind, getting to the end is much easier and problems are solved more easily.

Here is another grand plan. We are pragmatic and we want to make money. We believe we catch more flies with sugar than vinegar. Our response when confronted with anger or incompetence is to back off and be pleasant and professional. We try hard to be pleasant and helpful, even when confronted with less than stellar behavior. Because of this, other agents look for our agents listings to sell, and in multiple offers, our agent's offers are well received. Here is a perfect example. One of our very experienced excellent agent was one of three agents presenting offers on a new listing. Our agent had the lowest price, so our buyer lost. The Seller and the agent were not pleased with any of the offers, and truth be told, told the three agent's off for bringing in these offers. The seller countered one offer, and the property sold. Our agent was the only one who sympathised with the agent and seller and rather than being testy and defensive agreed with them that it was very difficult for sellers and agent. When she left, she knew she had lost, but had not lost her temper which one agent had done. The ratified contract fell apart at the home inspection, and the Seller suggested that the listing agent contact that nice agent, the one that felt sorry for us. Well, you know the end of the story. Our agent sold that property, not because she had the best buyer or the best offer, but because she held her tongue and looked for the grand plan of making money and being pragmatic. That is how problems are solved.

March 1, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. A Walk.

It was such a satisfactory walk, I felt almost smug. Saturday afternoon, Ken and I started out to clear out all the bluebird boxes. The temperature was thirty five degrees C. with no sun, so it was a bit chilly as the wind was brisk. One lone blue egg was still in the top corner of a box so we kept the whole nest along with the egg, ready to show the children. All seven bluebird boxes had nests in the boxes so we were pleased. All these boxes can be seen from out house. As we walked down the hill, a covey of grouse flushed right in front of us. As we stood and counted the birds, we reminded ourselves that just the night before, while in the hot tub, Ken commented on the absence of grouse on the farm, and now we see the flock, right in front of our eyes. That was exciting to count the thirty or forty grouse. Just as we left for our walk, a stately row of wild turkeys pranced their way across the field.

I walk on the trails, while Ken walks through the woods, so after all the boxes were clean, we walked cross country through the woods heading to the far fields. So far we have not stepped into the pasture, because the Mother cows do not like anyone around the calves so we stayed out. The fences keep us out, so a few years ago, Greg built us a stile, but he did not know anything about a stile. We drew him a picture and he built it for us, but then he was killed in a car wreck. The first time we saw the stile we realized that the stile was the last task he had completed for us so we were grateful for him. But had he lived, we would have had him add a few parts, such as a railing. Now the stile works to get you over an electric fence, but it is not the most graceful scene, watching me climb up the ladder and sit on the top, then swing my legs over the top trying to avoid the electric fence, then scramble down the other ladder. Ken of course is up and over in a jiffy, but even with his help, it takes me a long time. Once over the stile, we are ready to walk up the long hill to the field. when almost at the top of the hill, we spotted four deer, so we stopped still. The trick with deer is never to move. Their heads stayed down eating, so we inched up the hill, finally seeing ten deer, when one deer lifted their head to see us. We stayed put. They stayed still, but one by one they all watched us. It must have been five minutes with both us and them starring at each other. Finally, a white tail went up and they all ran across the field heading to the woods. Rocking run, followed by a huge jump over the fence. Fifteen in the herd just racing across the field and we were only about thirty feet away. It was exciting. After a walk through the woods, and while crossing another field, we spotted another large herd of deer who ran away, but slowly. Two or three rocking strides, followed by a large high jump, followed by three or four rocking strides before finally clearing the fence. What a sight to see.

Just as we were arriving at the house, we saw two big robins, the first of the season. Very often, while walking at the farm, we see nothing of interest. This seems especially true when we have guests, who are very anxious to see the wildlife. But the walk yesterday was extraordinary in it's variety and numbers. Spring is arriving at the Farm. And top it off, a large very bright bluebird was checking out the boxes, getting ready to make a nest. He sat on a post, just outside our living rood window, just two feet from my eyes. What a treat!!