January 31, 2010. Mexico. New Restaurants.

Two new restaurants, side by side, have opened on the other side of the canal. We have been watching this new building for the past year so we were delighted to discover these two new restaurants, and especially pleased to find two excellent restaurants, right over-looking the canal. A free trolley ride took us for dinner tonight. The setting is lovely. We sat outside on the deck overlooking the canal and watched a picture unfold of pelicans diving for fish and young men trying to catch the same fishes. I did not know much about pelicans but it turns out they perch in trees when they are not flying or fishing or floating. Who knew that these huge birds perch on trees.

Just below us on the rocks the iguanas sit and sun themselves, and put on a show for the diners. One large male assembles several smaller creatures around him and keeps these lady iguanas in line with much hissing and nodding of heads. In addition to the animal show, the food was excellent too. We are so pleased to have excellent restaurants here in Nuevo Vallarta. The best restaurants were always in Puerto Vallarta which is a ten dollar cab ride away, so the trolley and a five minute ride is a pleasure.

One restaurant is a steak house and the other Italian and we have dined at both this week, the Bella Donna for lunch on Thursday and the Steak 158 tonight. Both excellent restaurants.

Resting

January 29, 2010. Nuevo Vallarta, Mx. Luck.

My brother was correct with his comment to my web log of several days ago. He said, "You both have come a long way." This is true and I suppose we got there the way everyone always does, which is to work hard, take chances, and buy real estate. But in addition, we had a lot of luck and assistance. We were born at the right time, just at a time of sustained economic growth. Over a ten year period, the economy had always grown. Demographics worked for us too, as our age group was a small group, so access to schools and employment was always available.

We were born with some advantages too. Ken's intellect allowed him to attend college and Medical school and to keep him interested in learning all his life, which meant he was never bored. I was born with an easy disposition and the ability to work hard and of course I am a quick learner. We both have large amount of energy, enough to shoulder any work load. Ken and I think differently, which has worked well for us over the years and certainly has contributed to our success.

Families have been supportive to us too, which is something you can not just plan to have. The lack of criticism has always been a great blessing from our families, especially when I hear of other family situations.

Timing was important too. We emigrated in 1964 to the USA at a time when we were welcome because we were educated and Ken had a Medical position in Texas. In 1966, the law was changed to allow a strict quota of Canadians into the country so we probably would have been denied or delayed into our entry the the US.

So it is true, that we have come a long way since 1958, but we had some hidden advantages!!

January 29, 2010. Mexico. History.

Your background never really leaves you. When speaking to Karen last evening, she mentioned that she enjoyed shopping at the new Walmart, just outside Bucerias. It is the same store we went on our arrival. She mentioned the cleanliness and the produce, the width of the isles and the amount of light. But the best part she said was the prices. Two days after her first grocery shopping at the new Walmart, Karen made a point to shop at Mega in Bucerias, just to compare prices. She was pleased to find that the Walmart goods were cheaper. Now she did not just glance at the prices of one or two items. She checked out ten specific objects that were in both stores and nine of the ten things were cheaper at Walmart.

Now this is not a poor lady and she realizes it is ridiculous, so she was laughing when she was telling me the story. I laughed too, but I also know that sometime or other she had to pinch pennies, and she never has gotten over it. I do not know anything of her life before arriving in Canada, but I know she is German and is close to my own age, and I know they started businesses in Canada and started them from scratch. I commented that developing the habit of being frugal was very useful, which she agreed. Her next comment was interesting. She said "Both our children and our grandchildren know nothing of being frugal. They all spend as if there is no end of money".

Many years ago, I went shopping with Aunt Essie from Peterborough. She was a wealthy lady, shopping in a store owned by her son Ernest. She was there for oranges and I went just for company as my Mother and Father were doing the services on the Sunday and I accompanied them. Aunt Essie, out loud, calculated which oranges were the best buy and ended up buying the smallest oranges, as by weight, you got the most fruit. I was astonished but of course, never said a word. Aunt Essie and her husband built that store up from nothing and never got over counting the pennies. Neither did Karen, my new friend in Mexico.

January 27, 2010. Nuevo Vallarta, Mx. People.

How could I have done it? It was stupid in this day and age, but these folks were a bit older than us and retired, so I asked the husband what he did before retiring. They both laughed, so I knew I had made a mistake. Especially when he told me that he did not really work but did a lot of volunteer work over the years and every so often he was given money. Now I just had to find out the real story.

I had met them before several times over the years and had always enjoyed chatting with them. Until today, all I knew about them was that they spoke with a German accent and they lived in Salmon Arm, B.C. and they owned a fractional ownership property and they had just purchased a full ownership property in building one. They plan on spending four months here every year.

Here is their story. They moved to Canada in 1962 and both worked in Toronto; she did office work and he owned along with two partners a business repairing small machines. The business was a success and he sold his share to the other partners, while their family moved to Vancouver and began looking for a business to either start of buy. An opportunity to buy a travel agency became available in The Hundred Mile House in northern British Columbia so they bought it and moved there and ran the travel agency for the next 25 years and made a lot of money. He was active in the organizations of travel agencies and served as the President of the BC chapter several times. He still is asked to give talks to groups around the world about the Cariboo, for which he is paid. So you see how stupid I was. Karen ran the business while Hans was the figure head talking to everyone in sight trying to put Hundred Mile House on the map.

When they sold the business, they moved to Salmon Arm and bought a ranch outside of town. They are charming people, very supported of each other and we like them. People are amazing when you find the real story.

January 27, 2010. Mexico. Magic.

Sometimes, you have to prick yourself with a pin to remember that it is really happening to us. Tonight we went for a walk on the beach, leaving our apartment at five-thirty and ending up at the hotel bar. I am not in love with walking on the beach because of the slope of the land. If you walk a long distance on the beach, eventually your hip gives trouble because your feet are not level, so most of the time I refuse. But tonight, I was agreeable. It was beautiful, with the air warm and the sky clear and the sun setting. It was definitely worth the walk on the beach.

At the hotel we stopped for a drink at the "two for one drink time" so we drank two glasses of wine each. I asked Ken if he ever dreamt when he was fifteen that he would ever be living in such a beautiful place? He laughed and said that when he was eighteen he had no idea that he would ever get out of Parry Sound, let alone end up in this wonderful spot. We both laughed at our good fortune and are grateful for our hard work. Now we enjoy this bit of heaven but every so often we think it must have been magic!!.

January 26, 2010. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. My Morning.

It was exciting and productive and it was all mine. First, after breakfast I walked to the mall and exchanged dollars for pesos. That means I have my own money in my purse without getting money for Ken, so no telling what I will do in the future. Next was a haircut. I had made an appointment for ten o'clock a.m. and I arrived just before ten to discover that the place was not yet open. Mexican time is closer than American time, but not quite exactly the same. Soon the two young ladies arrived and soon my hair was being cut. I liked it in that she did not ask me any questions. In addition, she was quick. Twenty minutes and I was done. Of course, it probably is way too short to look good, but who cares.

Next on my agenda was a pedicure. Last time we were there we discovered that just across the mall from the hair cuttery was a lady doing nails. My appointment was for eleven, but as I was there early, she took me in. This is the best part. The salon has really good cable TV, so the young lady, who speaks very little English, hands me the clicker and I am set for the duration and pay her no mind at all. It was fun. Now my toe nails look wonderful even though my hair is very short.

My only other task from the morning was to buy ice cream at the market, which I did. Everything on my list was checked off. Lunch at the golf club followed by reading by the pool completed the day. Such a lovely morning. Such a lovely day.

Jan. 25, 2010. Mexico. No Name Bar and Grill.

It is the new restaurant in town, located in the latest shopping mall. When we were here in early December, the sign had been posted that this place is coming, and now, here it is. The addition to our restaurants is welcome because it is also the closest to our condo, so we can just amble over and eat dinner. It is actually a sports bar, a large sports bar, with two large room full of television sets and tables and chairs. In addition, the outside patio seats many more along with another long bar. The first night we arrived we stopped by on the way to the market to check it out and ended up staying for dinner along with two people we just met. It was fun and festive but most of all, we were thrilled to have another good restaurant.

Here is the best part. Twenty television sets were turned on with every set playing another game. For a Canadian you would think you were in heaven because four sets were playing a different hockey game. Now in Mexico, they do not even know the word hockey, let along put a game on the cable television, so here we have this restaurant just across the street, playing hockey games on their television. And if you don't want to watch Toronto, you can watch Montreal or even Washington. If you sit in just the right seat, you could watch three games at the same time. As I said, it is just like being in Heaven.

January 23, 2010. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Home.

Arriving here is always a special treat. The young folks at our resort welcome us by name and are always pleased to see us. I suspect they do that for everyone but it certainly makes for a pleasant arrival. Over the years that we have coming to Puerto Vallarta the airport has been expanded and made modern with lots of marble everywhere and of course everything at the terminal air conditioned. The first few times we arrived here everything at the airport was out of doors which meant for a warm arrival, as we were wearing northern clothes. But now the airport is efficient and modern and cool which is a great blessing.

Arriving here is a little like driving off an island home where when you leave, all your worries are left behind. Nothing matters except the sun and the foliage and you are left free as a breeze to walk and exercise and read with no regard for the cares of the world. This works well for about a week or two but by the third week we always look for projects. Humans are incredibly obtuse, never being happy without a to-do list for long. But this is really a lovely home. My clothes are all put in their place and the apartment in my order, except of course for Ken's things. He will attend to his belongings in due course, meaning when he needs them. But I am ready for our stay here and I will enjoy.

January 22, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Success.

Today I interviewed three people who were thinking about becoming real estate agents. I have been doing this task every week of every year since I have been a manager, and that has been over twenty two years. Fortunately I love this part of my job. To try to find out enough about a person to make a decision to become part of their life is challenging and exciting. All three folks I interviewed this week are going to join us as agents. If all goes well, in several years they will have become major pillars of the office. That has been our path to success. Our standards for agent behavior and productivity are very high, when compared to most real estate offices, and our training is second to none too, so we end up with the most ambitious and able people wanting to join us.

Once the attitude of success permeates the office, the spirit just perpetuates every part of the office and is kind of catching to everyone who joins us. It is wonderful to behold and very exciting for the Managers.

January 21, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. All Office Seminar.

We do it once a year. It is the time when every agent in the office is expected to join together for breakfast and for education. This is a difficult thing to do, because the agents have widely different levels of expertise and experience but we do it anyway, but we only try it once a year. Our purposes in holding this seminar are three: 1.We hope to learn something. 2.We hope to have some fun and 3. We hope the agents get to know each other a bit better.

Some years have been better than others, but today our seminar was excellent. It was held at the Bethesda Country Club. Bonnie, one of our agents is a member, so for the past three years we have held our seminar there. It is a great facility. In previous years we used Columbia Country Club, using another agent's membership, but we got kicked out!! The club is very slow to send us a bill, and if the bill is unpaid, the club has the practice of listing unpaid bills by member's name, so our agent's name was posted. Actually it was the husband's name on the list. No one was pleased so we were no longer welcome.

Out sessions today were two. One on Social Networking and the other Business by Referrals, both very useful. The agents enjoyed the morning together and they learned something. It was a valuable session.

Jnuary 20, 2010. Bethesda, Md. Irate Seller.

The first call was at nine o'clock a.m.today. I had an appointment with an agent at eight, but even though the caller knew I was in a meeting, they demanded to interrupt my meeting and speak to them. Unfortunately for them, I was out of the office and I never interrupt a meeting for a phone call, so my cell phone was unanswered. I spoke to this irate seller when I returned and listened to her tale of woe. She called our agent lots and lots of bad words which included dishonest, unethical, sleazy, along others that my mother would not like hearing. My response is always the same. I listen and empathise and take notes and I say "I am sorry this has happened", which would be true, because if this incident had not occurred, I would not be subject to this tirade. Then I promise to call them back after I have gathered information.

The case was interesting and unusual. Our agent was the selling agent and the listing agent was a single agent company. The property was sold with the seller crediting the buyer $9000 for closing costs. The property did not appraise at the sales price so both seller and buyer agreed to reduce the price to the appraised value and keep all therms the same of the original contract. The lender required the $9000. credit adjusted to $8700. Both buyer and seller signed both pieces of paper making changes to the original contract. So far there seems to be no problem.

The seller told me that our agent stole $9000. from them. Now the real difficulty was that the listing agent led them to believe that when the appraisal was low, the credit to the buyer would no longer be valid, even the seller on two occasions signed agreeing to the terms. Finally, Ned had the happy task of pointing out to the seller the parts of the paperwork where they agreed to both reduce the price and give the $8700. to the purchaser. I was once again involved with a meeting and the seller kept calling and calling and calling. The final comment to Ned by the seller was to say that our agent did not explain the paperwork properly to their agent, therefore the whole thing was our agent's fault. Amazing. We represent the buyer. The listing agent represents the seller and is supposed to be competent. The paperwork is as plain as the nose on your face.

If we make mistakes, we try to make sure the parties are happy, but in this instance, the problem was the other agent which makes life difficult. The seller wants $9000. from us. Ned suggested that as the agent did not explain the papers to them properly, perhaps they should seek regress from the listing agent. But they continued to think it was our problem. These discount brokers drive us batty, but I must say, it is nice to do everything right with the case. Our defensible case is on secure ground.

January 19, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Kennel Club.

Gary is the only agent who has been at every Kennel Club. It is the toughest ticket to obtain in the area. Tonight we celebrated. Twenty one agents gathered together for dinner. The group is exclusive and special and even though these agents could go to any restaurant and eat anything they want, they feel special attending Kennel Club. It actually makes no sense on a practical basis, but it happens every year, when the magic occurs and we gather together in a fancy restaurant and present these special agents with a new gold dog. It is fun and it is exciting and it happens once a year in January.

Two agents attended for the first time and that is always a treat for everyone to see new agents meeting with such success. Kira came to us right out of college five years ago and she is a perfect example of the classic way to develop your business. She did it by the book and now she has just attended her first Kennel Club but I don't think it will be her last. She loved being at Kennel Club. Margie joined as a top agent but she has only been with the office for one year so this was her first time with her gold dog. It is interesting to note that the event does not get stale. Every year is as exciting as the first one. Great food and good company makes for a wonderful event and tonight we just held our Kennel Club, which was everything everyone wanted it to be. Hats off to the agents.

January 18, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Dogs. Artemas, Pa. The Farm.

Dogs love to visit us at the farm. When we go for a walk, the dog runs a large circle around us as we walk, so for every mile walked in a straight line, the dog runs at least three times our distance. The dog loves it and when we return to the house, the dog is so tired the only energy left is to sleep, so everyone is happy. It makes you wonder why everyone doesn't live on a farm. It is lots of fun walking in the woods with the dog for the people too. It is a joy watching the joyous exuberance as the dog runs. In addition the dog tends to spook the animals so you see more deer. Today Tenor was at the farm and today as he ran as we walked he carried a red rubber ring, which made him ridiculous but cute. Tenor loves the farm.

Our friends Wendy and Clausen visited us at the farm this weekend, along with their three dogs. They stayed in the farm house, which gives them a lot of privacy. In addition, I wanted them to get used to the farmhouse so they could visit the farm any time, whether or not we are there. It worked out very well for everyone including the dogs. The stairs to the second floor are not carpeted and Glimmer their old greyhound was fearful of the stairs, so the two greyhounds stayed all night in the kitchen while Tenor stayed with Wendy and Clausen. Meals were served up at the hill house except for tea served on their arrival. Everyone enjoyed the system.

It is hard to believe, but this was the first time they had seen the hill house. They had visited the farm in the past, but not recently. Now that they have their own house I hope they will visit more often.

January 16, 2010. Artemas, Pa. The Farm.

Today at the farm I have been very busy. The last time we were here just prior to leaving for Christmas at the time of the big snow, we stayed at the farm house in the valley down by the barn. I left dirty clothes in the laundry basket in our bedroom, and clean dishes in the dishwasher. We also left our cereal in the pantry. Ken made coffee at the hill house where we live but we took the milk down the hill and ate breakfast in the kitchen of the farm house. It is pleasant in the new kitchen looking out at the barn. After breakfast I did the laundry and unloaded all the boxes from the truck. The dishes we took from here were taken to Mississippi in very sturdy milk crates, lent to us by the Jays. It took quite a lot of organizing to put everything away in the proper place.

Pizza for lunch, again at the farm house as I had one more load of laundry to dry so Ken went to fill the bird feeders while I read and waited. It seemed that we were out of bird seed, so Ken came by to get me so we could drive to Clearville to replenish our supply, but to no avail. The feed store closes at one o'clock on Saturday, so on we drive to Everitt to the hardware store, where although they have seed available, the cost is double the price at the old feed store. But we bought it anyway. On the way home we stopped to say hello to Mike and Marie at their Cafe and ate dessert with Helen and Erin Jay who were there for lunch. Helen the grandmother and Erin the ten year old helper had just delivered three fancy cakes they had together baked and iced and decorated. Our visit was longer than anticipated but it was fun. Now at the end of the day both houses have been put back to order and the truck packed to return things to the apartment. One of my difficulties is always trying to keep things in their proper house.

Today I figured it out. I found my good wool coat in the closet of the farm house, the one that was supposed to go with me to Mississippi to keep me warm on the way home. I had planned to leave my fleece jacket there, but was chagrined to discover I had no coat. I had intended to take two coats with me, but in the rush and excitement with all the snow, I forgot to take my very warm coat, so I suffered. But I did survive.

January 15, 2010. Bethesda, Md. Standards.

Eary in my life as a manager, the standars for affiliation were establishrd by the agents. This occured at our first all office seminar, the only time in the year when every agent comes to gether to learn. Every other weekof the year, the training is given at three different groups, the beginners, the intermediate and the experi agents. At our first seminar, the agents were divided into groups, to determinte what qualities we wanted in agents. Everyone knew the office needed to grow in size which meant adding agents, and I wanted consenses, so they did it for me. Every group came up with the four qualities that we ultimately agreed to, and it became our standard.

Now standards are one thing to establish and another to carry out. I have been able to lean on those standards all those 22 years, which have made my life much easier in my discussions with new agents. All agent here in the Gateway office subscribe to the same standards, therefore, any new agent must do the same. But this is a two way street. The agents and manager agreed on the standards, and both agents and managers must uphold these same standards. My first year as a manager, I fired two agents for ethics violations, but I have not had to do it again, because everyone knows that if it happened once it could happen again, and ethics is number one on our list. The agents expect us, as managers to inforce the standards and we do. But as time goes on, some things change and we as managers tolerate the exceptions. Several long time agents do not meet our productivity standards and we accept that and cherish their contribution to the office both past and present. The same with young women who have children. The children come first in those early years, and when the children grow up and go to school, the agent will become more productive and have a full career.

The standards have been our salvation here at the Gateway office of Long and Foster. I always wonder why everyone doesn't have them.

January 14, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Management.

My task as a manager is to help the agents assist buyers and sellers when those folks have a need to acquire or sell real property. I believe that the agent is the king pin and I am the assistant. The staff in in place to help the agent. Life is easy in my job and in my office. We have a two way street, in that we help the agents and they help each other. They work hard and keep the office solvent, in addition of course, making enough money to fund their families. The Bethesda Gateway office has never been about me or the other managers, but everything about the agents.

Leon, the young man who has become a manager called me for advice. I told him one thing. "Form an Agent Council to meet with eight volunteers once a month to provide you guidance and feedback". He mentioned that in his first sales meeting, and within thirty minutes, eleven agents came to him volunteering for the position. He has a daunting task before him, but no more that I had all those years ago. When I took the job as Manager,nothing was written down for any policy. I would be asked the same question five times a day. I thought I would go mad, but bit by bit, the committee wrote each part of the directions and explanations. After two or three years, we were able to pull it all together into a booklet we call an agent handbook, so if I am asked a question, I can direct the agent to the policy. Then all I had to do was pay attention to sales strategy and recruiting and training. My life became simple as a manager.

January 13, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. T.V.

I do not watch much television, even though I am irritated if I do not have a television available to me. I am kind of perverse in that way. At the farm where we are only there for the weekend, I have no problem, but when I am living for a week in one place, I really do like to have a good TV at my fingertips., even if I do not watch the set. In Mississippi we have no TV at the condo, and as all the bowl games were on at the time, I was sorry not to have a set. For the amount of time we spend there, the monthly cost is not reasonable so we will do without. We will probably figure out how to watch the games on our computer.

Of course, we do not have access to the Internet there too, but our neighbor does, and much to our surprise, we can access his service on our computer, at least we can when he is away from his condo. This is nice and very cost effective. I like to watch the Antiques Road Show. I also like to watch games, football and hockey, but that is about all. In Mexico, when my eyes are weary, we watch TV, and we see really good programs on the Discovery and History channels, but at home I never watch them. Every so often, Ken and I watch TV while we are eating dinner, especially if there is a Caps game and we are eating chili or stew. It is kind of fun, just like going to a movie but better. We like it, but only every now and then.

I have access to TV here at home and in Nova Scotia and in Mexico. Fortunately we will be here during the winter Olympics. It is my guess that the Mexican networks are not going to have much coverage and I do like to watch the Olympics. That is when you really need a good TV set. Really, I like TV and am irritated if I don't have it available, even if I don't watch it much. Such a foolish woman.

January 12, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Mistakes.

I make quite remarkable errors. I say and write things that I know one thing is accurate but when the information comes out of my mouth, I say the wrong thing. It would be fascinating if it wasn't me. If I am with a friend or relative, I get corrected and then I say it again but say it correctly. Often I am not aware that I have made an error but sometimes, the look on the face of the person to whom I am speaking will look odd, so I re-think what I said and then fix the error. Opposites get mixed up by me often. I will say tomorrow when I mean yesterday which certainly is confusing to people. I routinely mix up personal pronouns. I have been known to say "We had a great time at the beach tomorrow." My words tends to be confusing.

Recently I used Celsius instead of Fahrenheit with temperatures. How could this have happened? It is amazing. Yesterday I spoke of Millions rather than Billions. My spelling is atrocious. I used to be a good speller, but no more. I would like to think that I have totally recovered from my spell of being loopie. But actually, I am going to blame my errors on that event. Of course, there is no way to know whether I would be this way at age 72 with no loss of words, but I am going to blame that spell on all my errors. Ken does not make such gross errors as I do now. I like to think that I am getting better, and that I am making fewer errors now that six months ago. Being eternally optimistic, that will be my story and I intend to stick with it. But I will appreciate every and all assistance in correcting me when I make errors.

January 11, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Success.

The volume of sales for 2009 was $1,235, 465,356.00. In a year when every newspaper in the country including Washington D.C. was crying doom and gloom, the agents of the Gateway office of Long and Foster had gone to work and sold a lot of real estate. They have done it by ignoring the experts. What they did was sharing their ideas, figure out what was happening here in our area and then pass that knowledge through to the buyers and sellers. Our goal is always to help the buyers and sellers carry out their wishes pertaining to real estate. Life is simple here in the Gateway office of Long and Foster, but it certainly is not easy for the agents.

It may be arrogant, but in addition to doing well in real estate sales, we also try to influence the industry. There are five people in the office who have been the President of our local Realtor organization, one of the largest in the country. At any time, we make sure that we have two or three agents on the Board of Directors. One of our agents is now serving as the Secretary, which means that in a few years she will be the President. We want to be sure that our voice will be heard so policy will be sound and in the interest of the productive agents.

Another aspect of influence has been to have an agent from the office become a Manager. Two of the largest and best Long and Foster offices are led by former agents of the Gateway office and another retired from Management after a successful management career. Now tomorrow, another agent will take the position of Manager with another office. He will be introduced to the new office at their sales meeting. We wish him well. It is another bonus with my job as a manager. Management is not better than a sales position, it is just different, and as we know a manager can have an impact of the career of an agent, I love to be able to find those folks who can tolerate management and then help them to take the next step. It has worked quite well.

January 9, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Home Again.

It was very odd, but the further north we drove the higher went the air temperature. We left the Virginia Highlands with 4 degree F. temperature and arrived at home with the 32 F. Very unusual indeed. Last time, driving into town on Highway 66 was a horror so this time we drove a bit north and drove on Highway 7, which leads to a new Toll road and takes you right into the Belt. As we still have our EZee pass, we could just drive right through the check points. Why do people hate toll roads? I love them.

We learned several things this trip. 1. Our system for switching drivers has changed; First session two hours. Second session, ninety minutes. Third session, one hour.

2. Repeat after me - we will not make a trip in winter.

3. We will make touristy trips, not forced marches where we are required to be in a certain place at a certain time.

4. We will not drive at night, not ever. Stop early and relax.

My drill at home is always the same. I empty my backpack and put everything in place. I also put away the snacks and switch my purse. Within an hour, I am ready for the next morning. Ken on the other hand takes his time putting things away. He sorts the mail into piles and reads and watches TV. Next on my list is dirty clothes. Last time we were only here a few days and our dirty clothes were never laundered, so this evening I played catch up and now everything in our house is now clean. Tomorrow morning I will change the sheets. It seems foolish, but in my life I can never remember when I changed the sheets. I have taken to laundering the sheets before leaving, then putting the clean sheets and quilts folded on the foot of the bed, something I did in the Mississippi condo.

When I walked into the apartment this afternoon the sun was shining into the living room. It was glorious. Coming home is always lovely even after a great trip.

January 8, 2010. Kingsport, Tenn. Mistakes.

I am not traveling with a coat. I am not traveling with a jacket. Since we left Jackson, where I intentionally left a warm jacket at the condo, I have been without any garment to keep me warm when going outside. That was not smart, traveling so far in this cold weather with nothing to keep me warm. If we have car trouble, I will freeze to death. All my life I have carried a wool sweater and a heavy blanket in the car, just in case of an emergency. I do this summer and winter. Now, I not only have no warm blanket, but I also have no coat. This is stupid. This is also very UN-Canadian to be so unprepared!!

In my defense, I was not expecting frigid weather. Leaving Tupelo this morning the temperature was 11 degrees F. and tonight when we checked into the motel it was 14, much colder than normal in the South. A normal person would just buy a jacket, but I refused to do so as I already have too many jackets and coats and I did not want another. I am shedding objects not acquiring them so I just stay cold when outside and rush to the door upon arrival. It has worked. I do not really enjoy being cold and I know how to keep warm in very cold weather, but that requires a warm coat, scarf and gloves along with wool socks. Unfortunately, I have nothing. I think I am paying penance for my stupidity!!

January 7, 2010. Tupelo, Ms. Natchez Trace.

It sounds so romantic to drive the Natchez Trace. The road is very old and very long, running from Natchez to Nashville. Artifacts have been found that were over six thousand years old, so driving the trace reminds you that others have been along this road , many years ago. Our plan was to leave on Friday, but the weather cleared this afternoon so we decided to drive on the Trace up to Tupelo, stay overnight, then start early on the inter-state to head for home, probably staying in Virginia tomorrow night. Our drive today was lovely, with no traffic at all, so we had the road to ourselves. The forecast for today was rain and snow so most sane people stayed home, except us. We enjoyed the fifty mile an hour speed limit, arriving Tupelo at six o'clock. Elvis was born and raised here in Tupelo and celebrations are in store tomorrow.

This morning, Andrew, Kate and Mary Frances came for breakfast and to help load another piece of furniture on the truck, to be donated to Goodwill. They also wanted to see our new furniture and lights and paintings. Our condo looks comfortable and cosy and now we can read well at every chair. Ken installed towel racks and hooks and now we can function well. After breakfast, we took the furniture to Goodwill, then drove around the whole reservoir. It was a lovely drive, even in the rain. During the drive we saw more herons then we have ever seen. Also hundreds of robins . Many ducks and herring gulls, also terns. We had lunch with Christina and the girls and Andrew, to say goodbye as we had decided to get on the road. Our visit was lovely and we enjoyed our time in Mississippi.

January 6, 2010. Jackson, Ms. Mississippi Craft Center.

Every day we drove by this large building. Outside was a sign advertising gifts. Finally, Kan and I went inside. This modern cement and glass building is about half a mile from our condo, but it took until yesterday that we went into the place. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The Gallery is actually a very large room with glass on three sides, filled with the most wonderful hand crafted objects, all made by Mississippi artists and artisans. The quality of the work was of a very high quality. Even Ken, who does not really like to look at crafts was impressed. We did a quick tour, which took us thirty minutes, bought a couple of books for Andrew and earrings for me, then decided to return tomorrow. Ken fell in love with a beautiful large rocking chair, but it was too expensive and too big for our taste.

Today I returned on my own and instead of purchasing Ken a big beautiful chair, I bought him a small, beautifully crafted wooden step stool. It is lovely and certainly fits into our home and our budget. The best thing I did was buy Birthday presents for both Mary Frances and Kate. I chose five objects for each girl, which the ladies wrapped for me, so now I will not be late for their big day for a change. It was so much fun choosing the objects. Obviously, the pieces had to be affordable and useful or fun for a girl. Kate will be 13 and Mary Frances 10, so my choices were not easy. But I am pleased. Tonight we delivered them to Christina to be hidden until their Birthdays have arrived.

Since we have been in Jackson I have asked many people if they had been to the Mississippi Craft Center, and they all said "No". They have been missing a treat. This place has full of wonderfully hand crafted pieces of art. Be sure to visit when you come to Jackson.

January 5, 2010. Jackson, Ms. Antique Stores.

Drive south Highway 49 and you come to a little town called Florence. Watch for the sign "Flea Market and Antiques" and stop, get out of your car and go in. Keep your coat on because the old barn has no heat, but once you get into that big old warehouse you will be in antique heaven. The objects for sale vary from very inexpensive and tacky to beautiful and elegant. I loved the place. What I really loved but did not buy was a solid walnut chest of drawers, very large and lovely and not expensive. Unfortunately I did not need a chest of drawers but that chest was a beauty and a steal at $325. I did buy a small gold frame mirror and a $20. trifle dish I will use as a fruit bowl at the condo. That place in Florence would be perfect to give a girl ten dollars and let them choose something for themselves. They could find bundles of belongings to take home and love.

Next up on the afternoon was a visit to an antique store in Jackson. It is always interesting to see antique stores in new settings. I can tell in minutes if there is anything I can afford in this store, by looking at the price of an object I know well. This new store had only top end objects but they were not expensively prices, which pleased and surprised me. The three women workers were pleasant and knowledgeable and a couple of times when I asked questions they called the owner dealer for the information. We were looking for a secretary type desk for the living room. They had two, but unfortunately, Ken liked one and I liked the other so we purchased neither. But we did buy was a funky arts and crafts cabinet used as a bar and made of oak. It will be useful in this small condominium.

Andrew will come with us to help us get out of the truck and into the condo. Tomorrow we will donate an ugly TV stand to the Goodwill. Again Andrew will help us put the heavy stand in the truck. I love this new piece of furniture but best of all I love poking around the antique stores in a new place.

January 4, 2010. Jackson, Ms. Home Again.

If you ever want to take a long drive with two girls, aged 12 and 9, buy them each an I Pod just before the trip. After downloading a film and many songs, they disappear into the back seat of the truck and you never hear from them again for the next two hours when you stop for a pit stop. Then back again they dive into their music or film and we never hear from them again until two hours later. It was an astonishing experience, and a very successful trip.

On the way home it snowed. Not like snow in the north, but definitely snow. The weather is very cold today. At the grocery store this afternoon everyone was complaining about the cold. It is supposed to be in the teens tonight. Our condo is cool, as the place is built on a slab and the whole place is not designed to cold weather. I am cold too. Tonight we had dinner with Andrew and Christina. Molly, who is two was very excited to see her sisters. Soon the girls will be back to their school work and on Friday we leave to drive home to Maryland. But we four enjoyed our visit to the cousins in Texas.

On the drive today, Ken and I talked about the 281 drive and wondered if anyone would want to accompany us on one of the legs of the drive. It sounded like a good idea. I will begin to suggest the idea here and there. Our driving trips of recent time have been a big success and we are beginning to think of other trips we might enjoy. Never a dull moment.

January 3, 2010. Palestine, Texas. Fiesta, Texas.

I am not sure if they all really like those wild rides or whether they just like to talk about them after they get off, but those six girls, along with David and Suzanne rode ride after ride. Sometimes they rode the same ride many times, one after the other. The place opened at three o'clock and we were there one minute later. From that time until we left at seven thirty, they were busy people. Some of the rides are flat out scary, so at first we split up into two teams, so the adventurous group went with David while Suzanne and I took the other three. Cell phone technology kept us in touch and soon, after the wilder rides were over we met up and continued the day together. It was a lot of fun for everyone.

David loves all the rides even those that almost make him sick. They race from one ride to the next. The good part of the day was that the crowds did not come because it was very chilly. That was no problem for us as everyone wore a jacket. But then five of the girls rode the log chute and two of them got soaked with water. After a bathroom break, we realized that Mary Frances had a pair of pants that was sopping wet, so Suzanne quickly bought her a pair of pajama bottoms, which she wore the rest of the evening. "These pants are cool", said Mary Frances, and she wore them to bed.

I rode the Scoobie Doo ride, and the Ferris Wheel and the Snow Sled rides. I never could tolerate those sudden drops to the stomach or the twirling around rides, so I watched and cheered. Now I am old I have an excuse.

Mary Frances rode a ride with Kate, Abigail, and Sarah. David was off on a ride with Allison. Samantha, Suzanne and I watched the girls on this ride that I would never have gone on myself. While we watched we could see Mary Frances with her eyes closed and her lips moving. Suzanne asked her what she was talking about during the ride. Mary Frances said "I was so scared, I closed my eyes and I spoke The Lord's prayer out loud, because I thought I was going to die." But she had a big grin on her face and later that evening she boasted about being on the Big Dipper. It's another wonderful memory. I only hope she does not have night mares.

January 2, 2010. San Antonio. Ranch.

Our ranch has gone high tech. It is pretty nifty and certainly informative. David has installed cameras at each deer feeder. In Texas it is legal to automatically feed deer, while in Pennsylvania it is not, so David has installed four deer feeders, that with the use of a timer, twice a day delivers a set amount of dry corn to the ground under the feeder. Steve, who checks for the cattle, fills the deer feeders once a month. Now with this fancy cameras, David can tell what comes to the feeders. The camera is triggered by motion and tracks the time of the photo, so David by scrolling down the pictures can tell what comes to the feeders and what time they arrived. It has been fascinating.

We discovered that our ranch is visited regularly by a lot of wild pigs. This is not good. They rip up the foliage and generally make a nuisance of themselves. They also will attack a human or a calf. This year Steve told us we lost two calves. Now we know it was most probably to the wild pigs. We must start a plan to get rid of the pigs. The pigs only come at dusk or dark. Almost every evening around 8:30 the pigs arrive in force, sometimes forty or fifty at a time. Mostly they are in groups of ten or more, but the pigs must go.

We also discovered that there are very large deer on the ranch. David is a successful hunter, but these biggest deer he never has seen, except on camera. So the camera has been a success, in addition to a lot of fun. Every day we were there, David took the computer with him to the deer feeders and down loaded the recent pictures. Then for the rest of the day we could see what visited our ranch last night. High tech has arrived to the ranch.

The Cousins

Ranch Hogs & Deer @ Night with David's Camera

January 1, 2009. San Antonio, Tx. New Years Eve.

It was a night to remember. It began by pedicures for all girls in the large bathroom. With a foot bath and Suzanne, every girl had a foot massage and freshly painted toenails. They felt properly pampered. Next in line was dress for dinner and the theater which takes only a few words to say but actually required much effort and great care. Kate actually made her hair straight!! Soon, all six girls were posing for pictures by the Christmas tree looking beautiful.

It took two cars to get us downtown, David and Suzanne the drivers. Dinner at 4:30, was a fine restaurant just down the street from the Theater. All girls at one end of the table and the adults at the other kept everyone happy. By six o'clock we were ready to see The Lion King at the refurbished lovely old theater. Both adults and children loved the show. While we were waiting for the car to be returned, at the hotel adjacent to the restaurant, the car hops suggested we stay inside, as it was cold outside. The hotel was hosting a large party, and as a welcome for the guests, two mermaid were sitting, half clothed on either side of the entrance, both hanging out of their garments in every direction. The girls were first entranced, then horrified. Bubbles floated down every five minutes. It was entrancing. But every girl decided not to take a job as a mermaid.

Back at home, ice cream sundaes with three choices of sauce, and five varieties of ice cream was our dessert. Fancy hats and horns and stringers made us all look ridiculous and sound noisy, but we watched the ball fall in New York, and then midnight strike at the Hemisphere in San Antonio to welcome in the new year. Soon after midnight all ten souls went to bed, happy and tired. It was a New Year's Eve celebration to remember.