June 30, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Swimming.

One of the best things about living in the south is getting into the swimming pool. The water is never cold. For most of my life I have had to gird on my armor and convince myself to get into that cold water so I could swim. After a few minutes of swimming the water seems no longer frigid but those first few minutes always made me shiver. But not in the south.

I still remember taking the boys to the Jack Tar pool in Galveston. Entering the water was like going to heaven especially after all the lakes and pools I had swam in that always seem frigid at first. The pools in Mississippi were perfect. The water cools you but never feels cold. Even Ken enjoyed getting into the pool.

Soon I will be swimming in Ponhook Lake in Nova Scotia. The setting is lovely and the water is clear and clean but getting into that water requires an act of faith, faith that very soon I will enjoy this water, but I will recall with pleasure getting into the pools in the south.

June 29,2010. Jackson, Miss. The weather.

Almost every afternoon the wind starts blowing, followed very soon by the rain. The rest of the day was beautiful with bright blue skies and big fluffy clouds drifting by. You forget although by now I should be used to it. Yesterday afternoon after our daily excursions were over I decided to swim but by the time I put my bathing suit on and puttered around having a drink, the winds were blowing and sky was getting dark so I turned around and came home. It is not a good idea to swim in a thunder storm.

Mississippi on average has fifty two inches of rain every year. I have never lived with that much rain so this regular rain is unusual for me. The rain comes down very hard here too, very like Texas. The good thing is that the rain stops, then you can go on with your life, but trying to drive in this rain is very difficult and walking is impossible. September, October and November are the months with the least amount of rain but this year everyone says have been very dry so the rains are welcomed. I noted to Ken while waiting for the dance performance to begin that a lady came in carrying an umbrella. We thought that she was just planning ahead but it turned out that the rain had come after we had arrived to the building. We were just lucky, once again.

Today I got smart and took a swim in the morning.

June 28, 2010. Jackson, Miss. Youth.

I am so impressed with the youth of today. They try things that I never dreamt about. Especially last evening while watching the performance of the winners of the USA International Competition. These young people from all around the world came to Jackson to compete and compete they did. Last evening was Encore Gala, for the medalist to perform. They were astonishing with their expertise. Even Ken loved the dancing. So much attention and dedication and effort by all the competitors but the winners were definitely a cut above the others. Three of the dancers we saw at round two were award winners so we enjoyed their performances again, except not the same one.

In order to compete at Jackson the young person must first send in an application which includes a video of their dancing. The dancers come from all over the world. From the thousands of applications they end up with three hundred and fifty dancers, who then must sen a tape of a specific dance. Finally one hundred and ten arrive for the competition, held every four years in Jackson. The first round is classical ballet. Half of the dancers go on to round two which is modern dance. Round three is optional but requires specific dance steps incorporated into the dance. Medals are awarded to the Junior and Senior division, also the pairs. Bronze, Silver and Gold medals are awarded, and the winners dance at the Encore Gala doing yet another dance.

These young people are so impressive. Forget about the problems with the youth of today. Our young people are top drawer. Just listen to Molly. She says "Yes Ma'm" whenever you ask her a question, just like every polite Mississippi child!!

June 27, 2010. Jackson, Miss. Square Books.

Oxford has the most wonderful book store, right on the main square. I had read about the store when researching Oxford and I had hoped to visit the store Saturday afternoon, but the storm made all plan go away. Sunday morning when we were walking the lovely square we discovered much to our delight that the store was open. The young man in charge mentioned to me that they were the only business open at nine-fifteen on Sunday morning. I was especially pleased because I have had difficulty purchasing history books about Mississippi and I knew they would be able to solve my problem. My knowledge of Mississippi history is sketchy but I intend to educate myself. Now I have purchased nine books I will soon become informed. Soon I will bore everyone to death with my facts and information.

Downtown Oxford was nothing like I expected it to be. It was more like a miniature New Orleans but all cleaned up. Early in the morning is the best time to walk downtown for several reasons. The temperature was a pleasant seventy five degrees. By noon it will be ninety-five. And the best part is that the store are not open so I not able to do any shopping. This is a great blessing to me.

We drove back to Jackson on Highway 51, the old road prior to Interstate 55. It was a lovely old road, well paved but with no traffic as it parallels the Interatate just five miles over so most folks drive on the big highway. But not us. We like the roads less travelled.

June 26, 2010. Oxford, Miss. A Pretty Town.

Everyone in Mississippi loves Oxford. It is the same in Texas, where Austin is the favorite city. We have been told many times that we must visit Oxford, the home of The University of Mississippi "Ole Miss" to everyone here. So here we are. We drove up on the Natchez Trace, then left to use small highways, finally arriving mid afternoon just in time for a huge thunderstorm. The rain was pouring down so we checked into a pleasant but not fancy hotel to wait out the storm, but it never did. We watched the soccer game, at least until the electricity stopped. The only activity open to us to take a nap.

Oxford is a town of twenty thousand, which doubles during the school year. When we first arrived in town we drove around the campus even though it was raining and found a very pretty campus. The university was the first in Mississippi, in 1836, and has been going strong ever since. The town has a remarkable number of writers living and working here. I do not know if tthis is the result of Faulkner living and writing here for so long of if he settled here because it was already a haven for writers. I hope to find this out tomorrow. Oxford is also a hot spot for retired folks. All in all, it is a growing community, but a bit too precious for me.

The drive here was very pleasant and now I can tell everyone that we have been to Oxford and we liked it.

June 25, 2010. Jackson, Miss. Families.

Today at noon we met John, who is married to Greta Barour who is the sister of Eleanor. We like Eleanor and Jim very much so were pleased to meet another family member. It has been fun tracking the families here in Mississippi. Eleanor is one of five children, all of whom live in Jackson along with their spouse and children. The siblings are all competent and productive and all but one have several children. It is the norm here to have several children. A family with only two children is unusual. This has been true for many generations too. Both of Eleanor's parents were born in Mississippi as were the grandparents and great grandparents and all from large families.

John, the man we met today is from Louisiana and was raised on a farm just north of Baton Rouge in the plains but went to school in Mississippi where he met his future wife. His sister who teaches at College was in graduate school with Greta Barbour so introduced them and settled in Jackson. He has a degree in History so we had a great conversation about the borders and how they were established. His grandmother wrote a book about The Plains and the People which we have ordered.

Families in Mississippi are very important and because the population is small it seems that everyone is related to everyone else. Everyone also seems very pleasant or at least polite. We are beginning to be comfortable here in Jackson and we certainly enjoy the families we have gotten to know. We are fortunate that our children have good friends.

June 23, 2010. Jackson, Miss. A Lovely Evening.

The setting was perfect, with the large swimming pool right beside the reservoir, and the weather was perfect too. Last evening we entertained at the Yacht Club that is just across the canal from our condo. Christina ant the three girls and Eleanor with three of the children met at the pool at four thirty so the children could play. Then Andrew and Jim joined us after work for dinner right beside the pool. The children loved it and so did all the adults.

For dessert we came to our condo where the kids served themselves ice cream and sauces. They were stunned that they were allowed to serve as much ice cream as they wanted. Both children and adults sat around our little condo enjoying our dessert. While the adults drank a glass of wine the children played outsidemon the grass, including Molly. By nine o'clock everyone was on their way home, tired but happy. It was the solution to our entertainment, joining the yacht club, and it worked perfectly.

June22,2010. Jackson, Miss. My hair Cut.

I have had ridiculous haircuts in my past but never as bad as this one in Jackson. My hair has all been cut off. My hair is one quarter inch long all over my head. I look so odd that no one says a word about it. Of course, no one knows me very well here so everyone is being polite but I must say, I really look odd.

My hair was cut last in Nova Scotia. The young woman was new to me, but she left too much hair on top so it looked fine when I blew my hair dry but when I just wash my hair and leave it alone the top of my hair is full of curls that hang down in my eyes. After three days in Jackson I was fed up with curls so we stopped at the first place who would cut my hair. The little Japanese lady told me that she would give me a very stylish hair cut. I responded by saying that I did not need style, all I needed was a short and tidy hair cut, which of course is exactly what I got. She seemed pleasant enough but I must have irritated her because most of my hair lay on the floor.

The worst part was that she charged me more than I have ever even charged before for a haircut. But I am not complaining. My hair is neat and tidy and cool and it will take me at least six months before I have to pay another dime to have my hair cut. There are blessings for everything.

June 21, 2010. Jackson, Miss. Molly's Pool.

She loved it and wanted to have her dinner outside sitting in her pool. Two and a half year old children are very determined. We arrived at their home while she was napping so Ken put a few inches of water in the little pool so the water was not cold. When she came to the family room she spotted the pool and I told her it was her pool. She quickly shed her clothes and got in and proceeded to play in the little pool for the next two hours, climbing in and out, pouring water over her head and splashing her feet, Christina sitting on a stool right beside her. When it was time for supper, life became difficult for Molly as she wanted to eat but she wanted to stay in her pool.

Kate finally rescued her by taking her for a bath. Molly was so tired that Christina had to help her eat, but after her supper she was her normal cheery soul and by seven-thirty she was sound asleep. Being two and a half is difficult but Molly is a charming child most of the time. Tonight it was fun to watch her determination and stubbornness. She wanted to stay in her pool and she would not be happy. I finally put the pool out of sight but she still asked to play in her pool.

On the way to their home late this morning I suggested that we stop at Fred's Discount store to find a small pool. The day was hot so I thought Molly would enjoy the water play. The pool cost twelve dollars and will serve Molly all summer. I hope Molly learns to finish the play without trauma or my name will be mud. But she loved it today. It is not always easy to provide two hours of joy for a granddaughter, but today was a big hit.

G Daughter JR

June 20, 2010. Jackson, Miss. International Ballet Competition.

I did not know such an event existed, but tonight Kate, Mary Frances, Christina and I attended Round II, Session III of the USA International Ballet Competition, held every four years in Jackson. In four years I intend to come and get tickets for every session. The dancers were wonderful, all trying to obtain scholarships or contracts or funding, looking to make their living dancing. I know little about the organization and don't even know the difference between the Junior and Senior categories but we knew it was being held June 12-27 so decided to attend at least one session. Andrew volunteered to stay with Molly so Ken kept him company. Truth be told, neither men enjoy ballet as much as I do so tonight just the ladies of the family attended the ballet competition.

The dancing was fabulous. Most solo performances along with three Pas de Deux, with the dancers coming from places far and near around the world. The next and final round of the competition begins on Tuesday with the Awards Gala on Saturday and an Encore Gala on Sunday night. I would love to attend every session but this will not happen. But the most amazing thing is that this very high quality event is being held in Jackson and has done so every four years since 1982. The world is full of wonderful events that in my ignorance I know nothing about. Now I know about this event and will certainly try to be there in 2014. I lived every minute of the competition tonight.i

June 19' 2010. Jackson, Miss. A Satisfactory Day.

The day ended with a wonderful meal, eaten in the new dining room. I had unpacked the boxes of china and Christina had put everything away, so tonight we ate for the first time in their new dining room. Even Molly enjoyed the dinner. On the way home from picking up the furniture Ken and Andrew stopped at a fancy meat store selling only pork so tonight we ate pork tenderloin, the largest and the most tender I have ever tasted.

All afternoon the girls organized their rooms, putting all their treasures in the right place in their new furniture, which fit perfectly in their rooms. We even hung Kate's paintings so her room now is finished and looks wonderful. She is thrilled with her curio chest and I must say shows off her pretty things very well. Mary Frances has organized her desk with a little help from Christina and tomorrow we will hang her paintings. She loves her desk and will serve her well all her years.

Andrew worked in the yard as did the girls, Andrew clipping and the girls picking up the cuttings, also weeding. Molly played with the hose in the yard for a long time. It was a long and productive day, satisfactory to the whole family.

Jackson, MS

June 18, 2010. Jackson, Miss. A grandmother excursion

It served many issues. Mary Frances needed a desk and Kate needed a book case, so I asked the girls if they would like to shop for their birthday gifts from us right now instead of in February. Our intention was to visit Florence, a town thirty miles south of Jackson with three huge antique stores all in a row. The girls thought it a grand idea so this morning we headed south right at the crack of ten thirty. The drive south was quiet. I suspect the girls were anxious about the whole shopping scene. Spending someone else money is never easy.

The stores are huge sheds full of old furniture and stuff. And they were hot. We looked and looked and looked. In the first store we found a small set of shelves for Kate's bedroom. In addition we found a curio case, all glass, which would be perfect for all her stuff. Yesterday she and I unpacked a box that was full of treasures belonging to Kate that she had not seen for two years, so all of a sudden she had no place to display her belongings. Of course we bought that for her too.

Now the hunt was on for a desk for Mary Frances. As she is home schooled, a desk in her bedroom was an essential, but we looked and looked to no avail. Finally in the last shed Ken found a desk is the far back corner surrounded with stuff. Ken found me to inspect it, then we found Mary Frances for her approval. She loved it. Solid wood with drawers on both sides, a roll top cover, and lots of little pigeon holes. Tomorrow Ken and Andrew will take the van to retrieve the objects. Oh yes, we also purchased two solid wooden chairs for their rooms.

It was an excellent excursion, perfect for a grandmother. The girls liked it too!!

June 17' 2010. Jackson, miss. New Gadgets.

I have arrived In the. New world. Today we bought a fancy new Ipad and I am using it. Now when we arrived at the Apple/ Store it was clear to me that everyone was over sixteen but under twenty-five so I knew I was in the promised land. The young man who helped us was Aaron and he was charming and knowledge and helpful. And he sold us an IPad. Now I am using this nifty litle gadget.

I took a picture of him, with his streak in his hair and longish hair. I loved him. In addition, a family was in the store buying a new Mac for their two daughters eight and ten. It was fun living in the new worldview even for a few minutes. Now I am leaving my errors. In this small blog because even though I am working in the new world I actually live in the olden days and so far I do not know how to correct my errors. But I love this little piece of business.

June 16, 2010. Jackson, Miss. Crepe Myrtle.

The city is beautiful right now. The blossoms are purple and red and white and the trees and bushes are both large and small. Some of the trees are thirty feet tall,covered with blossoms from top to bottom. It is a beautiful sight from a distance. In addition the crepe myrtle bushes surround most houses. The whole city was burned to the ground during and after the civil war so these large crepe myrtle trees must have been planted in the late nineteenth century. Between the large trees and the small and mid-size bushes the city is alive with blossoms.

We arrived to Andrew and Christin's home to find a welcoming committee. Andrew and Christina, Kate, Mary Frances and Molly along with Nelson and Katie and Sophie were having a welcoming cocktail party, complete with wine and appetizers. The smoked salmon was a wonderful reminder of Nova Scotia. Everyone looks well here, both children and adults. It is nice to be here.

June 15, 2010. Jackson, Miss. Night Driving.

"Next time we go out in the evening we are going to use my truck", said Ken last night while driving home. I picked Ken up at the apartment in my car. At that time the weather was pleasant and clear. I drove to our friends Wendy and Claussen's home for a drink, then we went on to a restaurant in Potomac. So far all was well even though the air-conditioning did not work. It was just before seven o'clock so the evening was beginning to cool so the car was not too uncomfortable.

But then the rains came down, and as we were leaving for the restaurant we got soaked. By now Ken is driving and turned on the defrost to clear the window, but as the air-conditioning did not work the foggy window just got worse. Next I turned up the temperature to heat up the window which meant we drove to the restaurant driving in a sauna, Ken complaining every mile. It was a funny scene and I laughed all the way. I will guarantee that we will never use my car again, especially when the rains might arrive.

Farm June 10

June 14, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Future Plans.

Trying to look ten years into the future is a very difficult thing to do but of course we do it all the time. One factor to consider is the company you work with. Who is going to be in charge? Are the policies likely to change so the agents are well served? Do the new people in charge know anything about the life of an agent or manager? Do they care about the life of an agent? Trying to factor into all the variables makes your head spin but when you consider the future all those aspects of the company must be taken into account before decisions are made concerning future action. One thing I know is that a person must think long and hard and carefully before making a decision.

Exploring options is the next aspect of planning for the future. I like to talk to all the players available to me to evaluate the assets and liabilities for any course of action. Short term vs long term benefits are often very different but again, looking into the future benefits is merely guess work but they are certainly not to be ignored. I have made mistakes in my management life these past 23 years but I have always been able to correct the errors but that involves constant evaluation. Correcting errors is never easy but is always essential. The process is the key to success.

June 13, 2010. Artemas, Pa. Sarah and Andy.

Real Estate agents have a difficult time getting away from their job while still in the city. The phone rings and a document needs to be dropped off, or a client wants to see a house and soon to agent is back on duty, even though they intended to stay home with their spouse. Sarah and Andy both know that to really get Sarah off duty they must get out of town so they are here to visit us at the farm, then tomorrow will drive to The Bedford Springs Hotel to play golf and visit the lovely spa. They arrived today at noon after a leisurely two hour drive. "No traffic and beautiful scenery" was how they described the drive.

Of course, in the middle of lunch Sarah, could be seen talking on her cell phone outside beside a big field. Her cell phone was not working inside the house. After lunch we ate dessert at The Alley Cat ice cream parlor at The Road Kill Cafe. Soon, after a bit of reading/napping we will go and look at Gary's place and our little rental before building a fire and burn our trash. Tonight for dinner we will cook steaks, probable down by the fire at the farm house. They have been to the farm in times past, also visited us in Nova Scotia and they are very easy to have as guests. The best part is they enjoy the country and the tranquility. Many folks are uncomfortable without TV, but it is always a pleasure having Sarah and Andy come to visit.

June 12, 2010. Artemas, Pa. Core Values.

It is not something you talk about every day at work, but the ideals shared by every agents is one of the reasons for the success of the office. Those ideals are simple and few. The agents and are committed to assist their clients when the client wishes to sell or purchase real estate. The staff are committed to assist the agents in their work. That in a nutshell is our tasks.

The agent would never do anything that was not in the best interest of their client. This seems self evidently correct yet many companies show their listings to their own agents prior to placing the listing in the computer. How does this help the client? All it does is allow their own agents sell their listing before any other agent even knows the house is on the market.

Our staff will do anything to help the agents, whether it means fixing a jammed machine to giving a sympathetic word of support. It seems so self evidently correct but I hear some staff members in other offices are not particularly enthusiastic about helping the agents. Amazing but true.

Our managers are in the office to help the agents. We are not the bosses we are the helpers. "Real leadership means never having to say you're the boss. There is no surer sign of weakness and insecurity than the repeated assertion of your own power and authority". (Andrew Wilson) This is another shared value.

The office runs easily when all values are in sync. Trouble starts when the exterior actions do not follow the core beliefs. When that happens, chaos rules and everyone is unhappy.

June 11, 2010. Artemas, Pa. Sissies.

Right now, she is about to sleep on her stomach, as the bubble inserted behind her eye needs to continually push the bubble onto the retina which detached a few days ago. For the next seven days, her head must stay down. Now, how on earth can you carry out your ablutions with your head down? Retinas detach quickly, with no warning. All of a sudden, after their return from a lovely vacation in Vancouver, Irene could not see out of one eye, except just a bit out to the side. This is a scary thing.

Fortunately, this is not the good old days. Today, with good luck and good surgery, the retina will get stuck back in place. Ken has had three laser repairs to his retina, plus one bubble repair and one buckle making five repairs in all. Certainly not a time to be a sissy. Irene's eye just got grey and then black, while Ken's started with flashing light in his eye. Even now, if lightning flashes Ken will ask me if I saw the flash too. He does not want to have another detached retina and if he does, he must contact the retina center and go there immediately, where the surgery will be done post haste.

They told Irene that having a detached retina was not anything she did or ate but merely the aging process. No one knows how or why. But we wish her well and hope she comes to Nova Scotia this summer to recuperate. It is a good thing she is not a sissy!!

June 10, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Top Dog Lunch.

Two new agents were at Top Dog Lunch today for their very first time. That is quite an accomplishment for a new agent, to have three transactions in one month. It was exciting for them. One of our very experienced and successful agents mentioned today that he had missed making the list for the past three months so he was very happy to be there today. The two new agents knew nothing about Kennel Club so we had to fill them in on the criteria. It was fun and festive and a small reward to the agents for their hard work.

The second benefit of Top Dog Lunch is the meeting and talking to the other agents. In an office our size seeing other agents is difficult let alone talking together, so in addition to the reward to the agent for lunch comes the time together with other successful agents, which is always very valuable.

For me it was a lovely event. My job is endlessly enjoyable.

June 9, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. A Shower.

Jenny is being married and today at work we held a shower for her. She was so excited and pleased and we were excited and pleased for her too. We've held many showers at work both for brides and for expectant mothers so our systems are efficient and always the same. First we greet the bride on their arrival at one o'clock, then after cutting the cake, we quickly ask the honoree to open the gifts, while others hand out the cake, of course on paper plates. Two agents help to open the gifts while someone else keeps a list of the gifts. The guests stand around in the conference room and admire the gifts which are always lovely. Lastly, Jenny thanks everyone for coming and we tell her not to send us thank you notes, but she probably will. The whole thing lasts less than an hour. Everyone is pleased and gets back to work. It is a lovely festive though short shower.

Jenny is a wonderful woman, now in her mid forty's and she never ever thought she would be married. She is very cute and energetic and has often been a bridesmaid but now she will be a bride. We have held our breath many times when we met her boyfriends, hoping she would not marry them. But this man is a keeper. All through high school they were sweethearts but attended different colleges and drifted apart. After he divorced he called Jenny and on their first date, where they ate lunch, they discussed getting married. It is a wonderful love story. We certainly wish them both all the happiness in the world.

June 8, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. House Tour.

Sara-Lou drove on tour today. The new homes for sale were interesting. In addition and perhaps as importantly, we had a good old gab fest. We have worked together for a long time, probably over twenty years, and we have travelled together many times. We are good friends. But our lives are complicated and complex so getting together is difficult. Today we spent two hours together and had a fine time, talking every mile of the way.

Today twenty years ago we moved to Long and Foster from Prudential. Regina remembers because it was her birthday today and she remembers the move very well. It has been a good run, working with Long and Foster. The agents have thrived. The lead players in the company are still in place, with Wes. Foster and Jack Queen, but a new President is now in place and another boss over Jack, so perhaps things will change. And of course my situation has changed dramatically since we first came to Long and Foster. David and Andrew were in College and Ken and I had just purchased Franklin Street. Now we wander around the world.

Today Sara-Lou and I visited four houses. Three open houses served lunch so between eating and talking to the agents the day was much like a party. I enjoyed it. Twenty years ago I visited every new office listing held open that day. Sometimes I would visit twenty homes. Such energy. Now we pick and choose and enjoy. The listings still sell now so I suspect all my efforts were really useless, but I did it anyway. It seems that we get too late smart!! Or perhaps I have just gotten lazy.

June 7, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. The Best Laid Plans.

The weather was fierce Sunday evening in Nova Scotia. Wind and rain and lots of it so after our hot tub and a cup of Ovaltine Ken decided to check on our flight which was to be 9:30 Monday morning. Maryland was in the midst of a big storm, in fact some tornadoes touched down causing a lot of damage. Sure enough, our morning flight was cancelled so we were re-routed through Toronto, so instead of leaving at 9:30 to get us home at the apartment by noon, we left at 10:45 with a two hour layover in Toronto, just in time to arrive at Dulles to get into rush hour traffic. The good part was that we arrived home safely. The bad part was that we spent five more hours getting us here. We were not complaining though, just disappointed.

As soon as we arrived I called the Pharmacy to obtain one of my eye drops. I tried to fill the prescription in Liverpool, but the only way to get a Doctor to write me a prescription was to go to the Emergency at the Hospital, pay $250. fee and wait in line. I was not inclined to spend that kind of money so I decided that in the future I must pay more attention to my medications and be sure to bring all I need for the duration. Now I have my drops, obtained at my local friendly Safeway Pharmacist.

The weather is glorious here in Chevy Chase. 75 degrees and sunny with low humidity. This is a good thing, as my car's air-conditioning is not working and I don't intend to fix it. The $4,000. to replace it costs more than the car is worth!!

June 6, 2010. Western Head, N.S. 'The Book of Negroes'

Irene and David gave me the book last August in Nova Scotia and I left it on the table beside my reading chair in the bedroom, waiting for the time to read it right through. Now I have just completed it. It is one of those books that you already know a lot about the events taking place during the book but opens up many more questions. It is worth a read and is well written even though the story line is a bit unreasonable even though it is very interesting. The story is about a young woman, stolen into slavery, sold and taken to the Carolina's, transported to New York, sailed to Shelburne after the revolution, left to Sierra Leone with other free blacks and finally ended up in London working for rid the world of the slave trade and slavery. The story ends in 1806, having started in 1757.

I enjoyed the book. Last year I had read "Loyalists and Layabouts' the story of the rapid rise and faster fall of Shelburne, Nova Scotia 1783-1792, so I was aware of the black community in Shelburne. Also just outside the town is a sign 'Birch town', telling of the black Loyalists who had moved here after the revolution. Shortly after the large group left for Sierra Leone the rest of the inhabitants moved to what is now called Africa ville on the north side of Halifax, where they lived until about 1970 when urban removal obliterated their town. Now the powers that be are trying to put up signs and plaques commemorating their arrival and departure. Certainly, it was not easy being black in North America.

This book 'The Book of Negroes' will add to your knowledge of their history. Thanks to Dave and Irene for giving me this book. Now I will pass it on to Mary McD. tonight at dinner when we say a farewell tonight at the Mitchell's home.

Lifting the Lobster Traps

June 5, 2010. Western Head, N.S. Not a year.

It isn't even a whole year, yet several of our friends here in Liverpool had difficulties this Winter. We left at the beginning of October, just after Mary had fallen and broken her leg. Little did I know that a host of maladies would occur in my absence which I only discovered on my return. Gary had a heart attack in October, followed by quad bypass surgery. This all occurred when he was working in Calgary. By March he was back at work. We saw him today in Milton and he looks well but a bit frail. Barbara his wife hopes he will slow down his work schedule. Loretta, who I met at the grocery store, had a broken hand, still in a cast. As she is right handed, she is very frustrated not being able to do much of anything. For the first four weeks she was trying to complete normal tasks, all using the fingers only, but the Doctor instructed he to do nothing, because her hand was still swollen. Now she is following orders and wanting her cast off. Ross, the bagpiper, had surgery in March to remove one -third of his kidney to get rid of a cancerous tumor. The surgeons forgot to tie together two of his arteries after the operation and he almost bled to death resting in his hospital bed. Finally they paid attention to his complaints and now he is well and even back to playing his bagpipe. Ross is a retired Doctor and typically they get the complications.

Finally, Bryan, another retired doctor, came down with stenosis. It got worse so two rods were inserted in his spine, which promptly got infected. He was back to the hospital to remove the rods and start a rigorous regimen of medications. He is my age but has had really bad arthritis all his adult life. But his spirit is strong and he still plays trombone in the band plus makes the most beautiful walking sticks. I can not imagine how he is able to make these objects with his hands so twisted up, but he does, and he does it all with not a complaint. He is still not up and about but I hope to see him in July.

It is all to do with the aging process. All these folks are younger than me but they are not as young as my children. Fortunately all these friends are getting better. This winter was hard on people here in Nova Scotia. I was grateful to have spent my time in Mexico this winter.

June 4, 2010. Western Head, N.S. Carol Rottman.

She was our accidental receptionist. She never applied for the job, never interviewed, never filled out any papers and never was approved for the job, but still was our long term excellent receptionist. We left Prudential in June 1990 and left behind an incompetent receptionist. At Long and Foster, for the summer an agent's daughter worked as our receptionist. Two agents, Gitta and Denyse, came to talk to me to tell me not to interview anyone for the job of Receptionists because their friend Carol would take the job. They had played poker with Carol for twenty years and they decided that Carol needed a job. I called my boss Jack, he said yes, then they told Carol she was hired as of the end of August. Until then she was not aware of her new job. She started work mid August as the student had to return to school, but it all turned out just fine. She was a wonderful receptionist; personable, friendly, funny, and caring. She didn't actually love her job, but she loved the agents and she loved the office and we always missed her when she was not working.

One day a call came in for me. She was laughing when she answered the call and the man on the other end of the line said "well, you are having a good time". Quick as a wink she retorted "Yes, and I hope you are not going to spoil my day". Fortunately the man roared. He was still laughing when Mr. Foster, the owner of the company spoke to me. Her good humor was always with her and we appreciated her expertise.

Now she is gone. After her bout with colon cancer and the effects of treatment she was never able to return to work and we missed her. Our sympathy goes out to the Rottman Family from the Gateway office of Long and Foster on her passing. We held her in high esteem and were always grateful for her enthusiasm and competence. We mourn her loss.

June 3, 2010. Western Head, N.S. The True Story.

My Grandmother told my sister this story when Carol was young, but she clearly recalls the story as it was such a remarkable event. My Grandfather, Walter Houghton was in London on business and walked by a street meeting being led by William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army. William Booth invited those listening to accompany him into the 'barracks' for another meeting. Walter was so impressed by William Booth that he did and during the service went forward to the alter and pledged his life to the service of the Lord. He went home and told his wife, my grandmother, and the next evening they returned to another service where Pollie also gave her life in service to God and The Salvation Army. Kneeling at 'The Mercy Seat' my grandmother used a pair of scissors to cut off the feathers from her hat and she removed her pierced earrings as The Salvation Army used no jewelry or adornments. And that was the beginning of the connection between the Houghton Family and The Salvation Army.

The rest of the Houghton Family were not pleased but that commitment stayed with Grandma and Grampa their whole life. It must have been after their marriage in August 1894 because by 1897 my Grandfather was the Treasurer of the Halloway corps as he was in 1901 at Haselmere Corps in Surrey. At some point my Grandfather applied to become an officer of The Salvation Army but the powers that be in the organization suggested that with my grandfathers background and position, the life of an officer would be too difficult for him so he was turned down. Eventually when all his children were on their own he shed his business in Victoria and became an Envoy, teaching and preaching in Northern British Columbia all with The Salvation Army. Two children became Officers in the organization which must have pleased him.

My sister thinks that my grandmother told her the story because several friends from school were having their ears pierced and Grandmother certainly did not want any grandchild of hers wearing jewelry!! I wonder what she would think of us now?

June 2, 2010. Western Head, N.S. The Houghton Family.

My Mother was a Houghton, Frances Gertrude Emma Houghton, named after three of her Mother's sisters. There was another named Josie but I guess my grandmother thought that three names were enought and she was right. Then she married Norman Buckley and became Frances Houghton Buckley. I have spent all last evening and this morning re-reading Houghton papers. I brought to Nova Scotia all the papers from the Houghton Family, including letters and diaries from my grandparents. Two years ago I spent hours sorting through all the stuff and writing down as much as I could from the papers including addresses and positions for my grandparents and parents. So as much as I was able to determine, I wrote it down. Now I have four boxes.

My cousin Diane lives in Vancouver and her daughter had been searching for the Houghton Family on the Internet. While my brother David and sister-in-law were visiting her, she mentioned that Trish was trying to find some dates and names so Dave offered my help. A call came from Diane asking for the information, so a few days later I brought the box to my reading chair and started to re-read the Diaries written by Grandpa Houghton. I did discover a few things I did not notice the first time. For instance, my grandfather's mother died in 1901 and my grandfather was born in 1861.

Many blanks are found in the records. For instance, I have no idea how they became connected with The Salvation Army as my grandmother, who was a Bowler, was born Catholic but became members of The Anglican Church when she was ten. The Houghtons thought of themselves as special and people of means and were confident in being Houghtons. My grandfather, Walter Houghton was the youngest child in the family so by the laws in place at that time would inherit neither land or funds so I suspect that my grandparents were never wealthy even though he was an architect and a builder both in England, South Africa and Canada. I do know one thing though and that is they were religious, always asking for guidance from God, in whom they had full faith. I have more questions than answers but now after ten hours of reading I have at least a few more answers than I had before.

June 1, 2010. Western Head, N.S. Geraldine Brooks.

"People of The Book" is a book worth reading. My friend Wendy lent it to me. I know because she wrote her name in the front of the book. I found the book on the table beside my reading chair in the bedroom, here in Nova Scotia. It is a wonderful place to read, with windows on two sides giving me early light and the sound of the sea as a background, leaving me a perfect spot for morning reading. On top of that, Ken brings me coffee to my chair each morning, so sometimes I come downstairs at noon, having missed breakfast.

Geraldine Brooks is a fine writer and I enjoyed the book. Everyone else read it a few years ago, but I was happy to read it now. It encompasses a five hundred year period in the life of a book and although this book is fiction, it delves into much historical data, so you learn a lot of what was happening way back when in Spain and Venice and Bosnia. She bounces around many many people so you must have your brain in gear to keep track of the players, but it is worthwhile and informative and engrossing, which I suspect is all you can expect from a writer. Now I have passed on the book to Mary McD. who will in turn give it to Mary M. before returning the book to Wendy. Thank you to Wendy to lending me this fine book.