We did the "full program" today. Food, family, fun, checking your eyelids for holes after an awesome meal. What a wonderful day it was. We ate until there was no more room, my daughter made so many different dishes it was amazing. Perhaps a pregnant woman shouldn't put together a holiday menu, I'm just sayin...
(Keep in mind there were only 4 of us there) She had the food listed in 3 different groups, take a look at what we had today:
Less Fat: Shrimp Cocktail, Cheese and Crackers, Olives, Pickles More Fat: Turkey with Apples & Prunes, Roasted Potatoes and Carrots, Stuffing, Gravy, Sweet Potato Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, Carrot Salad, Beet Salad, Tomatoes and Cucumber Salad with Dill, Cranberry Sauce and Rolls Most Fat: Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie with Ice Cream, Strawberry Shortcake
Tomorrow I am driving to Rhode Island. My very dear friend from Chicago is there, visiting her daughter. I have not been away for quite a while, I am quite excited. After arriving in Rhode Island we will leave for Boston, her family wants to go to Chinatown. It will be a long day, but a good one! On Saturday a trip to Mystic, CT to eat at Mystic Pizza, which I have NEVER done. (She has however, and swears by the pizza.) Then home on Sunday.
I will see you all when I get back! Although I am taking my laptop, I am not sure if I will have time to check in. Forgive my absence, and have a wonderful weekend! I know I will!
Never a wordless Wednesday, precious family memories. My oldest daughter is due to have her first baby in 6 weeks. After I took a picture of her last night I remembered there was one of me that was very similar. So, here they are, me pregnant with Jessica, Jessica with her first! (did I really look like that? Yikes... LOL)
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a man who has been a great champion for the rights of Connecticut citizens since 1991, serving 5 terms here. Blumenthal picked up on the dilema of a CT resident who was scammed by a company called "Hope Alliance", a name very similar to the goverment sponsored non profit organization, "Hope Now Alliance". Hope Alliance, based in Florida, has been under investigation in Iowa, Virginia and Massachusetts also, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has banned Hope Alliance from doing any business there. I suspect that Mr. Blumenthal will show no mercy toward Hope Alliance, and we may indeed see a ban here also.
As Realtors® it is so important to us to understand that some of our previous clients are in trouble, and there are bottom feeders out there waiting to take advantage of what little they have left. The word needs to get out, we must assist these home owners in any way we can. But stumbling blindly into the night, holding our crusader torch is NOT the way to go. I, like many others of my fellow Realtors® are taking the time to study up on short sales, to gather legal, solid information to pass on to these homeowners that are in an upside down situation. I am reading up on loan re-modifications so I can pass correct information on to anyone who may need it. I have a list of attorneys who can handle things if a sale is not the correct thing to do.
I, for one, would love to see the National Association of Realtors® spend some of their advertising dollars to alert consumers to their options, legitimate, safe options, when finding themselves in trouble. Although it is wonderful that the NAR is trying to bolster the current and future housing market, we need to assist those of our past clients who are in trouble too.
And to CT State's Attorney Richard Blumenthal, get the thumb screws out, do what you do so well, keep our Connecticut residents who are in trouble with their mortgages safe from these type of scams! This is dirty dirty business indeed, amazing how the bottom feeders come out when people are in distress. I truly cannot fathom how people can be like this. Shame shame on the perpetrators.
Thanksgiving is really my favorite holiday. Perhaps it stems from childhood memories, the smells that wafted through the house, tantelizing my young taste buds, the excitement of the relatives arriving, the promise of wonderful things to come, snow, Christmas, more events to fill the house to the brim with family, friends and fun. Thanksgiving marked the beginning of wonderful things, all of which I very have always been very grateful for.
For the past 30 years I have lived apart from the family of my youth, Thanksgiving was not a day where the house was overflowing with family and that was, and always is, an adjustment for me. There are traditions I have carried with me from childhood, traditions that bring me close again to the Thanksgivings of so many years ago and people long gone. I would get up early and start the turkey and the stuffing. I think for me it is the stuffing that makes everything so special. I use the recipe my father made our most fantastic Thanksgiving meals with. Very simple, saute celery and onions in lots of butter, use water and an egg in the stuffing mix, and plenty of Bells Seasoning. Then the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade. I love to watch this, I remember as a child watching the parade while waiting for the relatives to arrive. Such anticipation!
Things change, that is the nature of life. It is no longer my job to cook for Thanksgiving, my oldest daughter really wanted to host this family tradition. This will be the second year we have done this. Last year was tough, until I offered to do the dishes and they said no. Enough said, this was GREAT! The morning was a bit on the empty side, no need to get up early and make that stuffing. I planned ahead for this, I bought a few dozen loaves of bread and went to the farm to milk the cows and gave them the bread for a treat. I was back home in time to watch the parade, that felt good too! (The cow in the photo was taken early one Thanksgiving morning)
This year we are 2 fewer, my youngest has moved to Florida with her son. Sad times indeed. We are looking forward to my oldest having her baby in the beginning of January, I am grateful for that. She has cleaned up her house for the holiday, we are finishing up putting the baby's room together. I realize that it is wonderful to be a part of HER new family traditions, my husband only asks for leftovers to take home, he does miss that.
Whatever you do for Thanksgiving, enjoy! Even in the darkest times there are things to be grateful for, small things lead to bigger things. I know I have thought much about all the homes that have been lost, being a Realtor® makes me keenly aware of this. I am praying for these people, that on this day of Thanksgiving they will be able to find some peace, find something to hold on to and be grateful for. I for one am always grateful for the possibilities that lay ahead of me as well as for the things that are here and now or in the past.
New Milford CT Holiday Tree Lighting Festival of Lights.
Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 5:30 pm will be the annual Holiday Tree Lighting Festival of Lights in New Milford, CT. Come to the south end of the green by the gazebo and enjoy the fun! The Festival of Lights includes of course tree lighting, Santa will be there, singing and holiday readings.
Our picturesque Village Green in New Milford CT is certainly beautiful all year round but the holidays do dress it up quite a bit. This tradition dates back 43 years, to 1966. You can read a great account of how this tradition came into being here, it involves a $700 mistake, an angry Walter Shutte and a plastic Christmas Tree.
The New Milford CT Holiday Tree Lighting Festival of Lights is sponsored by the New Milford CT Chamber of Commerce, Village Center Organization, The Housatonic Times and the Greater New Milford Spectrum. A big thank you to everyone that makes this display and event a reality!
I am looking forward to taking photos of the trees when they are lit! And yes indeed our Village Green in New Milford is one of THE most beautiful New England Village Greens around! I hope you enjoyed my photos, more to follow after the Holiday Tree Lighting Festival of Lights!
Are you going with the flow? Over the years I became obsessed with decorating for Christmas. When the girls were young I had trees with all handmade ornaments. I was like a woman possessed, I made all the decorations for the tree, for the house, I was on a mission. After my divorce my decorations disappeared and I moved on.
Over the past few years I have become increasingly unhappy with the work required to take down all my decorations, to disassemble the tree. I promise myself each and every time that I will scale back, I will use some 2 foot tree instead of what I have. Then the grandbaby came along, how could I not put up the tree?
Last year the tree went up after all. We have a small house so I use one of those "skinny trees", works just fine for me. Although I love a real tree I have not used one in years for many reasons. Anyway, I spent a few hours adjusting, fixing, and was not exactly happy with the outcome but was not willing to take it apart and start all over. It was, in my opinion, the worst decorating job on a tree I have ever done. And considering the pride I had taken in my trees over the years, walking away from it and leaving it was completely out of character and very difficult to do. But, I did it anyway.
My kitties had other plans for me. They tore into the tree like kiddies unwrapping presents on Christmas morning. Within hours all my work was for nothing. Bulbs lay broken on the floor, garland was hanging off the tree, wrapped around the base. I took one look and burst out laughing! I guess the kitties didn't like the tree as much as I didn't like the tree. So, go with the flow. I took it apart and started all over again, this time a bit wiser, determined to be far more clever than those fuzzy four legged terrors of mine. Only bows and lights went on the tree. I outsmarted the kitties, I was happy with the outcome, and I had a tree up for my grandson. All was right with the world. (Notice 2 of the felons are asleep under the newly decorated tree)
This year I do not know where the flow will take us. My daughter and grandson have moved to Florida, and the grandchild we are expecting will not be until January. (I am working on going with the flow on the whole move to Florida issue.) I am back to the 2 foot tree idea, but as the years have taught me I will let the moment take over and define what I end up doing.
Go with the flow this holiday season and see where it takes you, that's what I will be doing!
Life Lessons, they come in all shapes and sizes, at convenient and inconvenient times, when you least expect it, and at any stage in life. They are things we will never forget, things that move us, shape us and change us, hopefully into a better person. Not a real estate revelation, (sorry to those of you who only want to read real estate "stuff" here), just something very near, dear and important to me to follow.
When I was 16 I had a life lesson that shaped my values forever. I was new to Atlanta and made friends with another transplant to the area, a girl from New Jersey. We bonded, we loved art, we had so many things in common. I lost touch with my friend from so many years ago until 2 days ago when I found her on Facebook. Tonight we spent many hours on the phone catching up. One of the things I shared with her was the fact that her mother had changed my perspective of life all those years ago.
My friends mother is a Holocaust survivor. As a very young girl she lost her parents, was moved around to a few different camps, survived so much and escaped. All this as a child. Many details of her story fades from my mind now, but the concept has always been there. I remember sitting at the dinner table, her telling me the story. I remember the horror I felt, the shame of being a member of the same human race that behaved like this. I remember the rage filling up inside of me. I also remember the fear that I felt, the understanding that people can so easily be led astray with a good manipulator at the helm.
My friend took her mother back home a few years ago. The most amazing story unfolded. She went back to the home of the people who kept her after her escape from Auschwitz. They had a very special gift for her, the diary she kept while in the camps. From this diary she wrote a book entitled Through the Eyes of a Child: "Diary of an Eleven Year Old Jewish Girl". I will be ordering this book by Ilse Reiner, and I will celebrate the life of a very brave child who turned into an amazing woman.
Ilse Reiner taught me the danger of the pack mentality, showed me the depths humans can sink to, and also showed me the resilience of the human spirit. This was my life lesson from Mrs. Reiner, it was deep and very very personal.
New Milford Connecticut Market Watch, Real Estate Statistics for New Milford CT.
Current Activity in New Milford CT:
Active Single Family Home Listings 249 homes Average List Price: $491,875, Minimum Price: $65,000, Maximum Price: $5,900,0000 Average Market Time 151 days
Homes Under Deposit 13 homes Average List Price: $333,692, Minimum Price: $179,000, Maximum Price: $569,900 Average Market Time 106 days
Homes in Pending Sale Status 17 homes Average List Price: $352,906, Minimum Price: $79,200, Maximum Price: $1,475,000 Average Market Time 110 days
Although the following statistics say that the average sale price has continued to drop, we are seeing more activity as evidenced by the home that are currently in the "under deposit" and "pending" status. Most of the activity that agents have noted is the first time home buyer market. Pricing well is KEY, as well as preparing a home to enter the market! We are seeing an increase in foreclosures and short sales, we are a bit behind other parts of the country with this. I am thinking we have only just begun in this aspect.
September 2008/September 2009 Sales, New Milford, CT
October 2008/October 2009 Sales, New Milford, CT
Information is deemed reliable but not necessarily accurate, all statistics are gathered from the Greater Fairfield County Multiple Listing Service. (CMLS).
Wordless (almost, yeah right) Wednesday, Hanging on despite the odds! This is the view from my office on Route 7 in New Milford, CT, which overlooks Candlewood Valley Country Club, a public golf course. We have been watching the colors come and go, the leaves are pretty much gone all over the area, but this tough little guy just doesn't want to give up the ghost! (Yet one more HDR photo, no retouch).
Real Estate, Real Photography, Real People, New Milford CT and more. Find out about the local real estate market, get tips for buying and selling, enjoy local photographs (shot by me!). I also am a firm believer in a positive attitude, so look for that here too. And lastly, my crazy life. Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
We did the "full program" today. Food, family, fun, checking your eyelids for holes after an awesome meal. What a wonderful day it was. We ate until there was no more room, my daughter made so many different dishes it was amazing. Perhaps a pregnant woman shouldn't put together a holiday menu, I'm just sayin... 
ons run deep.
Things change, that is the nature of life. It is no longer my job to cook for Thanksgiving, my oldest daughter really wanted to host this family tradition. This will be the second year we have done this. Last year was tough, until I offered to do the dishes and they said no. Enough said, this was GREAT! The morning was a bit on the empty side, no need to get up early and make that stuffing. I planned ahead for this, I bought a few dozen loaves of bread and went to the farm to milk the cows and gave them the bread for a treat. I was back home in time to watch the parade, that felt good too! (The cow in the photo was taken early one Thanksgiving morning)
Are you going with the flow? Over the years I became obsessed with decorating for Christmas. When the girls were young I had trees with all handmade ornaments. I was like a woman possessed, I made all the decorations for the tree, for the house, I was on a mission. After my divorce my decorations disappeared and I moved on. 
My kitties had other plans for me. They tore into the tree like kiddies unwrapping presents on Christmas morning. Within hours all my work was for nothing. Bulbs lay broken on the floor, garland was hanging off the tree, wrapped around the base. I took one look and burst out laughing! I guess the kitties didn't like the tree as much as I didn't like the tree. So, go with the flow. I took it apart and started all over again, this time a bit wiser, determined to be far more clever than those fuzzy four legged terrors of mine. Only bows and lights went on the tree. I outsmarted the kitties, I was happy with the outcome, and I had a tree up for my grandson. All was right with the world. (Notice 2 of the felons are asleep under the newly decorated tree)
Life Lessons, they come in all shapes and sizes, at convenient and inconvenient times, when you least expect it, and at any stage in life. They are things we will never forget, things that move us, shape us and change us, hopefully into a better person. Not a real estate revelation, (sorry to those of you who only want to read real estate "stuff" here), just something very near, dear and important to me to follow.
;)
;)
