Auld Lang Syne 2009! - 12/31/09 11:47 AM
It is time to say Auld Lang Syne to 2009.  Since I had such great feedback from my 12 Day of Christmas series, I thought I'd let you in on a little Behind the Music with that New Year's Eve classic: Auld Lang Syne.  The original lyrics are believed to be a compilation of lyrics from an older song and original lyrics by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788.  Burns said he got some of the lyrics from "some old man" along his travels.  The literal English translation of Auld Lang Syne is Old Long Since.  However, a better translation may … (5 comments)

The Hoover Dam: A Breathless Beauty - 12/30/09 08:03 AM
My little family spent Christmas at my parents' house in Arizona this year.  The day after Christmas, we sat around trying to figure out something to do.  Somehow, the Hoover Dam came up in conversation.  At only about an hour and a half away and with nothing else really to do, it was a very feasible option.  I had never been there before, so I was very excited.  In my opinion, the Hoover Dam is a breathless beauty.  We got up close and personal:

They are building a bridge to bypass the area overhead.  This is the shot I got … (18 comments)

On the 12th Day of Christmas - 12/24/09 08:17 AM
On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords a-leaping, nine ladies dancing,eight maids a-milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings,four colly birds, three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.
In ancient times, drums were often associated with war, since they were used to signal troops marching off to battle.  They were brought into Europe during the Crusades.  In England's earlier days, they had town watchmen who patrolled the English streets at night, calling out the time every hour.  Eventually, … (19 comments)

That's What Christmas is All About Charlie Brown - 12/23/09 11:08 AM
Christmas isn't wrapping paper, bright lights and Santa Claus.  It isn't about scurrying around to find presents at the last minute to tuck under the Christmas tree.  And it isn't about being disappointed when you don't get exactly what you want on Christmas morning.  Here is the real meaning of Christmas, as explained by Linus from "Peanuts".

This is what we need to keep in mind when celebrating this season.  Merry Christmas everybody and may God bless you, everyone! (Oops, sorry.  That last bit was from "A Christmas Carol".)
Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistance - Second Self Virtual Assistance, … (9 comments)

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas - 12/23/09 10:01 AM
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:eleven pipers piping, ten lords a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking,seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings, four colly birds,three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.
I don't know about you, but when I hear "pipers", I think of the Pied Piper that played the flute that caused all the rats to follow him out of the city.  Well, in this case, the pipers are playing bagpipes.  Shepherds practiced their piping while watching over sheep.  It is also widely … (5 comments)

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Mission Inn at Christmas - 12/23/09 08:42 AM
Every December, the historic Mission Inn in Riverside CA is decked out in thousands upon thousands of gorgeous lights.  My son and I look forward to this every year.  This year, I had my handy little Flip camera and was able to take video of the downtown area, including the beautiful Mission Inn.  People ice skate, drink cocoa, eat funnel cake and listen to live music here.  If you're in the area, make sure you stop by.  You'll have the best time.

Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistance - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to … (11 comments)

On the Tenth Day of Christmas - 12/22/09 10:19 AM
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:ten lords a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a swimming,six geese a laying, five golden rings, four colly birds, three french hens, two turtle dovesand a partridge in a pear tree.
Are we already up to the tenth day of Christmas?  That means only two more after today.  Wow!  Dances that involved leaping were strictly for men.  They were used to get them geared up to go into war and to help their crops grow.  It was believed in ancient Roman times that corn would grow as … (10 comments)

On the Ninth Day of Christmas - 12/21/09 08:42 AM
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings,four colly birds, three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.
Music and dancing have been a big part of celebrations for centuries.  Early on, dancing was considered "sinful".  Eventually, though, dancing was accepted as a popular form of entertainment for royalty.  These dances were called "caroles".  In Medieval times, dancing was done in a circular motion.  The church decided, however, that dancing was sinful if done in the … (7 comments)

On the Eighth Day of Christmas - 12/20/09 01:28 PM
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:eight maids a-milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings,four colly birds, three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.
Fresh milk was a rarity in the middle ages, due to the fact that this was long before pasteurization and reliable refrigeration were available.  Custards and something that resembles modern day oatmeal were pretty well known ways to consume products with milk in them.  But, cheese was THE prized possession.  That was one of the only ways to get dairy through … (12 comments)

On the Seventh Day of Christmas - 12/19/09 08:22 PM
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings, four colly birds,three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.
Ancient Egyptians believed that swans were symbols of immortality.  Some old British and Celtic myths spoke of dead loved ones turning into swans, with gold or silver chains around their necks.  In medieval times, King Edward was bestowed his knighthood over two swans that were decorated with crowns and gold nets.  Ever since then and continuing on today, swans have been associated with royalty, … (10 comments)

Science is Cool and Entertaining! - 12/18/09 03:30 PM
Here is proof that science is both cool and entertaining:

So, the next time you're at a party (both Christmas and New Year's Eve are almost here), you may want to entertain guests with one of these fun party tricks.  Just thank science for it.
Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around!
… (4 comments)

On the Sixth Day of Christmas - 12/18/09 08:44 AM
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:six geese a-laying, five golden rings, four colly birds, three french hens,two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree
One of the oldest domesticated birds, geese have been a part of folklore for centuries.  Because geese follow well-defined migratory paths between their breeding grounds and wintering grounds, they are considered a symbol of the solar year and fertlity.  Egyptians believed that a mummy's soul would rise up in the form of a goose, with the head of a human.  Romans considered the goose sacred because the geese that … (4 comments)

On the Fifth Day of Christmas - 12/17/09 08:39 AM
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to mefive golden rings, four colly birds, three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.
You may be surprised to learn that the five golden rings in this song are not actually golden rings you would wear.  Shocking!  They refer to the rings on a pheasant's neck.  Why a pheasant?  When Jason and the Argonauts went to Greece in search of the Golden Fleece, they found lots of golden birds.  The ring-necked pheasant is believed to be a direct descendent of these original "Golden Fleece" birds … (12 comments)

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town - 12/16/09 03:30 PM
It appears that Santa has traded in his reindeer for horses.  Watch out, 'cuz this year Santa Claus is Comin' to Town on a Harley.  This is one of my favorite Christmas decorations.  It even plays "Born to be Wild", athough I need to replace the batteries since it's more of a warbling tune at this point.


**These photos were taken by my very own camera and are my property.  However, if you like what you see and want to use them for yourself, please let me know.  I might give my permission, I might not.  I gotta hear … (12 comments)

On the Fourth Day of Christmas - 12/16/09 08:37 AM
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to mefour colly birds, three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.
No, that's not a typo.  You read that right.  All these years I have been singing "four calling birds", but the truth is that the real line is "four COLLY birds".  Colly birds are actually European black birds.  "Colly" was the slang term for "coal-y", referring to the black as coal color of the birds.  With the accent, "colly" sounded an awful lot like "calling", which is what we know it as today.
In … (7 comments)

On the Third Day of Christmas - 12/15/09 10:16 AM
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.
Some people believe that this classic Christmas song originated in France and that the "3 French Hens" verse of the song is a nod to that.  Large birds were brought to Europe from the Orient in the 1700s and were bred with Roman chickens to create a new breed altogether.  These white chickens were thought to bring good luck and hens were supposed to symbolize motherhood.
In Christianity, the three French hens are believed to represent Faith, … (4 comments)

On the Second Day of Christmas - 12/14/09 08:57 AM
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.
Doves are known to mate for life.  In Christianity, they represent the holy spirit as well as the Old and New Testaments.  They also represent faithfulness, marriage and long-lasting love.  That is why they get released at weddings.

Tune in tomorrow when I talk about the third day of Christmas' three French hens.
Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around!
Read about the other days of … (14 comments)

Yes, Virginia, There IS Customer Service! - 12/14/09 07:56 AM

After 10 years and several moves, including a brief stint as my son's bed at one time when he was younger, our living room furniture was beginning to show its age.  The lining was sticking out from under the couch, the frames were separating from themselves and people were starting to throw their hips out everytime they had to get up after sitting on our living room furniture for any amount of time.  So, we decided to do some furniture shopping on Saturday.  We were told about this fantastic furniture store in Rancho Cucamonga called Living Spaces Furniture.  So, we … (4 comments)

On The First Day of Christmas - 12/13/09 07:47 PM
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.
I thought it would be fun to reveal what each day of this classic Christmas song represents.  You might be just be surprised.
Forklore says that, if a young maiden walked around a pear tree three times backwards on Christmas morning and looked into the branches, she would see the face of her future husband.  Also, just as the apple is said to represent woman (Garden of Eden ring a bell to anyone?), a pear is said to represent men.  A male partridge … (10 comments)

Bingo Balls a Christmas Song (sort of) - 12/10/09 11:07 AM
Bingo Balls (sung to the tune of Jingle Bells)
Bingo Balls, Bingo Balls, Bingo all the waySitting in a Bingo hall, waiting here to playBingo Balls, Bingo Balls, Bingo all the waySitting in a Bingo hall and waiting here to play
Sitting in your chair, arranging all your cardsFluff the troll doll's hair, shake your dauber hardTake a look around, all you see is greyYou don't really care because you hear the caller say
Oh, Bingo Balls, Bingo Balls, Bingo all the waySitting in a Bingo hall, waiting here to playBingo Balls, Bingo Balls, Bingo all the waySitting in a Bingo … (17 comments)

Southern California Weather Must be a Gemini - 12/09/09 11:55 AM
If it had a birth sign, Southern California weather would be a Gemini.  Why else would you look in one direction (north) and get this:

Cloudy storm clouds over snow-capped mountains to the north of my house.
Then turn around looking south and get this:

Sunny skies over my home in the complete opposite direction from stormy skies above.
**These photos were taken by my very own camera and are my property.  However, if you like what you see and want to use them for yourself, please let me know.  I might give my permission, I might not.  I … (4 comments)

Super-Duper Chocolate Kisses Cookies - 12/06/09 10:43 PM
This super-duper chocolate kisses cookie recipe is super-duper easy to make. You can even get the kids to help you make them as well as eat them. It's tons of fun for everyone.

Ingredients
1 16.5 oz package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder2/3 cup chocolate-flavor sprinkles2 tbsp milkAbout 40 dark chocolate kisses, unwrapped
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet or spray with cooking spray; set aside.  Place cookie dough and cocoa powder in a resealable plastic bag.  Seal the bag and knead the mixture with your hands until the … (24 comments)

Practice Doesn't Make You Perfect - 12/05/09 12:53 AM
When I was a flautist in high school, my music teacher always told us: "Practice doesn't make perfect.  PERFECT practice makes perfect."  You mean that I won't be able to be a "perfect musician" just by practicing the same piece of music the same way over and over again until I am dizzy and need to lay down and rest?  The HELL you say!  What my music teacher was trying to teach us was that you had to listen to what you played and how you played it, adjust the tonality where necessary, watch the breathing and keep on top of … (10 comments)

Friday Funnies: The Story of My Life - 12/03/09 11:18 PM
Have you ever had "one of those days"?  You're running late.  You don't know where you left your car keys.  The dog's gotten a hold of your favorite pillow and used it as a chew toy (is that just me?).  Just be thankful you aren't one of these guys:

Have a great weekend everyone.  And remember, it's always better to be 5 minutes early than 5 minutes late.  You don't want to miss YOUR boat!
Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around!
… (25 comments)

Wordless Wednesday: Why Spelling is Important - 12/02/09 02:21 PM
Just one example of why spelling is always important, even when you're only in the third grade:

I know you smiled.  Don't deny it.  I saw you!  Sad thing is, this looks better than many adults' writing I have seen before!
Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around!
… (8 comments)

Grandma Got Swallowed Up by the Recliner - 12/02/09 11:05 AM
Thanksgiving dinner.  Brother-in-law's house.  Grandma in brother-in-law's recliner.  Brother-in-law is over 6 feet tall.  Grandma is around 4'9".  You can do the math, right?

She reminded me of Lily Tomlin's character 5-year-old Edith Ann sitting in her big chair.  And that's the truth, ppfffftttthhhhtttpp!
Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around!
… (10 comments)

The Riverside Festival of Lights is On! - 12/02/09 12:40 AM
The Riverside Festival of Lights is officially on now in Riverside CA.  Officially, this year's Festival of Lights display started on November 27th, but it will continue on until January 3, 2010.  As usual, downtown Riverside has been transformed between University and Mission into a twinkling paradise, complete with hot cocoa, carolers, vendors, live music and our very own outdoor skating rink.  Santa Claus is even available to visit with the kids.  The cost for skating is $10 per hour, with a $3 skate rental fee.  If you plan on skating alot this season, you can purchase a Frequent Skater Card … (3 comments)

 
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Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant (928) 692-3235

Caldwell, ID

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