My youngest daughter asked about the time change yesterday when she realized it's still so dark outside before she goes to school. When does that time change happen anyway? The first Sunday in November-I had to look it up too! So we are close to a brighter school start.

It made me think a bit about this time of year. I met my first husband at a Halloween party. I have always loved the fall having grown up in the Midwest it brings visions of color pure and simple to mind when someone says October I see yellows and oranges and a few brilliant reds in my mind I see straw people and pumpkins with crooked faces: and the pies! Who doesn't think about a slice of warm pie about now.

Ok here comes the winter weight along with those wonderful memories, eh? My kingdom for a pie! Warm, Pumpkin please with vanilla ice cream.

It seems to be a time of endings too. Both of my grandparents passed in November right after Thanksgiving we were attending their funerals many years ago. Funny how some things stick to you forever.

For me it is a time of new beginnings-That same daughter has recently learned the gift of giving comes back to ourselves in abundance. She was so funny this past Monday when it was time for her to return to school after a month out she told me she wasn't quite ready to go. Not her normal reaction. She was staring at my left leg and pondering if she could leave me alone with it! This is the kid with the 100's always the 100's. She had travelled with me to the hospital and through my hip surgery she had been right at my side. This leg is as much hers as mine now as she has given so much to it's proper healing and repair. From pulling and tugging stockings back on(I couldn't reach them) to helping with those miserable leg lifts twice a day! Grrr. She was my tyrant and my reason to try harder at the same time. She slogged through all of it-always jumping up to help before I asked most times. These are the days when I feel so blessed to have this child at this time and so proud to have her at the same time. She gave up even a normal birthday this year to be with me-we still had cake but, it's not the same thing and I know that! I look at her and remember and my tears come-how does one get so lucky? I must have done something right to have a family like this.

I am anxious to get back to wholeness without the limp and I am doing my exercizes religiously to be able to give them back what we had-a better-not quite bionic but, pretty darn strong - me! I am scanning jobs and contemplating what is possible and what is just plain silly to think about, yet.  I can get around the house and not worry about falling anymore. Today, we finally have sunshine so I'm walking outside at least up the block-time to rebuild some endurance-with permission. I'm not allowed miles yet but, can start the climb. Imagine how well I will sleep tonight! It could be a green shoots spring day instead of a yellow brown day. My youngest sister tells me that I am a very strong person and I reply it's the blasted stubborn German bloodline. It did get me through a lot of the tough times. I am in the new start and can't wait to get on with it! Sometimes you just have to growl and get on with it! Enjoy your day! All of it.

This blog is not to start or fire up a firestorm-just to ask that my friends join me in using a clear head about these issues. I have made a personal decision: from now on if I don't read the issue-I don't comment on it. I admit in the past I have been too quick to react sometimes and that does get your foot in your mouth that requires major surgery to remove! Last Friday, I received a letter from the school telling us that they would not air the Presidential speech today for our children at school-I talked to my husband about it and we both reacted as if the country is really going a bit crazy. I was happy to see the script for that speech from the NPR website, to the Whitehouse site: see below. (I Googled to find it.)

This doesn't seem political:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/

Our daughter (almost ten now) has respect for the office of the President and told me that it shouldn't be a political issue if it comes from that office. He is supposed to be the President of all of the people.

Mouths of Babes! After reading the speech myself I have to agree-This is the speech that I would hope for from a President of any party to the children of this nation! Skip the politics and judge the speech-can you really fault the subject or the comments? I have not been a strongly political person in the past (I do vote with each opportunity to do so) but, I do have views that might surprise you after reading this post.

I can hear the "yes buts", but again if you don't read the speech-please don't bother to comment on this blog! Now I have to go, there is this 1000+page health care book I need to read next! Ha, have you? 

I am appreciating my family especially my husband today. I saw a video clip on YouTube earlier and it was a Valentine's day theme. Why can't we remember our loved ones in September too? I decided to share these thoughts today to not only enjoy the remembering of why my husband is special to me but, to maybe pay it forward and encourage you to perhaps write a warm note of appreciation to those in your life who may not have heard it lately. Love notes anyone?

I read the news or catch an update at least once a day and most of the forcast is dreary. I just wanted to say now is a wonderful time to appreciate whomever we are sharing those times. Nothing can take that away from us and even while watching the fires in CA-I saw a woman happy that her family is safe. When it is all said and done that's what matters most.

So I'm appreciating my people and you all for giving me some of the best distractions one could want. Business related, funny, thought-provoking, all of it. Good Job Rainers!

Maybe remembering your peeps! (OK I still have a kid in the house!) will make you feel pretty good too!

Sometimes it pays to listen to the recorded messages that sometimes come to your phones. I happen to be home this morning on the first day of school-I thought that would be the most important thing that happened today but, perhaps not. I learned by listening today that our town has an emergency dialing program and they were verifying it this morning.

If you happen to live in Plano, TX or Collin county and didn't get a phone message today about the Code RED program you can get your number or any other numbers on the list by going to the website:

http://www.colincountytx.gov   Go to the bottom of the page and look to the right for a button that says CODE RED. Follow the instructions from there.

Happy First day of school and stay safe!

I am also licensed in Florida and keep track of the conventions there too. One of my friends from Texas is speaking at the convention in Orlando and they streamed it live this morning. If you are a REALTOR in TX you may know Mark Porter he is a CRS instructor and has been a great resource in North Texas for years. He is speaking at the FAR conference this year and you can catch him via internet. There are others too that may be of interest-it's free and no login required just click on the link:

http://www.floridarealtorsconvention.org/  Slide down in the middle of the page click on "VIEW LIVE VIDEO STREAM.

Pretty cool to visit from over a thousand miles away and still get some good information!

Happy to be home safely! We spent the summer in Charlotte, NC a very small, big town.  It is sooo green there with huge trees. Sometimes I think about retiring and as we travel wonder about different areas but, with trees that big there has to be snow to water them and that isn't part of my plans! If we think we are in harder times, they have an unemployment rate in the double digits. We still met the nicest people and can they eat! Those 10 pounds that I so diligently lost, well my scale says I have to get back to it! I believe that it is true that if you can't measure you can't accomplish either, so it makes sense that I have an extra few pounds to shave off. If only it were that simple, eh?

I had a flat tire on the road out there and was helped by kind people to get going again.  It made me nervous about the drive home as I was on my own with Ali. With all of the driving we do it shouldn't have bothered me but, I had been lucky for a very long time and I guess that just tells you: keep a better eye on the tires. I think I might have worried the truck driver on my right a bit more than I was, as I passed and slid to the curb pretty quickly to get safely out of his way. It wasn't ten minutes before I had a kind police officer ready to help change the tire and with advice on where to find a new one.

We also learned this summer that our youngest is allergic to cats. Seriously allergic. Sacred the daylights out of me but again we found a kind doctor who told me(the mom) that I did everything just right.

1. Got the decongestant down her quickly.
2. Stripped her and washed her off(showered-clean clothes-others bagged for special handling)
3. Took her out of the environment immediately
4. To the Doctor
5. Stayed out of the environment-Watched carefully for 24 hours

We got through it and added adopting kittens to the NEVER do that list! Darn, we all love them.

Hope your summer was profitable!

Glad to be back and getting into routines for school again. I am better focused this way too.

I really didn't mean to but, seems like there was this real estate fog in my brain. Decided to jumpstart the business and found a great attitude from reforming the plan. It didn't strike me as much different until my family started to comment on how happy I sounded. How did ya do that you ask?

1. 1. Get real with yourself. Recognize the fog!
2. 2. Get control-for me this means make a great plan.
3. 3. Create at least 3 steps for each part of the plan.
4. 4. Put 1 step from each area of the plan on your calendar and assign a time.
5. 5. Hold yourself accountable and plan a reward! Failure is not an option and couches are the bad guy. Stay away from them!
6. 6. Help someone else today!
7. 7. Use your brain to solve the current problem.
8. 8. Smile, things are getting better with each step you take.

Now have a fabulous week.

I saw an ad in the local Briefings newspaper I think, that described an ambitious lady who likes to paint. She collects the trees 3-400 a year (Ok but-how about two or three?)and has them sliced into 1/2 in rounds-then paints them with festive iconic scenes to be used for Holiday ornements and she is selling them at boutiques! For those in a creative frame of mind you might want to try a pass at this. One tiny hole for the festive ribbon, a bit of paint and what a cool idea for next years giveways!

Have a fabulous 2009. I'm all for the greening of our country and this looks like it could be fun and a good distraction for those of us who could use some stress relief after the holidays!

Hello all, I have missed you.

I have been responding to some posts off and on this year but, not posting myself so much. I/ve been in turtle mode for a while, internally that is.

It's been a busy year. We have lost 3 family members to death this year, which is why my posts have slacked off a lot. We have reached out and travelled as a family a lot more, I helped my mother pack for her move to Colorado, after my step-father passed away in May. We took an Eastern trip through the US and saw a lot of the family along the way. When we returned I learned that my brother-in-law had passed over the Memorial day weekend. That was tough on my older kids who considered him "DAD" most recently.  Then my step-mom's (a sweet woman) sister passed this past weekend. We also have one new grandchild this year. That makes 9. Mostly on my husband's side of the family-I just get to love them!

The funny thing is I was recently told by a very old friend that I had reconnected with, that she was "amazed" at how well I was holding up and how positive I am even today when the Real estate industry and the feeder industries are in such turmoil. I read that Pollyanna book many, many years ago but, some of it must have stuck. I still find all of my glasses of water half full and truth be told I expect them to probably fill up again over night while I'm sleeping. I do believe that finding the good is important and today more useful than ever-I even checked out that book from the library, for my youngest daughter-someday she may well need to remember some of it, too.....

Somewhere I read that the most successful people are those that can bounce back the quickest from adversity. I guess there's still some bounce in me!

I admit I have interviewed for other jobs-I have a friend who calls them RJ's for "Real Jobs" as if this wasn't!? Some of you know well exactly what I mean by that, eh? For those of you who haven't taken an e-PRO class with me there is another one next week and I am supercharged for it because we couldn't do the one in August-it was a room issue at the Association.  The supercharged state usually makes for a good class because I will bring the energy that has been stored up in between classes. I have a new handout that should be useful as a take along too! 

I am feeling the pull back to Florida, somehow. Perhaps it's those cute granddaughters, who can both say Nana now. Check it out: http://www.theverafamily.com/pics.htm I have even been house shopping and have found a place with great schools, (yes we still have one child at home!) there's a a job that I could love nearby and enough room to plant some flowers and even veggys. I may be turning into my grandmother but, then she did live through the depression and knew a few good things!

Perhaps a garden is a good idea for all of us. We need the Vitamin D from the sun that happens during the weeding process. Our guys can use the lycopene from the fresh tomatos that most people plant and I like the fresh greens, spinach, green beans (mmm-creamed) and such.  Heh if you don't plant it for yourself and your own good health, plant one for the community! We must know where there is at least one vacant lot that might be better used(highest and best use). I'm suggesting it to the PTA as a project for the spring.

I am rambling so will close for now. Let me leave you with something of value to think about today:

                            Be brave enough to live life with JOY!-unknown author.

We really have a lot more control over our lives than is first apparent-Seriously, plan to plant the gardens!

Ok I "subscribed" to a post and now have had second thoughts-is it wise to take time and therefore energy away from what we should be focusing on, to read or comment on issues that should have an easy solution? This is sometimes just like when you are in the middle of a divorce and all you can hear or talk about is the other person. Giving them way too much of your energy, when they might have really been destructive to your life in the first place.

So I'm going to unsubscribe to that post and seriously rethink the ones that I might subscribe to in the future. I'm posting this because I suspect that there are others reading that might not have had this particular thought today and if you are reading and not as focused as you could be right now-the business is changing. Requires our focus. Stay on task as I tell my daughter when she leaves for school.

That's not to say that I don't still love AR and the Rainers! or that I won't be posting but, I promise to TRY and stay on topic, give good value and not waste so much of your time or mine.

To the value:

Need some buyers? Try this: Go to www.Apartments.com search by using a zipcode that you work in. Find a complex that has rental rates of over $1000./month. Note the street address and zipcode. Most apartment complexes are on circles and all on the same street. Now go to www.whitepages.com enter the street addess and search, if you don't get at least 100 names and contact phone numbers back up and use just the street name and zipcode. Run the phone numbers through the "do not call screening list" and make some calls.  Most apartment complexes do either 1 year or at least 7 month leases-these are people who really may be moving and you know how much they pay for the rent! Could you find them a house if you find one who really is moving when you call them? Of course! Now don't say you don't know who to call! This is free and only takes your time, it's on task and productive time if you do all of the steps. Don't skip anything. Check the numbers and make the calls.  Have a buyer today that could actually want to buy something yet this month or next. Some of this job could be assigned to an assistant or your child-who you can pay-ask your tax consultant how much you can pay them tax free. Then they can buy their own clothes or food or pay the insurance and start to value the money that they earn.

p.s. I used to ask my favorite lenders and title people to join me in my conference room to help make the calls then if there was a lending question or title question, I could pass the phone and it seemed to impress people when they knew that we were all making the calls together. Think about your next pizza night and how much more fun it is to do this work in groups. It makes for great teams and better communications between those teamplayers.  Have a productive week.