Walking and Talking

A long time ago, I promised myself I would walk for an hour every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday starting at 8:00 a.m. Most of the time, I do. 

Last week in Pittsburgh, Tim Kinzler and I had a wonderful conversation about the importance of taking care of your health. Of course, we all know that we have to look after ourselves, but how often do we put off exercising because there's a listing to take or a house to show? When the day is going to be busy, it is oh so easy to say, "I'll walk tomorrow." 

Tim is very inspirational, and when we talked at the CyberPros meeting, I told him about my regular walk and said he could call me anytime between 8:00 and 9:00 on those days. I should have known that he'd take me up on it!

This morning the phone rang at 8:15…and I was not walking. But, I was tying up my shoes, and as Tim and I talked, I headed out and walked the whole time we were on the phone. Talking with him gave an extra boost to my step, and added energy to my day. Thanks, Tim!

www.HomeRome.com 

Technology and Chocolate for the CyberPros

Yesterday we wrapped up two filled-to-overflowing days of CyberProfessionals sharing knowledge, food, and lots of talk. From my photos you might think all we did was eat, but really the rest of the time I was so busy listening and taking notes that I hardly got the camera out.

Since we're the CyberPros, of course we focused on all things electronic. As usual, I learned a lot. Kristal Kraft did a presentation (using my AR blog as an example!) that taught us more about tags and what they mean to search engines. Fascinating stuff, and helpful to understand when adding tags to your posts.

Tim Kinzler, a most terrific agent and photographer, gave a presentation on health and weight loss. You might not think of that as a cyber-subject, but if we're not healthy we can't very well do a good job, can we? Tim says it's not how much you exercise, it is what you put in your mouth. So instead of having chocolate at the break, I went and talked to Tim for inspiration. I think a hug can be as good as chocolate, if you like the hugger.

Tim's guidance helped – some – later when we all went to the Melting Pot for dinner. Anyone remember fondue parties from the 1970's? Well the Melting Pot is for you. We had a great time and finished off with the luscious dessert plate, all ready for dipping in chocolate!

I have to give a special thanks to CyberPros "Mom," Linda Davis, who does fantastic job keeping us organized and moving forward. Linda was there at the first meeting in 1995, and is still making sure our meetings are interesting and successful. That's Linda with Kristal Kraft.

And if Linda is Mom, then Les Sulgrove is the CyberPros "Dad." He handles all the computer tech stuff for our meetings, and obviously enjoys a good chocolate-dipped dessert. He also took this picture of one terrific group.

http://homerome.com

The CyberPros Take Pittsburgh

Only about four hours from home, Pittsburgh was our destination on Sunday. The CyberProfessionals group was gathering for our semi-annual meeting, and that meant lots of talk, lots of laughter, gigabytes of memory, and some of the good old fashioned kind of memories that you make when with people you enjoy. And, of course, some good eating to go with the good company.

On the way up from Baltimore I was able to catch up on some emails, clear out all my spam folders, and post on Active Rain. Thank goodness for wireless connectivity! About ½ an hour from home I suddenly could not make the power connection for my tablet; must be a bad cord. Uh, oh! Do we turn around and go back? Wait…I have a three prong charger cord that plugs into the cigarette lighter – whew. It's great for a car, but I learned the hard way not to use one in a plane, unless you enjoy seeing smoke fill the cockpit when you're flying.

The Sheraton Station Square hotel is home for the CyberPros these couple of days. When we arrived at the hotel, I was greeted by friend and colleague, Wynne Achatz, who doubles as a great porter. Yep, Wynne helped me get our stuff to the room and we also, literally,  picked up a refrigerator down the hall for our room. Thanks Wynne, did I tip you?? 

Had dinner at Buco de Beppo, a chain of Italian restaurant known not to allow anyone to walk away hungry. 

There's plenty of evidence on the walls - check out the "fat" guy who proves their claim. 

I have named this one "sucking it up"!

We shared the evening with fellow Rainers Kristal Kraft who I met for the very first time and really admire, and  Sharon Simms and her delightful daughter/partner Tami Simms-Powel. That's Teri Isner  in between Sharon and Kristal. And we can all verify that no one leaves hungry!

After a good dinner, great company, and a solid night's rest, we were ready for the high energy and non-stop learning that CyberPros share when we get together. More about that next time.

Type E Gardening, or What's a Mop Doing In My Garden?

Here are my two favorite new plants: a "Whipcord Western Red Cedar" that looks like beach grass, and a brilliant cerise azalea. They went from the garden center to my garden yesterday in true Type E style.

Most Type E's have this ability – or maybe it's a handicap – that we can just imagine what something will look like when it's done. And once we have "seen" it, we want it done right then so we can move on to the next exciting project. Notice how I skipped the part about making it happen, the part in the middle that goes from concept to completion? It's not that Type E's don't also enjoy seeing things through to completion; we wouldn't be good real estate agents if we didn't. But for some things we’re ready to move on after we've figured out what the completion will look like.

Like gardening, for instance. I love the plants, the garden, the colors. I love picking out the plants and figuring where they will go. Then I'm ready for it to be done. Fortunately, we have some great lawn guys who are glad to help with the in between part of digging and planting and cleaning up.

Yesterday was a gorgeous Saturday, warm and bright but with a promise of rain at night – perfect planting weather. So we drove to our favorite place for anything outdoors - Watson's Garden Center. They are very helpful and great to deal with. Remember my adventure with attracting birds? Watson's was where we got the bird seed and feeders along with good advice. Yesterday, we were back there for plants. We picked out a bunch of stuff and had them put it all in the car. When we got home, the gardeners took it out of the car, I pointed where to put each plant, and voila…done! Gardening the Type E way.

This neat looking plant's tag reads: "Whipcord Western Red Cedar Iseli [the nursery] Introduction Thuja plicata 'Whipcord' …unusual selection of the giant forest tree, western red cedar. The drooping foliage is glossy green in summer with a bronze cast in winter...wild mop looks like beach grass." I just loved the look of this plant and hope it grows well in my garden. The tag also states, "Tolerates shallow chalk soils and shade." Do I have this? I'm not sure so I am placing it so I can enjoy it on my front porch while watching my feathered friends. The azaleas will add bright spots of color – sort of like having cardinals permanently visiting my yard.

Yes, I love gardening…provided I can do it the Type E way!

http://homerome.com

What to Do Between Showings On a Spring Day in Baltimore

Sometimes there's too much time between showings but not quite enough, if you know what I mean. It happened that way a couple of days ago. So instead of just waiting around, we took a drive to Sherwood Gardens on that absolutely gorgeous spring afternoon.

Shorts, sandals, and bare feet were all over the place. It was a wonderful scene of strolling visitors, a few dogs, kids of various ages, and this one little guy who was not much larger than some of the tulips.

These magnificent tulips are in their full glory right now. Last year I went there with a visiting friend from Active Rain at just about the same time, and wrote about it in Tiptoe Through .... with Caleb. To quote myself, "The gardens were begun in 1927 by John Sherwood, a local petroleum pioneer and conservationist. What started as a hobby has become one of the most famous tulip gardens in North America."

You can see  the azaleas are going to be spectacular though they're not yet in full bloom. That might be next week, but by then the tulips might be gone, so I'm glad we went when we did.

What a lovely way to spend an hour between showings in beautiful Baltimore.

http://homerome.com

Baltimore Goes Green

Are you a nature lover? Friend of the earth? Outright tree-hugger? Or do you simply care about living a more sustainable lifestyle that is good for the environment…including all the people?

If so, Baltimore has a week for you. Beginning this Saturday, the city is celebrating Baltimore Green Week. This is the fifth year for the week-long program that is volunteer-driven to increase awareness about how local residents can make the Baltimore region cleaner and environmentally safer. There are community events, hands-on activities, forums, and lectures throughout the city, including Baltimore’s premier green event - EcoFestival.

On Saturday, April 26, from 9am to 11am, Baltimore City residents can start by picking up a free tree to plant in their front or back yard. That 2008 Arbor Day FREE Tree Giveaway at the Mansion House in Druid Hill Park is the perfect start to an eco-conscious day.

Then, from 11 am to 5 pm also on Saturday, April 26, you can find fun family events and resources that promote sustainable living. EcoFestival is held in Druid Hill Park near the Reservoir. You can get there by light rail to the Woodberry stop, bus lines and Jones Falls trail. Click here for directions. If you plan to drive, park at the Woodberry light rail and take one of the shuttles because there's very limited parking at the event site.  

The EcoFestival is free, and will have something for just about everyone. There will be: 

• Workshops
• Demonstrations
• Over 100 vendors with sustainable products
• Lots of healthy (good!) food
  
• Music by Caleb Stine and the Brakemen
  
• Art crafted from recycled materials
  

The Irvine Nature Center and the Carrie Murray Nature Center will have exhibits and a live animal or two for the Children in Nature Area planned just for EcoKids. There will be a Wellness Area, a guided half-hour nature hike, free bike rides around the reservoir, and a chance to sign up for EcoTours later in the week. (Of course, the EcoFestival is outdoors, so in case of rain it will all happen on Sunday, but as of now Saturday looks to be warm with only a chance of rain.)

Following EcoFestival, Baltimore Green Week has events scheduled through Thursday, May 1. You can take the Tour de Trash on the US Coast Guard Cutter Taney, hear Mayor Sheila Dixon's presentation of her vision and action plan for cleaner, greener Baltimore, visit with a Green Gathering on the advantages of buying locally grown and produced food, and join a green building tour of the Stewart’s Building which is the headquarters for the Catholic Relief Services. The building received the first LEED certification in Baltimore City.

Visit the Baltimore Green Week website to read more about these and other programs. There are printable flyers to keep as reminders. And after you've been to the EcoFestival, and attended some of the other events, wrap up Green Week at Morgan State University on May 1. There you will hear Van Jones, one of today’s leading voices in helping to create jobs for low income and inner city communities through the Green Industrial Revolution.

We celebrate Earth Day once a year, but we live on this fragile planet every day of the year. Here's a great opportunity to learn more about being green.

http://homerome.com

Gracious Guilford – a Baltimore Neighborhood

Guilford is one of those neighborhoods that seems to have grown up among its gardens and gracious ways. Originally comprised of patents granted to British citizens from the mid-1600s through the 1700s, the area was valued for its "gentle swells, which afford many beautiful views of the city and bay." The entire area sold in 1780 as confiscated property to a Revolutionary War General who gave Guilford its name. The area then passed through other hands until it was sold to the Guilford Park Company. Planning of the landscape design began in 1911 under the direction of Frederick Law Olmsted, and active development of Guilford began in 1913.

This residential area of almost 700 homes has everything from modest townhomes to stately, historic mansions, most of which were constructed in the 1920s and 1930s. Built in what was once the country, Guilford retains a spacious feeling even as it is surrounded by the city that long ago grew up around it. The neighborhood reaches out to its surrounding communities, and benefits from being near the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University and Union Memorial Hospital.

Spring is an especially good time for a stroll through the area to enjoy the lush landscaping that makes this area a visual treat. It's not surprising that homeowners go all out for their trees and flowers, since a favorite section of Guilford is the massive Sherwood Gardens. The Gardens are a center of community activity, especially in the spring when a spectacular display of tulips brings thousands of visitors to the more than six-acre park.

Begun in 1927 by a local petroleum pioneer and conservationist, John Sherwood, the gardens started as his hobby and grew into a treasured enclave in Baltimore city. When Sherwood died in 1965, he bequeathed enough money to maintain the gardens for a year. The Guilford Association then purchased the gardens and some additional lots from the estate, and has continued to care for them ever since.

The best part of Sherwood Gardens? There are no fences or gates, and the public is welcome to stroll leisurely through the grounds and enjoy the 80,000+ tulips and other spring flowering bulbs, azaleas, dogwoods, and magnolias. Right now – from late April through early May – is the prime time for a walk in the gardens. Many visitors will return at the end of May, on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, when the tulip bulbs are dug up and sold for 25 cents each. With this contribution from Sherwood Gardens, is it any wonder that Guilford is known for its gardens?

http://homerome.com

Spring Break in Baltimore

Baltimore gets a few days of springtime each year between late winter's chill and full summer's heat, and it's right now. These beautiful bright blue days say, "come out and play!" I'm soooo busy, but couldn't resist taking my little Sony PhD camera outside to snap a few signs of nature.

The trees and garden are waking up and asking to be noticed. The "lowly" dandelion has to be  in the picture because it has its own beauty. We all have "weeds" in our lives; the only thing that makes a pretty flower a weed is that it goes where we don't want it. Have you ever watched a child with a dandelion, blowing and scattering the seeds? Something that brings such fun and wonder can only be beautiful.

Phlox makes a pretty purple carpet, the trees are budding and blooming, and a few daffodils are still decorating my garden. At the end of the day the moon shines through trees that are naked now, but not for long. There is so much promise in spring…a few minutes wandering around the yard is a refreshing mini-vacation from computer screens and paperwork.

http://homerome.com

Mount Washington – My Baltimore Neighborhood

Baltimore truly is a city of neighborhoods. Despite the many hundreds of thousands of people who live within the city's borders, we are not a homogenous mass. The city has grown from pre-Colonial as new groups came for the commerce that a port city offers and the jobs that grow from that. And as the center of the city filled up, people moved out to find more space and new opportunities.
Mount Washington is one of those "street-car suburbs" that began in the 19^th century when people looked for a way to escape the crush and heat of the city. Originally a summer retreat to the country, Mount Washington quickly grew into a year round community which now includes about 1,600 homes of just about every style and every age from brand new condominium to houses that are more than 100 years old.. With many homes of Victorian and Georgian style, there is a bit of a New England village feel, especially in the Mount Washington Village area.

Mount Washington Village snuggles into a bend of the Jones Falls with tree-lined streets and shops, boutiques, galleries, cafes and professional offices. There are great places to eat and shop, plus one of my favorite creative spots, Baltimore Clayworks, a nationally recognized non-profit educational organization housed in an wonderful old library building. Any time I need a creativity boost, I'm glad Clayworks is nearby.

Up the hill from the Village is the Mt. Washington Conference Center owned and operated by The Johns Hopkins University. Across the Jones Falls from the village sits The Mount Washington Mill, an historic mill complex that has been reborn as a shopping center with Whole Foods, Starbucks, and other fun stores and galleries. All that Mount Washington has to offer is made easily accessible by the Light Rail system with a stop right in the Village.

For the athletic, Mount Washington also has two swim clubs, one of which is a year-round facility that has produced Olympic swimmers. The Meadowbrook Aquatic Center has two famous alumni - Katy Hoff and Michael Phelps. For a less athletic experience, a walk along the Cylburn Arboretum's well marked nature trails is a great stress reliever, especially in the spring.

The Mount Washington Improvement Association, one of the oldest neighborhood associations in the country, rightly claims that their historic neighborhood is "diverse, eclectic and very stable" and "an ideal setting for families." All this, and the attractions of downtown Baltimore are just 15 minutes away. I guess you can see why I think of Mount Washington as My Baltimore Neighborhood.

http://homerome.com

1718 Wilson Ave. Baltimore, Maryland 21227

Two Houses for the Price of One!   1718 Wilson Ave. Halethorpe 21227 Baltimore County $449,944 TWO houses on one lot separated by a custom Trex Deck and above ground pool.  Both homes have central air conditioning plus ceiling fans in almost every single room. There is a brick wall lined driveway that will hold a dozen cars and there is a huge garage , with a 1/2 bath, that can hold at least four cars. In addition there is a workshop/storage room, 14 x 34, for all your hobbies. This unique property has been built by the owner/contractor and may be a bit difficult to describe but I will try: You enter the main house from the brick porch and courtyard with a charming wishing well.  The first level has a very versatile floor plan including a bedroom/den, half bath, living room, dining room, great room, a small sun room with cathedral ceiling and a hot tub. The large 20 foot kitchen has a bay window, breakfast area, tile floors, updated appliances- including dishwasher, compactor, disposal, electric stove and good work space. THere is a convenient separate laundry room on this level. The 25' x13 ' foot great room is now being use as a dining room. Notice the hardwood floors. Upstairs of the main house are 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. Two of these large bedrooms have double closets. The master bedroom and bath, which is 23 x17, has it's own 8 foot walk in closet with a window. A separate door leads to the 23 ' foot private balcony. The second house , behind the main house, would make an ideal inlaw, guest suite, or a fabulous party house for entertaining.  Two generous sized bedrooms each with their own full bath and one very,very large walk in closet. The 22 ' x17' great room has space for a pool table as well as a ping pong table. The kitchen is equipped with a double sink, electric stove and side by side refrigerator.  For convenience you will find a separate laundry room and half bath with new black Italian tile floors.  The large living area boasts new wall to wall carpeting and the deck overlooking the pool is a wonderful place to relax. If you are paying attention and counting I have mentioned 6 bedrooms, 4 full baths and 3 half baths. Such a convenient location? This home is minutes from I-95 and is in walking distance to the Super Walmart, Petco, Office Depot, Home Depot and even a McDonalds  www.HomeRome.com For personal showings, please call 410-530-2400           email: mrome@homerome.com