103 degrees...mini vacation at Sonic with my grandbabies!
What does one do in 103 degrees in July in Texas? Well, they go eat outside of course! Ask Marchel...she knows. When you're a Texan it shows in your eating habits. Air conditioning all around us and we decided to pick up my grand-babies and take them to SONIC! Yum yum. Greasy burgers and crispy onion rings! Yee ha! We had a good time. This is pure quality.
Meet Cecile Alayne my first grandbaby girl above! Cecile is 11 years old and going on 30. She is bright, talented, sweet and my favorite Cecile in the whole world. She is my namesake. I am Debra Alayne...well. you know the rest. Meet Tehya Chey...American Indian plus Cheyenne... She's a beauty too. She looks totally annoyed (most of the time)
because of..............
my Wyatt Hunter! This is Mr. "I want to annoy my sister and anyone else that will let me" child.
He does a really great job of it and we all love him!
Along with this grimace comes a true growl.
and this is Kyle, my very bright "talk a mile a minute" step grandson. He is a doll and of course, Wyatt's best friend. He says...mamamamamamammamamammma What? I say. "Uh,....I forgot." But don't worry, he'll come up with something!
I am missing Julie although she is in my heart...She is Kyle's sis and my step granddaughter. She is a large part of our little family and we missed her today. It was hot. We had lunch. And then played like crazy. We just played, ate and had fun.
The beauty of youth.
The orange shirts are all a part of the Montesori School, "Tomorrow's Promise"...what a great name.
We ate really greasy and bad stuff...yum.
And then it was time for desert!
I love my babies.
Even though they're growing up.
There was just so much to do but lunch was over so it was time for ice cream.
Now we're talkin'.
Beats the heat.
With Blue Bell Ice Cream we can all live in 103 degree weather.
At least at this age.
My first job in my lifetime at age 13 (except for baby sitting) was at this very Sonic. They made me roller skate to the cars with the food. One of the 'hunks" that I had my eye on drove in one day and placed his order. I was so nervous that when I skated out to give him his tray....I dumped it in his lap. Boy was he upset...he was glad to see me the last time we ran in to each other. He tried to buy my boat!
Cecile made it look really good.
What a great way to spend the lunch (2) hours.
I'll do this again soon.
I love you my daughter! And my babies.
Thanks for joining us.
This is for my kids...
All of them.
Later in the rain~Deb AKA MAMAW!
Too Good To Be True!Dear Diary. what Scott and I did on the 4th of July, 2008. I wanted to share a few photos with you that my husband and I were able to shoot over the 4th of July weekend. We found the most affordable piece of land in our own neighborhood that we had seen in years. Hubby discovered this on the net and we Had TO GO CHECK IT OUT. This is a beautiful piece of land, 9+ acres on the Trinity River just minutes from the mouth of Lake Livingston. The price on this beauty is 129,000.00 Yep! 9+ACRES....UNBELIEVABLE. We drove straight there and began to tromp! Here's a peek. Now this acreage has enough water frontage to separate it out with individual acres... I'm sorry I didn't get a shot of the horses grazing. They were awesome. This is a perfect piece of land to build on.
By the time we had walked it we had formulated our offer. No doubt we would buy it. It was too perfect.
I immediately fell in love with it. We would sub-divide and create a heavenly spot.
The land across from the river is "protected land" and will never be built on...at least not in our lifetimes.
This looked so idyllic that we couldn't wait to fill out the paperwork. We would pay full price if need be.
This is a community boat ramp at the road that backs up to the acreage. How ideal. A whole three acre park at the edge of our new found paradise. We just couldn't believe it. We hopped into the truck and headed out. An old (very precious) couple was at the side of the road picking grapes from the fence of OUR land. We pulled up and wished them a wonderful evening and took a look at their haul which looked healthy, plump and sweet. In our excitement we couldn't contain the fact that we were going to make an offer on the land! They confirmed how beautiful it was and then I asked the two dollar question... Will they allow us to build a pier or boathouse to house the boat right there??? A big boat... Well, no ma'am he said. Well, yes I guess you could build one but you can't boat to the main channel from there...tick tock I was getting sooooo sad... No boats we asked? None? No, he said. It's only a few inches deep there and you would have to drive a few miles to put the boat in to reach the main channel...I didn't want to hear that but it taught me a lesson. What my dad said is true. If it sounds too good to be true...it probably is. NOW, if you don't care about boating...I've got a great place I would love to show you! We'll keep looking. The one thing I did get was chiggers! Yuk. What a let down! Thanks for reading! Later in the rain~Deb
Dear Diary, Gary Woltal has joined Us!!!Dear Diary, Gary Woltal has joined us! July 21, 2008 Gary Woltal has agreed to become the Moderator of "Diary of a Realtor" and I want to say a big "thank you" to him! STAGERS, MORTGAGE BROKERS, INSPECTORS, DESIGNERS, VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS, AND ALL ASSOCIATES ARE WELCOME! No one is excluded. Please start your own Diary. JOIN THIS GROUP...CLICK BELOW.
But, this is just for us. Diary of a Realtor is a community for your personal thoughts, experiences, feelings and records. Did you have a close call while showing a house or land? Did you have a dream last night that you just can't explain? Do you want to share about a loved one?
Diary of a Realtor can be used to put your "personal foot forward" and leave records in the end for your children, family members and friends. Imagine having an entire life's story pieced together to hand down to your children. Take a break from SEO, Marketing, and Local news. Make your own news. Make your own stories. Share the part of your life that gives you joy or pain. Just feel free to share. Share with our community who you really are...beyond the profession and facade of advertising. Later in the rain~Deb Please don't fry an egg on my head!Please don't fry an egg on my head! Here I am in Texas. "Whew". I love showing properties but this is definitely the most trying time of the year. AND, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL A HOUSE IN 100 DEGREES? It's just plain annoying. The other day I was showing a lovely couple from Houston a few lake houses. Wonderful conversation, strong buyers, lovely people and me. It was going pretty well even though it was a cool 108 degrees in the sun. Not to mention the humidity! Wow, and they think we have it easy! I drive a lake that is 450 miles around and I try to know and show it all. I had come to the last showing of about 6 houses and we found this quite by accident. I called the number on the sign and it was a FSBO Realtor and she was glad to give me her code. It was a gorgeous entryway with an enclosed foyer in brick and the lock box was right where she said it was on the doorknob. She mentioned to me when I called that the last folks had a bit of a problem with the key box and there was a trick to the opening of the box. I listened carefully to her instructions and began to manipulate the box. Now, keep in mind, the sun was bearing down on me, a brick wall blocked any hint of a breeze and it was 108 degrees in the sun! I fumbled with the code but I began to GLISTEN. Yeah, yeah, that's a nice way of saying I began pouring sweat like a piglet. I was sweating so much that my glasses were wet with perspiration and I had to take them off to wipe them to see the numbers. I was feeling faint so I dropped my glasses and my cell with the other Realtor on the line and was suddenly feeling no more discomfort! "Oh my gosh, Debra are you okay?" she asked?" Then all I remember is waking up with her wiping my face with a cool washcloth. Am I embarrassed? What do you think? Luckily the other Realtor was still on the line, gave them instructions on how to get the door opened and they saved me with the swab of a cool washcloth. After getting up a bit humbled they offered to drive me back to the office. I took them up on it. I missed the whole showing although they told me the stairs were a bit too steep for them. I wonder what it really was? Was it the stairs or the fact you could have fried an egg on their Realtors forehead at the front door? MAYBE I CAN SELL THEM SOMETHING IN THE FALL? I DON'T RECOMMEND NAPPING DURING SHOWINGS! Later in the rain~Deb
Wake Up On Lake Livingston...New Take On Localism Part IIYou pour your coffee, step out on the back deck and sit under the shade of your Oak tree. You begin thinking back to the first day you learned of the treasures of Lake Livingston, Texas. It really was like a treasure hunt without the hope of finding the treasure...but low and behold, here you are. "How did I get so lucky, you think to yourself?" Oh, sure. Just happenstance. "I remember now." There it was touting Lake Homes For Sale...hum, we thought.
Didn't we see them on Active Rain? We're ahead of schedule so why don't we call them??? "Okay", and a Realtor by the name of Debra Brooks answered the phone with such enthusiasm! She was really helpful. She directed us to her office and offered to show us around the lake. Why not, we thought? We are only an hour and a half from our home in Houston! We've always wanted to have a weekend getaway but we just never dreamt it could happen. How comfortable she made us feel! She visited with us for a bit while we filled her in on our dreams and financial status and the next thing we know she swooped us away to the lake. She was driving and it was a great break for us after driving for the day.
Nothing is scarier than wishing for something you just can't have. Deb just kept reassuring us that it was going to be fine and that we could make it work. That it WAS possible.
This Carolina Cove is where we wanted to be! It felt like home....away from home. An hour and a half away from our house in Houston, it was far enough away to feel like we were "away from it all" yet close enough to be back quickly.
The cove is deep and blue and safe and beautiful. It leads right into Lake Livingston and in to the Trinity River for yet another water adventure.
Deb told us she felt that angels gathered there to refresh and reflect. Gosh, we wanted to know everything! We sat down with Deb and this is what she told us... To be continued... Look for Brooks Prime Properties on LOCALISM.COM
_________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for viewing Deb's Lake Livingston Blog and Other Stuff. www.activerain/lakelivingston.com
Wear Flowers in your Hair!EVERYONE DESERVES TO GO! To Inman Connect in San Francisco! The time is drawing near...our final announcement for the top 3 teams is on Monday July 7, 2008. We're biting our nails and twisting our hair and jumping up and down waiting for the final announcement. The Makeover2Takeover contest has been a real hoot! It has reminded me a bit of what a "virtual bootcamp" might be! "Drop to the floor and give me 200 push-ups!" Thank goodness this is virtual. We have learned that there is nothing we can't do when the desire is there to do so! Active Rain and all who are involved (?) have really given us the incentive to stretch and grow and improve our prospective businesses. We have found each other to be friends...not competitors. We have found ourselves dreaming and hoping and supporting and wishing the best to our circle of friends within the contest. Of the six teams that remain, only three teams will be left standing on Monday afternoon. Whether we must say goodbye or "YeeHaa, yea rah" this has been an honor for all of us! This must be an incredibly difficult chore for the decision makers. Just remember...EVERYONE DESERVES TO GO! And, wear flowers in your hair! GOOD LUCK TO ALL OUR FELLOW BLOGGERS GREAT SHOT OF JOHN LENNON IN THE VIDEO
_________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for viewing Deb's Lake Livingston Blog and Other Stuff. www.activerain/lakelivingston.com
LOCALISM FEATURED: Wake Up On Lake Livingston...New Take On Localism...Part IA glimpse of your day at Lake Livingston begins here. You awake inside your gorgeous 3 bedroom, 2 bath waterfront home and sit up in your bed and a beautiful dawn awaits you. You stretch and smile as the colors fill your room with energy and hope. You look at your partner sleeping soundly and decide to let them sleep and that to be alone is fine for now. You wipe the sleep from your eyes while watching the sun make its appearance with a wonderful yellow glow. You watch the blue waters lap upon your shore and you see the diamond sparkles dance on the peaks of the waves like a gem. You know you're home and where you want to be! Gray Herons walk the shore, feeding upon the abundance of small fish and bugs. Turtles are sunning on the old stump right off your boathouse and all is serene and lovely.
You smile with the realization that this is happening to you. You are here. You own a piece of your own paradise. You captured a piece of your dream. Had you known it was going to be so easy you would have done this years before. You then hear the words of your parents..."plan ahead for your retirement dear...it's never too soon!" Even though retirement is still a ways away you feel released from the stress and pressures of city living. When you "listen" you hear quiet. No traffic. Just the wake up call of exotic birds. You hear the rustle of the Oak Tree's mighty limbs and leaves that cast shade and shadows on your bit of heaven and you breathe a breath deeper and fuller and richer than you ever could in the city. The rich smell of coffee fills the air with the aroma of your Lake Livingston morning. And, you are happy. Deb told us she felt that angels gathered there to refresh and reflect.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for viewing Deb's Lake Livingston Blog and Other Stuff. www.activerain/lakelivingston.com
What Makes a Community?What Makes a Community? PEOPLE
If you are active in the rain you understand what community means. It's not the binding of people that have known one another forever or the fact that you live next door, it is more the foundational building of a friendship, business partnership, meeting of personalities, minds and support. Within the Rain, many of us have built strong bonds of friendship and respect for our fellow bloggers and Real Estate Professionals. Well, there you have it in a nutshell. Lake Livingston Texas. We are not a particular "township" or county. We are many towns, 4 counties and subdivision after subdivision of "Community Minded" people. Lake Livingston redefines the word "local". Even with miles and miles between us we are still a tight knit community. Lake Livingston is a virtual "melting pot" of people from all walks of life, states and even countries. It is not unusual for us to schedule "tours" for people who fly in for the weekend. The clients are looking for a spot on the water with the possibility of retirement later. Our Lake area is not as "commercialized" as many others are so we still have acreage and numerous homesites available.
Our lake is 90,000 surface acres of water and 450 linear miles around! It is, at the widest point, 7 miles across. On occasion I have shown houses by boat! There is nothing like loading the cooler with lunch, grabbing the binoculars and boating from property to property to help find the perfect Lakehouse by the water! We are blessed to have Bluebird Sanctuaries, Protected Piney Woods Forests, specified land for hunting and fishing and water sports galore! I thought I would bring my camera and assistant with me today to give you a quick view of our Trinity River, Lake Livingston and a few of our friends and neighbors! Please join me with some of our "Local" friends and neighbors and see why they love the lake.
Our small town vendors are lifesavers when it comes to needing a quick grocery trip! You just met Denise McNatt of Mac's Superstop. Mac's Superstop consists of a Conoco gas station, Bait and Tackle shop, mini grocery store and UHaul Dealership. I have watched them grow over the last 15 years and their business is booming. You also just met John Tallent of Tallent's Grocery store. Tallents are famous for their meat processing. They have the best HOMEMADE SAUSAGE...you never sausage a deal! Tallents have the most beautiful meat counter anywhere! As weekenders drive past on their way to the lake they stop to grab a Ribeye or Ribs to throw on the grill. You can grab a brisquet BBQ sandwich or a chicken fried steak sandwich or of course, their famous sausage while they package your groceries! What a life! Next please join me for a glimpse of the Trinity River Bridge and come with me to show a house. The house is in Trinity, Texas and in Trinity county. My average drive day is anywhere from 60 to 200 miles! Off we go.
You have just met Barbara and Bob from Alaska. They have now placed an offer on the house and are looking forward to fishing!
Living next to our waterways is sometimes a challenge. Lake Livingston is so deep and oceanic in places it is imperative to conserve the earth from erosion. We build what is called a bulkhead to preserve our shore. The fun part is building a boathouse to keep our toys. Please meet two of my clients and friends Gabrielle and Dave Thomson. They own Waterside Construction and will help guide you in the shore conservation process. Waterside Construction is in San Jacinto County.
If I Only Had A BrainA command. Just do it may work for a shoe company. But, it doesn't really mean anything without the why, how and the total psychology of the reason...with people, compassion, intuition, responsibility, truth, ethics and common sense. Example: outline of buyers guide. Show them properties. Whatever? Tons of diverse phsycologies are involved in the showing of homes from the beginning "nice to meet you," to what's important to you? Location, price, amenities, schools, playgrounds shopping, work, family location, church, you don't just do it. You must perceive. You must watch and be intuitive towards the unspoken word of expression and body language. You must listen to the inflection of the voice and the way it is delivered. You must watch for signs. You must follow the signs. You must listen with more than your ears. You do it with care. With knowledge, understanding, patience and work. Robotic actions don't get it. They don't reach into the human psyche and soul to find the answers...but a good sales/service person does. A good sales person cares enough to do so. A good salesperson cares more for his client than himself. All of this will be returned tenfold. Give and ye shall receive. This is true in your real estate business too. As well as your relationships with family and friends. You reap what you sow.
Possibly the command "just do it" means to use each and every God given intuition, sensual perception, emotion, compassion and feeling and work those attributes into a power or strength to find happiness for your fellow human. That's what I call Real Estate. You don't just do it. Or, maybe you do. Do you? |
Debra A. Brooks, Texas Waterfront Specialist Huntsville, TX More about me… Deb at Brooks Prime Properties Office Phone: (936) 295-0005 Cell Phone: (936) 661-2624 Email Me
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Dear Diary, It is July 23rd, 2008 and it is 103 degrees here in Huntsville Texas.
We had a wonderful time for a dreadfully hot day!
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We are serving Walker County, Trinity County, Polk County and San Jacinto County. Please contact us for all your Lake Livingston Real Estate needs.
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