After being tagged by Melody Young I was trying to think of some really interesting facts about myself that I could post for people to read, but I could only really think of one thing at the time. So... I guess I will just start writing and maybe it will all just come to me...

1) At 18 years old I became a mother to a 4 week early, baby girl that I named Jordan Lindsy. She had some trouble breathing for the first few days, but then she was fine and I was able to take her home. It has pretty much just been Jordan and I for the past 4 years. I always tell her, "It's just you and me... Let's take over the WORLD!" neither her nor I know exactly what that saying means, but we get a good laugh every time I say it :)

2) I have had many jobs at my young age to try and keep Jordan and I afloat, but my most rewarding job was at a near by high school working with Severely Handicapped kids (and young adults). I was in charge of training the students how to ride the bus to and from home and school. I also trained them to work at different job sites in the community and get closer and closer to reaching that goal of INDEPENDENCE! I still (3 years later) go visit the students at every chance I get.

3) My father (who is also in the real estate industry) made me swear that I would never work in real estate. So, when my friend Ryan told me about a job as an Escrow Account Executive... I kept that interview a secret. One week later I was hired on and sending out my "Introducing Pamela Bassaline, our new Account Executive" announcements... I made sure to personally address one to my father ;) He really got a kick out of it and then started sending his business my way (after I worked hard for every deal). So now we work in the industry together and we are closer than we have ever been... it's so GREAT!

4) A little over two years ago I was bit by a BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER! One of the most painful experiences I have ever been through. My leg was swollen to the size of a tree trunk and there was pain with every movement of my body (including breathing). I was in and out of the hospital for a month. Along with having a bad reaction to the medication and later getting a staff infection... I still have a scar on the back of my leg (thank God it's going away). I guess going through something like that made me appreciate my life and my family a lot more. You never know how much you have until you come close to losing it all. I now, not only have appreciation for my family and friends, but I have this strange respect for spiders.. I leave them alone and they do the same for me. If I need to remove a spider from my home, I scoop him up and take him outside. I may be weird, but I no longer flush, squish or stomp my furry eight-legged friends, (no matter how gross they are).

5) My final piece of information that I want to share with you is that I am IN-LOVE!!! Three years ago I went to New York City and fell in-love with it! Since then I have returned several times during the year for short weekend vacations. Call me strange, but I am intrigued by the people, the fast paced living, the buildings, the smells, the food, the music, the bridges, and the fact that it is unlike any place I have ever seen or been to. My next big goal is to buy a condo in the city that I can sub-lease a few months out of the year and then stay there when I go to visit.

Summary: I am a 22 yr. old(will be 23 this mo.) mother that works in real estate despite my fathers wishes. I almost died from a spider, loved teaching, have accomplished all of my goals (bought a house, paid off my car, took big vacations) and now I have a goal to buy a place in New York City.

Hope I wasn't too boring. Sorry there's no cute or fun pictures (i don't know how to do that yet)... Now I have to figure out who I am going to tag...

1. Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than
the mind.

2. You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by
worrying over the future.

3. God always gives His best to those who leave the choice
with Him.

4. Everyone needs to be loved...especially when they do not
deserve it.

5. The real measure of a man's (woman's) wealth is what he
(she) has invested in eternity.

6. Laughter is God's sunshine.

7. Thank God for what you have, Trust God for what you need.

8. If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the
worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.

9. Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks
within.

10. If anyone speaks badly of you, live so that none will
believe it.

11. Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel
like stripping your gears.

12. Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts.

13. Love is the only thing that can be divided with out being
diminished.

14. Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon
others.

15. For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60
seconds of happiness that you can never get back.

The best gifts to give:

• To your friends - loyalty;
• To your enemy - forgiveness;
• To your boss - service;
• To a child - a good example;
• To your parents - gratitude and devotion;
• To your mate - love and faithfulness;
• To all men and women - charity; and
  To your God - your life.

While spontaneity can be exciting and fun, there is a lot to be said for making plans. You can't plan to be spontaneous; it just happens, even in the midst of the best plans. A line in John Lennon's song "Beautiful Boy" says, "Life is what happens while you're making other plans."

So how do we keep our plans intact and at the same time allow spontaneity into our lives? There is a time and place for everything. As you know, a business meeting must follow a plan, but to make it memorable, a little spontaneity thrown in will lighten and liven the atmosphere. Remember back to your schooling. What teacher did you learn the most from, the one who had formal, set lesson plans, lectured dryly and never varied from the plan, or the one who occasionally brought a sparkle of the unexpected, a bit of humor into the lecture? If you want your points to be remembered, deliver them in an interesting way. How do we obtain the goal of making our points interesting? We observe how others do it.

Watch the news on TV. Which commentator do you like best? Why? Study the delivery of each commentator as though it were an assignment in college. Pick a subject, then try to deliver a speech on that subject like your favorite commentator would. Take a late night host on TV. Watch him deliver his monologue. Would a wooden performance impress you? Watch his facial expressions. Does he give life to his monologue? You don't have to be telling a joke to deliver a point, but it does help to deliver it with enthusiasm, bright facial expressions, and a smile.

Enjoy your life. Love your work. Plan on it, but let spontaneity happen. 

After being tagged by Melody Young I was trying to think of some really interesting facts about myself that I could post for people to read, but I could only really think of one thing at the time. So... I guess I will just start writing and maybe it will all just come to me...

1) At 18 years old I became a mother to a 4 week early, baby girl that I named Jordan Lindsy. She had some trouble breathing for the first few days, but then she was fine and I was able to take her home. It has pretty much just been Jordan and I for the past 4 years. I always tell her, "It's just you and me... Let's take over the WORLD!" neither her nor I know exactly what that saying means, but we get a good laugh every time I say it :)

2) I have had many jobs at my young age to try and keep Jordan and I afloat, but my most rewarding job was at a near by high school working with Severely Handicapped kids (and young adults). I was in charge of training the students how to ride the bus to and from home and school. I also trained them to work at different job sites in the community and get closer and closer to reaching that goal of INDEPENDENCE! I still (3 years later) go visit the students at every chance I get.

3) My father (who is also in the real estate industry) made me swear that I would never work in real estate. So, when my friend Ryan told me about a job as an Escrow Account Executive... I kept that interview a secret. One week later I was hired on and sending out my "Introducing Pamela Bassaline, our new Account Executive" announcements... I made sure to personally address one to my father ;) He really got a kick out of it and then started sending his business my way (after I worked hard for every deal). So now we work in the industry together and we are closer than we have ever been... it's so GREAT!

4) A little over two years ago I was bit by a BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER! One of the most painful experiences I have ever been through. My leg was swollen to the size of a tree trunk and there was pain with every movement of my body (including breathing). I was in and out of the hospital for a month. Along with having a bad reaction to the medication and later getting a staff infection... I still have a scar on the back of my leg (thank God it's going away). I guess going through something like that made me appreciate my life and my family a lot more. You never know how much you have until you come close to losing it all. I now, not only have appreciation for my family and friends, but I have this strange respect for spiders.. I leave them alone and they do the same for me. If I need to remove a spider from my home, I scoop him up and take him outside. I may be weird, but I no longer flush, squish or stomp my furry eight-legged friends, (no matter how gross they are).

5) My final piece of information that I want to share with you is that I am IN-LOVE!!! Three years ago I went to New York City and fell in-love with it! Since then I have returned several times during the year for short weekend vacations. Call me strange, but I am intrigued by the people, the fast paced living, the buildings, the smells, the food, the music, the bridges, and the fact that it is unlike any place I have ever seen or been to. My next big goal is to buy a condo in the city that I can sub-lease a few months out of the year and then stay there when I go to visit.

Summary: I am a 22 yr. old(will be 23 this mo.) mother that works in real estate despite my fathers wishes. I almost died from a spider, loved teaching, have accomplished all of my goals (bought a house, paid off my car, took big vacations) and now I have a goal to buy a place in New York City.

Hope I wasn't too boring. Sorry there's no cute or fun pictures (i don't know how to do that yet)... Now I have to figure out who I am going to tag...

To understand what make a house healthy, you need to know what make a house sick.

Here are some sources of pollutants identified by the American Lung Association:

• Respirable particles - fireplaces, wood-stoves, & kerosene heaters
• Organic pollutants - household products, including paint & paint strippers, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, cleansers, & disinfectants
• Formaldehyde - hardwood plywood wall paneling, particleboard and fiberboard, urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (now banned), durable press drapes, other textiles & glues
• Pesticides - insecticides & termite treatments; lawn & garden products that are tracked into the house
• Lead - automobile exhausts seeping in from garages, sanding or burning lead-based paint, lead solder (now banned in plumbing)
• Asbestos - deteriorating insulation and fireproofing
• Biological pollutants - wet or moist walls, ceilings, & carpets; poorly maintained humidifiers, dehumidifiers, & air-conditioners; household pets
• Carbon monoxide & nitrous dioxide - poorly ventilated kerosene & gas heaters; leaking chimneys & furnaces; down-drafting from wood stoves & fireplaces; all gas stoves
• Radon - from earth, uranium, & rock beneath some homes; well water and building materials

Hope this helps you out! If you or someone you know ever has a reaction to something in a home and you can't nail down exactly what is causing the problem... this list may come in handy :)

Yay! My very first blog!!! I am really excited to get started on activerain. I am already becoming addicted.

I look forward to learning from everyone as well as answering any escrow questions that you might have.

Anyone have any advice for me??? I look forward to getting input from anyone who has been a member longer than I have been... which is going on about 12 hours now, so it looks like I'm one of the newest Newbies :)