I just finished coming back from dinner with my wonderful wife Kathy.  Once again the restaurant food was good but not as delicious as my wife's cooking.  My grandson Sam said to me as we were eating lunch the other day, "Grammy is a good cooker isn't she grandpa Paul?"  Kathy has a knack for making everything she cooks taste so that the palette just wants to keep savoring the food.

I often ask Kathy if she wants to go out to eat because I know the effort it takes to cook.  However, even she acknowledges her cooking is generally much better than retaurant food so she usually would rather stay at home.  

We had a gift certificate to Appleby's.  Not only was the food just "good" but the atmosphere is just too busy and too noisy.  I like to be able to talk with my wife and not have to strain to hear her through loud music.  I wonder, is it just my age or are there younger people who also prefer a quieter setting for their dining experience.  

If you are from Lexington and know of good restaurants with great food and a quiet atmosphere would you please share that with me.  Thanks, Paul

Buyers and Sellers take note!

Yesterday I went to a closing of one of my listings in which the buyers closed with financing in only nine days.  Yes, my seller accepted the offer on October 21st and the closing was on October 30th. 

 The buyer chose not to have an inspection which in my opinion was not a wise choice.  Of course this sped the process up by probably at least a week. 

So if you are thinking of buying and have been told it takes at least 45 days give me a call.  I work with people who are able to get things done very quickly provided you have good credit. 

First time home buyers there may still be time to get that 8 thousand dollar tax credit if you have good credit. 

Sellers!  The average days on the market for my last  listings has been 21 days.  The listings have also sold for an average of 99 percent of the listing price.  So sellers give me a call if you want your house to move quickly.  859 684 5890, pcampbell@rhr.com 

Leaves, Nature's Gold for our Soil

Yesterday I began raking my yard and moving the leaves to the garden.  I will let the leaves absorb moisture and begin to decompose for a few weeks or days depending on the weather.  If it looks like we will be getting an extended time of very cold weather I will use a shovel to turn a large portion of the leaves into the soil.  I have two large pin oak trees, a yellow poplar, a locust and various shrubs that will drop their treasures. This will be enough leaves to cover my 1000 square foot garden with at least 18 inches of leaves after they have settled.

Leaves are natures gift to the gardener.  Last year the only thing  I did to prepare my soil was put lime on my garden and work the leaves into the soil.  My soil is very heavy with clay.  I was amazed at how well my first year garden produced.  I used all organic fertilizers at the time I planted and kept the garden weeded.  So lime, leaves, blood meal, kelp and bone meal were the only additions I made to my soil.   We still are harvesting peppers.  All of my tomatoes were killed from the early frost but many of my peppers miraculously survived.

Leaves provide an opportunity also to introduce children to the wonder of nature.  Initially my grandson was hesitant to join me in the leaf frolicking. 

 However he found it very funny when I  I threw a rake full of leaves into the air and stated it is "raining leaves."  Many joyful moments were shared in the "leaf thunder showers" and soon Sam was creating his own leaf play.  

The Lexington Bluegrass Association of Realtors

is in the process of giving away over a 100 copies of "Enemy Pie" to schools throughout Central Kentucky.

Realtors are invited to come to the schools and participate when the books are presented to the librarians.  The first presentation is at 10:00 AM,  Monday, October 19th at Saffell Street Elementary in Anderson Country.  We will then travel to Robert B. Turner at 11:25 and finally to Emma B. Ward at 1:50.  Invitations have been emailed to Anderson County Realtors.  

This is the third year  LBAR  has purchased new books and presented them to the Central Kentucky Schools.  It is a great way to show tangible support for our schools and to connect with the community.

"Enemy Pie" was chosen because of its strong reconciliation message and because it has a very strong Dad as the central character.  We live in a culture that likes to laugh at dads and portray them as bumbling, simplistic and aloof.  

If  you have children or grandchildren check this book out or buy it, you will not be disappointed.

Of Lawns and Gardens

            Mid September is the prime time for re-seeding and planting one’s lawn in Lexington.  Around the corner from our house one of our neighbors (who is a horticulturalist at UK) has torn up his front lawn and reseeded it.  He planted lawn seeds and then strewed straw (nice alliteration, huh?) over the top of it to help retain the soil from any water-run off.  His front yard slopes sharply to the street. 

            Wow – that is a lot of work.  I have lawn too, but it more closely resembles a weedy patch of green stretching beneath the two large oak trees in my front yard.  Last spring I tore up the bulk of the lawn to plant my garden – and I have plans to further diminish the patch of lawn still in the back yard. 

            What’s so great about a lawn anyway?  Our grandson Sam loves to “run” as fast as his little legs can carry him across a lawn – much faster and I don’t think Kathy will be able to catch him.   And the robins like to dig worms out of a lawn.  But lawns are a lot of effort for very little practical profit.  One cannot eat grass clippings, and we don’t graze animals that need to chomp the grass.

            Lawns became popular in Europe among the rich.  They had servants to do the labor intensive work of cutting the lawns, using scythes.  But even the rich often used their lawns for animals to graze.  Lawns became a symbol of having money to lavish on a wide swath of green outside the manor/castle.  Middle class folk might own a plot of land, but they used it to grow vegetables for their families.  Sometimes they would have flowers among the herbs to provide beauty.  Larger plots of land were used for grazing cattle and horses.  Poor people often didn’t have land around their homes at all – and whatever they did have they used for growing food.  Even today much of the land around homes in Third World countries is used for subsistence farming.

In the 1830’s mowing machines were invented but it wasn’t until after the Civil War that Americans began having lawns.  With the growth of industrialization came the invention of a shorter work week, as well as improved mowers and sprinklers.  But even then most Americans were content for just green—if native grasses, weeds and moss filled in the area around the house it wasn’t a crime.  Dandelions were not a disaster.

I worry when I see a neighbor having their lawns sprayed with chemicals, trucks trolling my neighborhood.  I know their information talks about how they use pesticides and herbicides responsibly, but I have my doubts. 

When You’re Blonde Enough Nothing Else Matters

            Eight years ago my wife adopted a three year old blonde cocker spaniel.   Kathy was won over by Abby’s big brown eyes and Jennifer Aniston haircut.  Abby was, essentially, already full grown and set in her ways, but I have a hunch that Kathy wouldn’t have been much of a taskmaster.  Kathy considers that having raised three pretty good kids, she’s entitled to a dog with challenging behavior.  I keep telling her that Marley pioneered the acceptability of bad dogs.  Kathy will only grudgingly agree that Abby isn’t exactly Lassie material. 

            Abby has never been terribly smart.  She knows, “Want to go for a walk?” and “Want a cookie?”  But any other command and Abby just blinks.  Abby liked to run outside and explore our yard.  With the heavy dew or rains she would come in thoroughly wet and still expect to sleep on the couch.  The only sure way to get her to come was to call, “Abby!  Cookie!”  When we lived in Seattle Kathy regularly took Abby for walks on a long off-leash trail.  Every day Abby happily jumped in the car, traveling to the trail.  She would perch on Kathy’s lap.  I shuddered every day thinking that Kathy would get a ticket, but she never did. 

            When we moved to Kentucky Abby got to come too.  She rode in the backseat and would lean over to peer out the windshield.  Did she wonder at all the different smells as we drove across the country?  Does she miss our big backyard and the off-leash trail?  One thing is certain:  she no longer bears the Most Adorable Surrogate Grandchild status now that Sam and Caroline live near us. 

            Now Abby’s excursions are mainly walking around the block two or three times a day.  She does patrol our yard for squirrels and evil cats (neither of which she has been able to scare away).  She still comes (usually) with the promise of a cookie.  Now her favorite place is to wait somewhat impatiently underneath Sam’s high chair, hoping that Sam will accidentally drop some of his food.   Abby is very good with Sam and Caroline.  Sam can throw a ball and hit Abby while she’s asleep  and she just blinks and moves.  Caroline can grab some of Abby’s hair and she just rolls over. 

            This weekend our son Andy and family will be adding a Newfoundland “puppy” (at 10 weeks old the “puppy” is already as big as Abby).  Andy vows that HIS dog will be well behaved.  We shall see.