Living in the Philadelphia suburbs

What's a girl (or guy) to do?

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:17:20 -0600

What should I do? I'm so confused!

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars that I'm supposed to make look so yummy.... but I'm also supposed to walk off 15 pounds using the Easy Fat Blasting Plan!

And then I only have 31 day to get to a healthier me! Oh my goodness, I just don't know what to do.

Should I eat the Dream Bars first and just go ahead and get fat and then worry about walking off the 15 pounds? Or should I walk off the 15 pounds first, to make more room for the Dream Bars?

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What's a girl to do?

pressure pressure pressure.....

Wordless Wednesday - Gracie Good Girl

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:08:58 -0600

Changing Profession

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:53:10 -0600

Good morning peoples!

I haven't been around much lately because mu husband and I have been going through some big changes.

For personal and financial reasons, we decided to leave Bonita Springs, Florida and move back to the Philadelphia, Pa area.

I won't go back into the guts of why. Truth be told, it really doesn't matter. It is what it is. God has a plan and we need to do the best that we can do. Roll with the punches, right? (If you are so inclined, you can read about it here.)

The biggest changes have been for me. At this time, I am not pursuing my Real Estate license here in Pa. I have decided to go back to the mortgage industry. That's where I came from.

I would like to introduce my DH, John Young. We have been married for 33 years now! And yes... we are happy! Praise God for the good things in life. (But I digress)

John has been a loan officer and broker for 20 years now. He has always been the type to do what was best for the client and not to "get a loan". Being the type of person (maybe a bit of a romantic) he is, he is specializing in Reverse Mortgages. John has a talent for working with seniors, and really feels good about helping them. A few times, he was able to get folks out of bad situations and allow them to save their homes and improve their lifestyle.

But that's not what this post is about. That can be for later.

I am now working with John's company, Ivy League Mortgage. It has been quite a culture shock the last few months, adjusting to a different lifestyle, not to mention the COLD! But I am blessed that the people we are working with, are a group that we have known and worked with (at various times) for many years. They have all been in the mortgage industry FOREVER, and are simply the best at what they do! We couldn't be working with a better group of people!

So, even though most of my posts tend to "fluffy" ... such as pictures of sunsets and clouds in beautiful Bonita Springs, Florida ... from now on, they will be "unfluffy" pictures of Bucks County Pa. ;-) Such as the one above. Oh ... and some mortgage stuff once in awhile!

BTW ... what's the opposite of 'fluffy"?

Wordless Wednesday

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:32:21 -0600

Thanksgiving Thoughts....not what you think

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 10:17:08 -0600

Just yesterday I said "Happy Thanksgiving" to a woman, and she gave me such a look. It said that she wanted to cry and rip my head off at the same time. Something was mumbled and she turned away.

I felt bad for upsetting her. But all I said was "Happy Thanksgiving"!

It made me remember that for a lot of people, this is one of the toughest times of the year.

Spiritually, emotionally, financially.

So many people are broken, spiritually, emotionally and financially. Especially this year. Our economy is restricting most of us as never before.

But it's THE HOLIDAYS! It's time to be happy, be merry, spend money, work hard and make it all look easy! Eat tons of food and still be skinny! Decorate your home and be jolly! Smile and get along with Uncle Ed and Aunt Marge as they finish off that fifth and get louder and sloppier.

Don't get me wrong folks. Deep down, I am NOT bah-humbug. Really...I'm not. This is one of our toughest years ever. We are in a place that we don't want to be. But I have accepted our circumstances at this point in our lives and I am ready to move on! I'm smiling. I am. Honest.

Our children are grown and we don't really "do Christmas" anymore. Not like when they were kids. I was a Christmas machine back then! My home was always decorated within an inch of it's life! We knew how to do the holidays. But the older we get, the more laid back we are. And it feels right.

Our grown children and granddaughter will be over today for Thanksgiving! It's the first time in over three years that we all get to be together, because we were living in Florida.

I am very happy and excited about being with my girls! (Tofurkey for everyone! ) ;-)

So anyway, my point is that I do wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. And I do pray for everyone, especially the folks that feel the pressure and depression that can come this time of year.

I would say not to fall into what is *expected* of you. Instead, do what feels joyous and comforting. Give thanks to Lord for all the little things that still make this the greatest country in the world and Americans the most blessed!

Take time for yourself and give time to the Lord Jesus Christ this holiday!

Be blessed, Sharon

Wordless Wednesday ...

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:40:48 -0600

Another Night on Bonita Beach

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:57:18 -0500

I See Alligators

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:59:47 -0500

I See Alligators

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:50:56 -0500

Tonights View ...ahhhh

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:39:11 -0500

Mondays Skies Are Full Of Grace

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:29:11 -0500

Mondays skies are full of grace ... the grace of God!

I know, you *must* be sick of me by now. So if you can't take beautiful skies... then quickly look away! Click fast and move on!

I believe I could come up with a better blog, but to me, there is nothing better than this daily gift from God!

So those of you who like a good sunset and sky, then please enjoy. I like to think of it as a gift. Like a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates to all my friends here at Active Rain. It's my way of waving hello.

And remember, these are SOOC! Seriously. You will see telephone poles and power lines and mud puddles, because I did not touch these photos.

Does this not look like the sky is literally on fire!?

Photos by Sharon Young

The Canine Nose Knows

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:10:24 -0500

Have you ever read anything or heard about how dogs can sniff out disease such as cancer in humans? How they can be used to predict blood sugar drops or seizures in diabetics?

Back in the medieval times, "physicians" used small dogs as tools. The patient would be laid out flat and the dog allowed to walk on them from head to toe smelling and searching until they "found" something.

Do they really have the ability to detect disease in us?

Well, I have a little story. Last year I was dog sitting for a big black lab named Libby. Libby is a Katrina rescue dog and VERY special! I knew that from the first moment I met her.

I was at her house spending an hour with her. When I sat down on the couch and leaned back, Libby jumped on me and pinned me down and looked me square in the eye. This caught me off guard because Libby and I are good friends. I wondered what the heck is going on? OK, I was a *little* nervous.

Instead of ripping my face off, which made me happy, she started intensely sniffing and snorting every inch of my upper torso. I mean inhaling my skin. Inch by inch. Line by line, from the top down and back up as if she were reading a book.

Libby finally zeroed in on an exact spot at the very top of my right side rib cage. She proceeded to dig and push her snout into me so hard that it hurt and I tried to put her off me, but she kept at it. I had to roll out from under her to get away and then distract her with treats.

How did she know that I had been sick for months and that 4 days later I was having my gallbladder removed?

Honestly, it freaked me out. Now I know that the canine nose knows!

The next night I was with Libby again and I was taking her out for her bedtime latrine visit. When we got to the corner of the street, an SUV with tinted windows slowed down right in front of me and started driving in circles in the middle of the intersection. It was clearly meant to be either threatening or just some punk kid being macho, but it was unnerveing considering that it was pretty late and no one else was around.

Libby froze! Every hair on her back stood up and she ever so slightly hunched her shoulders down and I could feel every muscle in her body coiled like a spring. The lowest meanest most primal growl came from her belly. A sound I had never heard before. I knew, without a doubt, that if anyone came near me, Libby would kill them.

I tried to get her to move away and come back to the house, but she was planted like a tree until the SUV left. She then looked at me as if to say "ok" and then trotted happily back to the house.

Now...how did she know that a car driving in circles was a threat to me? Dogs are a gift from God and they rock! That's how. <grin>

This is what I do to relax .... my playground is Photoshop Elements!

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:05:18 -0500

Looking Into The Future With The Friendship Ball

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:59:34 -0500

Well, thank you so much to my Keller Williams and Active Rain buddy Mark Hall for throwing passing the Friendship Ball at to me! It's really quite squishy and spongy, so it didn't hurt much.

I adored Mark's description of The Friendship Ball being like a beach ball at a concert, being either volleyed around or run from. Since I can't use that analogy ......

To me, The Friendship Ball is a "Crystal Ball" that shows each of us that no matter what happens in the future we are loved by our family and friends, by our awesome Creator and hopefully by ourselves. My wish would be that we all move forward in this life with grace and gratitude.

I hope to start a new tradition of writing our names in The Friendship Ball before passing it on!

I spy:

Elizabeth Nieves This woman is one of the most positive bloggers around. She is a sister in Christ and well... a nice person.

Chris Fisher is Super Mom extraordinaire, and a passionate animal lover! She is honest and comforting. I like Chris.

Chuck Willman in Arizona. I just get a "good feeling" from Chuck. I'm willing to bet he's a great husband and a great father and successful at whatever he does. I always enjoy Chuck's blogs and I'm glad he's here.

If I duplicated anyone who has already received The Friendship Ball ... that's OK. You deserve it again!

The Skies in Florida Never Disappoint

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:48:14 -0500

It rained off and on all day in Bonita Springs, Florida. But in the end, the skies in Florida never disappoint me. Just in time for some amazing clouds, the rain gives up and the big black storm clouds start to dissipate and move off. It literally looks like a present being unwrapped. You can see all the bright beautiful blue behind the black as it pulls back and exposes the beautiful evening sky.

I will NEVER get tired of this. I take pictures just about every night. It has become a habit and part of my routine. I download them to the computer and can't believe they look like this SOOC. I am by NO MEANS a great picture taker.... so all the credit and glory goes where it belongs .... with God! Thank you.

The Cloud Lady

What I Did On My Summer Vacation. (well, actually, I'm not telling you what I did) LOL

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 08:45:38 -0500

I was doing some cleaning and I found pictures of St Maartin when my husband and I took our one and only trip outside the U.S. Wow... I need to clean more often. This was the trip of a lifetime.

The island of St Maartin in the Caribbean is only 37 square miles with 37 beaches and divided into two separate governments. The south side is owned by the Dutch and the north side owned by the French. St Maartin is the Dutch spelling and St Martin is the French spelling. My husband and I stayed on the Dutch side. English is spoken everywhere and they love American money. This makes it a very easy place to visit.

Each side is equally beautiful but yet has it's own uniqueness. It is an amazing place. The natives are extremely friendly and truly have the "no problem" attitude!

St Maartin is quite the party island and open to nudity. Most beaches there are topless and quite a few are completely clothing optional. After the initial shock, it becomes very normal and not a big deal. When in Rome .... ;-)

Shopping along Front St in Philipsburg is a dream come true. It is one of the few duty free ports and a very popular stop for the cruise ships. Front St is a narrow stone street with jewelry stores galore!

Driving in St Maartin was quite an experience! They drive on the same side as Americans, but there is only one stop light on the island (I believe) and very few actual stop signs. There is quite a bit of traffic. There are a lot of hills and cliffs and the cars are tiny. Imagine coming to a four way intersection and no one has a stop sign! They drive like maniacs! There is much yelling and horn blowing ... but... the funny thing is ... they are yelling "Hello" and "Good Day"! I have never seen anyone almost smash into you and then wave and smile. It's just the way it is. LOL

My favorite part of the island is without a doubt ... the beaches! There is no end to the choice of beaches and each one is just a bit different and attracting various types of people. Some of the more popular ones include:

Orient Beach
Mullet Bay
Cupecoy (my fav)
Maho Bay (with the Sunset Beach Bar) where you can lay in the flight path of 747's landing at the airport right behind you. The plane will literally be yards away from you. Quite an experience!
Simpson Bay
Red Beach

So, here are some of the pictures that I have. And I promise you ... it really does look like this. The colors are really that blue! Enjoy and maybe set the tone for some relaxing this weekend!

They keep a clean beach!

There was a naked guy in one of the chairs, but I thought it would be a good thing to take him out. ;-0

What a way to have morning coffee huh?

This last picture is from St-Maartin.com and yes...the planes really do get that close!

Fire in the Sky, Sunset Sept 25 2008

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:15:03 -0500

Personally, this never gets boring for me. I'm guessing that there are a lot of people out there that don't mind seeing my same old...same old sunset and cloud pictures. Am I right? Last night was a combination of sun, black clouds, white clouds and rain all at the same time. It was amazing. I didn't have my camera. Bad me .....Enjoy!

Cloud of the Day!

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:14:32 -0500

Here is today's entry! LOL

The rainbow pictures do not even come close to doing it justice! Actually, I was very disappointed. I just couldn't seem to get a good shot. But it was incredible.

I could see end to end and it felt like I could walk up to it and hug it!

My First Newborn Cloud

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:16:43 -0500

I plan on posting many more "silly" cloud and sky pictures.

Because I can, I enjoy it.

It's a hobby. It is relaxing.

It's free.

Just look up and enjoy!

Thank you Robert!

It's a Picture Fest for Friday! - St Maartin - Enjoy

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:47:05 -0500

I was doing some cleaning and I found pictures of St Maartin when my husband and I took our one and only trip outside the U.S. Wow... I need to clean more often. This was the trip of a lifetime.

Each side is equally beautiful but yet has it's own uniqueness. It is an amazing place. The natives are extremely friendly and truly have the "no problem" attitude!

Orient Beach
Mullet Bay
Cupecoy (my fav)
Maho Bay (with the Sunset Beach Bar) where you can lay in the flight path of 747's landing at the airport right behind you. The plane will literally be yards away from you. Quite an experience!
Simpson Bay
Red Beach

So, here are some of the pictures that I have. And I promise you ... it really does look like this. The colors are really that blue! Enjoy and maybe set the tone for some relaxing this weekend!

They keep a clean beach!

There was a naked guy in one of the chairs, but I thought it would be a good thing to take him out. ;-0

What a way to have morning coffee huh?

This last picture is from St-Maartin.com and yes...the planes really do get that close!

Pick a Breed for Gracie (and post your furbaby pic)

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:31:24 -0500

I'm throwing out a question to Active Rain dog people.

Does anyone have any idea what kind of dog my Gracie might be?

We got her from a rescue group who told us she was saved from a puppy mill in Miami where she was a breeder. It was obvious when we brought her home that she had just had a litter. Poor little mama. They said she was a Shi Tzu, and while she may have *some* Shi Tzu in her ..... I dunno....

She weighs about 12 pounds and she is very long and has short stubby legs. I had one vet tell me she thought she was some type of Terrier. And the short legs may suggest that. But her length is almost Daushund like.

I have had folks tell me:

Lhasa Apso
Maltese
Shi Tzu
Terrier
Tibetan Terrier

Of course she is most likely a mix. Maybe of all of the above! LOL

I personally am thinking Havanese. I have found pictures of this breed that look very similar to Gracie.

No, it certainly doesn't matter because whatever she is.... she sure is cute! And we love her.

It's just that every time I take her for a walk, someone asks me what breed she is. I decided that I am going to pick one and make it official.

So Active Rain ... what say you? What breed should Gracie be?

Believe it or not .... this was Gracie right before we got her!

From Southwest Florida to Phila Pa ... and back...

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:33:40 -0500

Here a few cool pictures (at least I think so) from my trip up to and back from Ft Myers, Florida to Philadelphia, Pa.

I just spent a few days in Southampton, Pa. A lovely suburb of Philadelphia. We took a direct flight up to Phila International and then the R2 train to Warminster station, then got a ride from family.

As the plane was making it's decent to Phila airport, I was accutely aware of the differences between Phila and Bonita Springs, Fl.

For one thing ... the weather! Believe it or not, it was hotter and more humid in Phila than Southwest Fl. It was also grey and poured all day on Friday.

Phila is a special town, for sure. It's the birthplace of liberty. The home of top notch culture, sports teams and diversity. But ... let's face it ... it's old. And dirty. And grey. I'm just saying.

When you get used to new and clean and shiny ... well...I'm spoiled. I missed the palm trees and sunshine and blue skies. I felt a little out of place and wonky, being away from the city feel for so long. I saw things with a new perspective.

Then on the other hand ..... I was born and raised in Philly, and there is a certain pride and a "toughness" that belongs to the Philly crowd. And I will always be part of that. Besides, where else in the world can you get the BEST soft pretzels, hoagies and Tastykakes? No where!

And while I'm at it ... there are NO fans in the world like EAGLES fans!(especially when they are killing playing Dallas. The greatest rivalry ever.) We are known for being tough, hard to please and quick to turn... but always diehard and passionate and green!

Ya know ... I think I miss Philly. Dirt and all.

GO E-A-G-L-E-S !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So This Is What Happens When I Cook!

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:15:23 -0500

So....this is what happens when I cook.

Half of Bonita Springs Fire & Rescue comes to dinner and the whole neighborhood knows about it.

What can say? I blame it on the electric stove. Darn things are just too hard to regulate.

You need to know that I *can* cook. I just don't *like* to. So therefore...I don't cook that often.

In a rare moment of guilt, I decided to take over the duty from my DH and offered to make eggplant parmesan. I sliced the eggplant and covered it with flour and then dipped it in the beaten egg and then the bread crumbs.

So far so good....

I wanted to brown it in relatively hot oil and then transfer it to the oven.

Well, the gosh darn stupid electric burners just have a mind of their own and the oil got too hot and the hard wired right to Brinks / fire dept alarm went off. And kept going off ...on and on and on.

This alarm is more piercing than all the smoke detectors I have ever heard.

It was absolute chaos. My husband trying to talk to Brinks through all the noise. The Bonita Springs Fire & Rescue called three times to check on us and let us know that the fireman were on their way. (They did a nice job.) I told them that there was no fire and we were fine. Just our ears were splitting. They said that they *have* to come out.

And did they ever. I guess this was the most exciting thing going on in Bonita Springs tonight.

My whole street in Village Walk of Bonita Springs was nothing but fire and rescue trucks. There must have been 10 to 15 fireman milling around. 5 or 6 in my (not that big) house in full fire gear trying desperately to get this alarm to off!

How many grown trained men does it take to turn off an alarm? I don't know either.

One of the more resourceful fireman started pulling wires out of the main panel and got lucky. LOL

Well, to try and make a too long story a little bit shorter ... it's finally off and fixed and back to working properly. Sheesh.

Thanks to Bonita Springs Fire & Rescue. You guys were polite and patient and understanding.

Enjoy and have a good laugh. Oh BTW ... the eggplant parm was delicious!

Little Hickory Beach Roll !

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:16:57 -0500

I'm on a beach roll! Who can blame me.

What can I say. It seems as though we can go for weeks or maybe months and not go the beautiful beaches that we are blessed with here in Bonita Springs, Fl. But lately, I just can't stay away. More is not enough.

It seems as though we are experiencing the calm before the storm. (As in IKE ) This weekend has been a dream weather wise. Saturday was an absolute 10! The sky was so blue it almost hurt to look at it. The sun was hot with a slight cool breeze and the air was so clear and fresh.... the kind of day that makes you forget all your problems.

So ...for what it's worth ... here are more pictures. I hope you enjoy.

How did I miss this?

Sharon Young (Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:00:12 -0500

How did I miss this group??? Ronald probably invited me and I lost it.

Well, now I'm glad that I found it! I'll be around.