activerain contests: Thankful for the Two Brittanys in My Life
- 11/16/17 10:38 AM
Thankful for the Two Brittanys in My Life
When Larry told me we were driving to Mexia, TX to buy a Brittany Spaniel, I had visions of the cute spaniel in Lady and the Tramp. Man, was I wrong! I had an image of a Cocker Spaniel in my head.
Instead, we got a partially trained, extremely hyperactive hunting dog. She loved to go bird hunting with Larry and was happy as a clam to come home all wet and covered in burrs.
Lady Marie managed to chew up 2 antique pistol grips, a hot tub cover, and bring a dead armadillo into our … (24 comments)
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activerain contests: Eternally Grateful My Grandparents Made the Leap
- 11/16/17 09:49 AM
Eternally Grateful My Grandparents Made the Leap
When I was a child most of my thoughts were of play, the beach, and food. I didn’t spend my hours in deep thought. However, I do remember being ever so grateful that both sets of grandparents somehow made the leap to come to this country.
From the stories my grandmother told, she was just a child living with relatives in China when she made the trip here. Her parents had died at sea. One day friends of her relatives said they were coming to the United States and they could bring one other person. And … (12 comments)
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activerain contests: Meeting a Friend I Already Knew- Being Thankful
- 11/14/17 05:19 PM
Meeting a Friend I Already Knew
Some of my favorite ActiveRain posts are the ActiveRain MeetUp posts or ones where members get to meet each other.
If you immerse yourself in the Rain, you can’t help but make friends of members who are in the same area or ones you contact just to talk.
And then there is the icing on the homemade chocolate cake...getting to finally meet a friend you already knew but never met.
Sharon and I spoke to each other sometimes weekly, and not just about staging or ActiveRain. When she and Rick picked up their new boat and … (33 comments)
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activerain contests: Thankful and Blessed to Have My Family
- 11/13/17 04:24 PM
Thankful and Blessed to Have My Family
Families come in all shapes and sizes. Some may wish they didn’t have to spend so much time with their family members. Others may long to be closer to them.
We are all molded and shaped, influenced and sometimes intimidated by our families. For the most part, and whether we like it or not, we are who we are (or who we aren’t) because of our experience and exposure to our families.
I am so grateful that I was born into my family. I was born in Houston and when I say family, it includes … (20 comments)
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activerain contests: Thankful for Today’s Medical Capabilities
- 11/13/17 10:17 AM
Thankful for Today’s Medical Capabilities
While it could be a function of age, it seems as if recent years have been marked with operations and health issues for some of my friends and family members.
There have been several hip replacements, a few knee and Achilles tendon surgeries, a young neighbor living with MS, multiple Myeloma in two I know, and the list goes on.
And yet I think there is much to be thankful for. Each year progress is made in many areas that previously would have left the patient with severe life-altering results.
One of our friends had a stem … (43 comments)
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activerain contests: Thankful for My Very Simple Childhood
- 11/12/17 12:44 PM
Thankful for My Very Simple Childhood
I am a Baby Boomer and had the good fortune to grow up when, for the most part, childhoods were simple. And, for that, I am very thankful.
Growing up in Houston with my family...aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents...nearby I was never at a loss for someone to play with.
Summer vacation began right after Memorial Day and we did not go back to school until after Labor Day. Basically, we had 3 months to goof off, sleep late, and get into all sorts of trouble.
We went to Vacation Bible School for a few weeks each … (37 comments)
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activerain contests: Being Thankful for Finding the Rain
- 11/12/17 10:09 AM
Being Thankful for Finding the Rain
This is the time of year when we all reflect on the many things that bring us joy and cause us to give thanks.
When we moved back to Florida in 2007, I began setting up my staging business here in Palm Beach County. As part of my research, I began researching various websites. On several, I saw at the bottom of the page a link to something called ActiveRain.
I am nothing if not curious, so I clicked on it and found what would become my own link to learning how to blog, learning about … (27 comments)
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activerain contests: In a Galaxy Far, Far...Very Far Away…
- 10/30/17 02:30 PM
In a Galaxy Far, Far...Very Far Away…
Happy Halloween...I was spirited away for a short boat trip and made it back in time for Kimo Stowell ’s Haunted Masquerade and Costume Ball.
From the moment I saw my first Star Wars movie (Episode IV-A New Hope) I was in love with Luke, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, R2D2, C-3PO, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and, of course, Hans Solo.
Since it debuted in 1977, I have probably seen it and the middle trilogy of Star Wars sagas no fewer than a dozen times each.
For the life of me though, I have never been able to “get … (46 comments)
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activerain contests: How To Add Some Oomph To Your Photos With Diana!
- 10/29/17 03:48 PM
How To Add Some Oomph To Your Photos With Diana!
In this month’s 2017 ActiveRain Photography Contest hosted by Dick Greenberg, one of the categories is Real Life-Best Use of Filter or Special Effect.
The Diana App is one that I’ve used for several years, and use it several times a week. Often the photos in my Saturday post have had Diana’s hand in them. It is available in the Apple Store or Google Play.
What the Diana Photo App is a great double exposure filter for your photos.
You can grab two photos that you’ve taken to create a double exposure … (42 comments)
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activerain contests: Real Life-People
- 10/23/17 04:40 PM
Real Life-People
Every person on this earth is special...they are unique and they are to be appreciated. We may not always think so and for some it may take more of an effort than with others.
But there are these two, for whom I have the utmost respect...my husband, Larry, and our buddy Vic, whom we met on one of our morning beach walks.
Vic and Larry
They are both veterans- Larry was an F-4 pilot and Vic was in the Army.
They have formed a mutual admiration society - Larry admires Vic for what he experienced in Viet Nam and Vic is … (42 comments)
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activerain contests: October and Pink Go Together
- 10/19/17 03:42 PM
October and Pink Go Together
It has been hard deciding which photograph to use for Dick Greenberg ’s 2017 ActiveRain Photography Contest in the Real Life-Animals category.
It’s like asking a mother to pick her favorite child or a chocoholic to choose their favorite chocolate.
Hard to do. I ruled out my alligators so as not to frighten Barbara Todaro any more than I usually do.
But it dawned on me that this is October and it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink is the color of the month, so I chose the Roseate Spoonbill.
Upon first glance, some may think that it’s a Flamingo, … (46 comments)
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activerain contests: Thank Goodness for Post-It Notes!
- 10/16/17 05:32 PM
Thank Goodness for Post-It Notes!
Even though my life is different from my previous life working outside the home, 5 days a week, I still have things to do...things that need to get done.
For me, other than being where I need to be because of an appointment, my focus is getting done what needs to be done.
Over the years, I have tried every known organizer there was. There was a system called Sandy’s (I think but not sure) which was a precursor to the Filofax, which I eventually transitioned to.
That small 6-ringed organizer was what our smart-phones are to … (33 comments)
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activerain contests: It May Not Be My Best Selfie, But It’s A Treasured One
- 10/15/17 05:13 PM
It May Not Be My Best Selfie, But It’s A Treasured One
My good friend and I have a running joke/agreement that we take pictures of each other when we’re at our get-togethers because we are usually the only ones taking pictures. If not for that, we would be hard-pressed to prove to anyone that we were in attendance.
Selfies, however, have afforded me the opportunity to insert myself into photos at events.
You also don’t have to grab strangers, hand them your smartphone, and ask them to take a picture of you and your group.
This also reduces the risk of … (35 comments)
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activerain contests: My First, Only, and Last Trip On This Bridge
- 10/12/17 01:38 PM
My First, Only, and Last Trip On This Bridge
Let me begin by saying that I am from Houston, Texas...50 feet above sea level. But for our skyscrapers and freeway overpasses, it is flat. My comfort level is wide open spaces so mountains give me claustrophobia.
So back in 2009 when we were in Colorado, Larry kept talking about the Royal Gorge Bridge* in Canon City, CO. We had visited the Air Force Academy and were heading south to Texas for the rest of our trip.
We arrived before the park opened and there was no attendant so Larry drove right across … (40 comments)
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activerain contests: My Branding Photo-What I Hope Clients Will See
- 10/09/17 03:50 PM
My Branding Photo-What I Hope Clients Will See
Agents know that numbers aside, their clients are also influenced by what they see. As Barbara Todaro says...the eyes buy.
This is what I use on my profile page here and what I send to clients requesting information.
When I reorder my cards, I’ll make the change to this photo.
I used my go-to photo editor- Ribbet. Using their Grid Collage, I uploaded photos that I felt would evoke that special feeling you get when you first see a home that you can’t wait to see.
The frame I like to use is the Mirrored … (42 comments)
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activerain contests: Wordless Wednesday-My Favorite Interior Photo
- 10/03/17 03:44 PM
Wordless Wednesday-My Favorite Interior Photo
Stagers must take hundreds of Before and After photos of every property they stage, regardless of size or price point, and whether it’s an occupied or vacant property.
As hard as we try, we aren’t always able to get the “after” photos we want. When working with an occupied home we may not get a chance to see end results of our suggestions.
And even in vacant stagings, while it’s like working with a blank canvas, not every property will result in that dream shot.
But this particular staging was a favorite of mine. It was also … (40 comments)
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activerain contests: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
- 09/06/17 05:19 PM
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Debbie Reynolds is hosting a September challenge that asks us to discuss our habits...the good, the bad, and the ugly. These challenges are fun because it gives us the opportunity to learn more about the members here.
And, let’s face it, a little baring of your soul can be cathartic.
The Good
I am a very good reader of people. In fact, this is what may have driven me to major in Psychology in grad school. The good thing is that I am rarely wrong. The bad thing is that I get obsessive and need to … (33 comments)
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activerain contests: I Killed My First Orchid…
- 08/20/17 12:31 PM
I Killed My First Orchid…
Thanks to Belinda Spillman and her Summer Blooms and Crops Challenge, we have been treated to the skilled gardening talents of our members.
… (38 comments)
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activerain contests: Some People Collect Change...I Collect Singles. But It’s Not What You Think.
- 08/07/17 04:50 PM
Some People Collect Change...I Collect Singles.
But It’s Not What You Think.
When I moved into my first apartment right after graduate school it was the beginning of my journey collecting singles. Granted, it would have been nicer if those singles were of the George Washington variety but no...by singles I mean uncoupled people.
Larry and I have been together for forty years. We met at our apartment complex and have been together since then. And while we have friends who are couples, we always make it a point to include our single friends in things that we do, whether it’s going out … (74 comments)
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activerain contests: May Challenge- Before and After
- 05/15/17 04:44 PM
May Challenge- Before and After
Barbara Todaro likes to say...the eyes buy. And never is that truer than when it comes to home staging.
What staging does is to show the possibilities of a
property and enhance the perceived value of a home.
Basically, what we do is make sure that your eyes like what they see.
For my purposes in staging, it would not be very cost effective for me to use a professional photographer. However, I do want good photographs for my website and blog.
So, when Dick Greenberg asked us to share in his May contest post a photo of a … (34 comments)
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Thankful for the Two Brittanys in My Life
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