Tuesday December 13th, 2011
Hello, readers!
It's been a long time since I blogged, so I must apologize. With the holidays upon us, it's easy to lose track of time, over-commit, and become inundated with so many "to dos" that we lose sight of what's most important...our relationships.
I, myself, have fallen into this trap this holiday season. While stressing out that our family Thanksgiving dinner would be our house this year, I forgot until Thanksgiving day to be thankful that most of our families would be able to make it. I lost patience with my brother for committing to coming and then backing out last minute. Later I realized I should have been thankful that my brother has a job that keeps him working through the holidays, providing for his family. I worried non stop that my mother-in-law would try to order me around and take over the kitchen. Afterwards I realized what a god-send she was to me. She prepared all the food, praised the decorations, and provided us with some comic relief.
Yes, the holidays can be stressful, but when we stop for a minute and focus on the positive, the holidays don't seem so difficult to handle.
Happy Holidays!
Saturday October 29th, 2011
It's Halloween time again! As young ones get more excited about the upcoming sugar scavenger hunt, parents begin to worry about all sorts of things: lighting in neighborhoods, which neighbors to trick or treat, and whether their little one is safe eating the candy. Many schools have begun sponsoring Trunk-or-Treat events to provide a safe trick or treat option for their neighborhoods. Trunk or treat involves the high school club members & sponsors/teachers decorating their cars, trailers, band busses, etc...in the school parking lot (which is barricaded to outside vehicles entering/leaving) and then passing out candy to kids who attend. Vista Ridge High School in Cedar Park held their annual Trunk or Treat last night from 530-730pm, and it was spectacular to see! Each club had a theme and dressed up according to that theme. Art Club had a carnival theme with a huge Carnival sign attached to the trunk of their car; VRHS Cheerleaders were dressed to a Christmas theme; Latin club was decked out in Togas; Diversity Club adopted the theme "Born this way" and dressed as Lady Gaga; Stu-Co were characters from The Little Mermaid & even their sponsor, Will Fox, was dressed as Ursula (quite hilarious to see!). Over a hundred parents with their little ones (two months old and up) attended and collected candy. The parents expressed their gratitude to the high school clubs for putting on this event because their kids got to trick or treat yet they didn't worry that the candy was contaminated or that passing vehicles might run over the kids. The only concern at a trunk or treat event is that the clubs might run out of candy before the last trick or treater makes it through the line.
For information on where other Trunk or Treat events are being held this weekend, click on the following links:
* Bethany Lutheran Church, October 30 Sunday 4-6pm
Monday October 24th, 2011
I had another great weekend, this time with my mom and our dear family friend, Pat. My mom came to visit on Thursday, and then we went to Pat's daughter's, Mary's, 50th birthday party in San Antonio. Since Mary used to babysit me when I was little, it was very hard to believe that she turned 50 this year. It makes you feel like time is speeding up every year, and we need to enjoy the time that we have with our loved ones. Pat lives in the same little town as my mom and can't drive at night, so she rode back to my house to stay the rest of the weekend. The next day, I gave them the royal tour of Georgetown. While giving them this tour, I noticed things about my town that I hadn't noticed before, spent time on the athletic field of Southwestern University, and realized just how much I enjoy Georgetown. With its historic buildings, friendly people, and clean streets, it really is a wonderful place to call home.
Monday October 17th, 2011
What a fantastic weekend! Apart from working this weekend, my husband and I had the pleasure of attending the Chisholm Trails Day in the San Gabriel Park in Georgetown. We heard music from the live band set up in the gazebo before we set more than a foot in the park. Smells of barbecue, roasted corn, and funnel cakes teased us from the many food vendors. Displays of western art, authentic trail cookware, guns and rifles, as well as demonstrations of blacksmithing, roping, and chuckwagons were abundant. Children were competing in stick pony races and were petting the animals in the petting zoo or riding horses. Vendors had booths set up, selling everything from real Round Rock honey (of which I bought a pound!), wind chimes, leather goods, etc... It was a blast & the weather was gorgeous!
From here we headed to the square to see the 150+ artists who had set up booths, closing down three of the four streets surrounding the court house. All genres of art were present, and again, food was abundant. We actually stopped by the Down the Alley Bistro for a bite, but we were disappointed. First, a panini cost $10. Second, it took a LONG time for us to get our food. Other than that, the panini was pretty good and the building was interesting. Luckily, our dinner more than made up for our disappointing lunch. We dined at the Wildfire restaurant (next to the Palace Theater in Georgetown). This was my second time at the Wildfire, and once again it was delicious!
If you haven't explored Georgetown, there are always events going on and lots to see and do. Check out my events page at http://callrachel.com/Georgetown_Events.html#October_2011
Saturday October 8th, 2011
When I'm 55 years old, I'm moving to an active adult community. If you've never visited one, such as Sun City or Heritage Oaks, these communities are fantastic! Most of them are restricted to adults 55 years and older, single story, smaller yards to maintain, clubhouse with fitness centers, and tons of activities. You would never know that the people in these areas are retired because they are taking French lessons, line dancing, and attending monthly hunting & fishing club meetings. Also, they have concerts, parties, and other special events. I wish more subdivisions offered these activities...I'd be willing to live in a smaller house in order to pay a yearly community fee to have such a smorgasbord of activities. *Sigh* 19 years to go....
By the way, keep Round Rock & Georgetown in your thoughts and/or prayers. Our water supply is in distress since we get our water from Lake Stillhouse Hollow, which does not have enough water in it to pipe to our cities. You can read about it here
Sunday October 2nd, 2011
Well, I must say that one of my pet-peeves is buyers who think Zillow is more accurate than the MLS. Yes, Zillow has a lot of helpful information, but according to the July 6th, 2011 edition of the Wall Street Journal, the margin of error for Zillow's valuations is plus or minus 8.5%. Additionally, I've had clients ask me to show them a listing that they saw on Zillow. When I tell them that the listing sold, they think that my information is incorrect when actually the status of the listing had yet to be updated in Zillow. The Multiple Listing Service is still the most accurate source of homes for sale and what they sold for, and when they sold since agents are required to update the MLS within a specified period of time. Use Zillow, but trust your realtor's MLS information. :-)
Sunday September 25th, 2011
While leisurely reading my real estate magazines today, I came across an article about a grant that is offered for first time Military buyers. Realtor Magazine writes, "Active duty personnel, veterans, retired members of the military, and employees of the U.S. Department of Defense are eligible to apply for up to $5,000 in down payment and closing costs in the purchase of a first home" (September 2011). I am so happy to see that our men and women who served or are still serving their country are getting a little bit of help in order to buy a home in the country they defended. They sacrifice so much for us that helping them own a home is a small price to pay. For more information, go to www.PentagonFoundation.org and click on "Dream Makers" link. Caring for our military has always been a concern of mine, which is why I donate $50 to the Texas Sentinels every time I make a sale. Although I have never been in the military, I admire the courage and sacrifice of those who have made that commitment and of their families who support them. My thoughts and prayers are always with them! 