Visiting and "helping" Elizabeth

I wish I could keep up with my blog more. I find myself writing a lot but it's all business these days. As I get back into my work in real estate I find that so much of it is follow up emails, search and research, trying to reach clients, even have a deal I am working on as a buyer agent for a couple from Africa. It's been so refreshing to be working in what I love to do again. And even more exciting is that I met with the brokers/owners at Exit Landmark to possibly represent a builder in the near future. I was up late Monday night putting together a marketing plan for Potomac Homes, which consist of David Posey and his cousin Bruce Posey. Local guys from Charles County. I've had the pleasure to meet David over the years. Back in the day when I sold Flaim Brothers' homes in Settle Woods I went to David in order to have Mariano build in Highgrove. We have also worked together in the community by running for Queen Mystique and King Rex for the Mardi Gras at Civista's Ball, this also back in the day. Gee, how time flies!!! Hopefully I will hear something from the office soon as I am kind of patiently waiting for the phone call. I am so happy to be spending this time with Sophia at home. She's home from daycare so that grandma can have her fill. It's so seldom that I get to spend any time with her. The 5 1/2 hours between us makes it very difficult to see her more often. She's such a dear! Her mommy gets mad at me though, apparently I make things hard for her when I am here because Sophia goes off her schedule and routine. I know, bad grandma! Sophia's birthday is today, she's already three years old... so far I have been here on every birthday on the day of her birthday. I remember her first, both her and Elizabeth were sick, I was so glad to be here. She really needed my help then. Well the time as usual is going by fast. Tomorrow Sophia will have her party and then it will be time for me to go back to Maryland. But we did get to do a lot of things together. When I arrived I got to pick her up at daycare, she was so surprised and happy to see me. Yesterday she stayed home and we got to go out for a walk in the neighborhood, it was cold out for North Carolina but no snow flurries like the day before. She walked and picked up leaves from the ground. She also loves to chase Kalli around. Still Kalli runs aways from Pia, will she ever let her touch her? Maybe someday. Elizabeth came home early and we took Sophia to the doctor for her 3 yr check-up. Sophia wasn't too happy there, did not want to take her blood pressure, all new stuff going on. The eye chart, was not something she cooperated with either. And then to top it off, 3 shots in her leg. Boo boo bugs bunny band-aids didn't make up for the fact that she was in pain. The one thing she and I love the most is to cuddle together and read books, she is a fan of books!!! Elizabeth went to a church event last night for military wives, so it was just Sophia and I again. We ate dinner, ichatted with Aunt Sara on the "puter", and watched Alladin the movie. She should have had a bath but the time just went by so fast... she got her bath this morning. Now she smells so good and fresh... tonight Mike's Mom will arrive from Florida. Sophia will have 2 grandmothers to spoil her. (sort of speaking) I am not a believer of spoiling... but if you heard Elizabeth last night when she got home and Sophia was not yet in bed at 8:25 PM, you would think that this grandma is not helping at all. Elizabeth needs to get over it. I did tell her, I don't get to spend that much time with my grand-daughter. Oh well, I understand how difficult it is for her to be the mommy and the daddy right now. Well, I better finish this and do what I had set out to do, clean the house a bit, I told Elizabeth I thought it was all clean. AND Sophia needs her lunch too, so she can go down for her nap when Mommy comes home for lunch. When she wakes up, we'll go to the park and swing.... her favorite thing to do! Here's Miss Kalli walking along with Sophia... Out on our brisk walk, so cute, we forgot Sophia's gloves so she had to put her hands in her coat pockets!!! Smart Girl!!! Sophia at the doctor's, just look at her beautiful eyes!

Business - Round 2

Yesterday was a great day! I had scheduled 4 showings with a wonderful couple. One of these showings was at a FSBO (For Sale by Owner), the main item in their criteria was a swimming pool. I planned the tour very carefully and it worked. The magic is back!!! I feel like I can do this again, I always knew I could, I just needed to get out there. They felt in love with the FSBO property and want to make an offer. One day, one meeting and I think I did it. The last two homes were at their request in Waldorf, foreclosures, totally not what they wanted. It just proofed to them the other being the perfect house. Location was important because of both their jobs, but now they've decided the extra 15 minute commute will be well worth it. We stood in the middle of the street in a subdivision in Waldorf with snow falling on us discussing the next step. I was so happy for me but even more happy for them. This made up for Saturday not being able to go out because of the weather. I am on a roll now! Here's some pictures the owner provided of the pool in the summer, right now it's so hard to tell even where the pool is in the back yard as it's completely covered with mounds of snow.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Kalli wonders when she'll be able to run out the back door again... Well the snow still looks pretty outside, I can't believe we're getting more snow tomorrow night. This has been the longest Winter ever, Spring flowers should be great this year though, when this snow melts. It couldn't happen, we couldn't get through this snowy winter storm without pipes bursting. The back porch is not heated, so the water supply to the washing machine burst and there was water everywhere. Time to call the plumber again. Or I could probably do it myself, Diana seems to think we can do it! Love that girl! Just finished giving Kalli a bath, she's all clean now sitting by the fire getting dry! Here's some pics of her... Diana stopped in on the way from her Mom's to bring me a box of Godiva chocolates for Valentine's Day, how sweet was that, now she's on the way to spend the rest of the day with Joey. Spoke with my Mom and Dad yesterday, I was surprised to learn Portugal now celebrates Valentine's Day also, never did when I was growing up. They don't call it St. Valentine's Day my Dad told me. He says it's "Dia dos namorados" I gotta check in out! Sara just text me to wish me a Happy Valentine's Day, she and I decided a couple of days ago, we would be each other's Valentine's this year! God how I wish I could be sitting here with her right now, I miss her so much! She'll always be my baby!

The weekend business

I am very disappointed right now, I had an appointment to show properties this morning, but Upper Marlboro neighborhoods are still snowed in... specially the large subdivisions plows haven't been back to those streets, I would hate to be one of those residents. The start of my business is being affected by this snow storm. I hope next weekend will be better. I am so desperate to start making deals!!! If only I could!!! The month of March is going to be crunch time as the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit will cease to exist after April 30th and interest rates most likely will begin to climb. The month of March is also the month Elizabeth and Michael are expecting baby Chase Michael. I will be going to Pinehurst while they are at the hospital to take care of Sophia... I can't wait, I know Elizabeth can't wait either! She's very uncomfortable right now, baby appears to have dropped a bit, it's all good but tough on the mommy! Right now I just want the snow to start melting. I am about to go outside and shovel snow out of the drain spouts, oh and the back steps too. It's not like we can go anywhere with almost 3 feet of snow on the driveway but at least it's a beginning. I'm glad Joey and Bryan were here with the first go round and shoveled the "parking lot" for the cars at the end of the driveway. Actually started out with Joey making a fort, fun stuff! Did I mention the forecast calls for more snow falling Monday night. Only a couple of inches this time!

Another day down on the farm

Well, we were lucky -- power did not go out this time! However, everything is closed out there... I plan on just staying in and continue my journey back to selling real estate.. there's so much to do and so little time to get ready! I've been doing a lot of networking, these days we have facebook, it's such a good way to reunite with all my old real estate buddies and past clients. I love it! Any day I should get my refrigerator magnets for my past client mailing at Settle Woods, and the car magnets for the car, I will eventually get out of the farm and join the rest of the world ready to work... I still haven't written my press release, I wish I had kept the ones I wrote years ago when I joined Baldus Real Estate. Like I said so much to do!!! It's so incredible it was 14 years ago I was starting my real estate career. Now I feel as if I am starting all over again. Marketing myself seemed so much easier before. One thing I have been doing lots of is cook. I decided to make chili yesterday, didn't have kidney beans but that didn't stop me... it turned out sooooooo good!

The worst is yet to come on Round 2

We woke up this morning to a winter wonderland... it's a white out!!! Winds are fierce right now, it will only be a matter of time before the power goes out! We are getting ready for it... thank goodness the gas log fireplace will keep us warm if the power goes out... as long as the propane gas holds out. The snow is up so high on the driveway and around the tank, SMO wouldn't deliver until after the snow stops falling and it's plowed around the tank. So pray propane carries us through this storm... since it's also our source for cooking. If power lines go down with the weight of the snow and all the wind it will be a while before Southern Maryland Electric can get their crews out to make repairs... I would hate to be those lineman in these conditions. Another old cedar tree branch is down... Yes Kalli is going potty... on the porch! I am so glad I brought in some of the geraniums before winter hit, I love these blooms now. It's time to get the sewing machine out and thread it... I have a baby blanket to make for Baby Chase... in just 30 days he will be here. I can't wait to see his little face! And Sophia's little face when she sees her little baby brother for the first time. Such precious times! This takes me back to when I brought Elizabeth home from the hospital and Phillip was so happy to have a baby sister, everyone was so happy it was a girl!!! Her name was pronounced "Elizabete" in Portuguese, that's how her family nickname would begin, when Phillip called her "Bettie" as it was too much to say Elizabete for him at the young age of 2. God how I miss those days!

Round 2

Here we go again! Been to the store, the bank and the post office this morning. I want to be sure we are ready in case the power goes out again, picked up batteries for flash lights, candles, drinking water and milk. There's households out there that are still without power, considering that we are very lucky it was only 24 hours. It took 3 post offices to find one that was operating business. Diana and I are sitting here waiting for the snow to begin falling... 10-12 more inches on top of the over two feet we already have on the ground. I am so tired of shoveling snow! Spring can't be here soon enough for me...

So much snow...

Several snow storms later I am finally updating my blog!! What a weekend this has been... Friday night it started, it didn't look like much at first. Diana didn't have school, Curt came over and took us to lunch in Bryans Road, after lunch we went to Safeway, I wanted to pick up some scallops to add to the raw shrimp I had already in the freezer, I wanted to make Paula Deen's Shrimp and Scallops Lasagna. I've posted some pics... Friday night, Joey and Brian came over and we all had dinner together. Yufei made some chinese veggies to go with the lasagna, I made a salad and some garlic bread, it was an awesome dinner! Kalli got to go outside before the snow got too deep... Here you can see the snow height on top of the table first on Friday and then Saturday. About 2 o'clock in the afternoon on Saturday the power goes out, soon after that the water ceases to run on the faucets. Great no heat and no water! Buy then I had made "Caldo Verde" or as the children call it "Green Soup" thank goodness for that! So glad I have a gas log fireplace and gas stove. We were able to cuddle up by the fire. Well, it was so funny though when Diana and Joey decided they had to bake a cake for Brian, he turned 18 on Saturday and the least we could do was bake a cake and sing him happy birthday. Well, they prepared the batter and then we realized the oven turns on by pushing buttons which operate only with electrical power, the burners are knobs which can be lit with a match. Couldn't get Brian's cake, hopefully his family is making up for it now. Below Yufei is toasting her bread on all the candles lit in the kitchen... Well, this was the Super Blizzard of 2010 for sure... my beautiful cedar trees on the farm have multiple branches down right now. It just breaks my heart to see them down, these trees most likely have been here almost as long as the house, circa 1917.