No Cookies - Carpet & Paint

Good morning,
I have come to the conclusion that there will not be homemade cookies in my kitchen this year. I just don't have the drive. I will however finally have paint and carpet on the second floor of the house!
As I write I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the rest of the painters and the carpet guys who will be putting the finishing touches on the bedrooms. I have for the past two years lived with carpets I got for free outside the carpet store down the street (they were new but ugly).
And paint glorious paint! When Arthur and I lived in Stratham I always wanted to paint everything was so white. I have added some (I think) wonderful colors to our home. A bedroom of blue, a bedroom of yellow, bathroom of green and wonderful earth tones for the master suite which I can say I will sleep in for the first time this weekend. Yippee!
I will put pictures up when they are done you you can see - it's going to be great I just know it!
-Jro

These Amazing People

I wear a couple of different hats through out the week. I do work for Arthur in the office but did you know that I sell Real Estate too? (Well, sometimes). The Real Estate gig gives me a great opportunity to do one of the things I love most - giving back. . . . .

WAIT I should start this all off by telling you that I am not just a real estate sales person I am a REALTOR . Yes, it makes a difference! Click the link to find out if the agent you last worked with or are working with now if a Realtor - if not get one!

OK now, a couple of years ago I was attending a Realtor event. It was a social golf outing not to be confused with a tournament fundraiser. So anyway there I was just playing golf for fun. I happened to mention to the women running the event that because of the large group they should play 18 holes instead of nine. The next year I was on the committee - I now chair the committee and we have also turned it into a very successful fundraiser for charity as well. I also now co-chair the Community Service Committee and am on the Board of Directors for our local board of Realtors. I have to tell you all this to get to the next part (I know it sounds like I am tooting my own horn - maybe a little).

So these amazing people are the people who I am met and had the pleasure to work with over the past few years. I have to tell you a little about each of them. I should start with Barbara - she is our board secretary. You name it she does it and with very little complaining I might add. She is a go-to gal and a half! Her other half in the office is Iris. Always so pleasant and ready to do whatever is asked. They make the jobs we do for the board seamless! For instance we just did a fundraiser raffle and they organized all the prizes and did up sheets with the donors info and I didn't even have to ask! Just great.

Then there are the committees - my golf group is just , well fantastic. Some of them don't even golf but they are there every year stuffing good bags, getting prizes, registering players, taking pictures and picking up last minute donations. The event would be nothing without each of them.

I have to say that I think the Community Service Committee ran just fine before me - I actually think they were more organized before I showed up. But them seem to like me anyway. Half of them think I am nuts , well they might all think I am nuts. And who wouldn't with some of the ideas I've had but they are there every month to meet and listen to my harebrained ideas and seem them through fruition.

As I said I co-chair the Community Service group and I do that with Lynn. Hmmm..... how do I describe Lynn. She is a mentor to me. She has given me advice on everything from what to wear to the Holiday party to where to head next with my career. I am please and proud to have her as a Friend and colleague. She also remembers to do all the stuff I forget, like thank all the committees for their hard work all year long.

So here on the web for all to see is my thank you to them: Barbara, Iris, Lynn, Cheryl, Melissa, Marilyn, Bonnie, Juli, Lois, Glenn, Cindy, Mary, Sharon, Beth, Debbie, Laura, Deb, Pam, Pam, Kate, Jim, Wayne, Randy, Bev and anyone else I might have missed. Thank you for all your do all year long to giving back.

Looking forward to 2008!

Happy Holidays. - Jro

Snow Day!!!

Finally our first real snow day! Arthur and I dicussed it and decided I should stay home today and enjoy the snow so that's just what I did.

My Snow shoe tracks.

The trail to Doris' . . . was someone here before me?

Must have been a deer.

How does the house look? Snowy!

Hope you all found a way to enjoy the snow day. Back to work tomorrow.

-Jro

Who says I'm not crafty . . .

Got up early on Sunday and went to pick my greens. Here is one of my latest creations.

Take your ordinary artifical christmas tree.

Fresh Princess Pine - trim the roots.

Some Spruce clippings - either from your tree or from the woods like mine.

Everyones favorite Winter Berry and . . . .

My Holiday mantle is complete!

Happy Decorating.

-Jro

December is Coming

It is a grey and windy morning here on Long Hill. Arthur is sleeping in and the cats have found the fire I made and are sleeping too. I had planned on getting started with my Holiday decorating. You have no idea just how much I love decorating the house I will posts photos as I go I am sure.

But usually on days like today I am outside cutting my greens and berries for wreaths, kissing balls and swags. Don't laugh , these are crafts that I will not pay to have just because they are so very easy to do myself. I started this tradition when the House on Long Hill was under construction.

Arthur and I were living in a rental down the beach (much less glamorous than it sounds). We had decided not to get a Christmas tree and I was just beside myself because the rental looked un-holiday. So each day when I was at the house with the contractors I would wonder out into the woods and pick Princess pine, cut berries and pine and work on my decorations for the beach house. Each day I went home covered in pine sap but it smelled great! When I was done we had a little of our new house right there in our rental.

It was at the beach house that we hosted our 1st annual Christmas eve Open house. Another lovely tradition including our close friends and family. This year will mark the 4th time we will hold such event . . . the house by then will be trimmed, smelling like pine and spice and full of laughter, love and thanks for the wonderful things the year has had to offer.

I get warm just thinking about it - I think I go take out a box of decorations. -Jro