I Hope They Are Listening

Today's post might be a little boring (maybe they all are, I dunno) but sometimes I have to do some business.....or bidness as a friend used to say.

Chances are you have read recently about the bill before Congress to extend the First-Time Home Buyers Credit. Part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, this opportunity may be gone very soon.

The $8,000 tax credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009, and is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.

Some people have said that stimulus money given out since the beginning of the year has caused problems in the economy. As a full-time Realtor for the last ten years, I can assure you that the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit has definitely been a success. Homebuyer interest and housing sales increased almost as soon the availability of this program became news. Today's lower prices and interest rates appeal to consumers, but it's been the tax credit that has attracted people to open houses and to homeownership. Demand from first-time homebuyers helped drive a 9.4% increase in sales of existing homes from August to September according to the National Association of Realtors, continuing a trend of increasing sales in five out of the last six months.

This tax incentive is a true tax credit. The $8,000 home buyer tax credit is tangible cash, not a deduction from taxable income. This is not a loan and does not have to be repaid as long as you live in the house for the next three years.

A ‘first-time home buyer’ is defined as someone who has not owned a home in the last three years. There are other restrictions in the qualifications such as income caps, and the home must be your principal residence.

I explain to people that this program has had a ‘trickle up’ effect. Home owners in the lower-priced market have been able to sell to buyers eligible for this credit which has given those sellers the opportunity to move up into more expensive homes. In my business in 2009, 40% of my transactions have involved buyers who qualify for and intend to apply for this credit. Some of those people were:

A woman in her mid-50’s getting back into home ownership after being divorced several years earlier. Her mortgage and condo fees were less than what she had been paying for rent.

A 42-year-old electrician who was buying his first home after having recovered from credit problems.

A young couple and their two-year-old daughter who have been living with extended family whose own home was facing foreclosure.

A couple in their late 50’s who had sold their home years earlier and planned to move South but who bought a two-family house with their son who has 4 children. The grandparents were already helping with the childcare so now three generations are living under one roof and will split the tax credit.

These are just four of many transactions I’ve been part of where the tax credit will be applied for. As the November 30th deadline looms I have seen a slump in my buyers’ activity. It’s close to being too late to enter into a sales agreement with any hope of closing by that date.

Uncertainty about the future of the credit will dampen consumer demand nationwide. There’s a strong lobby in Washington among realtors, lenders and builders urging Congress to extend this opportunity. The progress that has been made in the recovery of the real estate market could grind to a halt unless Congress acts now to extend the credit through 2010. Let’s hope they are listening!

The Number You Have Reached is No Longer Affordable

It's been a long time since I looked at anything on my telephone bill except the Total Amount Due by line. I gave up the long distance part of the service long ago, and we just use our cell phones for long distance so I no longer have to check those calls to make sure they are legit.

I don't know if I've ever had a long distance call charge that wasn't legit but I always checked anyway. My mother, on the hand, has charges monthly for calls she swears she didn't make. She calls the telephone company, and they credit her. I think it's a little unlikely she has that many bogus calls but if they want to take them off her bill, I don't care.

So with only unlimited local calling on our home phone ($16.26) and automated voice mail ($6.95) plus the Inside Wire Maintenance, whatever that is, ($6.99) my "voice services" total is $30.20.

So how come my Total Amount Due is $42.28?!

There's another section of the bill called Total Taxes, Fees & Other Verizon Charges which totals $12.08. That's a 40% tax! Where am I? Sweden?

Let's go over these taxes, fees & other Verizon charges, shall we?

Federal Excise Tax ($ .89) An excise tax is a type of tax charged on goods produced within the country. It's often levied on the producer who passes it onto the consumer. Okay got that.

Rhode Island State & Local Tax ($2.62) This year's budget in Rhode Island had a $65,000,000 shortfall. What else is there to say?

Federal Universal Service Fee ($ .81) As I said I'm only making local calls certainly not universal calls but whatever. It's less than a buck.

911 State/County Charges ($1.00) This is the only charge in the bunch I really understand and have no problem with. When we need to dial 911, we certainly expect someone to be there.

Dual Party Relay Charge ($ .09) What??! Can't you picture a bunch of ad exec types sitting around a table bouncing ideas off each other trying to come up with the most vague term imaginable for yet another fee to add to our telephone bills? I figure the guy who came up with this "fee" got a big bonus.

School and Library Fund ($ .26) I'm certainly in favor of funding our schools and libraries, and I pay my property taxes faithfully every quarter. In the 29 years as a homeowner, I have never missed a payment, never been late. Isn't that in there? Is it really necessary to sneak another tax into our phone bills?

There it is, $12.08 for an additional seven fees and taxes I don't understand nor do I expect anyone at Verizon could explain adequately. I'm thinking it's time to give up the land line.

And don't even get me started on my cell phone bill.

Adopt-A-Family and FBLA

Have you missed me? It's been a whole week since my last post and I've missed being here. This was the longest I've gone without publishing a post since I began. I've written a couple in my head over the course of the week but they never made it to the keyboard.

I have been a little sick (just a cold, will everyone please stop asking if I've got swine flu?!) and I've been busy with Adopt-A-Family business and preparing for an event related to AAF.

On Friday, I had the opportunity to be one of three presenters of non-profit organizations to be featured at the FBLA State Leadership Conference which was attended by chapters from all over Rhode Island.

Over 150 high school students attended the event held at Johnson & Wales Inn in Seekonk. Future Business Leaders of America is a association of students preparing for careers in business and business-related fields. Their mission is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs.

Our granddaughter Katie, a senior, has been involved with her school's FBLA chapter since she started high school. Katie called me last Monday to ask whether I would be able to put together a booth about AAF at their leadership conference. She apologized for the late notice but said she had only found out the day before that she was expected to bring in three non-profit organizations for the Friday conference.

A little concerned about the short notice, I was honestly thrilled that Katie had asked and said I would be there. Over the course of the week, I exchanged several emails with Katie and her advisor. I was so impressed with her communication and leadership skills. It was a wonderful opportunity to see Katie in this light.

With help from Pam, Katie's mom, my stepdaughter and fellow blogger at Pam's Perspectives, I think we put together quite a nice presentation. We had photos, letters from past recipients and lots of handouts for the kids to take back to their chapters. Pam is also a longtime donor and volunteer so she knows as much about the program as I do.

We met with groups of students over the course of the morning to introduce them to our program. Always looking for new ways to increase their community service, the FBLA students were interested in learning how they can become involved as donors, volunteers and fundraisers. The students were eager to learn about AAF, and this was a great opportunity to introduce the program to a new generation of citizens to help us continue fulfilling our mission.

The morning presentations were followed by a luncheon and the induction of state leadership of FBLA including our own Katie who was sworn in as Vice President. It was a wonderful day and I was so glad to part of it for both Katie and AAF.

Home Alone

Paul has been away hunting with Rosey for four days. They should be home today, and both Lucy and I are ready for them to come home. I used to enjoy this time home alone more than I do now.

In addition to hunting, Paul takes a couple motorcycle trips a year so being alone is nothing new but as I get older, I enjoy it less. When he is away on the bike I worry. He calls daily which helps but I worry. And I am on pins and needles until I hear that bike drive into the driveway when I whisper a "thank you again, God" to whomever might be listening. I have traveled some without him, too, and I don't think he enjoys being home alone any more than I do.

My plans for most of this weekend were to keep Lucy company. She is quite despondent when both Paul and Rosey are away. I am apparently no fun. At least that's what her body language tells me. I am only good for someone to sit on first thing in the morning or cuddle up to at night. In between she mopes. Ever see a bouncy, energetic Jack Russell Terrier mope? It's quite sad.

I had an unexpectedly nice day yesterday. I read about a produce wholesaler in New Bedford with a gourmet shop open to the public. On Saturdays they have cooking demonstrations and food sampling. I emailed Gisele last night asking if she was interested in going. After a 4-mile walk on the bike path in the morning in preparation for the 'sampling,' we headed out.

What a find! I'm torn between saying I wish it was closer (about an hour's drive) and saying it's a good thing it's not because I'd be there every week. Let me just say it wasn't the cheapest place I've ever shopped but that's to be expected of anything that calls itself gourmet. Gisele and I basically ate our way through prepared dishes of salads, meat entrees, pastas, chowder, cheeses, dips and dessert all made with ingredients they were selling. We must have spent nearly two hours sampling and looking through the various spices, cheeses, pastas, sauces, oils, vinegars, preserves, fruits and vegetables. Serious sensory overload for me! I wanted it all. We finally decided we better go because we were starting our third pass through some of the dishes, and I think people were beginning to stare at us.


New Bedford is a waterfront city and during the nineteenth century it was one of the most important whaling ports in the world. Like many cities it has seen better days but it's still filled with beautiful old homes built by sea captains some in various stages of restoration. After we left the gourmet shop we rode through downtown looking for a place to have a quiet drink. We were lucky enough to find Cork Wine and Tapas Bar. Set in a restored granite building overlooking New Bedford's harbor, the cute and friendly young bartender told us it was built in 1837 supposedly for $1727. What a neat little place. The menu was interesting enough that I think I will take Paul back for dinner sometime soon.

I was pleased to see Caipirinha on their specialty drink menu and Gisele and I each ordered one. Caipirinha is a drink of fresh limes muddled with sugar added to cachaca, a liquor made from fermented sugar cane produced mostly in Brazil. It's a drink I discovered in Mexico several years ago and don't often see locally. It's also an ass-kicker as cachaca is generally between 38% and 80% alcohol by volume. But it's so good!

This morning I woke to a dark and dreary rainy day. A good day to stay in and catch up on a few things. Hope you are having a great weekend!

Come On In!

Do you have a GPS or Navigational System in your car? You know, one of those gadgets that are either onboard your car when you buy it or an after market device you add like a Garmin or TomTom.

If you do, does it have a HOME button or setting? Do you have your home address in there? Yes?

Next question--do you have an automatic garage door opener on your house? With the remote clipped to the sun visor in your car? Yes?

Okay, so if someone steals your car then sets your GPS to HOME it will direct them to your house. And when they get to your house, assuming you're not home 'cause you're stuck at the mall where your car was stolen from, if they press the button on your garage door opener, they can drive right into the garage, right?

That's what I thought. Even if your interior door between the garage and the house is locked, they have time to find a way to get into your house.

You have 1) given them an automatic route to your house and 2) given them a key to get inside.

Just thought you might like to know, because THEY know.

I'd Rather Take a Trip Than........

I love to travel. Anyone who has been with me over these last few months probably got that idea. Paul and I have been fortunate enough (worked hard enough) to be able to take some pretty nice vacations. Most of our trips are not about relaxing, however. We're not big beach people. I'm a redhead who gets a sunburn from the bathroom light while putting on my mascara. Paul likes to be moving so sitting on a beach only holds his interest for a short time. We're not big on cruises either for the same reason, we like to move. We prefer to fly somewhere and then drive and explore.

Until 2001 most of our travels were in the States, the lower 48 specifically. We still haven't been to Hawaii (it's on the list) but we did visit Alaska in 2001. I won a trip for two to Russia and converted it to Alaska. (They are close) Seriously, I won it. I'd never won anything of any value before in my life. It was the grand prize at the 2000 RI Realtors Statewide Convention. I had no interest in seeing Russia at that time. Paul would have gone but I won it and we weren't going there. The prize had a cash value which we used towards two weeks in Alaska. We did a week on land and then a cruise. A wonderful trip that I would recommend to anyone.

The week after winning the trip to Russia, I won a trip for two to Los Angeles. Again, seriously, I won it. It was a reception for the grand opening of a new Marriott Hotel in Providence. One of those deals where you drop your business card in a bowl. I was at the reception as my friend Gisele's guest. When we dropped our cards into the bowl we made a pact..."if you win, you have to take me," never expecting either would win. The trip included airfare and 3 nights in a fancy Marriott in LA. It was some famous location where they'd filmed some movies. I forget the name. Gisele and I extended the stay to a week and had a great time. What a fun week that was!

The only vacations Paul and I have ever taken where we spent most of the time on a beach were in Mexico. I lost my father in November 2001 and Paul's dad passed away in January 2002. So those few months were particularly difficult. In late winter I called our travel agent and said you have to find us a place to go to relax. She asked if we wanted an all-inclusive resort. I didn't care. My exact words to her were: I want a hotel with a pool AND a beach. I want to be able to walk to the beach from my room. I don't want to have to take a bus, a taxi, a donkey, nothing. I want to be able to walk back to my room from the beach if I want to use my own bathroom. And the only decision I want to make is whether I want red wine or white with my lunch. And, oh yeah, make sure the bars have top-shelf liquor. I don't want Jose's Vodka. Bless her heart, Donna sent us to the Rui Palace in Playa del Carmen where they actually have palm trees for the pale face right on the edge of the beach! We went back four winters in a row, we loved it so much.

So where are we going next? We are taking a cruise on the Danube River from Hungary through Austria to Germany. I have always wanted to do this. It's a much smaller ship than ocean ships, of course, with only 150 passengers. They stop in cities and towns along the way and you are able to just walk off the ship. We are going on Viking River Cruises.

They kept sending me brochures with what looked like great prices so I booked one. Without really discussing it with Paul, by the way. We are going next July to celebrate his birthday. It's sort of a birthday present so I didn't have to ask him, right? Actually we tried to talk about it but everything was so crazy busy and the deadline to take advantage of these prices was looming and there was no time, so I just did it! It's a long way off but it's always fun to have something to look forward to. In the meantime, I'll be getting together information about things to do and see.

I would rather take a trip than.....just about anything!

The Wonders of Nature

I was wandering around the yard today with my new camera looking for something interesting to shoot. I happened to notice these odd looking buds on the magnolia my mother-in-law gave me about 20 years ago. It's one of my most favorite plants in the yard and today it took on a whole new look for me. I've never noticed these before and was fascinated by what they look like.

A baby bird just hatched?

This looks like a bug.....

My all-out favorite.....

"I'm watching you!"

A Keyboard of Bloggers?

You've probably heard phrases like a pod of whales, a herd of elephants, a pride of lions, a colony of ants, a swarm of bees and a gaggle of geese. In some cases these phrases have developed from the appearance of the animals they refer to.

Recently I ran across a listing of some animal-related phrases. Here are some that I found most interesting.

A scold of bluejays

A chain of bobolinks

An army of caterpillars

A clutter of cats

A gulp of cormorants

A rumination of cows

A wiliness of coyotes

A scuttle of crabs

A float of crocodiles

A paddling of ducks

A convocation of eagles
A conflagration of fireflies
A business of flies

A skulk of foxes

A totter of giraffes

A glister of goldfinches

A flight of goshawks

A siege of herons

A bloat of hippopotami

A howl of hounds

A romp of otters

An ostentation of peacocks

A vise of pitbulls

A prickle of porcupines

A mask of raccoons

A battery of rams

A rhumba of rattlesnakes

A ruination of rodents

A squabble of seagulls

A shiver of sharks
A venom of spiders
A scurry of squirrels
A swoop of swallows
A knot of toads
A hover of trout
A nest of wasps
A gatling of woodpeckers

And then there were a few about groupings of people, like

A drift of fishermen

A number of statisticians

A colony of bacteriologists

A plague of epidemiologists

A stalk of foresters

A blast of hunters

Which brings me to my question.....what would you call a group of bloggers?

Adopt-A-Family Program

I've been promising to write something about the Adopt-A-Family program that I help run locally. Rather than recount everything here, I thought I'd send you all over for a visit to a new blog which is also going to serve as a website for our organization.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

So go here.

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

Stop the World, I Want to Get Off!

Some of you might have noticed I haven't been here much in the last week or so. As I wrote in an email to a friend this morning, my life has just not been my own lately.

I have been working pretty much 7 days a week. I'm not really complaining (well, maybe a little) because in real estate you just have to be available when the clients are. I have been putting some deals together but it's been pretty hectic.

And last Monday night I started an 8-week class of continuing education which will give me the rest of the hours I need for next year's licensing. But I ask you What was I thinking when I signed up for this class? It's eight Monday nights from 6-9 p.m. and it's during one of the busiest times of the year for me. This is the last night class I will take if I have a choice. It's Title Searching which is actually pretty interesting but it's also a bit dry because it's mostly legal stuff. I'm just getting too old for a night class. Makes for a very long day.

And I am gearing up for this year's Adopt-A-Family program. I haven't blogged about that much yet although I mentioned a little about it here and here. I want to tell you more about who we are and what we do and I promise I will soon. It's a wonderful program that I am very proud to be part of.

I'll get back here real soon with all the details and let you know how we are progressing this year. In the meantime, hope everyone is enjoying the beauty of fall. It's going to be a gorgeous leaf-peeping season here in the Northeast!

Highbush Cranberry--October

You can see the leaves are beginning to look a little sparse as they begin to fall. The days have begun to be noticeably shorter. The weather is getting much cooler. Fall is definitely in the air!

To see the changes, go to June, July, August and September.

The Tick Key

This is the first time I have ever endorsed any product here, but I just have to share this with all you pet owners. Paul came back recently from a stop a Cabela's in Pennsylvania with this neat little gadget:

It's called The Tick Key, and it is without a doubt the quickest, easiest, most efficient way to remove a tick I have ever seen! We have deer ticks here in our area and Rosey, Lucy and Paul have all been bitten by them. Deer ticks carry Lyme disease which can be a devastating illness for man or beast if not caught and treated properly.

Deer ticks are so tiny that, despite our best efforts, often the head is left in the dog after removal, and then we end up with a wound that has to be treated because it becomes infected. That was until The Tick Key. This little doohickey works to remove the whole tick in one quick pull.

It costs about $5, is made out of aluminum and has a little hole it in to carry on a key chain or to hang right from your pet's collar. If you can't find one in a sporting goods store near you, visit their web site.

All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up

Remember that great line from Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard?" Let me tell you, it's not something you're likely to ever hear me say. Not particularly photogenic, I really don't like to have my picture taken. I think I picked up photography as a hobby because I decided I'd prefer to be behind the camera rather than in front. Although that has backfired on me a bit. When I look at vacation photos now I sometimes ask myself "was I even there?"

So imagine my terror when an editor from Rhode Island Monthly magazine called to tell me they wanted Paul and me to come in for a photo shoot. Photo Shoot?! Me? Are you kidding me? I thought Paul's going to kill me when I tell him this!

A few months back while on the Rhode Island Monthly website I read they were putting together a piece on love in Rhode Island. If you are interested in participating, fill out the online form and someone will be touch with you. I must have been on my second glass of wine as I sat here that evening because I submitted my info and promptly forgot about it.

A few weeks later I got an email asking me to tell them a little about me/us or something to that effect. Paul's birthday had just passed and I had written this birthday post. I sent the editor a link to the post. She quickly wrote back...."Wow. I just teared up reading your blog post. That’s just lovely. And yes, we’d love to have you come in."

Surprisingly enough, Paul was fine with the whole thing. So on August 11 we went to have our pictures taken. While I can't say it was fun, it wasn't awful. They took photos of each of us alone and then together. The deal was that on one page they would have a bunch of individual photos asking you to match up the couples. Then on the next page they'd have the photos of the couples and a little info about each.

The article turned out to be a Survival Guide to Dating in Rhode Island. Not exactly something either Paul or I have done in a couple decades but I guess they liked our story 'cause it's sort of a happy ending. They only chose 7 couples out of hundreds of responses. So go here to the digital issue of the October 2009 issue of Rhode Island Monthly and check out pages 63-64. You just might see someone you know

Where oh Where Did the Doggie Bowls Go

Here's a real head-scratcher for you.....someone or something stole the dogs' dishes. From the deck.

I got home from work yesterday and Paul asked, "Do you know where the dogs' bowls are?" I remember picking them up, nesting Lucy's little bowl into Rosey's bigger bowl and moving them. Maybe that was this morning, maybe yesterday. I probably opened the kitchen slider and set them on the deck. Well, they aren't there.

We looked everywhere. Everywhere they might be (garage, mudroom, lawn) and a few places they shouldn't be (refrigerator, stove, broom closet, basement) and they are nowhere to be found. Why would someone come up onto my deck at the rear of the house and take dog dishes? One is turquoise plastic and the other is aluminum (in case you see them and need a description to identify them) certainly nothing special.

As of October 1 we have lived in this house for 23 years. Nothing like dog-bowl theft has ever happened. Our house is on a couple acres and is set about 150' off the road and backs up to woods beyond our property line. We do have neighbors on each side. The people on the south side were there when we moved in, the neighbors on the north are new last year. We're not thrilled with the new people; they're noisy and messy and a little weird but can't imagine them coming onto the property, up onto the deck to steal two old dog bowls.

A little weird, no?

Postscript: The dogs' dishes have not shown up. Several people have suggested that another dog or coyote might have made off with them. If it was just Lucy's litle plastic dish I might agree but Rosie's was aluminum and animals don't like to pick up metal so I'm going with the new neighbors as the likely culprits. I think they're just messing with us. Creepy.

Food for Thought--Roasted Red Pepper Puree

It's been weeks since I've done a food post. During the summer I don't cook much, just mostly grilling and salads.

Fall has arrived and that gets me thinking about harvesting my basil for pesto. I've been really concentrating on buying my produce from local farm stands but yesterday at the grocery store I found red peppers in the "slightly used" section, as my mother used to call it. I don't like to buy produce already wrapped (I want to pick the three peppers I WANT not the three they want to package together) but this was different.

The price was about $1 a pound for these beauties. I bought about 9# of red peppers with the idea of roasting them and making puree to freeze. When I got them home I was surprised that they weren't really in bad shape. Some would have still been salad quality.

I've always roasted peppers over the gas grill but I recently found a recipe for doing it in the oven. So here's the directions and how mine turned out.

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a roasting pan with enough foil to later fold over the top. Place the peppers in the pan and the pan in the oven. Roast, turning the peppers about every 10 minutes, until the peppers collapse, about 40-50 minutes.

2. Fold the foil over the peppers and allow them to cool. Remove the core, skin, and seeds from each of the peppers, reserving some of the liquid. I just put the peppers into a colander with a bowl below it to catch the liquid.

3. Place the pepper slices in the container of a food processor with about 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid. Add a large pinch of salt and turn on the machine; drizzle the oil in through the feed tube. Stop the machine, then taste and add more salt and/or olive oil if necessary.

After doing the batch in the pictures, I also roasted a few on the grill after cutting the tops off and coring them. I put them into a big paper bag to cool before peeling. I still like that way better but if you don't have a grill handy or just want to do it in the house, the oven worked fine. Next time I could core them first before putting them into the oven.

From my 9# of peppers I got about 2 1/2 quarts of puree.

Here are some ideas for how to use it:

• Add a couple of tablespoons to the cooking liquid of any simmering grain - rice, couscous, or quinoa, for example.


• Use in place of or with tomatoes in pasta sauce. For example, saute several vegetables and bind them with purée during the last minute of cooking.


• Fold into omelets or scrambled eggs, with or without cooked vegetables.


• Combine with basil, grated Parmesan, and garlic for a pesto-like pasta sauce.


• Emulsify with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to make a beautiful salad dressing.


• Spread on crostini, bruschetta, or pizza before baking.


• Use as a finishing sauce for roasted eggplant, zucchini, or other vegetables.


• Serve as a condiment with grilled or roasted fish, meat, or chicken.


• Stir into soups or stews just before serving.


• Mash a couple of tablespoons of purée with a little olive oil, minced garlic, and cracked black pepper, into fresh, salty cheese - such as feta or goat - to make a dip for bread or vegetables.

Here's what I ended up with.

You will see that I use all sorts of glass jars recycled from my kitchen. I know I could use canning jars and I have boxes of them but I like to freeze different portions and this just works well for me.

Enjoy!

This Is What I'm Talking About!

Nothing too amazing, just a lone honey bee gathering pollen in my yard. These are the types of photos I miss when using a point-and-shoot camera.

I'm actually quite fond of honey bees. Used to keep bees back in the day. I think I had as many as 8 hives at one time.

Paul and I talk about getting involved again. It's an incredibly interesting hobby.

Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend. It's a beauty here in the Northeast.

Say Cheese

I got a new toy this week. I finally bought a digital SLR. I've had four point-and-shoot digital cameras since I stopped shooting film, all Nikon Coolpix models. I have been very happy with their portability and results.

My most recent is a Nikon Coolpix P1 which I've used for about 3 years now and which has taken most of the photos you've seen here. As a realtor I'm in and out of houses and need to take photos constantly. It's important to have something small and easy to use but with good results.

When I dug around my photography equpment after getting this new camera, I found the receipt for my last SLR bought in 1987. A Nikon 2000 with a couple lenses. A major investment at the time.

I'm no professional but I have been taking pictures since I was about 8 years old when my father had a makeshift darkroom in our basement, and I was developing black and white photos of my dog, Missey. I've taken a class here and there over the years but never really got too artsy with my photos.

Lately the point-and-shoot cameras just aren't cutting it for me. I miss having the flexibility of different lenses and mostly miss being able to take macro shots....close ups.

When I started doing some research into DSLR's I read good reviews of the Canon Rebel. My father always shot with a Canon so I thought I'd give this one a try. I bought a Canon EOS. I still need to purchase a macro lens.

In my perusing of so many blogs I see such fabulous photography, I'm inspired! I'm especially fascinated by the mosaics so many of you make with your photos. So now I've got some new stuff to learn and I'm looking forward to sharing some of the results with you.

Cowgirls Don't Cry....Ride, Baby, Ride

Paul and I recently traveled to Forsyth County in North Georgia to visit his niece, Sherri and to attend the 2nd Annual James Soares Memorial Barrel Race. The race is held in honor of her father, Paul's brother Jim, who was killed last year and raises money for the transport division of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

Sherri's sister Dawn, her husband Jesse, and daughter Raychel were also there for the week. We visited with Dawn & Sherri's mom, Donna, Sherri's son Austin and her fiance Kevin. It was a great week of family fun and getting to know lots of good people who have been Sherri's support group over the last year.

Sherri is the owner of S & S Equestrian Stables in Cumming. A horse farm on 31 acres of beautiful Georgia countryside where she provides English & western riding instruction, specializing in barrel racing. Sherri & Dawn have been riding horses since before they could walk. Both have been champion barrel racers although Dawn hasn't ridden in several years. But you couldn't tell by the way she rode that week. Dawn competed in the adult and open classes of the race and took third place in one of the divisions.

The race was on a Saturday and the Friday night before we had a horseshoe tournament and barbecue. Here are some photos from the week.....there's a lot of them. I hope you enjoy.

NOTE: For those of you who are unfamiliar with barrel racing, and that included me, the average time the riders take to enter the arena, clear the three barrels and exit is about 15-17 seconds. The winning time for this race was 15.095 seconds. Not a sport for a new rider!

Here are Jim's daughters, Dawn and Sherri. Here's Sherri and Kevin. What a great team they make. Both hard workers and devoted to each other.

Getting the arena ready the morning of the race. We'd had a day of rain and it was a mess.

Paul grew up on a farm. He said being at Sherri's that week brought back memories of his childhood. He totally enjoyed it all.

Here are some of the guys throwing 'shoes as my grandfather used to say.

Spectators the day of the race.

Here's Donna and Austin.

Cupcake the Pony all dressed up for the prom.

Sherri and Dawn along with some of the other riders waiting for their exhibition rides.

There were many trailers there for the race with dozens of horses. This beauty caught my eye.




Paul and I were amazed at the work and organization that went into planning the show. Paul said Sherri put the Energizer Bunny to shame. Here she is on her cell no doubt coordinating something.
More riders waiting to race.

Looks like somebody's getting a new pair of shoes.

Dawn and Raychel.

Here's Sherri on Buddy. Her friends told me she and this horse are One.

Raychel kept busy shuttling people around with the Gator. Here she is with her dad, Jesse.

Dawn and Raychel.

Donna worked the food concession stand that raised lots of money.

I had to get involved with the money! Here I am with Sherri in the booth counting out the prize money. Nearly $4000 in prize money was awarded.

The arena has to be dragged after every fifth rider. Kevin must have had saddle sores from sitting on that tractor all day.

Here's Dawn on Heifer the horse not a cow. Doesn't look like she hasn't been on a horse in 5 years.

Another of Dawn's runs. I guess you don't forget.



Here's Sherri on Buddy.

Winner of the James Soares Memorial Barrel Race for the 2nd year in a row, Terri Alexander. More than 125 riders raced that day and $1500 was raised for the hospital.

Paul and I look forward to being there next year.