Personal Thoughts

Upgrading Site

My site is being upgraded this weekend. All features of this site may not be available until Monday morning, October 5, 2009. I am sorry for the inconvenience. Please visit again on Monday. Thank...

When Did Your Home Become A House?

Recently, a client asked me "Exactly when did we start viewing our homes as an investment rather than the place we live with our family?" I didn't have an answer for her. I knew what she meant though. Originally, we purchased a home for shelter and then because we needed more space or wanted our children to go to a particular school or needed to be closer to our job. Now, we have those same needs...

The Wedding

Well, it's back to work for me. I took the weekend off for my daughter's wedding. It was the perfect day all around. The weather was a sunny 75 degrees, perfect for a garden wedding. The bride and groom so happy and joyful - it was contagious. There were so many family and friends to share in our joy. It was a perfect...

Happy New Year!

This has been such a "full" year and as it draws to a close I want to share my thoughts on 2008. Even though many of us have experienced some negative impact from the financial issues of our country and the world, I wanted to pass on a comment from my Yoga teacher. "These are first world problems," she says. She is right. People in other countries would gladly trade places with us. We live in a safe...

Good Plastics/Bad Plastics

Are You Confused About Plastics? That is the questions posed in an excellent article from C.A.R. Newsline from California Association of Realtors. I was confused and found this article informative and I pass it on to you: You're not alone. Experts have reached a consensus and recommend that you avoid these varieties -- identified by a triangle and number on the bottom of most containers -- for the...

Tea and Cookie Party

For the last five years, a friend and I have hosted a Tea Party and Cookie Exchange. It is so much fun that we hold it twice a year and each invite 5 other guests. Each guest brings their own tea cup, 12 containers each filled with 6 of their favorite homemade cookies, 12 copies of their cookie recipe, 12 cookies on a serving plate for the tea party and an appetite for really delicious cookies! We...

Terra Cotta Warriors

Yesterday, I went to the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana to view the Terra Cotta Warriors, the Guardians of China's First Emperor. It was fabulous! I highly recommend it. It was very well organized. We had tickets for 10:00 am, only stood in line for a few minutes and then were given an audio phone to help guide us through history. This is the largest exhibit of the Terra Cotta Army ever seen outside...