BINGO!

I read Harriet the Spy when I was younger. Loved it! Made me want to become a journalist.. until Linda Ellerbee's book screwed me up.. Anyway, I found a copy at an American Cancer Society book sale for 2 bucks and was just tickled! Now I will be reading that to Erin soon.

I bring this up because there is a house I want in town here. I have mentioned it to Matt. He knows where it is. There are actually 2 houses near one another in town. One sits on (not kidding) 17 ACRES(!) the other 2 acres. Well, a wonderful little old motorcylce shop owner owns the larger of the two properties and has in mind a golden egg in the form of a sale price... so forget him. But, my little 2 acre house... hmmmm.... (enter Harriet.)

My Harriet no longer sits in window sills or climbs on roof tops to gather her information. Today she simply hit a few keys on the laptop and POOF! I now know all I need to know about the rather young owner of my coveted house. (Kinda scary huh?) Truely, I know more than she probably expected a stranger to be able to find out. I know she doesn't always stay there, I know it's extremely close to family members, I know where she is now, I know she has just bought a passport, I know she keeps high dollar items onsite while she is out of town... Don't you think that's too much information for me to know? I agree. None-the-less, she sounds like a terrific gal (with a maybe too carefree attitude about what she puts online) -- and one other thing I know...

She wants to live in PA! No kidding! Well, maybe she'll want to sell? I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, PLEASE watch what you post online. Geesh!

American Living brown cable-knit socks from JCPenneys didn't even last through one season. Very pricey .. no quality.

Phew!

Maybe I'll go into more detail about this at another time... Maybe I won't ever feel the need....

'Stuck (only on a certain level) for the last 11 years worrying about bad decisions I'd made. 'Feeling very self concious for the last 11 years -- even worrying I might run into certain someones in town ...or afraid I could never hold a political office. ...Totally took this waaaay too far in my mind -- but that's what I do. I exaggerate, I turn things into a bigger deal than they need to be.

Finally over it.

How strange the way it happened too. I ran into THE person that I was so intimidated by. I have run into this person before and always walked away feeling horrible or heavy hearted or embarrassed or sub par or stupid. Always worried about seeing this person and having my day ruined. 'Would ruin several good days by just worrying. Doesn't this sound ridiculously terrible? Well...

Anyway, half expecting to run into this person at a local grocery. I rushed toward the checkout carrying my daughter's pull-ups and BOOM! There! But this time something easy came over me. I was feeling pretty happy and I guess didn't want that to change. I think maybe my confidance level was higher than usual. Whatever it was. The encounter ...was fine. Words exchanged, there was a smile. Not a crazy 'deer in the headlights' look. Relief. Hmmm...no need to worry.

Can you believe this ("non") event has changed my life??

Crazy -- but true.

I have one less thing to worry about now. And trust me, it was about time!

Hey Paul... Hey Vicki! xoxo

Things are good... I'm good... But every-once-in-a-while the proverbial fly gets in the ointment... we (I) vent for just a moment and then ask Matt to get the fly swatter -- because I don't like to squash bugs....

(eh-hem) Appraisors.

I'm just pausing for a moment while the tremors stop.

'Having trouble with an appraisal on a rather stale property I'm trying to sell. Finally get a low-ball offer on it accepted and the appraisor comes back even $10k lower. ????

Even the buyer was blown away as he told me this afternoon that he already felt like he was taking advantage of the seller with his ridiculously low price. Now the seller will have to reduce even farther???

And get this: I was actually given the heads up that this particular appraisor was "conservative" (AKA BLIND -- my opinion) before he even went out and looked at the place. So we (I mean the sellers) were already at a disadvantage coming in and there wasn't a darn thing we could do about it.

See how relative everything involved in this sale actually is?

Price, condition, location -- all relative. Appraisors opinion -- relative. The only thing that is more or less "factual" is the buyers ability to get the loan. And then it has only become a more "factual" process of late.

And as a side note -- why they get a copy of the purchase agreement is beyond me. The lender can't talk to the appraisor -- not even order the appraisal unless via a third party sometimes. YET!! The appraisor gets the pa and right there on the 1st page is the price, the earnest money, the loan type, amount financed, interest rate, points, term, and concessions. WHAT MORE COULD THE LENDER TELL THEM?????

When Bert gets back from vacation (on Monday, I hope) I'm going to park it in his office and seriously discuss talking to the state legislature about this one! I can't be the only person who wants to do this... I bet I could get a mob together.. A mob as opposed to a petition because I am under the persuasion that one should never sign a petition.

***

This isn't the first time I've been screwed up by an appraisal but it is, so far, the worst....


***

Now.

I have learned over my short years in this business not to get too hot too soon. Things have a way of working out and I am confidant they will. BUT GEESH AM I FRUSTRATED AT THE MOMENT!

(And it is very hard for a frustrated girl like me to stay out of the refrigerator!!!!)

all in good fun... oops!

When Erin was 4 years old. I wanted her to wear a green outfit and she wouldn't do it. I tried everything to get it on her and no luck.


Eventually an idea took hold of me that I thought was GENIOUS!


I got on my cell phone, dialed our home number, asked for Erin and pretended to be....


Ariel ...because she wears green!


Well, it worked. Erin donned the green attire and we all lived happily ever after.



Now ------ Hear the screaching brakes? The record being yanked off the player? Me crying out nooooooooooooooo!



Our story has come to -- a twist.


Erin has asked me several times about the magical day that Ariel called ... "Mom, was that really Ariel that called me that day?"


And of course I say "Yes!"


Well, turns out she tells people at school about this story and they call her a liar. Now what do I do with the poor little thing and her poor little feelings?



This leads me into another part of the twist in our story..

Over the weekend Erin was trying to explain to Gina that God lives in Heaven (the sky) and also in her heart. (Gina was totally under the opinion that God lives in her stomach and spends his time scavenging for food. Really!)


Well anyway, while Erin was explaining the omnipresence of God to Gina she said "it's like a made up story."



What the?


Of course, I tell Erin it is not a made up story. Then I think of him. Know who I mean? The big guy in the red suit. Then there was the tooth fairy that just came to her bedside a couple of weeks ago. And straight ahead... we have the giant bunny that breaks in and delivers hard boiled eggs.



What have I done????? What have we done Matt?



(Insert the word "Crap!" here because I use that word alot.)



The easter bunny's on his way.


This is only the first of many tooth fairy visits.


Santa's already working on this years naughty or nice list.


...And heaven forbid she doesn't want to wear green on St. Patrick's Day...(because I have a way to fix that!)



...Now I am understanding why some people don't go down this road with their kids.



I don't want to go back and tell her I lied about all that stuff!!!



So...Here's the fix:

(Why was I worried? It's an easy one!)

Erin and Gina have heard and will hear many times over The Greatest Story Ever Told. And they'll know it's not a made up story because it will become their story.


Day-in-and-day-out we will use our faith ....to get along, grow together, work, pay bills, feed ourselves, love each other, forgive each other, encourage one another, wake them up, tuck them in.


And they will be confident that we didn't make this story up ...even on that fatefull day that they finally realize there's no such thing as......

Stuffed myself tonight!

Why can't I resist free food? I have a problem with free food. I can be such a good little weight watcher until someone hands me something for the all-too-irresistable price of ZILCH...and then I grab it and inhale it.

Tonight's show was at the Holiday Inn. A cheesy little free meal to intice myself and another member of the pto to use Club Choice foods for our fall fundraiser. They started poppin' frozen pizzas out of the portable toaster oven and I thought I hit the jackpot.

Uuuuugggghhhh!

~~~~

'Shopped at the Mall with G today. She is such a little trooper and a really fun kid to have around. She kisses me. She grabs my hand. She talks about clothes. ...This was after she joined me for our weekly weight watcher meeting. I love that girl and all the time we are able to spend together.

It used to be E that I ran around with everyday.

I must not overlook all the "firsts" that E and I will still enjoy together. She's getting bigger but she still needs me to come along and part the waters with her.

I am really happy to grab her hand and jump on the ride!

Church Stuff ...(disclaimer)

It's been a few days... I have started many posts and then shelved them... because I am too self-conscious about what I write these days.

Grrrrr....

I really hate that ....and speaking of self-conscious ...been dealing with that all over the place..

'Been reading this book called Bad Girls of the Bible. (E gets a kick out of the title.) The latest chapter iss about the couple in Acts that sold some property but only gave the church so much of the profit. The contribution didn't honor God and they were ....killed on the spot.

At the same time I follow this blog by one of our pastors at MCC and he has recently asked 'do you tithe simply for the honor it gives God or do you tithe because you want to be blessed? '

Ok, so I've given this some thought and I'm comfortable with things......

....But! When church was wrapping up yesterday and the music was starting and the congregation was being encouraged to worship I realized -- and became shamefully aware of -- an old feeling that I have also become comfortable with ...but in a bad way.

For what ever reason... when I am standing, sitting in church -- in worship mode -- I feel watched.

I am worshiping while being aware that someone may be watching me. And I worship with that in the back of my mind. Do I do what I'm supposed to do incase I am being watched? It is not the main thrust of my worship -- but is it a ....factor? Would factor be the right word?

Anyway, I was startled when I realized that my worship and reasons for it... and my tithe and reasons for it... ought to be the same. Of course! Duh! I knew this already --

...but then I thought --

....Could the punishment have been the same if the story of this couple in Acts was about worship? There have been many cases in the Old Testament where worship was conducted NOT according to Gods laws -- and last tiny details -- and the punishment was death.

I know I have grace to save me from a punishment of death...but I am going to try to GET OVER MYSELF and ignore this constant self-consciousness or "what do people think of what I do" stuff.

And so, in addition, I am going to try to post more here and not shelve what I write because I am worried about what you may think.

Of course time and schedules also make it a struggle... but I'm gonna do my best!