Monday, November 30th

Over Thanksgiving, I suggested to my mom and Wendy that I would try to post daily what I eat.
I skipped breakfast today, unintentionally. For lunch, I made curry hummus , toasted some pita bread and stuffed the warm pita with the warm hummus, lettuce, grated carrot, cucumber & roasted red pepper. While I was home for lunch, I prepped a black bean chili in the crockpot (sauteed some onion, garlic & red peppers with chili powder - put this in crockpot with 1 cup water, 2 cans black beans, 1 4oz. can green chilis, and 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes) and left it on low. When I get home tonight, I will have that with bread & Bryanna's garlic corn butter, and a salad.

Me & My Dogs

Mark S. took this picture of me, Chloe & George - a rare, peaceful, moment.

October 15th, 2009

Tom & Courtney Oliver's Wedding

It was about time - Congratulations to them both!

Don't Believe Everything You Think

The Big Sweep

The Muglia's joined me for the annual Big Sweep sponsored by the Surfrider Foundation. Worthy cause, yielded 3 bags of trash, just from our little Carlow Street access.

My Niece

I remember the day I got my learner's permit. I can't believe that day is already here for Ms. Shelby Lynn. There are not many things more exciting and more liberating than being behind the wheel and choosing where you want to go rather than having to depend on others. Congratulations Shelby! Love, Aunt Val

Passion Flower

Financial Crisis Update

Purchased 66 Duck Woods Drive, vacant lot, April 2005 for $305,000
Received offer of $330,000 three months later. (Turned down because $20,000 in potential closing costs didn't make financial sense at the time, wanted to sell for $350,000 - Gary Dunstan, the agent on the other side of the deal will never let me live this down).
Made last lot payment on April 1, 2008. Got foreclosed on February 20, 2009. Bank sold property April 9, 2009 for $140,000. This is 46% of the price we paid for it in 2008 - or a 54% reduction in price in 3 years.


147 Holly Trail - finished construction summer of 2006. Owed $999,500.
Bank foreclosed and sold the house for $600,000

Unfreaking believable.

My House (at least the house that the owners let me live in)

First of the Summer

This is what I encountered upon my return from Mark's.....

"Our lives are a sum total of the choices we have made"
Wayne Dyer

Lunch View

Beautiful day - lunch with Sonya on the deck of the Black Pelican Restaurant

“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.”
Henry Ford

The Tailess Wonder

Shish Kabob