Whirlwind

This has been a whirlwind of a week, things are so busy with e and work, it just keeps on coming, not complaining just tired:)  We closed five loans this week, sold three homes, working a commercial deal, wrote three offers.  Working on getting other loans closed, I have lost track of how many we have in closing.  Monday will need to get a handle on it all.  Back about month ago I started having problems with my car, we spent about $1000 on it:( and it still had some problems, so on Thursday I traded it in, we got a new 2102 Dodge Durango and I love love love it, it is much easier on our backs getting in and out, still has a Hemi and we can pull our boat! Jared's big brother in college is the GM for Fran Fletcher Dodge, where we do all our car business, our whole family, I called him, ask did he have nay suburbans, and I even thought of trucks, he said LINDA you can not get that, you have image to keep in your profession, I said well I will just come by and look at what you have, he said you do not need to do that, I know you and what you want, I will find it and he did!  I love it when someone knows me like that, it is classy, fast, has more room and can pull our boat, camper:)) I was in and out in about a hour, I was in a hurry for net appointment.  Love all the gadgets it has, leather seats, seat warmers, navigator, phone in radio, Sirius radio, I listened to love songs all day yesterday with my sweetie:)

Today I meet a seller at nine am, then go to my friends funeral:( then a lunch with everyone, then Peyton's BD party, then baby shower, then dinner with my girl friends, Dona and Sherry. So a full day.  I am so ready for warmer weather, I froze all day yesterday:( kept my side of car on 80:)  Planning my Panama City Beach time, to meet my Connie there in April, I miss her so much.  I am missing the McGill family to, may try to sneak a night in Van Buren this week.  When the market is this busy you just ride with it and hang on, we worked till ten pm last night, getting offers signed:)

Hugs to all and I hope you have a good day!

Lift up Thine Eyes

 IN MEMORY OF DEE

This is a high school friend Dee Stack Jones, we reconnected over the years. When she first was diagnosed with cancer, I prayed and prayed for her, went over and anointed her with oil and prayed for her, she had so much to live for, she loved her family, her grand babies, she was not ready to die. A surgeon had told her there was no hope and nothing he could do, she felt hopeless, lost, fearful.  At that time there was a prayer battle in me, I knew she was to live and fight this battle, I called her went over listened to her heart and prayed and prayed and prayed. She found a different Dr. a little more positive do surgery, she did all the treatments, she lived to see a new grand baby., was able to go back and teach, in which she loved.  Her test came back cancer free .  Dee had life again!

This past few months her cancer came back with a vengeance, I knew this was her time, she really did too, although she continued to fight to live and I continued to pray for her to be healed.   These past three weeks, she was so sick, weak, as she prepared to leave this world, in my heart I knew she would not pull out of this as she had done before and she past away.  Its very hard because she is 59, my age, she was full of life had so much to still give of her self, her children are grown, her grand babies are young, her husband will be lost with out her, they had been married years.

.  I sought the Lord for comfort, I am acquainted still with grief from the death of my mother, here are some things I would like to share about grief.

Isaiah 6:1-3 Jesus said these very words in Luke 4:18.....The Lord has sent me to bind up the broken hearted...to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. 

We can trust knowing the LORD himself will bind up our broken heart, HE will comfort, I love He will give beauty for ashes, for in grief you feel like life is all ashes right then, He will give the oil of gladness, oil keeps you going on in this life with out them, He will give you a garment of praise, I feel God has given me garments of praise of mother several times since her death, which totally brings me out of despair.

No two people grieve in the same way, but believe me it is real and it is grief, each person has their own time table, it is a process, as unique as and individuals personality.  First, shock and denial, the reality of never seeing our loved one again brings powerful inner resistance. We want to be left alone, to try to think things through, this is a healthy process unless we allow it to become a energy-draining swamp of self pity and despair. Second Anger and questioning, this is when we turn inward and start the "what ifs" or what "if I had", or "why did all this have to happen??" The most crucial step in this, is when grief turns to guilt the healing process is short circuited, we turn in on ourselves.  Reality continues to be rejected. What ifs become angry-draining obsession.  If you stay here then you will need help to over come this part of grief.  The only one who can offer peace and rest is the Lord, He said "Peace I leave with you; MY peace I give you" I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27   
When you do not get side tracked by guilt then you may experience some depression, the sense of loss becomes real, we can no longer deny reality, we can not reverse the situation.  This is when God of all sorrows comes along and He lifts up our eyes unto the hills, from whence our help comes and away from our loss, He helps us understand the process of death, Jesus was identified as a Man of Sorrows acquainted with grief. God invites us into HIS presence " all who are weary and heavy laden, or heavy hearted, come to Me and I will give you rest.   Depression is normal when one faces a serious loss, we need to recognize it as part of the grieving process, but refuse to give into it as a way to escape reality and postpone return to the real world in which loss must be accepted. When we can grieve in a healthy manner then our grieving becomes a bridge of love to the future. It is a living memorial based in love and built on hope that you will continue putting one foot before the other and moving forward in life,  full of precious memories of your loved one, full of what they would of wanted out of life for you. Life must go on, the grieving process takes time, there is no time limit on grief, never expect your self to be totally over it, a smell and laugh, a saying can always bring back a sting of missing your love one, when it does embrace it, tell the Lord you miss them, I will ask Jesus to tell my mother I love her, and you know what, I have heard her say in my head:) that " I love you more" which is what she said while here on earth.  This is always a hard place to be in life, there is nothing more devastating then death of a love one, even though the Bible states, death is to gain, and it is, when we have the Lord's perspective on death, but we sure miss them while we are still here on earth.  I pray if you are grieving in the death of a loved one that you will find your comfort from the Lord, I do not believe you can find lasting, healing comfort any where else, you may find temporary in a bottle of wine, or just changing everything about you, such as carousing, turning to people to find comfort, but you will find all that fails, the only rock you can stand on is the same rock you stood on while you had your loved one, the ROCK OF JESUS, all other ground is sinking sand.........if you did not know Jesus as the rock....you will, just call out His name and He will come running to lift you up and comfort you.

Cooking Mama:)

Steve and I had a great time away, I turned my phone off and Angela did great taking my calls:) We just had so much fun, we just talked and shared our dreams of our future:)  I woke up early both mornings, like 5:30ish, tried to be quiet so Steve could sleep.

We did go play golf in which, I watched and rode in the cart, had a good magazine to look at, it was windy as the afternoon went on and cold, but it was so sunny and a beautiful day for awhile.  We then went to eat and back to our room, Got up Friday morning checked out about 11ish and went and ate lunch then headed to the office, where we wrote two offers, caught up on what needed to be done, then called it a night, sitting in our chairs and sleeping in our own bed.  I love my bed and my covers, esp my electric blanket:) I always miss that when I am not at home.

This morning got up early again:((( was suppose to be at a breakfast with class mates, but my car started acting up, so was at Fletcher Dodge this am early, then got a loner car, Thankful it was not too expensive, about 200 something, so that was not too bad, had it been a lot, I had looked for a new ride, but did not see anything I liked, except a truck, extended cab, Dodge Ram:)  Steve and I then went out to Alex and Jill's to help him put up the girls trampoline, in which Alex had up, he is a pro at it, he use to help his uncle set them up:) so Steve just helped with he enclosure part, I loved my visit with Jill and the girls. I had pics to take of a Equestrian Ctr. we listed, it is so beautiful out there, this horse started acting like a wild stallion, I took lots of pics, I had Jill's camera so when she gets them off there I will post them:) Glad I was not riding him!

Steve is going to Van Buren in the am, I want to go so bad, but need to stay here and be in town for work:) Hannah's birthday is Monday, so I made a fudge cake and veg. beef soup and corn bread for their dinner, Steve is going to help Mark work on the Toyota truck....and will be back Monday night, quick trip, but I know the kids will love seeing him and he them.  I cooked all morning, made a huge pot of soup with every veggie you can think of, chili and taco meat for taco salad, fudge cake.
Showed property this afternoon and went to dinner with my friend who I was showing property too, had a snack instead of dinner and came home and ate soup:) A piece of cake, that I normally never eat and ice cream:(  so got to get rid of the cake, I am really going to start Monday on a workout program and watch my calories and get the rest of my weight off, I have gone back and forth on this last bit of weight, loose some gain some:(( but I know it is what I am eating and how much, so back on the wagon again!  Its just so hard, I would love to be thin and have a high metabolism!  Alex has done great, he has lost 16 pds., in 16 days but cutting back to 2000 calories a day, he was having health issues that got his attention and decided to get healthy.  Steve is going to start too, hope in a month I can report we are working out and have lost inches and some pds.!
Will miss my sweetie, but going to Journey church in am and then doing what ever for tomorrow, you never know what a day holds in the life of Real Estate! But no open house tomorrow.  Best get my tail to bed so I will not be tired.....nite and hugs

My Valentine

 My office is the one with light on:)

You know as I came to work today, very early so I could get finished by about 1:00 ish, I was thinking how excited, or as Cole says pcited, that Steve and I are going away for two days, I will have alone time with just him, it made me think of marriage, you know your spouse is the one who gets the left overs of your day, and that is called life.  I have through the years tried to make him number one all day long but it never worked because of children who had to be number one, or work who had to be number one or mother who had to be number one that day.  So our spouse gets our left overs, sometime we do not even have left overs.  Just think I bring you lunch, but I ate it first and bring you left overs....ugh....a relationship can not live on left overs all the time:)

In saying that I will explain, when you have children, as a mother they will take everything out of you some days, your hubby comes home and you need attention, you have nothing to give, then some days if you work, you have work that takes it out of you, when you get home, you still have your home to clean, laundry, dinner, etc, you have nothing to give.  SOOOOO I decided to have 48 hours alone with my Valentine this year, we will not discuss children, grand babies, work, family, nothing but focus on us and having fun together, time for holding hands, pats on the bottom:) dinner out with our eyes gazing into the one we love.  Taking time to give my Valentine the best of me, totally focused on him and he totally focused one me:) 
So many days, we work non stop, eat, and come home exhausted, we are normally focused on work, children and family........so many days, we say I love you and fall in to bed and kiss good night, to wake up early and do it over again and again...this is called life. 
So I encourage you to take a few hours out of your day to make your Valentine feel special to you:) If you do not have hours, then what ever you do have. to keep our marriage  healthy you need and I need to have our spouses one on one attention to just focus on each other, not talking about love making but that is nice too:) talking about remembering why you married him, what you love about him, his hands, his shoulders that you cry on, his smile, his wink, all the things that said, HE is the
 one for me!!  Most of the time we lose sight of all that in the midst of everyday life, changing diapers, wiping noses, cleaning house, working, what ever we do in life. 
I am going to have a wonderful Valentine's Day and I hope you do too!  If you do not have a spouse then be with a friend and make their and your day special!  We all have love ones!

 

Hard week but fun weekend:)

I am not sure how people have stood being around me this week, my back has almost been out, you know that catch you can get and if you move wrong your in pain?  That is how mine has been:(
Monday was in office a lot which does not help it, I took some flexerill which normally do not affect me, other then help with spasms, but this week it turned me into a real Bear:)  I could not stand my self, I had several deals go haywire, had to read ajust them to make them work, had a HUD deal that sent me over the edge, wish I could say I handled it calmly, but I was fit to be tied.  Anyone I had to deal with  knew my displeasure in no uncertain terms, no doubt I was flat mad. 

 

 

Then April and I had some come to Jesus talks,  one day I told Steve just go do his work, I would do mine that I would do it alone.....poor Steve, but it was for his on safety:))) On Wed. I had lunch with my brother and his wife to plan the Roger's reunion this April, which will be a wonderful time having our Roger's family together:)    

     Getting invites out this week:)

Went to home group Thursday night and enjoyed it so much,help me refocus, then Friday am got up real early like 5am and went to a breakfast with some of  my class mates,

  I enjoyed that so much, worked the rest of day.  Got deals worked out:)  Sean, Sarah, Cole and Anna came over Saturday night and we celebrated Cole's fourth Birthday:)

The cake was totally something, you could eat the horse and cow boy and belt buckle that said Cole!
Cole told Sarah, IM so pacited, I bout to have heart tack:)  He is so stinking cute!  Sean did crawlfish and catfish, fried, huspuppies for dinner, the kids that could came over and it was a good time, then we watched Medea, probably not spelled right:) It was a good movie, great msg. felt like I had been to church!
In which, I did go to Journey church today, wow, it was such a anointed worship time and the msg. hit home, Alex is starting a series on "we are made in the image of God" probably not his title, but my title:) it is going to be good, I can tell:) God said in Gen. he made man in OUR image, which is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to think we are made in that image is mind blowing, esp. when I acted like I did all week, thankful for repentance, in which I had to apologize several times, and Grace:).....now going to show property this afternoon, hope to sell it!  Writing a offer tonight, a HUD house, which means it is banked owned, these drive me insane, but you got to do what you got to do in this business to help people out:)
Looking forward to some time with my Sweetie for Valentine's, we are suppose to go stay in a suite and have dinner at a steakhouse, then play golf:( he will love it:) be back Friday. I will love room service, alone time and if it is pretty like being outside:) If it snows we will just cancel our room and stay here and enjoy the snow:) I missed the last snow.
The cemetery sent me a pic of mother's head stone it is engraved now:) Walt's marker which is solid something, so heavy you can not budge it, is suppose to be back at the correct site of his ashes.  I will go by this week and check:)  I am thankful to sorta have all mother's business coming to a end, it brings me to tears still, I still have the things in the white trailer of hers, it was things that was left in her home once Kay and I got the things we wanted, so not even sure what to do with it all, its still so emotional for me, and if something does not go right, I get fighting mad:(((( like the cemetery deal. SO I know I am still in the angry part of grief,  time to move forward:)  just wish I could speed it up,  I think I have then like today, I just really miss her, think back over her last week and have some anger at how her week was, thankful she did not know. Wish I could not remember it, still have issues as you can see.  I love her and miss her beautiful self:)

Gotta run, it will be a busy first of week, then a Romantic Valentine's day and busy weekend with work:) Hugs to all and Happy Valentine's day!

A full weekend

Addie

Addie and Amelia

Victoria and girls do just dance:)

 

Friday I had a easy day, as you all know from previous blog, I got Gumbo, crawlfish, shrimp for dinner and made it a movie night with Steve:)  Saturday I worked that am and then Mika had her three yr old birthday party, which was fun, she loved her purple party, Jenn made it all so special for her. My friend and neighbor who is a single mom needed to study so I had her little Addie ( daughter ) who is three come over, she went with me to the Birthday party and played with the girls, she was so good:)  Amelia came and she stayed the night with us, Peyton has already planned to spend the night, so we had a a fun afternoon with dancing, play dough, coloring:)  Bob, Jack and Victoria stayed fro dinner, in which we had stew:)

 

I made fried corn bread patties.....hummmmm so good, of course the girls had spaghetti:) Sunday morning started real early, like 6:15am:)  Made scrambled eggs, cinnamon rolls, bacon for breakfast, had plenty of time before church:) 
It was such a pretty day, after church Steve and I and Peyton went to the cemetery, they still do not have mother's grave done right nor have they put Walt's stone back where it goes, I left a msg. on their phone and a note on their door, not to happy about that, mother's head stone has not been engraved, even though it was paid for in Sept:(((

this is not where it goes, it is not even on the grave:( we changed the flowers out for spring flowers:)

 

you can see where Walt's stone is:(  We then went to where Steve's parents are buried at Pinecrest and put new flowers in their grave

Peyton read the names on the stones to find the one with Averitt on it.  I did not realize that Mrs. Averitt, past away the same day as Wyatt, April 1st.  We then went to Steve's grand mother's grave, Mimi, that pic is on Steve's phone, the cemetery was beautiful with a pond and geese, where daddy and mother and Walt are buried it is ok, but not as pretty, nor as safe to go to, it is Roselawn, in a high risk area now:((( But we just go packing when we go, I told Steve Lord help we have Peyton with us in this area, but all was safe and sound.  We fixed Aunt Verna some new flowers too:)   Alicia and Alexandria are in Tulsa for her dance competition, so far they are in the finals:) Hannah is doing well with her goats, working on a larger pen for her goats:)

Jill feels little better, Sydney still has ears hurting, after being on antibiotics:(  keep them and Alex in your prayers, Alex looks exhausted:(  Next Sunday is Cole's birthday party at my house, I will do a family lunch after church:) Lot of Birthday's in March too:) 

Have a full day of work tomorrow and Tuesday, class on Friday:0 SO a busy week.....I am feeling the need for a few days off:)) Looks like I will be seeing when we can go to the condo for a couple of days:)  I am itching to go to Florida, Steve and I usually go in April for our anniversary, so I will have to wait, but will look forward to going then:))

 

I actually have a cruise on Carnival that I earned, but have decided to go in December, I try to go when I think the market will be slower, but if this year is like last year I had a major December, so we may change it, the market has just not slowed down like it usually does this time of year, I am not complaining, just making hay while the sun shines:)    Guess for today it will be in my thoughts about a vacation:)  nite                                                                                                                                       

 

 

To blog or not to blog?????????

Sitting here tonight, I have the time to blog but not sure I want to blog, so I thought I would start and just free write and see what I find in my mind to blog about:)

Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm, well this has been a real busy week, several offers, closings. Really over whelming for me at times, I have Adult ADD, which I can normally work with, but this week on Thursday I could not get my mind to work, I had written a HUD Repo offer Jan 10th, it was accepted and you only have 48 hours to overnight all the paper work to HUD, I did not realize that my buyer had won the bid until I only had 24 hours to get my paper work done:((( So I go in over load in my mind, scrambling, my brain shuts down and I can not remember how to do the contracts, or how to go to the web site and get them down loaded, this is for real, I almost start to cry because I am trying so hard to do it and I have nothing to draw from..........then a agent comes in my office to tell me what happened to him on a real estate deal, I get so mad at what another agent has done to him, he is a new agent, I quit what I am doing on the HUD and work out his deal with another companies broker, I can not stand it when a agent bulldogs a new agent or just flat takes their business away, so unethical!  Yep, I got all railed up, talked to Byron got him all railed up, but getting our agent some of the commission when it was all said and done, will still have meeting with  the other companies broker to settle what happened or we will take them to arbitration.  So in saying all that, when I went back to work on my HUD offer I totally knew how to do it????? In explaining ADD, its like you get frustrated and when you do, you can not recall what you need to know to do something, I remember when I was getting tutored for my Broker test, the teacher who taught learning disabled children was doing Math with me, we just worked a problem, but I could not work it again, then I feel myself get anxious inside, then I can not even tell you what I am trying to figure out.......it is so very frustrating.  Once I got that HUD deal done, I told Steve I need to stop, I am through for the day, and I was mentally.  He made light of it, but it is not funny to me, it is something that is hard for me to understand, when I can do so many things, then when my brain goes into over load, it will not work.  If I go into a room that has everything messed up, I will not know how to start, it is so hard, I talk my self through it, one step at a time.  On the other hand, I can do so many things at once, I can eat, be on phone, be emailing, listening to others conversations, all at the same time:) My brain goes very fast, I can think of a answer to a problem before you get the problem out, I can think of a solution to something immediately, I have more energy then most my age and can get so much done in one day, so ADD is not all bad :) But I always have to make a list, put it in priority for my day so I will stay on task, then when I wonder off task, I will recognize it:) So guess this blog will be on ADD!  When you can not get your brain to focus you feel real dumb, you can not explain it to someone else to get their help because you can not figure it out your self to explain it. I realize a lot of these feelings are feelings I had in school growing up, instead of fight through it, I just thought I was dumb, and could not learn:((( I have been tested when Dr. Bryles was living and I worked at Living Hope Institute, on the testing ( TOVA) I failed, after taking 5 milligrams of Ritalin I did it perfect, there is a little flap in your brain, that is to go down on certain activities, ADD people the flap does not work correctly, the medicine makes it work, this is what he said, probably used medical terms:) when it does not flap back then you will try harder to think the answer or do something and you can't. So that helped me understand me, although I could not take the medicine daily due to blood pressure problems, it helped me tremendously when I did, like night and day difference in my train of thought, my thoughts stayed on track, not jumping from one thing to the next.  I have learned to recognize my thought pattern and try to stay focused, does not always work:(   SO that was a very hard day for me on Thursday even though it was very productive!  Today I thought I have worked the last four days 9 plus hour days and I am tired, I will got most of my Real Estate done early and came home this afternoon and had boiled shrimp, crawlfish,

Gumbo

Need a manicure, just a little messy:)

YUM!

 

 gumbo that a place fixed here, Steve and I ate and watched movies, it is now 11:30pm, he has gone to bed, the house is quiet and I am ready for bed:)  Amelia is coming over tomorrow, Jill and Sydney are sick, Peyton is spending the night so she will be excited that Amelia is too! Say a prayer for Alex and Jill, they have all been sick and poor Jill is sick now too:(  Tomorrow is Mika's birthday too:)
I still cannot believe how busy this Real Estate market is, I am ever so thankful, but also thankful for a slower day today.  I have about ate my self sick. but sure enjoyed my night.....hope you had a good night too! Now it's bedtime.....nite!