I got an email today and it was from, well.. ME! But the kicker is that it was from me from last year - how cool is that!   Several years ago I happened upon a website that you can send yourself an email in the future. So I did it. And every year during the holidays I get an email from myself. Of course, from year to year I always forget - so it is always a great surprise.   I thought you might want to send yourself an email - or you might want to share the site with your family and friends.  They might get a kick out of getting an email, from themselves, from the past.   Here is the link to the site.     http://http//www.futureme.org/   It is pretty simple to use, so go check it out and enjoy!   And maybe at some point in the future, you can say "I've got mail - from me!!" 12/06/2009

  The City of Covington will be hosting it's second annual Hollydaze, arranged by the Kiwanis Club of Covington.    Tonight, Friday December 4th, the City of Covington will turn on the lights at the Community Tree Lighting Event.  The Chamber of Commerce will be handing out treat bags while supplies last, and there will be hot coffee and hot cocoa to keep you warm, and carolers to get you in a festive mood.  Gather in the parking lot near the Don Henning Roundabout and between Jack-In-The-Box and the Dollar Store.  You won't be able to miss the pop-up tents and booths.  But come early, last year the crowds began forming around 6:45 - the tree will be lit promptly at 7:30.   The tree will remain lit throughout the holidays.    The festivities continue tomorrow, December 5th.   The day k... 12/04/2009

      Happy Friday to all!   I hope this finds you in a festive mood, and having a wonderful day!    We are hosting the RE/MAX office party here at my house tonight, so my house is all decorated and ready!  I so love this time of year, and I hope you do too!   Enjoy the quotes and I will see you next Friday!   ...geri         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   No matter how small and unimportant what we are doing may seem, if we do it well, it may soon become the step that will lead us to better things.  -Channing Pollock     Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.  The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.  -Thomas Edison     There is in the worst of fortune the best of chances for a happy change.  -Euripides     Cou... 12/04/2009

  Here is a quick look at what it going on in the real estate market in our area, zip code 98042... Last month there were 290 homes for sale, currently 294 homes for sale.  The prices range from the low 100,000's to just under 3 million. 2-bedrooms homes for sale:  14 3 bedroom homes for sale:  131 4 bedroom homes for sale:  109 5+ bedroom homes for sale:  40   There were 45 homes that sold in November, 2009.   25 were re-sale homes and  20 were new construction. A further breakout shows what type of homes sold..,. New Construction:  44.5% Bank Owned:  20% Short Sales:  13.5% Regular Re-sales:  22%    The average sale price was $267,140.             Low sales price was:  $124,900                        High sales price was:  $455,000 12/02/2009

    Attitude, Inspiration, Wisdom   For those of you who follow my Weekly Words of Wisdom blog post every Friday, you know that I am a sucker for good quotes and pictures. Well today a friend sent me a link to a video that is right up my alley.  It is all pretty pictures and inspiring quotes and thoughts.  So I thought I would share it with you too.   http://www.powerofattitudemovie.com/   I hope you enjoy it and I hope you have a wonderful day!   ...geri 11/30/2009

  Happy Friday to all!   I hope you are having a wonderful Friday and I hope your Thanksgiving was spectacular.  Are you out braving the stores today or enjoying a quiet day at home, like me?  Whatever it is I hope it is grand.  Enjoy the quotes and I will see you next Friday. ...geri        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When I've heard all I need to know to make a decision, I don't take a vote.  I make a decision.                    -Ronald Reagan       The secret of getting ahead is getting started.  -Sally Berger       Don't cut your conscience to fit this year's fashions.  -Lillian Hellman       Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.                        -Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi 11/27/2009

As with any holiday we have the traditional things that we do with our family and loved ones.  Thanksgiving day to me is the smells of food cooking, the dining room table being set with the fine china, football games and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. When I was a little girl I would wait anxiously for the parade to begin.  I would sit glued to the TV watching the bands march by, waiting for my favorite balloon characters to appear and of course the grand finale - Santa Clause! The parade started in 1924 and was originally known as the Macy's Christmas Parade.  The first parade was started by the employees and featured animals from the Central Park Zoo.  It was such a success that Macy's declared it would become an annual event. In 1927 the parade included helium-filled balloons fo... 11/25/2009

  Holiday Energy Saving Tips for the Oven/Range   Many of us will be spending hours in our kitchens over the next few days preparing some scrumptious meals for our families and loved ones.  Here are a few tips to help you ave a bit of energy as you work:   - Cook with the right size pot on the right size burner.  Energy is lost up the sides of small pots when placed on a large burners. - Open the oven door as little as possible.  Your oven loses 24 to 50 degrees F each time you open the door, which makes it work harder to maintain its temperature. - Cover pans to reduce the cooking time and amount of heat needed. - If you cook with electricity, turn the stovetop burners off several minutes before the allotted cooking time ends.  Electric burners remain hot for a bit after they have bee... 11/25/2009

  Over the river and through the woods to grandmothers house we go....   Are you among the 40 million motorists who will be hitting the roads this holiday weekend to visit family and friends?  All the additional traffic plus winter road conditions can lead to dangerous situations.  Below are some safety tips to help you and your loved ones arrive safely.   Prepare your vehicle for long distance travel:  If you will be driving a very far distance, and especially if you will be traveling in remote areas, you will want to make sure your vehicle is running in tip top shape.  Check your wipers and fluids, make sure your tires are inflated property and still have the proper tread on them, make sure you have a spare tire and that it is in good working condition, and have your radiator and coo... 11/23/2009

    Happy Friday to all!!   I hope this finds you having a wonderful day!  It is a great day at my house.  My husband is cooking our Thanksgiving turkey!  Yep, turkey day is here (well almost).  We are celebrating tomorrow with our daughter and her new husband.  Our daughter, Angella, has not been with us for about 4 years on Thanksgiving and her husband, Dan, never has.  So we are pretty excited!!  Since I won't say HI again until next Friday, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends.  See ya next Friday :)    ...geri   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you'll never enjoy the sunshine.    -Morris West     Fascination is one step beyond interest.  Interested people want to kn... 11/20/2009

 Preparing your home for the winter months ahead    As the winter season approaches it is time to make sure your home is ready for the cold months ahead.  If you have already made a list of things to do and are working your way through it, way to go.  If not, or if you just want to compare your list to mine, here are some things that my home inspector says you should take care before winter arrives.   Have your fireplace and chimney cleaned - Have a professional inspect and clean your fireplace and chimney prior to using it this winter.   Have your furnace cleaned and inspected - To make sure your furnace is running efficiently, have your furnace cleaned and serviced.  This will help with your energy bills as well as keep you and your family more comfortable this winter. As as the winte... 11/18/2009

  Happy Friday to everyone!    I hope this finds you having a good day.  All is peachy in my corner of the world.  I have been working on a transaction for quite some time and I am happy to say finally SUCCESS!  We got my clients home sale closed yesterday and their new home purchase has been released to record and will be officially recorded soon.  Woo Hoo!  A happy day for my clients - and me :)  !!!  Have a wonderful weekend and I will see y'all next Friday! ...geri ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Always be nice to people on the way up; because you will meet the same people on the way down.              -Wilson Mizner       Some people think it's holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it's letting go.                                -Sylvia Ro... 11/13/2009

Commercial Lots for Sale in Covington, Washington - MLS# 29137105 26914 168th Pl SE Covington, WA 98042 Larry Lamb - John L Scott Real Estate - KMS For more information on this listing ring my cell, 206.841.4041 and visit my website!   These two lots are zoned DN2 - there is an existing split-level home on one lot, the 2nd lot is a vacant parcel.   This is the 2nd of the two commercial lots for sale.     Commercial use across the street - retirement community.     Strip mall located directly across the street from these commercial lots for sale.     These commercial lots for sale are located in the heart of downtown Covington.  The two lots total .45 acre or 19,602 square feet and are situated on the corner of the last residential street in the downtown core.  The street of remaining ho... 11/12/2009

America Recycle Day - November 15th America Recycle Day is an annual campaign to encourage Americans to recycle and to buy recycled products.  Even a small shift in our attitudes and action, multiplied many times over by others, can change the world.  America Recycle Day is celebrating its 12th year and it has grown to include millions of Americans pledging to increase their recycling habits at home and work and to buy products made with recycled materials. The purpose of America Recycles Day is to continue to promote the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling and to encourage more people to join the movement toward creating a better natural environment. There are three parts to the recycling process; each essential to making the system work:  collection, manufacturin... 11/10/2009

First Time Buyer Tax Credit Extended and More!   President Obama signed an economic stimulus bill into law today, which will extend the first time buyer tax credit but it will also benefit current home owners wishing to make a move. In addition to the $8,000 first time buyer tax credit, there is also now a credit of $6,500 for buyers who have owned their current home for at least 5 years.  To be eligible you must have used the home you sold or are selling as a principal resident consecutively for 5 of the previous 8 years.  To take advantage of this credit you must be under contract by April 30, 2010 and you must close by June 30, 2010.   The National Association of Realtors has put together some information on the program as well as a brief frequently asked questions page.  Good news f... 11/06/2009

        HAPPY FRIDAY!     I hope that everyone is having a wonderful day so far.  We had a few really pretty sunny days, but now we are back to wind and rain and feeling like November for sure.   Have a wonderful day and I will see y'all next Friday :)   ...geri           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habits in little matters.  Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.    -Colin Powell       Adversity is another way to measure the greatness of individuals.  I never had a crisis that didn't make me stronger.  -Lou Holz       A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.  -Oscar Wilde       A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to b... 11/06/2009

Have you often thought that you'd like to show your support for our troops, but just don't know how.   Here is a great opportunity to do just that.  Xerox Corporation has developed a nationwide program aimed at saying "thank you" to our troops.  Through the Let's Say Thanks program, postcards designed by children from across the country are available for people to select and write a personalize message to the troops.  Xerox prints the cards on its paper and equipment, and mails them in care packages to deployed troops.  To take part just visit this website, http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1280.html   It five gives you an opportunity to send a free printed postcard to U.S. military personnel stationed overseas.  A way to show your support and appreciation for their service to our count... 11/05/2009

  Here is a quick look at what it going on in the real estate market in our area, zip code 98042... There are currently 290 homes for sale with prices ranging from the mid 100,000's to over 3 million. 2-bedrooms homes for sale:  9 3 bedroom homes for sale:  132 4 bedroom homes for sale:  114 5+ bedroom homes for sale:  35   There were 50 homes that sold in Ocotber, 2009.   35 were re-sale homes and  15 were new construction. A further breakout shows what type of homes sold..,. New Construction:  30% Bank Owned:  18% Short Sales:  18% Regular Re-sales:  34%    The average sale price was $269,990.             Low sales price was:  $125,000             High sales price was:  $515,000         11/02/2009

  Yep, the time is upon us to once again change our clocks.  With the change in the time we will have daylight tomorrow morning at about 6:50 AM and sunset tomorrow night will be 4:50.  Nice to have a bit more light in the morning, but it won't be long and we will be dark by 4:18 PM.  Winter is definitely upon us! Curious to see what sunrise and sunset will be as we progress through the winter and move towards the shortest day?  Check out this website...  http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=234&month=12&year=2009&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1 Once you get all the clocks changed in your home, the next thing you will want to do is to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. This is such a simple step, yet one that many of us just don't take the time to do.  So protect you... 10/31/2009

Carbon Leaf, one of my favorite bands, is doing its part to help fight breast cancer, but today is the last day for you to help them.    Carbon Leaf and Vanguard Records has been helping to promote the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  Throughout the month of October, Carbon Leaf and Vanguard Records have been offering up a free download of a song inspired by a fan's battle with breast cancer, called "Pink."  Barry Privett, lead singer for Carbon Leaf says, "she was a fan of ours who developed breast cancer at a particularly young age.  We were touched by her strength in documenting her own journey, and the amazing outpouring of support from her family, friends and community.  We are honored to be involved with the Breast Cancer Site and the National Breast Cancer Foundation."   There... 10/31/2009