Frances C. Rokicki, Broker~Mentor,CRS

 

Blogging along with your favorite tunes. Commercial free, too!  You can choose the Chipmunks or Bing Crosby!  It all depends on the day you are having:)  Enjoy!

How about playing the music while you are hosting your holiday party?! You can change the tempo of your event, simply by changing the music. If you have small children in attendance, they even have the Chipmunks singing Christmas carols! LOL! Play it while you are making your Christmas cookies and pies. Are you going to popby your clients' homes with a bag of homemade holiday cookies? Gingerbread is very popular at this time of year. I noticed that many of the local grocery stores are offering gingerbread house kits! It might be fun to give a family with young children the entire kit. What a good family project!

Pretty funny, but, I did see Christmas decorations offered in BJ's Warehouse, last September. The ornaments and yard decorations played recorded Christmas music. Getting a jump on the season, I guess. Remember when we were children? It officially was kicked off on the day after Thanksgiving. They used to call it Black Friday. Some stores still do run extra good specials on the day after Thanksgiving. They open up in the very early hours of the morning. The earlier you arrive, the better sales you will see. Often, they feature a few very popular toys or electronic items to get you to come into their store. Everyone ends up buying more than the product they came in for. Sort of a door buster buy!

I did buy presents early, once. It worked out okay, but, just didn't seem like it was as much fun. There is some good to be said for shopping while it is snowing. That crisp, clean night air puts me in the spirit. I always bring my list. My family is very good about providing me with a list of their most favorite items.

The tree was purchased on the weekend after Thanksgiving. We now have a fake tree. It will go up, after Thanksgiving. When my children were young, we all used to make a day out of picking out our tree and cutting it down. Bringing it home and waiting a day or two to get it up and decorated. The smell of the tree filled the house. I still use the handmade ornaments that each of my children created through their years of growing up. The tree that we have looks very real, until you touch it:) It doesn't omit the beautiful fragrance of a natural tree, either. I do hang real pine and spruce wreaths on my front windows, outside. So, that way, when you come to the front door, you do pick up the fragrance of the wreaths.

Merry Christmas! I hope you all enjoy a lovely season, whenever you begin!

Per Greg's instructions,

Page 56, pass the first 5 or so sentences. This is amazing how this worked out!

My Closest Book to my computer is The Kaizen Way, One Small Step Can Change Your Life, By Robert Maurer, Ph.D. It's a book that Brian Buffini gave us at the MasterMind Summit Event in 2007.

Here is the passage, according to the Meme guidelines sent to me by Greg:)of Bright Ideas Group!

"Kaizen Tip

If you tend to berate yourself with negative questions (Why am I so Fat?), try asking: What is one thing I like about myself today? Ask this question daily, writing your answer down in a journal or on a sheet of paper you keep in a specially designated place."

This exercise, though, seemingly simple, can have a good impact on your day. Remember, if you do something continuously for thirty days, it does become a habit. You will continue to do this exercise every day and it will become a good routine for you. I have noticed that when I started writing these down, they were just thoughts that I grabbed and jotted down. Now, when I do this exercise, I give it much more thought. I know the results are worth having.

Here's the idea! You can rent the equipment you may need to do the job. I am talking about outdoors, in your yard! Get it going before the snow flies! Though, I believe we have had flurries already!! Starting your project now, will clean out all the brush, the dead trees or shrubs. Then, once spring is on its way, you will be prepared to go! By the time summer arrives, you will be enjoying your landscape and yard, in its new form.

www.ArnoldsRentals.com is located in South Windsor on the corner of Rt 5 & Kimberly Drive. You can call ahead. Their are experienced professionals who will be happy to offer you their helpful advice on that project.

860-289-RENT

If you don't wish to tackle this on your own, Call Birch Mountain Earthworks, LLC. 860-289-1656

They have been in the business for more than ten years. No one can offer you the same level of service that they can. You can view their work on the web,~ www.BirchMountainEarthworks.com ~ to see hundreds of projects that they have completed over the years. The family owned business is one of a kind and it shows in every landscape that they create. Engineer onsite, the design and presentation of your yard will become a feature of your property. Boulder walls, pavers, water gardens, waterfalls, sitting gardens and more. Truly, they create amazing landscapes. Call today to register for the spring schedule!

These fine companies may also, be found on Fran's Business Referral Directory. Easily found when searching on Google, with my name, Fran Rokicki. I only refer the Best of the Best!

November 11, 2008, It is Veteran's Day today in the United States of America. These are men and women who give unselfishly of themselves to serve our country. My Dad is a Marine. My Cousin, Jimmy, too. My Brother, Steve, Army. His Son, a Marine. My Home Inspector, a Marine. My Pharmacist, Army. My Cousin Joey, Navy. A Coach at Buffini and Company, Ward, Green Beret ~ Marine, A Client, Keith Harris, Army, My Uncle, Tom Blasko, Air Force, My Nephew, Thomas Ceniglio III, Army, and My friend Mike, who works now for Southwest Airlines, Navy Chief, Bill Gero, Realtor and Member of Active Rain, Air Force, George Souto, Banker & Member of Active Rain, Army.

These men that I know, all did make it home after their service term ended. All do not. I always say a special prayer on this day, for those who did not make it home. I remember them. Most of the young men I went to school with served in Vietnam. Some did not come home. They gave their lives for our peace and safety.

What about the military that were injured and wounded? I love to watch Extreme Makeover and see them award a home to a service man or woman who was injured during service, but, made it home. Struggling on their way, yet, determined to move forward and not look back. Could you do that? It takes a special person to give themselves in service to our country. Let's be grateful and appreciate these fine people today and everyday. Acknowledge them when you see them out and about. Let them know, they are appreciated. They are modest, don't really like attention. They are very special people! We thank them for their noble service.

I called my Brother, Steve, this morning. He now lives in Long Beach, California. I said, so, what is a Veteran doing on his special day? He chuckled and said, working. He was running around with a list of errands all morning. He said that when I called it made him remember his service. He was going to go to the beach in the afternoon. He would celebrate the freedom he now has because of all of the Veterans in our country and thank God that we are safe and secure.

God Bless America!

God Bless Our Veterans!