Just for Fun

Patricia Feager and Lew Corcoran have volunteered to host the July challenge on how things may have changed over the years. This is my second entry for the month of July.  Among my bad traits when I was younger, and still present from time to time these days, is a lack of patience. And my everything must happen now attitude left me with the wrong answer or most times not with the best answer to solve a problem. I was very reactive. The years move on and I gain some experience in the business world. I learn to ask questions, although not as many as I should have in the early days. Admittedly, I revert from time to time to that behavior from time to time these days.As reaction turned to more of ask many questions and reflect a bit before you act I found my problem solving abilities improv... 07/12/2025

As both a real estate agent and a mechanical engineer (a rare and slightly eccentric breed), I’ve learned that selling a home is remarkably like designing a well-oiled machine—except this machine is a place to celebrate holidays with friends and family, hosts birthday parties, and wraps you in quiet comfort as the rain drums softly outside.This is by no means an all inclusive list...but here are 5 Things I think a proper Real Estate marketing plan should have:  1)  A Story, more than a Spec Sheet    Buyers may want "the numbers" with all of the specs on a home — but they really want to know how they are going to live in the home...how the morning light falls on the kitchen tiles and where the cat likes to nap.  Create that vision in your marketing. 2)   Photos That Breathe    Not just s... 07/12/2025

Trivia question answers for Friday July 11, 20251. In the comic strip Peanuts, what color is Woodstock? Yellow2. What country's population hit the billion mark in the year 2000? India3. What does "PO" stand for on a prescription? Bt mouth4. What US president owned a hyena? Theodore RooseveltTrivia questions for Saturday July 12, 20251. In Ancient Greece throwing an apple at someone was a declaration of what?2. A phytotoxin is a poison produced from what?3. What US city had the first subway?4. The city of Muskogee is located in which US state?Enjoy your day.  07/12/2025

Every year on July 11th, and this year on Friday July 11, 2025 we celebrate and enjoy the unofficial National Blueberry Muffin Day.We can prepare and bake blueberries into delicious muffins and enjoy eating abundant potassium, vitamin C and B6, and many other health benefits the blueberry provides. The Blueberry Muffin is one of my favorite delicious snack or breakfast.Overall, I could not find an official record how July 11th National Blueberry Muffin Day was founded.I want to wish to all my friends and to all members at Active Rain community a Happy and Wonderful National Blueberry Muffin Day. 07/11/2025

This Week…Pets Lift Our Spirits There are many pet lovers on this site. We know firsthand how comforting they are. Whether we’re suffering a loss or have had a bad day, our pets know instinctively how to comfort us.  In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this. Terry Pratchett It may be as simple as hopping onto our laps or getting as close to us as they can; this simple act lifts our hearts. Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened. Anatole FranceThis week has been no exception. Yesterday was All American Pet Photo Day, so it’s a good time to share a photo of your pet, if you are willing. No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does. Christopher MorleyPeople-watching has always been a favori... 07/12/2025

2 bears join the line for show at Red Rocks   Credit: kdvr.com DENVER (KDVR) — Attendees of a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre may have had to do a double-take while standing in line when two bears decided to wait around with them on Tuesday evening. The fans were waiting for the Russ show featuring Big Sean and Sabrina Claudio, as part of the — believe it or not — “Into the W!ld Tour 2025,” and the bears played their part in bringing that wild to life. Red Rocks geology: How the world’s only acoustically perfect natural amphitheater was formed An employee at Red Rocks, Jon Amundson, was able to snap a photo of one, and said that, while he was only able to photograph one bear, there were actually two of them: one with black fur and the other a cinnamon color. He also said the bears we... 07/11/2025

Staging a vacant home....a house, like a kingdom or a quiet rebellion, must be prepared before it is passed on. Staging is not deception—it is clarity. It is the act of removing noise until only truth remains.Too many believe that staging is about perfection. It is not. It is about suggestion. You do not fill a room to the brim with things; you leave space enough for imagination. A well-staged home whispers, Here, your story could begin. And that whisper, subtle though it may be, carries further than any loud advertisement.Begin by stripping away excess. Personal photos, political slogans, the clutter of a thousand yesterdays—these are obstacles, not invitations. The goal is a kind of honesty. Clean surfaces, open light, rooms that echo with quiet promise rather than chaos.Place things ... 07/11/2025

Trivia question answers for Thursday July 10, 20251. How many sides are on a pentagon? Five2. What is a stag with Twelve point antlers known as? A royal3. What term applies to space devoid of matter? Vacuum4. What sport would you be playing if the score was deuce? TennisTrivia questions for Friday July 11, 20251. In the comic strip Peanuts, what color is Woodstock?2. What country's population hit the billion mark in the year 2000?3. What does "PO" stand for on a prescription?4. What US president owned a hyena?Enjoy your day.  07/11/2025

AR July 2025 Challenge is "How Have You Changed" This business has changed because of the market, buyer and seller demands, contract forms, and technology. The shift in how to do business has been exciting or has taken a toll on others. What changes affected you and the way you do business?  Knowing the history of a person, place, or time can help us to better appreciate the people who became part of our sphere of influence through a Social Media platform known as ActiveRain. From the stories we shared where “the walls could not talk,” members wrote, commented, attended RainCamp, met up in groups, shared private meetings, and ZOOM calls since the beginning of time. Members were comprised of diverse types of personalities, sizes, ages, years in business, and styles. A few were quirky; we... 07/11/2025

"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters:  You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."  ~ James 1:19 NLTSome great wisdom...!Have a blessed day! 07/10/2025

Joe is a month off and the guinea pigs are glad to correct him. May the 4th is big in our home because my sifi loving daughter was born on May 4th.That being said the 4th of July is also very big in our home. Each one of us know the constitution well and hold it close to our hearts. It saddens us that every year we lose some of the freedoms the founding fathers blessed us with. Liberal policies and liberal judges are constantly trashing our rights... many of those rights are God given.   07/12/2025

Patricia Feager and Lew Corcoran have challenged members to disclose how they have changed over the years. And, yes I have changed.Sometime in college I heard the phrase credited to Mark Twain "I never met a man I did not like. I was young and the phrase stuck with me. I actually gave greet effort to living up to it. Try as I did I could not say that I was successful. Time moves on and I graduated from college and entered the work world as a loan officer for a Savings & Loan. For those of you who were born after their demise it was the place most went at the time for a loan to purchase a home. I got to meet and eat with many different people and did my best not to dislike anyone. After all they were my means of making a living. During those yeas I met a real estate broker who encouraged... 07/11/2025

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. - Frederick Douglass No man was ever wise by chance. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca The difficulty in life is the choice. - George A. Moore The harder I work, the luckier I get. - Samuel Goldwyn Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. - Alfred Lord Tennyson Don't find fault, find a remedy. - Henry Ford 07/10/2025

July 11th Puzzle - All American Pet Photo Day:Enjoy your day!Directions: Click on the link below.  Your puzzle will open in a new window.To locate a word, please hold down the left side of your mouse while dragging your cursor over the letters of that word. Release your hold when all of the letters of the word have been selected. If your response is correct, the word will change color on the word list.Please check back for future daily puzzles.Enjoy and have a great day!Click Here To Play 07/11/2025

Nerdin Gardens: A Spare I Guess While visiting a local asparagus farm close to our house, I asked for 12 stalks of the fresh, organic produce. I paid and left for home to cook my husband a wonderful dinner. After getting there, the goal was to wash and then steam and serve them with a creamy hollandaise sauce. I took them out of the bag and realized he gave me one too many. It was a spare I guess! Happy day all from Nerdin Gardens! 07/10/2025

As the real estate market is starting to slow...more often now you will hear:  "Why isn't my home selling?"  It begins, as these matters often do, with a mystery: a handsome enough house, solid bones, decent garden, and yet it lingered on the market, untouched, unloved, like a forgotten letter tucked in a drawer. The owners, bewildered, insisted all was well. But all is never well—not when the baseboards whisper secrets and the ceiling bears the faint watermark of last winter’s negligence.Elementary, you might say, but the truth is always layered. Peeling paint speaks not just of time, but of indifference. A dated kitchen, with its honey-oak cabinets and brass pulls, signals not quaintness but retreat. The astute buyer, like any good detective, sees past the listing photos to the eviden... 07/10/2025

Having been single for a long time, having pets is such a blessing.   I have had kitties in my house since I got divorced the 2nd time.  He was allergic to cats, SERIOUSLY allergic!  His esophagus would close anytime he was near cat hair or dander.Usually have two kitties, as they keep each other company when you aren't home.  Besides it is fun to watch them play together.    Lucy and Izzi are quite active in the morning chasing after each other, and rumbling!Here are some photos  -As you can see, they do get along very well.   Until Lucy gets jealous Izzi is getting too much attention.   If Izzi meows, Lucy comes running from wherever she is in the house to ensure she is OK.  BTW, they are both larger, and only one kitty can fit into the cat trees, so have two for them.Love these two! 07/10/2025

Trivia question answers for Wednesday July 9, 20251. Who was the 10th president of the United States? John Tyler2. The Peabody Award is an award given in what field? Radio & television3. What cheese is served with a classic Greek salad? Feta4. What relation to you is your uncle's father? Grandfather Trivia questions for Thursday July 10, 20251. How many sides are on a pentagon?2. What is a stag with Twelve point antlers known as?3. What term applies to space devoid of matter?4. What sport would you be playing if the score was deuce?Enjoy your day.  07/10/2025

Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. Themore you express gratitude for what you have themore likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.---Zig Ziglar From hearts and soul, let it be Thankful Thursday for all the good since last week.  Thankful for First Responders who saved lives. Thankful for the American Flag & those who appreciate their freedom. Thankful for all infants that were born this past week.  Thankful for all new homeowners who fulfilled their American Dream. Thankful for all REALTORS® who worked hard for their client's success. Thankful for wildlife that visited our communities without danger. Thankful for families who advocated love and kindness.  Thankful for people who fed the hungry. Thankful for those who delivered fresh produce to grocery st... 07/10/2025

Every year on July 10th, and this year on Thursday July 10th, 2025 we celebrate and enjoy the an unofficial National Kitten Day.We observe the National Kitten Day to play with a kitten or bring a new toy kitten.Share a selfie with your kitten. Visit a shelter and volunteer your time. If you are considering getting a kitten, adopt of purchasing one. Perhaps there are might be other ideas to celebrate the National Kitten Day.I want to wish to all my friends and to all members at Active Rain community a Happy and Wonderful National Kitten Day. 07/10/2025