Shhh Butterflies hatching

Last night I had an event celebrating the opening of my new business. I have these fabulous personal financial advisors and they hosted the event for me. It was absolutley wonderful and I had a great turnout.

One of my guests raises monarch butterflies and he brought me this most wonderful little gift. As you can see in the photo it's a "hatchery" of sorts for butterflies. He said it symbolizes my new business. When he gave it to me last night, there were 6 cocoons. Now as you can see, there are five as one has just now hatched. As soon as the butterfly's wings are dry, I will set it free.

How cool is that people?

The Other Guys

This is my nephew's "band". He's the one singing this song.

The video quality isn't as good as it should be but he's the one at the beginning in the red shirt; reddish blonde hair, beard and mustache.

I'm not sure who wrote the song.

Their website is: www.theother-guys.com

Enjoy!

I love flowers.

I love flowers! My new place has a huge rose bush that is blooming like crazy. The flowers are just beautiful. they are somewhat like the antique roses. You know, the yellowish kind with the pink edges. It's hard to tell from the photograph.

And I was sitting out on my tiny little patio out front and I noticed what looked like Amaryllis leaves protruding from a bulb in the ground. A few days later, sure enough, a bloom is working it's way up from the bulb. There are four Amaryllis but it appears that only two have decided to bloom. I can' wait to see them. I wonder what color they are.

I brought four over myself. They bloomed the first year I had them but I haven't been able to get them to bloom again. I have them in full sunlight now and I've been feeding them. So, I'm hopeful that I can get them to bloom soon.

I also have pink impatiens that have been blooming. But when I moved, I had to cut the whole thing back. The move really stressed them.

Ok, that's all I have now. Yes, I do plan on taking photos of my new place, but it's still not quite where I want it to be.

Cheers everyone.

Things that go bump in the night

I've been in my new place about 2 weeks now. My new home is the bottom half of a duplex. It's a pretty old building, about 80 years. I also have hardwoods and I'm not accustomed to them yet. The first night I was here, I thought I heard people walking in my apartment. It turns out it was my cats. They make a lot of noise when they walk...

So, today, my neighbors who live above me have moved in. They're noisy. Hopefully it's because they are moving things about and getting settled. Either way, I'm ok with it. I like the sound of having them above me. This is a big duplex and I've been feeling sort of nervous being here by myself.

I have a friend who is moving, too and she needs my boxes. I really want them out of my home so badly. I've broken them down but I hate having them here. I want to get rid of them. So she's asked me to give her another week before disposing of them. I hope she can get them this week.

I don't feel settled yet. I had an idea in my head regarding how my business was going to work and a move was not on the radar. I'm thrown off kilter. I'm trying not to let it have so much impact on me but it hasn't been easy. So, we'll see.

Ok, that's my update for now.

I moved!

Well, I did it. I moved. It was really really rough. I had been in these apartments 11 years. I made an apartment my home and accumulated a lot of things.

It was a very overwhelming project. I'm still unpacking boxes and putting things away.

I love my new place. I absolutely love it. I couldn't sleep the first two nights I was here. My cats had a lot to do with it. They are both nervous nillies and couldn't be still. I thought I was going to kill them. But they've finally calmed down. My bird is happy. She has her own spot with a window and she is adjusting just fine.

And to top it off, during all this, I even managed to write up a contract and negotiate a successful deal on a house for one of my buyers. That was a really nice little gift that life passed my way.

Anyway, I'll take some photos and post them soon.

Second Wind

Hi everyone. Sorry for the long absence. I've sort of been depressed.

The landlord of the place I initially wanted to lease got a little greedy and decided to take advantage of my situation. I could have afforded what he was asking but I didn't like the approach. And I didn't like the fact that he left me hanging for 4 days while he decided what to do. I could have used that time to find something else.

So, I found another place in the Heights, which is a safer neighborhood than the first place. I'll be able to ride my bike and take walks in the neighborhood. Less than a block away there is a cafe, a Berry Hill, a burger joint, a pastry shop and an upscale restaurant. It's a really nice place and I'm going to be happy there.

Even though it's a better place, and a little more expensive, I've just been really depressed about the whole idea of moving. I finally placed the order to switch my utilities yesterday. I still need to order the truck so I'll do that today. I have people lined up to help me move. It's just a matter of it happening.

I checked my mail today and I had a couple of Valentine's Day cards. Awe. That really lifted my spirit. And then, I went to the apartment office and picked up two packages my sister sent me.

OH MY GOD! She sent me the cutest black and red purse. I know why she thought of me; it sort of goes with the colors of my business. My company name is in Red and my logo is Black and all of it lays over a white background.

So, then I opened the second box. She made me a memory book of this last Christmas we spent together. I absolutely love it. I love it so much.

It made my day and has given me the second wind I've needed to get through this month. I've done some business but I've been struggling getting out of bed. I've lost focus and I've needed a boost to get my "mojo" back. Anyway, her thoughtful gifts have given me the boost I needed.

I love her so much.

Dazed and Confused

I have been in such a daze these past few days. I haven't yet heard back from the people I submitted my application to for the duplex. I feel pretty certain that I have it but still, until I hear from them, it's not a done deal. It's a loose end that I very much need to have tied.

Even the mood ring on my google tool bar is Gray, indicating that my mood is anxious, ill at ease, strained. How does my google mood ring know this? That's sort of scary to think that Google is tracing my steps to know how I'm feeling......

Anyway, I stood up an appointment today to show a property. That is the very very first time I have been so distracted that I forgot an appointment. I am so embarrassed.

I'm excited about my new home but at the same time I'm very very distracted. It's hard for me to get up in the morning, I just want to sleep. I honestly believe I am feeling very overwhelmed. I look at all my things and I don't even know where to begin packing.

I have been collecting boxes for my niece because she has wanted to move. She changed her mind, so now I have boxes. I still need more.

I wish my sister were here, it would help me. I have friends that have offered to help, but I need my sister.

I'll be ok. I'm just waiting to hear for sure that I have a place to live. And then I have to figure out how much I can afford to spend getting there.

It was only inevitable

I have some very sad news. The apartment community that I have called home for the past 11 years is redeveloping and forcing it's residents to move. You can read the story here. I have wanted to move for some time, I really need more space but have just kept putting it off. I know so many people here and I have loved living here so much.

I found a new place. It's what I want but I'm so depressed about it. I know that I cannot come back. I know that these people who have always been a part of my daily/weekly routine will no longer be a part of my new life. My life is going to change so much.

I don't want to go, yet.

I will have to do a series of memory posts for this place. I have held so many parties here and have seen so many people come and go. I feel like a very close friend has just died.

Sigh.

Teach a man to fish

I have discovered someone who's work has had a really big impact on my life. A very big positive impact on my life. And if I don't say anything else here worth your time than this, then I would be satisfied.

Way back when, while working at Accenture (then known as Andersen Consulting), I listened to a speaker. I loved this guy but for whatever reason, I didn't keep his name or information about him. Then, a friend, invited me to hear him speak last December.

I have been in sales for over 6 years and I've heard a lot of motivational speakers: Tom Hopkins, Zig Zigler etc. None of them, really hit home for me or said anything that I felt I could really incorporate into my life without feeling 2 dimensional. But this guy is phenomenal.

I invested in one set of CD's. I wanted to hear him first before investing in more of his stuff. I love it. I listen to them as often as I can and I find that I am incorporating his techniques in my life and I can sense a change in myself. I am having a fantastic first month in my new business and I have to give some credit to his work. It isn't just the money I've made but also the opportunities that have opened up to me

So, who is it? It's Brian Tracy. I wish that I had started listening to him years ago.....

Oh, and which CD's did I buy? I bought "The Psychology of Achievement" because I wanted something that could help me address the ROOT of it all.

A moment of silent gratitude

I would like to take a moment to give thanks to those people who invented e-mail, faxes and scan capabilities and then made those things affordable and accessible to the average person. It is so friggin cold and yucky outside and I have contracts that have to be delivered. I don't have to step outside of the toasty warm confines of my house. I can scan and e-mail the little devils.

So thank you, whoever you might be, and I hope that you made a lot of money off your little inventions because you deserve it.

The little pixie to the right has the cutest outfits. I just love her coat, I wonder where I can find one like that. Unfortunately it would only get worn once in a blue moon here. It says it's 1 C. I think that translates to about 33 F.

Brrrrrr

It's [insert dirty word here] cold here in Houston

It's cold and wet here in Houston. I know other parts of the country are getting it far worse than we are and are probably laughing that we even think it's cold. But we laugh at those other parts of the country during the summer when they claim they're hot. They don't know summer hot 'till they've lived in our fair city during July and August.

So, It's *#!)(*# COLD here in Houston

I don't have any other way of putting it.

Beta Blogger, you suck.

Ok, I bought into the rhetoric, I made the switch. You told me it was safe. It sucks, ok? I 'm not a spoil sport really and I'm pretty patient about these things but come on, no one can post comments on my blog. I have trouble logging in. I can't always pull up the page elements and I have to keep clicking on refresh to see if I can bring it up.

Look, I know you're trying and I also know this is free. I don't have to pay for this and I get this great online journal to make friends with people I would never have met otherwise. But I have to say, it's a bit frustrating.

From the Heart -- To my sister who I love very much

As I clean up the remnants of my first tea party, my thoughts wander to you. Since I am baby sister, many of my firsts have been in your shadow. So this event causes me to consider the number of times I have wanted to grow into being the woman I always saw in you. Independent, feminine and one who was dedicated to making every day become something new, different and interesting all the while respecting and holding true the romance of the past.

As a young child, I remember watching you as you magically created beautiful Barbie furniture from thread spools and scraps of lace and fabric from Mom’s projects. And I, too, thought it made perfect sense that Mom’s stiletto made as good a Barbie car as anything else you could find. So, by the time I was old enough for Barbie, Mattel provided her accessories. Lace, fabric, glue and scissors were no longer required, so it wasn’t as fun. My interest leaned towards race cars, trains and whatever else I could get my hands on that seemed boyish and cool.

I recall as I began planning this tea party thinking of the ones that you have held and told me about. I imagined the invitations you would make with doilies and calligraphy. I see scissors and glue; and possibly even glitter. Each envelope thoughtfully addressed and mailed out weeks in advance.

My invitations went out via e-vite.com.

Determined to somehow stay true to tradition, I selected a menu of finger sandwiches and scones. I scoured the Internet for the best recipes I could find for egg salad and cucumber sandwiches. I borrowed a food processor to make the scones from scratch. And then, my guests informed me of their special low carb diets and before I knew it, tradition was again to be abandoned and finger sandwiches would be replaced with deviled eggs, ham rolls and cucumber and sour cream salad.

Finally, the day came and my guests, in the spirit of a “tea party”, arrived bearing hats and gloves. I pulled out Aunt Evelyn’s full length gloves and a Talbot’s hat I bought several years ago. And then found myself serving Constant Comment tea in little china tea cups to guests sitting prim and cross-legged with their hats and gloves. The weather was beautiful and the gazebo in the courtyard beckoned us all outside. While I was preparing water for another pot of tea, a guest discovered my Origami book and paper. So, when I went outside with a fresh pot of tea, I found all of my guests had abandoned their gloves and were making Origami designs.

We laughed, drank tea and ate guilt-free bite-sized snacks. Various teas were tasted and future events were planned. We were the secret society of the ya-ya sisterhood and life was great.

And so as I wash up the last of my delicate little tea cups, feeling all mature and feminine, I reflect and wonder what you did at your tea parties. I wonder if I did it right and what you would have thought of it. But mostly, I wonder what it would have been like if you were present and wish most of all that you had been.

Mirabelle

Last night I watched a wonderful movie called Shopgirl. I thought it was fantastic. The name of the main character is Mirabelle. What a cute name for a girl.

Anyway, I've been thinking about this movie all day.

So this morning, I'm showing a house to a client. Her name is Linda and she's inspecting the living room. I'm in the kitchen and I think of something to point out to her. I address her as Mirabelle when I make my statement. She had a funny look on her face and I realize that I called her Mirabelle. I apologized and explained that I saw the movie and really liked it and that I've been thinking about it all day. It was a fun moment.

So later this evening, I was showing a totally different property to a totally different customer. She met me at the property with a friend. As we were walking through the property I realize I didn't introduce myself to her friend. So, I turn to her, apologize for my oversight and introduce myself.

She looked at me, smiled, and told me her name was Mirabelle. What are the odds, really?

First Post of the Year

Well, I've thought about reviewing the past year but I'm going to pass on doing it because this year is about moving forward. The past year offers me fabulous lessons. It was mixed with disappointment and with accomplishment. So, I'm leaving the past in the past and I'm focusing onward to my future.

So, I start the new year armed with a list of goals and a plan for the year ahead. I expect growth, both personally and professionally for myself.

In the spirit of change, I changed the look of my website.

So, here's to all of us and to 2007. May we grow and prosper.

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

I'm flying to D.C. on Friday. And as you saw in my previous post I've started my new RE company. There are a zillion things I have to do between now and Friday a.m. So, this is my only opportunity to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.

Kisses to you all.

Announcements!

Hear ye hear ye gentle people from Blogspot and welcome neighbors from livejournal and myspace. Girl From Texas has an announcement of the utmost importance!

I have decided to start my own real estate company. This is why I have been so absent lately because I have been wrapping everything up. I wanted to start doing business under my new company today, my birthday.

Everything is done. LLC and dba's have been filed, signs are in the ground business cards are here, agreements with clients have been signed. Now, it's time to do business....the scary part.

So what brought this on? My broker last month decided to dip into my commission. It was just what I needed to push me over to this side. It's time to do for myself that which I so freely do for others.

So, this is all I can post for now. Friends are taking me to Mark's to celebrate my birthday. I'll post more later.

Gotta See It!

For those of you who live in Houston or who are even planning on visiting our fair city during the Holidays, you must must must see Houston Grand Opera's Hansel and Gretel. I know, you're thinking, "Augh, I hate opera. "

The production of this opera is not like anything you would expect. HGO partnered with Basil Twist and Jim Henson Company to develop and present to Houston's audience a performance worth remembering for a very long time. To begin with, they sing it in English; they still provide subtitles. With the use of puppetry and creative special affects they are able to make the adult performers of Hansel and Gretel actually look like children. And then, the witch. Oh My God, the witch is absolutely phenomenal. I can't even begin to describe how remarkable she is and they have intentionally NOT provided any photographs of her.

And if you're an adult thinking this is just a show for kids, think again. Basil Twist designs his puppetry with the adult in mind. The interaction of the puppetry, music and singing is fabulous.

You can buy your tickets here. You will not regret this, I promise. (Here is a really good review)

Oh, and the opera is slowly but surely becoming more and more casual. You do not need a fur or expensive clothing to feel comfortable, clothes one would wear on a date or a cocktail party will suffice.

My not so daily "daily" plug

Ok, y'all loyal readers and lurkers. I have a link over there to the right to a blog called the Daily Nooz. If you haven't checked it out, I want to entice you to do so. They have the coolest stuff.

So anyway, I don't plug sites very often but I really like this one.

What are you waiting for?

Go.

There's nothing more here to read.

Go.

Go now........

Tourists

I find it interesting how people come upon my site and with this cool site tracking device, thanks to Freebird, I'm able to see just what lures people to my site. The most interesting visits are those who pass through my site by googling something. It's almost like their tourists travelling through.

The post that pulls the most visits to my blog is the one I did on how women used to self induce abortions. If one is so inclined to read it, here is the link. People aren't googling "self induced" abortions, they are googling the methods listed in the post.

These searches are coming from all over the world and I often wonder if these are women who are trying to self induce or if these are people who are just doing research on the subject. My hope is that it is the latter.

I've had people find me by googling the poem that is recited in Nights in White Satin by Moody Blues. You know, the one that begins with "Breathe deep the gathering gloom, Watch lights fade from every room, etc." I actually posted only the last stanza of that poem.

I've had two people from two totally different parts of the world within two days of one another google one of my movie quotes. It was the one from Dances with Wolves: "Dances With Wolves. I am Wind In His Hair! Do you see that I am your friend!? Can you see that you will always be my friend!?"

I always wonder about the people who come across my site this way. I want to know what they are looking for and what inspired them to search. What was their final destination?