Getting Back on the Balance Beam

WOW, it has been over a year since I have written anything on my blog! A lot has happened in the past year, but more so in the last few months. Rather than go over the details of the past, I am going to write about the events of today.

I am sitting in my husband's parent's family room watching my 86 year old Father-in-law fade away. He has had a good life, raised nine beautiful children and has a lovely wife of 60+ years.

As we wait for him to pass, life goes on for the rest of us but in a different way. I answer emails and texts, post on Facebook, communicate with clients, little things that I can manage while tending to the patient and family. Working out has not been a priority this past week but I did manage to squeeze in a short run yesterday. My eating habits, well I am trying to eat healthy and for the most part I do. I am watching my fellow Crossfiters blog about their meals. I am not nearly as disciplined as they are. I had coffee, 2 eggs and Ezekiel toast with a drizzle of honey for breakfast, a few peanut butter pretzels and half a ham sandwich for lunch, and will probably have left over chili for dinner. Not much snacking in between. Perhaps I could do without the wine that I drink in the evening to help me “chill”, but now may not be the time to stop that ritual. LOL

I should mention that I am coming off an injury, partial tear of my hamstring, and am anxious to get back to tennis and be in full workout mode. In the meantime, the coaches at Urban Warfit Crossfit have been so helpful in scaling the WODS for me. A positive: I am getting better performing pull ups! I will be doing my hamstring strengthening exercises today and go for a long walk, Lord willing.

Thankfully, Real Estate has slowed down for me this month. I had two closings in December which is not too common during the holidays. I have a few good prospects in the near future who are taking advantage of the still relatively low prices and interest rates. It has been a blessing that my work has temporarily decreased as I have been able to be available for family.

And do I dare talk about the fact that Chris and I are going to be empty nesters soon? That will be another blog.

Getting back on the balance beam!

Taste of Cave Creek

Have you ever wanted to taste a little bit of every restaurant in town? Cave Creek is hosting a delicious event that will satisfy your "foodie" cravings. Over two dozen local restaurants will be offering samples of their delectable food.

For $10, guests can sample wine, craft beer and tequila, enjoy live country and rock music, and browse a Sonoran Arts League fine-art exhibit. Food-tasting coupons are $1 to $4 each.

Event will be held from 5 to 10 p.m., Oct. 17 and 18. Stagecoach Village, 7100 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek.

You can be assured that this food lover will be there!

Go to Taste of Cave Creek for more information.

AZ's Centennial Celebration

Arizona turns 100 on February 14th and they are celebrating big this weekend with a PARTY of the CENTURY! There will be festivities all day Saturday and Sunday, February 11th and 12th. Head to Arizona's State Capitol Mall to enjoy FREE activities which includes:

Entertainment - Food - Music - Cultural Villages - Family Fun Zone - Beer & Wine Gardens - Arts & Crafts - Education Pavilions

Live performances by popular artists such as Gin Blossoms and George Benson.

Check out all the events here Centennial Party.

Emergency Alert System Test November 9 at 12PM AZ Time

On Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.(EST), the federal government will be conducting the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The test will last up to three and a half minutes. During this period, regularly scheduled television, radio, cable, and satellite shows will be interrupted as the system is being tested. Please inform your staff and visitors that this event will be just a test, and not a real emergency alert.

The national Emergency Alert System is an alert and warning system that can be activated by the president, if needed, to provide information to the American public during emergencies. NOAA's National Weather Service, governors, and state and local emergency authorities also use parts of the system to issue more localized emergency alerts. The test is an important exercise in ensuring that the system is effective in communicating critical information to the public in the event of a real national emergency.

Under the FCC's rules, radio and television broadcasters, cable operators, satellite digital audio radio service providers, direct broadcast satellite service providers and wire line video service providers are required to receive and transmit presidential EAS messages to the public. A national test will help federal partners and EAS participants determine the reliability of the system, as well as its effectiveness in notifying the public of emergencies and potential dangers both nationally and regionally. The test will also provide the FCC and FEMA a chance to identify improvements that need to be made to build a modernized and fully accessible Emergency Alert System.

Visit the FCC website for more information about the test, including additional answers to some frequently asked questions.

Additional links:

http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm

http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm

Unique Christmas Boutique in Cave Creek

Northridge Community Church in Cave Creek is holding its 4th Annual Christmas Boutique,
Saturday, November 5th from 10 am to 4 pm.
6363 E Dynamite, Cave Creek AZ 85331


There will be over 50 vendors selling unique and specialty items such as gourmet food, decorations, candles, purses, jewelry, clothing, cosmetics, and much more!

Get a jump on your Christmas shopping!

This event is sponsored by Kate’s Cup – a place for moms of young children to connect, relax and grow in a fun environment.

Running of the Bulls in Cave Creek

RUN WITH THE BULLS – October 14 & 15, 2011 in the town of Cave Creek, AZ , the 4th Running of the Bulls in America will take place. Join over 1,000 thrill seekers and experience an adrenaline rush of a life time by running a quarter mile in front of forty 1,500 lbs. raging bulls. Also at the event will be live music, vendors and food booths.

To Learn more click here... BULLS IN CAVE CREEK

FHA Limits Lowered as of October 1

FHA loan limits for Maricopa County have gone down from $346,250 to $271,050 as of Oct. 1st . Congress raised the conforming loan limits in 2008 and has extended them annually through 2011, but no action was made to meet the Sept. 30 deadline, therefore, the limits have decreased.

The effect on the marketplace began in August when major lenders stopped approving jumbo loans in anticipation of the decrease in loan limits. With the lower limits, many buyers will now have to put down at least 20 percent compared to the 3.5 percent previously available to them.

Despite the drop in conforming loan limits it is still a good time to purchase a home as rates are still extremely low. According to Freddie Mac, the average on a 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 4.01 percent from 4.09 percent this week.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call! 602-318-5341

Cave Creek Film Festival Call for Entries

The Town of Cave Creek is taking entries for their annual Film Festival . The theme this year is “Our Community Through Your Eyes”.


Turn your mind’s eye to a personal experience or memento that is stirred by this diverse community. Are there interesting locations or features that appeal to you? Put your creative energy to work and submit your ten minute or less film.

There is a Youth Category and an Adult Category each eligible for cash prizes!

All films which comply with Festival guidelines will be shown at the Taste of Cave Creek, Wednesday and Thursday October 5th and 6th.

www.cavecreek.org for more information.

Chris Doc Stewart Playing in AZ this Weekend

Looking for something to do this weekend?
Chris Doc Stewart is performing in two excellent venues.

Saturday, April 9th
Glendale Jazz Festival
3:15 to 4 pm
This is the 28th anniversary of the Glendale Jazz and Blues Festival which features outstanding musicians as well craft artisans and delicious food and beverages, including wine tasting by Kokopelli Winery.

Sunday, April 10th
Rhythm and Wine Cafe
2 to 5 pm
Rhythm and Wine Cafe is celebrating their one year anniversary in their beatiful location in North Scottsdale with a wine tasting. Enjoy the outdoor patio, cityscape view, excellent food and live music!

Come on out ~ you will be glad you did!

Maintaining Balance?

It is time to check back in again, time to evaluate how I am performing on the balance beam. Am I living a balanced life, balancing work and family, building great relationships, making good decisions, and remaining basically happy? It is easy for me to evaluate this from my current position, as I am forced off the beam, for reasons beyond my control. (Thankfully God is in control and I am not –another topic.)

This past month I truly made an effort to focus on things that matter. When my kids called, I tried to immediately make myself available which resulted in special times: lunches, shopping, packing, exercising, but most importantly, exclusive conversations. I learned things about my kids that I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t spend that special time with them. I intentionally left my work at work and spent quality time with my husband which created an environment for better communication. However, valuable time spent with my friends was much too infrequent, an area I definitely need to work on.

Real estate has certainly kept me busy. I have some wonderful clients and have been working with some great agents, but the daily schedule has been wearisome. I am constantly responding to emails, calling clients, speaking with agents, evaluating the market, doing paperwork, and most recently, keeping up with social media. I am starting to figure out that I can work hard and enjoy the pleasure of running my own business as long as I make time for important personal relationships. When I prioritize those relationships, my work as a real estate agent becomes less invasive, more manageable, and definitely more enjoyable.

Time to mount the beam again and work on maintaining the equilibrium I am so carefully trying to obtain.

Paleo in Costa Rica

Sitting on the plane… laughing out loud-oops… back to concentrating …some of these scientific explanations are going right over my head! I put my book down and turn to my husband, “Chris, let’s try eating a paleo diet while we are in Costa Rica these next 10 days.” To my astonishment, he agreed! Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo Solution, not only entertained me with his humorous writing style, but also educated me on the why’s and how’s of eating much like our ancestors ate. Chris, an ER physician, doesn’t totally agree with the concept of eliminating whole grains from his diet as he makes homemade, whole wheat waffles every morning for breakfast (hence the shock I experienced with his conformity!) He is beginning to read Robb Wolf’s book so maybe this meal plan will eventually make sense to him.


Our usual Costa Rica diet includes rice, beans, and tortillas chips at almost every meal. Can we really alter our diet to include only lean meats, seafood, seasonal fruits and vegetables? To my surprise, it was much easier and more delicious than I thought – and Chris agreed! As we shopped we looked for locally grown foods and went to the farmer’s market and pescaderia (fish store). We made some excellent meals: sashimi grade tuna with mashed cauliflower and cabbage, fresh pink marlin with steamed asparagus, homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh chicken served over lightly cooked zucchini, fresh pineapple, papaya, berries, and so much more! After every meal we pushed ourselves away from the table saying “That was delicious!”


Experimenting with the unique foods of Costa Rica was entertaining and enlightening. We discovered that camote is much like a sweet potato (I hope our research was correct) and we made a tasty camote hash for breakfast and topped it with fresh eggs. One balmy evening we were invited to our new friends’ home because they wanted to cook us an authentic Tico (Costa Rican) meal. Much to our surprise, instead of tortillas, they served us cooked platanos (plantains) with toppings much like we would put in a tostado – fresh tomato salsa and vegetables. They also served beans and cheese, not paleo, but we had to partake at risk of offending them. I must say that I felt the effects in the morning. Thinking in the paleo mode though, meat can definitely be added to this meal to give it more protein. We will be giving that a try soon!


Of course, you can’t be in Costa Rica without experiencing the beautiful sunsets on the pristine beaches with a cocktail of choice. Thanks to Robb Wolf, we found a new alternative: NorCal Margaritas. Sticking to only one is another matter!

So now we get ready to go home. Can we hold fast to this way of eating? I am motivated to stick to this lifestyle because I would like to see how it will affect my performance during my Crossfit workouts. However, I am curious to see if Chris will go back to his old favorite-waffles!

Classic Car Sightings in Scottsdale, AZ

Recently I have noticed an increase in classic cars on the roads here in Scottsdale, Arizona. It must be due to the Barrett Jackson Auction coming soon. Our great city of Scottsdale will be hosting the 40th Anniversary of the world’s greatest collector car auction from January 17th to January 23. If you have not been to the auction, I highly recommend it! The minute you enter the gates you will be drawn in to the excitement of the venue. Not only are there over 1000 exotic and collector cars from around the world but there are many activities for people of all ages, including over 350 exhibitor and sponsor booths, including some excellent food too. A great experience for the entire family! Check out their website for more information on all that the Barrett Jackson Auction has to offer.

Count Your Blessings!

We have much to be thankful for:

If you woke up this morning healthy ... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the fear and loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pain of starvation ... you are better off than 500 million people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are more comfortable than 75% of the people in this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If you can read this, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

If you have friends and family who love and care for you, there is no comparison.

Let's be THANKFUL this day and every day!

Sliding Into the Market

The real estate business is definitely not the same as it used to be. It is now multi-faceted more than ever, even beyond the ever changing rules of short sales and REO’s. The uncertain economy must be bringing out the “creative financing” side of people. My most recent transactions have not been the traditional experience. But then again, what is traditional these days? I have had to do much research on a variety of topics for my clients including: lease purchase/option, seller carry back, model home lease back, home auctions. Good thing I enjoy learning and passing that information on to my clients! People see that interest rates and home prices are low and they want to get into the real estate game again but because they may be struggling with their credit as a result of a loss of job, foreclosure on their home, bankruptcy, etc…, they can’t jump in as they did before. Instead, they are trying to slide in. I believe that we will be seeing more uncommon types of real estate deals as a result. What do you think? And what is your experience? Feel free to post your comments here!

Empty Bowls Project-Carefree Town Center

The Tenth Annual Foothills Empty Bowl Event will take place Friday, October 22, 2010 from 11 am to 1:30 pm at the Carefree Town Center. For a minimum $15 donation, lunch guests will enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Carefree Resort & Villas and also take home a unique bowl of their choice which is hand-crafted by members and friends of the Sonoran Arts League.


The Empty Bowls Project, an international effort to fight hunger, was started in the fall of 1990 by two potters in Michigan to help raise money for a Thanksgiving fund drive for a local food bank. Since then, the idea has spread around the United States and all over the world.

This is a great way to get the local community involved, by making bowls and then coming together to share a meal. It’s a reminder of how many people are struggling to put food on their table. Taking home one of the bowls will serve as a lasting momento of world hunger - which starts right here in our community.

100% of the proceeds from the lunch will be donated to the Foothills Bank & Resource Center and will be used to support their ongoing effort to provide emergency food and services to area families in need of assistance.

Have lunch, feed the hungry and keep the bowl!

Celebrating Over 50 Years of History, Carefree AZ

Carefree, Arizona is a peaceful and serene town located in the high Sonoran Desert -just minutes north of Scottsdale and the Phoenix metro area - amid lush desert terrain and ancient granite boulders.
It was over 50 years ago that two gentlemen, KT Palmer and Tom Darlington met in a Phoenix hotel and began their dream of creating a town called Carefree. Kt, a lawyer and owner of the largest second-hand merchandise and gun store in Arizona and Tom, VP of AiResearch in Phoenix, melded their unique skills and developed one of the most sought after cities in the Valley. Their vision was to protect and preserve the pristine indigenous desert growth while incorporating extreme mountain architecture and construction. This led to unique homes designed with interesting lines, textures and shapes which are strategically placed among the large boulders of Black Mountain.

Carefree was intended to be “your insurance against obsolete areas and crowded and frantic ways of living” as quoted from co-founders KT’s and Tom’s primary vision. Preserving the open space by developing one to five acre building sites was unusual at the time yet rapidly became sought after.

Carefree was incorporated in 1984 and today consists of nearly 4,000 individuals enjoying the peaceful lifestyle originally envisioned over a half century earlier.

In The Fog

I feel like I am clumsily trying to make my way through a fog that I am expecting to lift sometime soon. As I try to maintain a “normal” schedule – tend to clients, attend meetings, keep up on the kids’ activities, pay attention to my husband, help my son with tax returns before late fees come into play, maintain an exercise routine, rally with friends, make meals, keep up with the house, etc… - my thoughts are constantly with my sister Cheryl as she lays in the ICU struggling to stay alive, be alive. My thoughts keep going back to our childhood days when we would play for hours with our neighbor friends and our Barbie dolls on the front lawn of our home in Anaheim. The trees would shade us from the hot sun as we pretended to live a perfect life with our perfect dolls. And then when the heat got unbearable, we would ask for permission to go swimming in our above ground pool where we would play Marco Polo for hours at a time hiding from each other, straining to peek to see where the other was hiding in attempt not to be the loser. Of course, I was always the one being accused of cheating and she was the one just checking to make sure the rest of us were not cheating! I am told that Cheryl is peeking again while being tested over and over again in the ICU as the staff is accessing her consciousness. She barely opens her eyes as if to say “Stop it! What do you think you are doing? I am watching you!”
Three sisters-Cheryl, Patty, Linda

Who would have ever thought that my playmate, roommate, “grandma” (as my siblings fondly called her), sister for life, would have a life full of difficulties, deprived of the fullness that she expected. I expect her to fully recover, to be that sassy, bossy, Grandma (now to two beautiful boys), playful sister I once knew. May God Bless my sister and give her the life she deserves.

Balance = relationships - not tasks.


Cheryl and her husband Ray

Every Routine is Different

A COSTA RICA SESSION, Part One

Costa Rica, a small country in Central America that we frequently visit, has much to offer including spectacular scenery and a wide variety of plant life and wildlife. Did you know that there are over 850 species of birds and over 2000 species of butterflies in Costa Rica? Some typical sightings: The large Scarlett Macaws mate for life and tend to bicker loudly with each other, much like a few couples I know! We came across this Giant Atreus Owl Butterfly on one of our hikes. Although not evident by the picture, this butterfly is actually about the size of both of my hands together!
Whether we travel with close friends, family or just Chris and I, the dynamics of the group and the variety of the activities make it for a unique time. This particular visit was shared with my son Kellen (14), his friend Sebastian (15), Chris and me. Each visit to Costa Rica brings about a new experience.
Every morning Chris leaves the house around 6 am to go surfing while the rest of us sleep in. Costa Rica has the world’s most consistent surf which is why we purchased a home here over three years ago. I get up around 7 am, pour myself a rich cup of café negro, sit on the back porch and watch the wildlife. The noise is deafening at times with the flocks of birds screeching and chasing each other and the constant whine of the cicada. On this visit we have two nests on the porch. A dove is protecting her eggs in the nest she made on top of the fan and an Ani comes and goes from her nest in the palm tree over the pool waterfall. A few mornings ago, as the dove flew off for a much needed break, a Black and White Hawk-Eagle landed on our fence about 40 feet from me eyeing the empty nest located between us. Unfortunately, he took off as I reached for my camera so no picture of this amazing creature. The following morning as I was again enjoying my heavenly brew, I heard the Ani frantically screaming. The large iguana that lives on our roof climbed into her nest and helped himself to breakfast. Most of our trips to Costa Rica include a visit to Manuel Antonio, a national park with beautiful white sand beaches, lush forest that comes down to the water’s edge, and plenty of wildlife. It was a hot and humid afternoon when we arrived on this trip and the entrance gate was closed due to overcrowding. The park rangers only allow 600 people in at a time so we waited patiently for some to leave so we could enter. We saw sloths up high in the trees, bats hanging out, tree frogs and plenty of spiders. Perhaps it was too hot for the monkeys today as there was no sign of them during our long trek through the jungle. As we headed towards the turquoise blue water to cool off, our white-faced friends arrived. And boy were they friendly! Or maybe hungry. They were trying to snatch our bag away from us! We enjoyed a canopy tour on Miro’s Mountain which took us over 750 feet above sea level and gave us spectacular views above the trees. On some of the lines we reached a speeds of up to 50 mph!

Take A Ride With Us!


I have to say my balance felt really good this week!

More unique adventures of our March Costa Rica trip to come...

Doing Flips

Today was my youngest son Kellen’s first tennis match on the high school tennis team. And sadly, I have to report that I missed it! Instead, I was acting as a counselor, negotiator, and you could even call me a gymnast. A walk-through on a home that was suppose to close should have been easy but instead was filled with tension, uncertainty, and a crawl through a doggie door. Top that with preparing two untraditional contracts (aren’t they all these days), a cell phone that wouldn’t work and an attempt organize files to leave for my unfortunate partner, my day got away from me. I frantically made calls from the office phone to make sure the spastic seller really would follow through on her commitment to close so my buyer could purchase the home she waited so patiently to get. At the eleventh hour, the transaction finally recorded and I was caught up in the moment - missing my son’s event. I have come to the realization that I am pretty good at doing back flips and GI Joe crawls for others, but unfortunately, my family only gets my feeble attempts of a hop, skip and a jump. Business is good (a true blessing), but my balance is not.

BTW: Kellen won both his singles and doubles match-YEAH KELLEN!

One Step in Front of the Other

Not sure why I am writing this as God didn’t give me the gift of communication, but somehow I feel compelled to give you a view of my life… as I know it.
For starters, I am married for almost 29 years to my best friend Chris who knows me better than anyone, (Christy is a very close second!) I have five wonderful kids (Eric 25, Ian 23, Meghan 21, Kenny 18, Kellen 14) who are successfully learning to make their own way in life with the meager tools we gave them. We have a black pug named Frodo, who thinks Chris is his mother, and a cat named Skwishee, who is really Meghan’s baby. Three of my kids live at home but I have a feeling not for long. Kellen will be an only child soon.



Almost four years ago I decided to get my real estate license and work as a realtor. Wrong timing! I wasn’t going to let the economy get me down and I poured myself into my new business learning all I could and researching many avenues that could possibly help my business. Even though there have been ups and downs, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and to serve my clients. My personality is to pour all I have into what I am doing. What I am learning though is a balance – sure I give 100% to the task at hand, but I need to structure the 24 hours that I have been alotted and figure out how to give evenly to the passions, tasks, responsibilities and privileges I have been given. As Jars of Clay says in their song “Work”, I am on the eve of bittersweet. I will figure it out cuz I have a great support system and God on my side.

So… today I was able to send Kellen off on a mission trip to Las Vegas with a hug, kiss and a prayer. Kenny was sent off to work with a full tummy of a delicious bacon and egg breakfast and Chris was lovingly cheered on as he marched into the trenches of the busy ER. Home alone I spent some of my time working on my website, twitter and other frustrating technical aspects of my job. I tore myself away from the computer and did a grueling Crossfit workout, then warmed up some leftovers for dinner and sat down again in front of the computer. This time, with JCTV blasting in the background, I sat down to evaluate my time management and here I am, writing about it… appropriately a song about wasting away is playing in the background.

Going to condition my hair, take care of my nails and then sit down to read a book, “The Misunderstood God” – how is that for balance? smiles