Cynthia's Chat

Family Circle magazine has named Edmond the Number 1 town for families for 2010!  We already knew that, but it is great that the rest of the country knows now.

Edmond, Oklahoma

Population: 82,530
Median Income: $69,759
Median Home Price: $177,000
Households with Children: 38%
Student/Teacher Ratio: 18:1
Great Schools Rating: 9

Read the read of the article here.

Isn't it fun to read good things about our community?

Hope everyone has a blessed Memorial Day and remember that the day is more than cookouts and and the start of summer.  Memorial Day is a day to remember.

I found a neat article about the history of Arlington Cemetery.  Did you know that soldiers from every war since the Revolutionary war are buried there?  And that a portion of the land encompassed by the cemetery was once given to freed slaves? 

The complete article along with much more can be found here.

A song that always brings goosebumps is Lee Green Wood's "I'm proud to be an American"......I still feel that way.....

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And finally this poem sums it up:

Freedom Is Not Free


I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in a crowd.
I thought how many men like him
had fallen through the years.
How many had died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom is not free.


I heard the sound of Taps one night,
when everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
with interrupted lives.


I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington...
No, freedom is not free.


Author Unknown

Have a wonderful holiday.......and don't forget to remember......

1.  Grandma Duties

My daughter, Jennifer, and son-in-law, Paul, are active in a variety of sporting and outdoor activities and participate in events around the country  A couple of weeks ago, Jennifer and Paul ran in a marathon in Virginia.  Sometimes, their children, Thomas and Andre' go along with them, but this time, the event conflicted with school and the kids own activities.  So Grandma (me) flew to Casper, Wyoming to stay with the grandchildren while Mom and Dad ran the marathon.

As always, the landscape in Wyoming.......so different than Oklahoma.....takes my breath away!

I absolutely have the best time on Grandma duty. Thomas and Andre' are so funny and smart.  I enjoy going to their school and activities. They are so busy with their own activities, that this Grandma has to eat her Wheaties to keep up. 

Andre' had her dance lesson and of course, the most graceful ballerina in the class was Andre'.

Thomas and Andre' go to a wonderful school in Casper.  I wish we could copy the concept down here in Oklahoma. 

2. Walking the Norwegian Ridgeback

Also included in Grandma duties was the care and EXCERISE of the family dogs which includes 2 daschunds and one Rhodesian Ridgeback! 

The daschunds get plenty of exercise just running around the house, but, Tsavo, the Ridgeback..........

..........has to be loaded in the car and taken for a run.  No leashes are involved, as a leash would not control this cuddly giant!  So I would take Tsavo out to an open area and let him run!  I had a remote control devise that would sent a small impulse to his collar telling him it was time to come back.

Back to Grandma Duties....

Over the weekend, Andre' had a skiing competition.  Jennifer left me instructions to have Andre' on the mountain at 8:15 am Saturday morning.  Grandma, Thomas, Andre', Tsavo (the Rhodesian Ridgeback) and the ski equipment all bundled up and in the car, made it there right on time only to find that we were early!

Andre' did great!  She loves to ski.

We stopped for Starbucks on the way to school.

All too soon Jennifer and Paul were back from their trip and Grandma headed to Casper International Airport.  I carefully packed my bag and Jennifer drove me to the airport.

3. Homeland Security on Overload

Yes, Casper does have an airport and when I arrived to check in for my flight back to Oklahoma, I was one of about 20 passengers waiting to fly out along with 6.....yes SIX.....homeland security officers.

And I was the passenger pulled out of line to be searched.  After xraying my bag, the officer asked me if I had a sharp object in my bag.  No, I replied.   When pressed about a sharp object, I mentioned that I had a ceramic bun warmer from Monticello that Jen and Paul brought me as a souvenir.  And so, with apparent glee, the officers ripped through my carefully packed bag to find this potential terrorist weapon....the bun warmer. 

With obvious disappointment, I was told I could repack my bag and board the plan.  Now, with just minutes left to board, I had to cram my belongings back in the bag and hurry to my seat.

I waved a fond farewell to Casper, the kids and of course the dogs and was soon on my way back to Oklahoma, Bill and the world of Real Estate.

Until next time...............

Where?  It's hard to convince me that Spring has arrived when I had to shovel snow to get my car out of the drive Sunday afternoon. 

But it is indeed here!  And Spring means Spring cleaning, yardwork and home improvement projects for a lot of people.

If you need a referral to some trusted contractors, click on my business directory at the side of the page.  I only add contractors and businesses that I have personal experience with or those that have been referred to me by people I trust.

 If you know a GREAT contractor that I should include in my directory, please let me know.

And, if you know someone who needs the level of professional real Estate expertise that I can offer, please pass my name along to them.