"Happy Holidays" has been a seasonal greeting since way before I was born. My parents had a recording of Bing Crosby singing "Happy holidays.....happy holidays...." This was an acceptable greeting long before anything was 
politically correct, and in fact, lots of stuff was politically incorrect. There is no reason why "Happy Holidays" should be offensive.
Yet, some Christians are offended by it. According to them, the proper term should be "Merry Christmas," since that is the "main" holiday we are celebrating (at least in their eyes.)
Actually I find it interesting that many Christians are upset about the idea of Christ being removed from Christmas...when Christmas was never a holiday He asked us to celebrate for Him, anyway.
Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to celebrate Christmas, or the birth of Christ. In fact, many Christians don't even celebrate it. Why?
Because, in their eyes, Christmas is nothing but a string of pagan-rooted traditions that have been Christianized...never mind the greed and materialism bred by this holiday. The Puritans refused to acknowlege Christmas; to this day there are different sects (including 7th Day Adventists and various fundamentalist believers) who do not observe Christmas.
I am not one of them. I like my Christmas tree, and I don't worship it, and I could do without it (it's rather a pain to put up, decorate, and take down...). I enjoy giving gifts to family and friends.
I like the lights, I like the decorations. I even like Santa Claus. We never taught our kids to believe in Santa-from-the-North-Pole-who-delivers-presents-to-good-kids (but we also taught them not to rain on someone else's Santa parade...) I always felt sorry for the poor children who were very good but never got much from Santa. (Thankfully, we have the Marines filling in for Santa, but still....)
Anyway, I like "Happy Holidays" because it IS inclusive. I do not know many people who celebrate Hanukkah, but I'd like to wish them a happy holiday anyway. I don't know of anyone who celebrates Kwaanza, and I really don't know much about the celebration, but I'd like those who celebrate it to be included in my greeting.
And I'd like to think that when others say "Happy Holidays" that they are including Christmas in that greeting as well.
That's enough for my soapbox for today. Enjoy the show I put together. I call it "Happy Hawley-Days!"
This is not directly related to real estate in Pike and Wayne County, or Lake Wallenpaupack, but I think it's an important message...
Every year I think I become a little more jaded over the whole "Holiday" season; it seems to me that materialistic greed has taken over common sense and true generosity for many people (case in point, the horrible death of the Wal*Mart worker on Black Friday; one young man's life snuffed out for what? FOR WHAT?)
Which brings to mind another young man - 44 year old Thomas Lundburg of Greeley (Pike County) was killed in an accident recently, leaving behind his wife and three young children.
My friend Andrea Koch, another REALTOR, in my office, is accepting cash contributions in order to purchase food and gifts for the family. Contact her directly by email if you would like to contribute to this.
Additionally, the Honesdale National Bank has set up a memorial fund for contributions. Make donations at Honesdale National Bank, C/O Lundberg Children, 180 Scenic Dr., Lackawaxen, PA 18435.
Phone: 800-HNB-9515. Email: hnb@hnbbank.com
On a lighter note: This blogger has a super generous spirit and she wants to spend the next 29 days giving stuff away!
See if you might be a lucky winner! Click Here.
The season of giving - it's a beautiful thing.
Photo Credit: Gift photo courtesy of mysza831, via Creative Commons.
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It's Not All About Real Estate: How About Giving © 2008 by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved. Originally published by the author on PikeWaynePABlog.com - "Not About Real Estate - About Giving and Give Aways"
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Everyone says it’s a tough market. I guess it is - but it seems a lot of sellers out there don’t realize that. When trying to sell a home in a market with a huge inventory (read: buyers have LOTS to choose from) it behooves a savvy seller to make the home available and attractive to potential buyers, if indeed, selling is the ultimate goal. Listings requiring 24 hour notice, requiring that the seller or seller’s agent be present, or that are clutter-full bastions of filth and disarray will be much more difficult to sell than homes that are easy to show, and easy to walk through. Tried to set up a showing the other day for a home that had 24 hour notice required. I called ahead, and was told that no, I couldn’t show the house to my buyers on the desired afternoon. The sellers were not going to be home. I was asked: Why not bring my buyers back later that evening, or one night during the week? Oh, don’t think about next weekend, as that’s out too. Oh, the buyers are from out of the area? Well, they don’t have to travel too far, an hour and a half is no big deal…tell them to come during the week, and to look at the pictures on the MLS instead. Huh? Are you seriously trying to sell this house? Are you aware that it’s not really a seller’s market anymore? Or how about this - “Just look beyond the clutter, it’s a nice house.” It is? Sorry, but we didn’t SEE the house, just piles and piles of trash that would fill up two 30 yard dumpsters. Let us know when you’re serious about selling, and we’ll talk. |
Are You Really Trying To Sell Your Home?
Or Are You Just Playing "House For Sale?" Photo Credit: Andrew_J_W, via Flickr |
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| Do you have a home in Pike or Wayne County PA to sell? Email me and learn about my innovative marketing plan which will be personalized specifically for your home. Are you interested in Pike or Wayne County PA homes for sale? Visit my real estate website to see all the property for sale in Hawley, Honesdale, Greentown, Lackawaxen, Hamlin, Lake Ariel, and the entire Lake Wallenpaupack region of Northeast PA's Pocono Mountains. Registration is NOT required to search the Pike/Wayne MLS. You may create an account to save your searches and keep track of your favorite listings. |
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Karen E. Rice is a real estate agent working in Pike & Wayne County of Northeastern PA in the Poconos. Lake Wallenpaupack is one of Pennsylvania's most popular destinations for vacations, retirement, and purchasing a home.
I'm Sorry, I Thought Your Home Was FOR SALE © 2008 by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved. Originally published by the author on PikeWaynePABlog.com - as "How Not to Sell Your Home"
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Pike & Wayne County, Lake Wallenpaupack & Northeast PA real estate listings, homes & property for sale. The Hideout, Masthope, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Tanglwood, Indian Rocks, Fawn Lake, & more.
In July 2007, I joined the very exciting office of WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Paupack Group. In 2008, we closed more transactions than any other real estate office around Lake Wallenpaupack.
I don't want to bore you with a mundane "About Me" section, so I've left many details out. If you really are interested and want to find out more about me, you can read my full professional REALTOR profile here.
If you think that profile sounds too stuffy, try this unstuffy one...it's a bit tongue-in-cheek; I like it better than the "professional" one. I'm definitely "unstuffy."
What have some of my clients said about me? Here's my Testimonials Page. I am not good about asking people to brag about me, but there are a few kudos there from past clients.
Enough about me. Let's get back to Northeast PA real estate. Even in these "tough times" I am selling real estate - in Dingmans Ferry, Lake
Ariel, Lackawaxen, Lake Wallenpaupack, Hawley, Honesdale, and all over Pike and Wayne County.
I love being a real estate agent; I love hunting down properties, either through tax maps, on the MLS, or driving around Wayne or Pike County.
My favorite thing to do is market listings: I LOVE taking tons of pictures, coming up with interesting descriptions, and blogging about homes for sale. If you'd like to learn more about selling your home, click here!
Sometimes I am dressed in a very business like suit; but most times I'm in jeans and boots (or crocs!), ready to go tromping around wet leaves and rocks or ice and snow looking for the property boundary ribbons....
I'm always ready for an adventure, and eager to take my clients with me.
Real estate law requires that the Consumer Notice be linked on all website pages. It is a disclosure explaining the relationships consumers have with agents, and our responsibilities to you.
I am a member of the following real estate associations:
National Association of REALTORS Pennsylvania Association of Realtors Pike / Wayne Association of Realtors
Currently, I focus on residential sales, homes, and property in the Hawley - Lake Wallenpaupack area of Pike County and Wayne County, Pennsylvania.
I maintain two real estate websites for Northeastern PA.
KarenRiceSells.com is a newly launched site focusing primarily on homeowners who want to sell their homes. I list homes for sale all over Pike and Wayne County, from Hawley to Honesdale to Lackawaxen and Greentown...and everywhere in between.
WallenpaupackLakeProperty.com is a buyer oriented site and offers easy searches of the Pike/Wayne MLS and a great place to look for your new vacation home, home to retire in, and of course, if you are looking to relocate and find a new primary home.
Click the links below for some of the searches:
Pike / Wayne County foreclosure listings
Wallenpaupack lakefront homes for sale. (Click to see 'em!)
ALL lake front properties for sale in Pike and Wayne County.
MORE REAL ESTATE LISTINGS:
Communities in Wayne County include:(these are the most popular; there are more!)
Some Pike County Communities:
Feel free to Search the Pike/Wayne County PA MLS - free! Create your own account so that you can create and save your own real estate searches.
Pike County PA is one of the fastest growing counties in the northeast United States. Because it is convenient for commuters, offers clean air and mountain magic, provides top quality schools, Pike County surely is a desirable place to live and raise a family. Real estate taxes are much lower compared to our neighbors in NY and NJ.
Both Wayne and Pike County have an affordable cost of living, especially when compared to the nearby metropolitan areas of New York and New Jersey. Many residents find that it's a wonderful place to put down roots and still keep their high paying city jobs.
Pike County Links:
Hawley/Lake Wallenpaupack Chamber of Commerce
Pike County Chamber
Pike County Industrial Development Corporation
Wayne County Links:
Wayne County Chamber of Commerce
Wayne County Visitor Information
Wayne County Economic Development
MORE LOCAL LINKS: CLICK HERE!
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