Marian Goetzinger Crystal Coast Real Estate NC

I love Christmas. I love pulling out all the decorations and dusting off the creche. Where's baby Jesus? Oh, there he is wrapped in tissue paper to keep him safe. Check all the lights and throw away the strings that don't work. Don't put them back in the box to check again next year. Go ahead and start a list because you can replace them for almost nothing the day after Christmas. I love the gaudy Santa's. I turn the one that's broken around so nobody ever knows the hole is there. I wouldn't think of throwing it out. Meredith made it for me years and years ago from a gourd.

Most of my ornaments are homemade and have wonderful memories attached. Many are cracked, broken, faded, stained and glued together. There's the reindeer Jackson made from Popsicle sticks. One eye is missing. I'll keep an eye out for the missing eye. A little glue can work miracles. Oh, there's the quilted heart made by Amy. I think I'll ask her to make more of those. It has held up very well all these years. There are three tiny little silver wreath frames with pictures of Tanner and Tyler and Jackson. Oh, there's even a Santa one with Ted's picture in it.

Now, the putting it all together. I visited the Festival of Trees. Can you believe the artistic craftmanship exhibited in some of those displays?! Perfectly symettrical and each ornament complimenting the next. Love those themes! But nothing beats my tree. Three little boys worked for over an hour, hanging mismatched, broken and cracked ornaments in total disarray to create a Christmas masterpiece.

Oh, this is the MAIN THING! I'll never see a more beautiful tree!

Jackson, Tyler, Tanner

For all your real estate questions, call Marian @ 252-422-9000

or visit my web-site at www.pineknollshoresrealty.com

Today is her birthday. Mary Jean Mason Ralph. Born December 26, 1939. She would be 79 years old today, but she died when she was only 48 years old. I was 27.

My mother was not a saint but we, her ten children, thought she was. She really could not walk on water or heal boo boos with a kiss or know what we were thinking, but we were sure she could. She was a tennessee hillbilly, orphaned herself at age eleven and married way too young (13). Of course, that was not as scandalous then as it seems now.

She had an eighth grade education but was as smart as anybody I ever knew, then or since. She was strong and good and kind and loving and I learned most of what I know from her. She loved to read and read anything she could get her hands on. She read to us constantly.

Cancer took her from us way too soon, but I never go through the Christmas season without thinking of her and hugging her in my heart. Mama, I love you and I miss you and I'll never forget you.

I love golf. This year I decided I would really work on my game, playing more often and actually taking an occasional lesson. When my friend Dell asked me to play with the CRYSTAL COAST GOLF ASSOCIATION I was delighted. She explained that they play 6 different courses, the fee is very reasonable and it is challenging to play on other links. 140 women play so you have the opportunity of gtting to know golfers from around the area. What fun!

In September we traveled to River Bend. I started off with a 10 on a par 3 hole but improved some as the round continued. In October we played at Brandywine Bay. I have never seen so many ‘dog legs' and sand traps. I think I have squatter's rights on one of those. I was unable to make the game in November when they played at Cypress Landing, but I was happy to be in my office working when I realized they were playing in snow flurries. What nuts! We finished 2008 with a round at my own course, The Country Club of the Crystal Coast. Dell is our leader and she was off celebrating a big number wedding anniversary, so we all pitched in and helped. It was fun being the host club. Our wonderful General Manager, Reggie Colomb, worked hard along with his staff, to make the day special and it was. Country Club board members Everett Edwards and Bonnie Ferneau even pitched in to help. A great big thanks to them.

We won't play again until March, 2009 when we'll play Morehead City. April will find us at Minnesott and we'll finish the year with a two day tournament at Carolina Pines.

This is the wonderful view of our number 10 hole.

Mary Adamson, Patti Summerlin and Bonnie Ferneau at registration.

For more information about THE CRYSTAL COAST GOLF ASSOCIATION, THE COUNTRY CLUB OF THE CRYSTAL COAST, OR REAL ESTATE, call MARIAN at 252-422-9000 or visit my web-site at www.pineknollshoresrealty.com.

Meet Moby and Henry. Moby is my new company fish and Henry is my monkey.

I don't know about you but we struggle around here lately with lots of negative comments and bad news. I need new things to brighten up my day. One day I was out running errands and I spent a few minutes at the bank sitting across the desk from one of my good banker friends. She had a fish sitting on her desk and I found it brightened up my day to see the bright colorful fish swimming around. I asked her a few questions about the fish and as soon as I finished my banking business I went straight to Wal-Mart and adopted "Moby Dick". I love him. I love dropping his few pellets on top of the water every day and I love coming in each morning and seeing him swimming around right there on my desk as if he was waiting for my arrival.

On the day I passed the Women's Council of REALTORS presidents' gavel on to my daughter, the incoming president, she presented me with a gift that included a sock monkey. I have always loved sock monkeys and Amy knew I had been looking for one. So he is a special addition to my office as well. I named him Henry after my dear beloved brother and I think he gets along quite well with Moby.

Business is business and we all need to be professional, but let's have some fun too. If you need something to pick you up, go buy a fish. Then if he seems lonely, get him a pet monkey. They will brighten your day.

For real estate questions or referrals, please call me. MARIAN 252-727-5000 or visit my web-site at www.pineknollshoresrealty.com.

This year I decided to forego bonuses, production awards and gifts in my office. (I'm the owner, BIC.) It's been a really hard year for all of us and funds and production are way down. But I wanted to do something for my wonderful team of agents. So...I bought little piggy banks at our local dollar store, pink for the women and blue for the men. I printed angel wings I found on google and laminated them so they would be sturdy then I hot glued them to the pigs.

I wrote a poem and wrapped each pig with lots of love and hope for the new year. I can't send you each a piggy bank but here's still a pig for all my dear Rainy Day Friends:

WHEN PIGS FLY

I've always known that pigs could fly,

and when they do, your dreams won't die.

Miracles happen and all good things,

When you believe in pigs with wings.

Flying pigs will make your dreams come true,

So here's a pig with wings for YOU.

I can help you make your dreams of a home at the beach come true too.

Call MARIAN at 252-422-9000 or visit my web-site at www.pineknollshoresrealty.com