Missy Aaron

We have all heard the saying that 'Today is a Gift, that's why they call it the Present'. I really got to have a good, long, hard look at these words this weekend. Please let me explain.

My Grandparents are 85 years old. They have always been very active and relatively healthy. My Grandpa was walking up to 8 miles/day until just recently and still keeps a PHENOMINAL garden in the spring and summer. My Grandmother also, until recently, continued to volunteer about 3 hours a day and swam in her pool seasonally. At this point in their lives Grandpa is having some heart problems and Grandma has developed Alzheimer's. I know this is to be expected because as Grandma just learned AGAIN, "WE'RE 85! When did that happen?" This is a shock she learns this each day plus she learns each day that her parents are no longer living, some of her other relatives and friends are gone as well, and that they are no longer living in their home, but an apartment attached to my Aunt and Uncle's house, among other Daily Newsflashes.

So, I drove the short distance from Batesville, Arkansas to Jonesboro, Arkansas and I spent the weekend with my Grands. They have an aide during the week, and we are trying to take turns 'enjoying our Grandparents company' on the weekends so as to give my Aunt and Uncle a much needed and deserved break.

I tell this to explain that my Mother is indeed having a TERRIBLE time with the eventuality of this situation. It's not that I blame her for this or am I trying to minimize the situation. I try to calm her down and help her to be realistic, but I must admit this probably isn't my strongest quality. This weekend my son, Tyler, joined me at my Grands and I have to say he really just enjoyed himself. THAT was the grandest present we could have given them. It wasn't a weekend spent mourning over the fact that this is a difficult situation, but it was a weekend spent thoroughly enjoying the people we love and reminiscing about the great times we had, and the friends we have enjoyed over the years. It was a weekend of watching Tyler soak in all their stories and laugh. It was a weekend of watching them soak in his youthful attention and admiration. This helped me explain to Mother on the way home: Just go and enjoy them! Quit being so consumed with this situation; Just go enjoy the present!

Ok, Ok, Ok...I'm trying to get the hang of this 'Blogging' thing because it's the 'thing to do' (not that I've ever chosen to do ANYTHING for that reason!) I'm really thinking that it isn't like anyone listens to me when I talk, so why should they listen to me when I type? And my mother (YES, my Mother) signed me up on Twitter to keep up with me... Yeah, I'm 40 years old and she's still trying her best to keep up with me!!! (WHAT A GREAT MOM! :-) But anyway, she signed me up weeks--ok, truth be told MONTHS ago--and since I'm a little bit busy-LIKE ALWAYS- I'm just now getting around to looking at the site. It SEEMS relatively harmless-right? I can do this---surely if my MOM can do this, I can do this!! Maybe???

I'm sure I can figure it out... so I've been 'studying' up on this Twitter stuff on ActiveRain, so now SURELY I can do it for real------Here goes nothin'

Alrighty!... so I'm signed up, I've invited a friend or hundred, I've added a profile, and picture, and linked a website or 5, and I've wasted---HOW LONG??? Your kidding me! I just signed up for this and now I've burned up a WHOLE AFTERNOON? That I should have been selling something...UGH! I should have been PROSPECTING; making calls, and making contacts and setting appointments and getting signatures on stuff...on ANYTHING...but here I am trying to 'twitter'....THAT even sounds bad....Oh, but it must be ok if my Mother registered me...right??

Well since I've already lost a whole afternoon, I may as well look into the 'Blipping' and see what that's all about. Isn't there a sight where you can take care of all this at the same time? Or would that be called MySpace and Facebook??? Who Really Has That Kinda Time???

Thank you for joining us in our endeavor to 'Jump Start' this challenging market! There are DEFINATELY opportunities to be found out there!

Coldwell Banker offices are kicking off our nation wide 10 Day Sales Event. Participating Coldwell Banker Real Estate Agencies across the country are jointly reducing the price of thousands of properties in an effort to bring in some activity during these uncertain times. If you are in a position to purchase Real Estate...this is probably the best time to buy in history with wonderful deals and low interest rates.

Coldwell Banker Mortgage is also participating and they will be offering FREE APPRAISALS to buyers who choose to use them as their lender when they purchase one of the homes participating in the event. This offer from CB Mortgage is valid from October 10-24th, 2008.

Follow this link to find out more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPZF4WMr0xY

I was on a conference/training call this morning...just as I have been every morning for the past 3 weeks (OK-weekdays only) and my friend-as well as a member of my mentoring group-Chris Prescott made a fantastic observation. He commented on how our economy got into it's sad state because of everyone who uses their home as an ATM.

I feel that he hit the nail on the head because if Real Estate is basically the back-bone of our economy, and because we as a society cannot control our desires/wants/needs??/spending and we have to keep using the cash-out value of our home to bail us out of our financial sink hole...where does it stop???

For most of us, our home is the largest financial obligation we have, but it's also the largest asset we have. So if financial security is built by building value and equity in our largest financial asset...why are we trading that in b/c we can't pass up all those little 'luxuries' we think we NEED? Can't we just use a bit of will power, some restraint?? Make a few minor adjustments...maybe take your lunch...pass up the coffee house a bit...wait on purchasing those extra pair of shoes/jeans/glasses or the newest game/CD/DVD.... Just wondering...it's gotta stop somewhere...