Good Happens

DALLAS — A Texas woman went to a housing auction distraught about the prospect of watching strangers bid on her foreclosed home.
Then one of those strangers bought it back for her.
Now Tracy Orr can return to her Pottsboro home, making payments to the woman who unexpectedly and impulsively bought it for her.

"It means so much to all of us," Orr told Dallas television station WFAA. "It's not just a house."
Marilyn Mock said she was acting on instinct on Saturday when she decided to buy a house she had never seen for a woman she had never met. Mock was at the foreclosure auction to help her 27-year-old son bid on a house when she struck up a conversation with Orr, who was crying about losing her home.

Orr had bought the house for $80,000 in 2004 but fell behind on the payments. She lost her job a month after taking out the loan, and earlier this year she lost the house. On the spot, Mock decided to buy it, eventually bidding $30,000.
"She didn't even know if I had a job or was a nut case," Orr said in a story for Wednesday's online edition of The Dallas Morning News. "She didn't even see a picture of the house."

Mock told a crying Orr she could stay in the house, making payments to her instead of a bank.
"She needed help. That was it," Mock told the newspaper. "I just happened to be there and anybody else would have done the same thing."
Orr said she hopes others will do as Mock did.
"More than my house, she gave me something inside, and that's more important than material or financial things," she said.

The two are waiting on final approval from Fannie Mae before visiting the home.
Mock's son also got a home at the auction.

A Day of Firsts

I have lived in this town for over 34 years (minus come college years that I considered myself to be on loan to CA and CO) and there are times I will say to myself "I don't think I have ever driven this road" or "I have always wanted to see where that leads" or "wow, have never seen that before" - well you get my drift.

Today was the day of a few firsts.

As I am driving down Elmore Road, a road that connects Abbott with Tudor and edges the Bureau of Land Management (hence, undeveloped parkland) I notice several cars pulled to the side and traffic has stopped. I thought, "oh, another mama moose" OH NO - it was a bear, a big black bear that sauntered across the street and into the woods. Had my camera, but alas it went down where I could not get a pic. First bear I have seen in city limits.

Then, with about 4o minutes to kill and Linda Eder singing to me about Vienna, I decided to explore a road I have not been on - Campbell Creek Airport Road. It was a beautiful, blue sky day so I thought a clear view of the mountains would make for a great pic. The road weaved back into woods I have never been in and now want to go hike. I saw many trailheads and low sloping mountains to explore - lil sis is always up for an adventure, I will grab her and go.

See, I was not kidding about the blue sky

...and since I was on that side of town I decided to visit, well to be honest, pay homage to the newly opened Target Store. Now, most of you would just hem and haw about ANOTHER Target, but this is the first in Alaska (we are catching up) and I was told it needed to restock the shelves after the first week of operating. Krissy - don't fret, its been restocked and properly prepped for your visit as the managers have been briefed

I bought a Michael Buble CD, some dove chocolate looked around to see what I will be filling my home with once it is built and went on my merry way - oh, and speaking of merry, Target already has Christmas stuff out. Can we get past the turkey first people?

Pin the Tail on Syd

So what do you think of my fast thinking and creativeness. Told Beth, the fabulous graphic designer, to print out a picture and she (with Lindsey, the fantastic marketing extrodinaire) said e-mail it to Kinkos and have them make a poster. Those marketing people have all the quick and creative ideas. Well, that takes my idea up a notch and wa-la. The winner was Mikayla who put it right on the nose.

Only now I am thinking of having them do a more quality picture so I can frame this great pic.

Oh, the madness.

Amazing Grace

Strength, Love, Faith, and Prayer

****Nie Nie is awake and kids are reunited with Dad****

For an uplifting post read cJane on Oct. 24

For a heartfelt story

on the family (with some insight to the day of the crash - its been some time since I teared up so much I could not read words) read the article "A sister is held even closer" posted on Oct. 26 - you will want to have some tissue ready and then maybe call your sister just to say hi.

Happy Birthday to Lil Stinker

Sydney turns 2 today and we have some festivities planned. A phasghetti with meatballs feed, some game that I have yet to come up with - although I do have the prizes, plenty of adult tappas (appetizers), cupcakes, Nutter butter balls (because they will be expected) and maybe a Halloween movie.

She has been caught with her pants down - and I mean literally, people- if you do not catch her in time she yanks her diaper off. Right now she has entered the room I am in and has no shirt on. Thank goodness she does not do this in public. The pant/diaper thing may be a good sign though - how? you might ask - well its a sign that she is not liking her wet diaper and might be ready to potty train. The shirt thing has me wondering though.

Conversations with Seth

The two boys in the house are both playing hockey this season. Glen joined his company team and Seth is in the Mites program in town. If you add up the team fees plus the equipment fees I am thinking I am due a good week at a desert spa - I keep saying that and one day I will follow through - oh, a morning sunrise hike with a yoga class on a peak hill followed with a nice egg white omelete with fresh squeezed OJ and a side of raspberries - okay, slap back to reality.

Glen plays late at night because that is the only time adults can get ice in this town (more rinks please) and Seth was upset that he could not go watch - it's a school night, son. So when Glen got home, Seth, who is still awake in his defiance to fall to sleep, asks "Dad, did you score a goal" Glen responds,"no, I played defense and did not score a goal, but I knocked down 2 guys. Is that good?" Seth: "good job dad."

Learning words - quickly

Sydney is learning new words/phrases almost daily now. The most recent is "I Love You" although it sounds more like "Uv ew", but we all now what she means. She likes to pick up the phone or the blackberry and babble to someone, she has the pauses and responses down as if she is having a conversation. For bye she says "dye", ask her if she wants something and its a clear "yes or nooooooo" (with an added shake of the head - especially if she is not ready for bed). Seth is Seph, Mom is Mahm, and Dad is Dah - all yelled out especially when we are not in the room.

Almost won!!

What were you doing last Wednesday night? I was working out and my little sister put herself in a Palin look-alike contest. She came in 2nd! and has to go back for the finale. She got the details down - look at the american flag pin and Alaskan earrings.

The lady in the red blazer won. I will be shopping for a red blazer for Beth.

Kid Logic & Conversations with Seth

Brought Seth to the club today and Savanna (co-worker & past babysitter) offered Seth some french fries. She was having ranch sauce, the ever popular ketchup replacer, for dipping the fries.

I actually prefer Tartar sauce and you can blame a late night stop to Zips in Spokane - it was all the rage then and it has stuck.

Anyhoo, I told Seth not to double dip, he asked what that was. Then I realized I needed to explain because this is the child that loves ketchup so much that you wonder if its the fry he is eating or the ketchup. Would you like Fries with your Ketchup little guy? So after swim lessons and in between heading to his school's movie night (so happy to be home right now) he got to finish off his fries. So a voice from the back of the car says (not asks) "mom, if you are all by yourself with fries you can double dip." Apparently, the ranch is a hit. I told him yes and then asked for a fry, he then asked me if I wanted it dipped. I hesitated, but thankfully we are family and I said "sure" even if it's not tartar sauce.

How Cool are These?

Click HERE to look up close to all of them. Scroll down to October 5th.

Been out of town

I had my camera, but when you are either in meetings all day or combat shopping with limited time you tend to prioritize. Julie and I attended a Regional Volleyball Directors meeting in Colorado Springs, normally our volleyball commish Gary would attend but he is off making thousands in the Iraqi desert.

Glen got to play Mr. mom and I am happy to report that the kids are safe and sound. I even missed Seth scoring his first goal, but was able to listen to a little voice from Sydney on the phone babble on about something - just good to hear her voice.

We were able to fly in a day early for shopping opportunities and everytime we were asked for our zip code people would say "where is that?" and we would tell them Alaska - then of course we would get the question "so what do you think about Palin?" It did seem that most who asked were in favor of her. I was called a maverick just once in the meetings and ironically it came from the Arizona Commish.

Gary and Mike if you are reading: the airline people did not share your humor when you listed us as needing wheelchair assistance because we were described as blind and deaf. Nor did the homeland security guy when he was reviewing our boarding pass. Revenge is a dish best served cold my friends - mark my words.

It's Here

The temperature drops into the 30's you see how much its raining and you notice the dusting of snow on the Chugach Mountain range, but then the temps go up a bit and the dusting disappears so you think okay I have more time to rake the leaves and see if the store has snowpants yet. Then boom it's snowing and in such a way that any 20+ year resident knows is going to stay for the duration and its okay because your new car has heated seats. God Bless the person who thought that up.

Roadtrip to Williwaw

Happy Birthday roadtrip for Glen

No more tenting for us, we upgraded to a great travel camper and had to squeeze in one more outing - this time to Williwaw campground in the Portage Valley - about 45 minutes south of home.

Had to test run the oven, oh how those pan cookies made the camper smell so good, and then took a nap because the camper was coozy warm (okay, Seth was a bit too excited to be camping so he is pretending here and I could not get him to stop smiling and when I insisted he just started laughing which became contagious and we all started laughing. So then we went for a walkabout.

see that tiny little white speck in the tree about mid picture, nearer to the top? - thats an Eagle and this is the last time I go on a walkabout without my big lens.

Seth has left the building

On his way out the door Seth left his mark in the frosty crisp grass.

One more day of a slight wind and the birch tree will be bare and it will be time to fill the pumpkin leaf bags. Oddly, I am ahead of the game this season, the garage just needs a few adjustments and the car can go in, the pumpkins (with good stems) are already adorning the entry way, the mantel is screaming with fall decor, and the bag of all our winter gear is in arms reach.

Oh happy day - and first day of October.