Brigita's Blog: December 2007

Today turned out to be a gorgeous winter day with the sun shining and temperatures around 50 degrees, which is a heat wave for around here at this time of year.  With it being so nice, I decided to take a stroll around downtown Nazareth, PA.  On my walk, I happened to pass the old Nazareth Hotel, which is now Nazareth Furniture (a local store) and Nazareth Hardware.  I decided to go inside and check out the furniture.  I hadn't been in there in years. 

The old Nazareth Hotel is a Victorian Style building built sometime in the late 1800's.  It has 4 floors with a basement.  As you walk through the building, you notice that much of the structure is original.  The windows are old, not the modern insulated windows from today.  The floors in each of the rooms are the old plank flooring.  The doors have been removed from each room, but the ones to the closets are still there.  The hallways seem to have the flooring replaced, but tried to match the old look.  All the rooms have the room numbers on them.  Some of the rooms even have the first telephones that were the crank type on the wall.  It is quite amazing how close to original this hotel has been kept. 

Believe it or not, as you walk around each of the rooms, they are set up with bedroom sets.  Some of the rooms had sitting rooms and they are set up as such.  Now floors 2 - 4 are hotel rooms, with about 30 rooms on each floor.  Just imagine, a different bedroom set in each room.  I could never imagine that sort of variety in bedroom sets.  In the hallways, there are desks, tables and chairs set up.  On the main floor you have living room furniture and dining furniture.  In the basement, more dining furniture is to be found. 

Not only does Nazareth Furniture sell furniture, but also tapestries, artwork and lamps.  All the merchandise is more along the lines of older models, not modern.  Along the way, you may also come across some antiques.  For example, I saw an old antique rocking horse, restored.  It was beautiful.  If I had the room and the money, I would have bought it for myself.

Walking through Nazareth Furniture is quite an adventure.  Plus, you can manage to get lost in there.  I used to take my children through there every once in a while, when they were growing up,  in the winter time, Just to have something different to do. 

If you ever come to Nazareth, PA, take a stroll through Nazareth Furniture.  It is a place you will always remember.  It's not like any other you have seen.

Wishing all of my AR friends and readers a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!  May you all enjoy your family and friends this season. 

And, remember it is a celebration of the birth of God's only son, Jesus.  Let us also give Him praise and thank the Lord for His great gift to us.  Without the birth of Jesus, we would not be able to celebrate this great Holiday!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!! 

I received this message from my daughter today.  She has 3 dogs of her own and she tells me that this message is for real. 

If you have a dog... PLEASE read this and send it on. If you don't have a dog, please pass along to friends who do.

Written by: Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville , Ohio

This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet. My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7AM.

I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but.... Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give I V fluids at 1 1/2 times maintainance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours.

The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine! over 5 ( 1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids. At the point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care.

He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values have continued to incr ease daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was o ver 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220.. He continued to vomit and the owners elected to euthanize.

This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern.

Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is worth passing on to them.

This actually happened.  Please take note of this warning and keep raisins as well as chocolate out of a dog's reach.  It is a poison to them and can be fatal.

It seems as though winter has set in early this year and we may have been caught off guard.  Over the past few years, winters here in the Lehigh Valley have been rather easy on us.  We must, therefore, make sure we have winterized our horses and barn before the true winter months of January and February set in.

We should start with first making sure we have an ample supply of hay on hand for the horses.  The last thing you want to do when a storm is expected to roll in, is scramble to get more hay into the barn.  Your local farmer may not have any more left, at which point you will need to find someone that does have hay.  If you are lucky enough to find someone, he may charge you an arm and a leg for it because of a low supply and a large demand.  Make sure you have brought in enough hay for your horses to last throughout the winter.  If you are short on storage space, purchase the amount you will need and see if the farmer is willing to store it for you until you need it. 

The next thing you should do is make sure the water pipes are well insulated.  When a deep freeze hits, you do not want to end up with frozen pipes and no water.  If your pipes freeze, they may burst, which means major problems.  Ever try lugging buckets of water from the house to the barn?  Lots of work and no fun, not to mention freezing cold.  Heat tapes are a good idea to place on the pipe under the insulation.

Place water heaters in the horses buckets and water trough.  It's a lot easier than trying to chop the ice out of the buckets every day.  Plus, the horses prefer drinking warmer water rather than ice water when it is cold out.  Would you rather drink hot chocolate or iced tea when you are cold? 

Make sure the horse blankets, if you use them, are clean and in good condition.  The blankets should have been cleaned over the summer months.  If the blanket needs repairs, get them done, IMMEDIATELY.  Don't wait until the freeze sets in.  Some horses grow thick, heavy coats over the winter and don't need to be blanketed.  Make sure these horses have no mud stuck to them.  They need to fluff up their coats to keep warm.  If the coat is packed down with mud, they are unable to do that and will freeze.  If they are covered with snow, don't worry about it.  Believe it or not, snow is an insulator.  Just don't brush the horses when they are wet.  This will make the coats lay flat next to the skin and give them the chills.

Draft proof your barn.  If there are drafts in the barn, take care of them.  If the horses have to stand in a draft, they will get ill.  You don't want to call the vet out in the middle of a snow or ice storm because of your stupidity.  Good way to make enemies with your vet.  The barn should not be air tight, either.  Air should be able to circulate throughout.                                                                                                                              

Get the horses hooves taken care of.  You may want to pull the shoes if you will not be doing much riding.  If you must shoe your horse, a good idea would be to place pads between the sole and the shoe.  This will prevent the snow from balling in the foot.  If you have ever seen snow ball up in a hoof, it looks like the horse is walking on high heels.  The other option to putting pads on is make sure you have lots of cooking spray on hand.  Spray the horses hoof before letting him out into the snow.  It's not as effective as pads because it does wear off eventually, but it's an alternative.  Also, the shoes should have borium on them or you should be able to place studs into them.  This helps the horse have traction on the snow and ice.  Plain shoes tend to be slippery.

Horses need plenty of water to drink.  Horses drink lots of water during the winter months, also.  This helps the food slide through their digestive tract.  If they are unable to access enough water, they may end up with impaction colic.  As many of you know, colic can be fatal to horses.  Heated water is more inviting to drink than ice water.  There are more cases of colic in the winter months than at any other time of the year.  This is all because the horse's water supply is frozen and he is unable to drink.                    

Check your fences regularly to be sure that no damage has been done.

Last, but not least, the horses should have some sort of shelter when they are left outdoors.  The horses need the shelter to get out of the wind and the elements, when needed. 

Your can now sit back and watch the horses play in the snow.  You might even catch them making horse angels in the snow.  Enjoy your horses, even if it is winter.  Winter doesn't have to be a dreaded season.

With so much advertising going around these days, the consumer is totally baffled about the definitions of common advertising terms. 

I would like to clarify this situation by offering the following translation of common advertising terms:

Classic elegance - The same model as last year.

Revolutionary - Slightly different from last year.

Mild - Tasteless.

Bracing - Stings.

Waterproof - Hard to wash off.

Pine-scented - Smells like the ladies' room in a bus station.

New and Improved - In a different color box.

Disposable - Can't be used twice.

Gentle - Use twice as much.

Lightweight - Made out of plastic.

Childproof - Impossible for adults to open.

Complements every decor - Available only in black.

In decorator colors - Available in gold and green, too.

 

It seems like doubletalk has also found its way into advertising through television.  Here are a few translations:

A tale of International intrigue - Hard to follow.

Adapted for TV - Best parts cut out.

For a final analysis and wrapup, we switch you to - The event didn't run as long as we had counted on.

Brought to you as a public service free from commercial interruption - We couldn't find a sponsor.

I hope this helps clarify some of the common advertising terms we see. 

The Thanksgiving feast is long over and it's just a short time until Christmas.  Not much happening during this time in Real Estate.  Time to just take a break from business and get ready for the Holiday.  After New Year's, business will pick up.  WRONG!!

There are many Real Estate Agents out there that are thinking this, not realizing how wrong they are.  NOW is the best time to get started for the New Year. 

Start out by getting your business plan together for the coming year.  This is the ideal time to do it while it is slow.  Once the New Year rolls around, you'll be ready to jump right in.

Next, continue prospecting.  Get your name out there NOW, so after the Holidays consumers will already have your name in front of them.  When they think Real Estate, your name will pop up in their minds.  You should make it a rule to never, ever stop prospecting.  Once you stop, business will stop and there will be a lull instead of continuous work.

Follow up on your past clients.  If you had a good relationship with them, I'm sure they will be happy to hear from you.  You never know when they will need your services or if they have business that they can refer to you.

Set up a budget for the New Year and get your finances together.  Figure out what you are able to afford to do the next year. 

If any letters need to be redone, do them now.  When it comes time to send them out, you won't waste time redoing them.

If you need to, reorganize, so that you can be more productive.

If you follow  through on all these steps, you will be ready for whatever the New Year brings you.  If you get a move on it now, you'll be able to jump into action as soon as that phone starts ringing.  You won't have time to sit idle, and I believe that is the way you would like it to be. 

So stop horsin' around and get to work!  Pronto!  Get ready to be busy!  The New Year will be a good one!

Do spend quality time with your friends and family during this time.  Remember to continue your prospecting at this time, too.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Here is another installment to familiarize you with the different horse sports.  From the title you are wondering "How is dancing with your horse a sport?"  Well, believe it or not, it is.  It is included in the Olympic Games.  It is actually called Dressage.  (It is pronounced as dress-ahhhdge.)  Dressage means the training of the horse. 

Dressage is ridden on the flat and it is judged on how obedient your horse is to your aids.  (Aids are signals you give your horse so he understands what you are asking him to do.  Natural aids are given with your body.  They are you legs, seat, back, hands and voice.  Artificial aids are spurs and the whip.)  In dressage you are not allowed to speak to your horse.  You are only allowed to use you physical aids. 

In dressage, you ride different tests that have different patterns and levels of difficulty.  It starts at Training Level, which is your simplest test, all the way up to Grand Prix, which is the most difficult.  The Training Level only has walk, trot and canter and a couple of circles to ride.  Very basic really.  The Grand Prix Level has many difficult moves and patterns.  Some of the moves are trotting in place (piaffe), pivoting around on the hind leg (pirouette), skipping (lead changes), moving sideways (leg yielding), etc.  These moves are quite demanding of the horse and it looks like the rider is just sitting atop the horse, not doing a thing.  The Olympians ride the Grand Prix tests. 

The most interesting phase to watch are the musicals.  This is where the dressage moves are put to music and it looks like you are dancing with your horse.  You are able to pick out your own music and choreograph it like dancers would.  There are certain movements that must be included.  It brings out the beauty of the horse. 

Click onto the link  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQgTiqhPbw 
and you will see a perfect example of a musical performance.  It was ridden at an International Competition in 2006. 

The ones to really watch, if you have the opportunity, are the Lipizzaners from the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.  These horses do an even a higher level than the Grand Prix.  Included in their movements are the "Airs above the Ground".  This is where you see the horses just jump up in the air.  It is absolutely breathtaking to watch.  I will write about these magnificent horses in another post.

The next installment will be eventing or combined training, which includes cross country riding. 

Yesterday I did a post on How Would You Like A Home Like This One? about my Native American friend's home, the teepee.  In that post I told you that I would write posts about them and their Native American ways.  Well, here's another one for you.  This is about a ceremony they do to bless land and everything on it. 

Sometime in mid-September, my friend Carina held a barn/bridge warming party on her farm.  She had put a lot of work into the barn and her place.  My husband and I helped her.  She has the Bushkill Creek running through her property and it had a bridge going over it to some woods and a field.  My horse, Eddie, is a big 16.2 hand Thoroughbred.  He weighs about 1200 lbs. and was going to be boarded there.  She wanted to be sure this old bridge would be able to handle his weight.  My husband, being in construction practically forever, volunteered to help by reconstructing it so it would hold up to heavy weight.

Anyway, Carina thought it would be great to have my Native American friends, Messina and Eagle, hold a ceremony during this party to bless the farm, the horses and the buildings.  The reason for the ceremony is to keep the evil spirits away and to keep the good spirits around to help.

First of all, Eagle and Messina were wearing their Native American dress.  They then lit a small dish with different herbs and tobacco.  With the smoke from burning the ingredients, they did a ritual with each person that was going to partake in the ceremony to cleanse them of any evil.  By using a feather, they blew the smoke around each person from head to toe.  Once everyone was cleansed, while chanting, they then prayed to the spirits in the north, south, east and west.  Carina, the owner, was the main part of the ritual. 

Once this was done, everyone marched around the perimeter of the property, through the home and the barn and around the horses.  Carina led the way, followed by Eagle with the burning herbs and blowing the smoke all around with the feather.  Behind him was Messina beating the ceremonial drum and chanting to the spirits.  What was really funny was when we walked through the field that the horses were in, Eddie, my horse, went in line right behind Messina.  It looked like he was getting in on the ceremony.  It was hilarious.

Once the ceremony was over, Messina informed Carina of the next steps.  Carina had to pick out a tree for a prayer tree.  She would then need to put out food as an offering to the spirits.  She would also need to make up prayer ties to place on the prayer tree. 

Let me explain to you what a prayer tie is.  A prayer tie consists of tobacco, red pieces of cloth and string.  What you do is you place a pinch of tobacco in your palm, say a prayer, then place it in the red piece of cloth.  You then tie it a special way to enclose the tobacco in the cloth.  You do this to a number of them and they are all placed in a row, sort of like you would string popcorn for Christmas.  This is put on the tree for the spirits to answer your prayers. 

We then held a ribbon cutting and christening ceremony for the bridge and the barn.  (No this is not part of the Native American ceremony.)  Messina cut the ribbon for the barn.  (That's her in the photo.)  Bill (my husband) and I had the honors of cutting the ribbon for the bridge.

After that, we had a barbeque and celebrated.  We all had a grand old time.

I do want to mention that no photos were allowed to be taken during the ceremony.  Otherwise, there would have been many of them here.

It is really interesting to learn of the ways of the Native Americans.  We will be learning more about their ways and rituals.  So, there will be lots more info to come your way.

                                             Have you seen a home like this one? 

                                                                       I have.

I have a couple of friends (husband and wife) that are Native Americans.  They live here in the Lehigh Valley, PA, and have this teepee set up in the field by their home.  I have had the pleasure of going inside and seeing it first hand.  I have to admit that it is very roomy and homey inside.

There is a small opening on the side which is the entrance.  It is covered by a flap like a tent would be.  Inside, there is a waterproof floor with rugs on top.  You have a pot belly stove in the center that you can use for heat and cooking.  Along the sides there are a couple of wicker chairs and a wicker sofa and a couple of small tables.  You also have a mattress, so that you can sleep in there.  My friends also have a couple of modern conveniences inside like a microwave and a small TV.  Those are plugged into the closest tree.  Not really.  Just kidding.  A long extension chord runs from the house to run them.

If you notice, there are drawings all over the canvas, inside and out.  These are painted on there to tell a story.  Every teepee has different drawings and tell different stories.

On the top, there is also a flap that can be opened inside to air the teepee out, when needed, and to have the flue from the pot belly stove go through it.  It is quite warm and comfy in there.

My friends spend as much time in there as possible and I can understand why.  It is very cozy and peaceful. 

I am learning a lot about the Native Americans from them and it is very interesting.  I'm even hooked on their music.  It is very soothing.  Sometimes I play the music to help me fall asleep.

Every so often I will be posting about the culture, traditions, etc. about my Native American friends as I learn about them. 

Stay tuned for the next part, coming soon to my blog.

I have been working with a very nice young man, who is a first time home buyer from out of state.  He was looking for a townhouse within a 45 minute commuting distance from his job.  He came out most every weekend to see different townhouses in different areas.  He finally settled on a new construction.  The interior was roughed in and was to be completed in about 2 months.  It was perfect.  He was able to make some minor changes to the floor plan.

We went into the office with the builder's representative to complete the paperwork for purchasing this particular unit.  The rep filled them out and went over them with the buyer.  I sat alongside the buyer in case he needed any assistance.  Everything seemed to be going OK, until the rep had to fill out the estimated closing cost sheet.  She didn't have much of an idea about what numbers to put in.  She asked me for some of the numbers for the closing costs.  She had no idea how much of the taxes the buyer had to pay at closing, what some of the fees were, etc.  And she used to be a real estate agent years ago.  At least that is what she told me.  Her total closing costs came out much too low.  (I did give my buyer the estimated closing costs after the meeting and I also had one of my lenders I work with send him a good faith estimate.)

Next, the representative asked the buyer what Title Company he was going to use.  He didn't know at the time.  So, the rep said: "Why don't we just put our company down for now.  They are offering xx% discount if you use them."  A discount??  I thought all Title Companies had a standard rate.  Doesn't sound right.  Well, the buyer agreed and said he would change it when he decided on a Title Company.

Afterwards, I spoke to the buyer privately.  I suggested a couple of Title Companies he could use.  A few days later he decided to go with one of the ones I suggested.  I e-mailed the builder's representative and I sent her an addendum, signed by the buyer, to change the Title Company on the agreement of sale.  A week went by and I hadn't heard anything from the builder or the rep in reference to the addendum.  I called the rep to see what was the hold up.  She told me that they did not need anything in writing to change the Title Company on the agreement.  Did I hear that right?  Don't need anything in writing?  Not in this day and age.  I insisted that even though the builder might not need the addendum signed, I DID!!  She told me she'd get back to me about it.  About 30 minutes later, she called and said she was mistaken and would return the signed addendum in that day's mail.

I am happy to say that we are going to closing on December 7th with the Title Company of my buyer's choice.  A couple of weeks back, the buyer did a walk through of the townhouse and he informed me that some minor things needed to be taken care of.  Even though the builder will have him take a walk through a few days before closing, he and I will take one final walk through just before closing to make sure everything is in order.  Better to be safe, than sorry.

Moral of this story:

Don't let anybody snowball you.  Do what you feel is right and stand up for yourself and your client.  That's what your job is all about.