Received this from a friend this morning…

Summary of Life
GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize cats..
2) When your Mum is mad at your Dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don’t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you’re sad is Grandma’s lap.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don’t hurt.
3) Families are like fudge….mostly sweet, with a few nuts
4) Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut that held its ground..
5) Laughing is good exercise. It’s like jogging on the inside..
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD
1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional..
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you’re down there.
4) You’re getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It’s frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don’t believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.

SUCCESS:
At age 4 success is . . . . not piddling in your pants.
At age 12 success is …. .. . having friends.
At age 17 success is . . . having a driver’s license.
At age 35 success is . . .. having money.
At age 50 success is . . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . . . having friends.
At age 80 success is . . . not piddling in your pants.

Picard enjoying his soft bed

Spring is coming ready or not!

Blossoms at Sunset.

This is very funny but is rated PG-13  (so if you aren’t over 13 or are easily offended by body part references please do not read).

It is from The Oatmeal if you want to visit the original link.

Private mountain retreat on beautiful wooded 3 acres. The area around the house is cleared for maximum sun exposure. The home has large picture windows to allow in natural light. There are many cabinets and closets for extra storage space. The downstairs has a family room with wetbar, a ¾ bathroom and bedroom. The upstairs includes a kitchen with lots of cabinets and counter space that opens to the dining area and living room;a full bathroom with lots of light and 2 bedrooms. There is a large shop and circular driveway. Explore nature on you property with streams, woods and wildlife. The home is located just minutes from Mt Baker Hwy, amazing hiking, skiing, and about 30 minutes from Bellingham.

If you are interested in seeing this home please contact:

Tom Gurney, Realtor

360-303-6677

tomgurney@yahoo.com

http://tgurney.exitrealtybellingham.com

www.whatcomtom.com

Although surrounded by trees for privacy the area by the home is sunny and bright.

Large family room downstairs with wet bar

Another view...

Open, bright floor plan.

Large wrap around deck to take advantage of beautiful views.

Interesting article in the Bellingham Herald regarding home prices in the county.

Whatcom County homes sales up a bit in 2009,  but at lower prices

DAVE GALLAGHER – THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
click here for link to original article
A late-season rally put Whatcom County home sales about on par with the previous year, but the price continued to drop in 2009.

Last year Whatcom County real estate agents sold 1,992 homes, slightly more than the 1,981 sold in 2008.

The median price for homes sold last year was $258,950, down 6.5 percent compared to the previous year, according to Lylene Johnson of The Muljat Group. Johnson is a real estate agent who analyzes local housing data.

In a separate report, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service estimates 175 homes sold last month in Whatcom County, 65 more than in December 2008.

While the year-over-year increase is a sign that sales have stabilized, it was still just a small step toward recovery. Last year was the second lowest total for the decade, according to Johnson’s data. The peak was in 2003, when real estate agents sold 3,052 units.

The coming year appears to be an uncertain one for real estate because of the economy, said Gragg Miller of Coldwell Banker Miller-Arnason. High unemployment and foreclosure numbers could make 2010 look similar to 2009.

“I’m not as nervous as I was last year at this time, but there are still some things to be concerned about,” Miller said.

Johnson agreed, noting the threat of interest rates rising later in the year and the homebuyer tax credit program ending by summer could spur increased activity for the first four months of 2010. The trend after that is less predictable.

“It really depends on what is happening in the economy after the (government tax credit) program ends,” Johnson said.

While home sales activity has been up in recent months, distressed sales are playing a bigger role. According to Johnson, more than half of the sales under contract in Bellingham on Dec. 31 were either a short sale or a bank-owned property. Much of the spike has been in short sales.

“That tells me there were a significant number of people who needed to sell right now,” Johnson said.

Other trends:

• The demand for homes remains in the lower price ranges. There is a three-month supply for homes in Bellingham under $250,000, while there is a four-month supply for those between $250,000 and $500,000. Those supply numbers would typically mean it’s a seller’s market, but that hasn’t led to a rise in prices.

• Bellingham fared better than most of Whatcom County’s communities, seeing a 3.3 percent rise in sales while the median price only dropped 3.5 percent. “People continue to move into the city from the county,” Miller said.

HOMES SALES BY COMMUNITY

A look at the median sales price, average sale price, total homes sold and average days on market in 2009 and percentage change to the previous year.

Whatcom County:Median sales price, $258,950, down 6.5 percent; average sales price, $295,100, down 7.2 percent; total homes sold, 1,992, up 0.5 percent; average days on the market, 102, up 1 percent.

Bellingham: Median sales price, $288,444, down 3.5 percent; average sales price, $339,537, down 5.5 percent; total homes sold, 910, up 3.3 percent; average days on the market, 92, unchanged.

Lynden: Median sales price, $268,850, down 9.5 percent; average sales price, $288,852, down 11 percent; total homes sold, 154, down 15.4 percent; average days on the market, 108, down 10.7 percent.

Ferndale: Median sales price, $262,950, down 9.7 percent; average sales price, $287,920, down 6.9 percent; total homes sold, 247, down 4.3 percent; average days on the market, 98, down 4.9 percent.

Sudden Valley: Median sales price, $231,700, down 9.4 percent; average sales price, $246,909, down 7.8 percent; total homes sold, 152, up 7 percent; average days on the market, 108, up 4.9 percent.

Blaine/Birch Bay: Median sales price, $223,600, down 10.6 percent; average sales price, $266,843, down 5.6 percent; total homes sold, 251, up 5 percent; average days on the market, 131, up 72.4 percent.

Nooksack Valley: Median sales price, $214,950, down 10.1 percent; average sales price, $241,849, down 11.8 percent; total homes sold, 108, up 16.1 percent; average days on the market, 101, up 11 percent.

Mount Baker: Median sales price, $135,000, down 17.4 percent; average sales price, $146,760, down 19.5 percent; total homes sold, 123, up 3.4 percent; average days on the market, 102, down 1.9 percent.

SOURCE: Lylene Johnson, The Muljat Group

Reach DAVE GALLAGHER dave.gallagher@bellinghamherald.com

Here is to a fabulous year for 2010 and beyond…small business is what makes Bellingham tic so it would be great if the small business could continue to see success…

Cautious optimism from Whatcom County business owners heading into new year

DAVE GALLAGHER – THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
With about two years of increased company closures locally, the business climate is looking tough for 2010, but there is some cautious optimism seen by local counseling experts.According to records kept by The Bellingham Herald, 89 brick-and-mortar businesses closed by the end of December, up from 83 in 2008 and 35 in 2007.There were significantly fewer restaurant closures in 2009 compared to the previous year, but a significant increase in the number of other retailers, particularly ones that have been around more than five years. Tom Dorr, director at the Center for Economic Vitality, said that trend fits what he’s been seeing in the economy.PHILIP A. DWYER | THE BELLINGHAM HERALD – The Markets grocery store manager Jim Vanrijswijck welcomes customer Sheila Seelye of Custer after opening the store for the first day of business Wednesday morning, May 13, 2009, in Birch Bay Square, one of several new businesses in Whatcom County.”

Reach DAVE GALLAGHER at dave.gallagher@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2269.

Subject: In The Beginning

In the beginning God covered the earth with broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach, with green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God’s bountiful gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry’s and Krispy Kreme.

And Satan said: “You want hot fudge with that?”

And Man said: “Yes!”

And Woman said: “I’ll have one too with sprinkles.”

And lo they gained 10 pounds.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair.

And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane, and combined them.

And Woman went from size 2 to size 14.

So God said: “Try my fresh green garden salad.”

And Satan presented crumbled Bleu Cheese dressing and garlic toast on the side.

And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said: “I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them.”

And Satan brought forth deep-fried coconut shrimp, butter-dipped
lobster chunks, and chicken-fried steak–so big it needed its own
platter.

And Man’s cholesterol went through the roof.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with potassium and good nutrition.

Then Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them in animal fats adding copious quantities of salt.

And Man put on more pounds.

God then brought forth running shoes so that his Children might lose those extra pounds.

And Satan came forth with a cable TV with remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels.

And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering light and started wearing stretch jogging suits.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite.

And Satan created McDonald’s and the 99-cent double cheeseburger.

Then Satan said: “You want fries with that?”

And Man replied: “Yes! And super size ‘em!”

And Satan said: “It is good.”

And Man and Woman went into cardiac arrest.
God sighed…and created quadruple by-pass surgery.

And then…Satan chuckled and created HMOs.

Happy Thanksgiving

Turkey Recipe

You know how I am always sharing recipes, well I just got this one emailed to me by a friend and couldn’t resist sharing…

Here is a turkey recipe that uses popcorn as part of the stuffing — imagine that!
When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect for people like me, who aren’t sure when poultry is thoroughly cooked, and don’t want to overcook it. Give this a try!

1 – 8 to 15 lb. turkey
1 cup melted butter
1 cup stuffing (Pepperidge Farm is good)

1 cup uncooked popcorn (Orville Redenbacher’s)

Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush turkey well with melted butter salt, and pepper. Fill cavity with stuffing and popcorn. Place in baking pan with the neck end toward the back of the oven.

Listen for the popping sounds.  When the turkey’s ass blows the oven door open and the bird flies across the room, it’s done!

And, you thought I didn’t cook…

Happy Thanksgiving!!