Movng is an overwhelming task most of the time. 

Where are you moving?
How soon are you moving?

Do you have a home to sell?  Do you have a home to buy?

Will you be renting?   Are you moving with your work? 

Do you need information from the area you are moving to? 

Do you need an area tour? 

Have you ever noticed how December and the Holidays sneak up on us faster each year?  Things came together for us this week-end which propelled us
into the Spirt of the Season…

The weather cooled at last.  It’s been close to 70 degrees lately so it’s hard to realize it’s Christmas when it’s so warm in December in the Redding area.  Mark and I were invited to our friends, John and Mary, for crab on Friday evening.  California crab season is something we all love.  Crab, salad, bread, and wine.  It’s a wonderful meal to share with good company.   The ambience of their newly landscaped backyard with patio and firepit adorned with lit Christmas tree was perfect.  What made it all even better was the biggest full moon in forever.  It was a superb evening to start the week-end.

On Saturday, we did negotiate the Christmas crowds as we enjoyed buying gifts for a family in need.  It was fun to shop for young people’s clothing again – it’s been awhile.  We brought everything home to wrap and then dropped it off at Northern Valley Catholic Social Services prior to heading over to…

the bell ringing location we were assigned - in front of Safeway.  This is something we do every year for the Salvation Army through Redding Rotary.  We were so impressed by the generosity of people this year – truly.  Everyone was in such a good mood and one gal walked out of Safeway with two hot chocolates in hand to give to us saying, “You must be so cold!”  Honestly, we were not so cold as just the bell ringing keeps the blood moving “just enough.”

Sunday was a rainy, cold day to hang out.  We started out at the Cedar Tree Restaurant for breakfast which is quite usual for us.  Mark’s ’65 Alfa didn’t start when we were ready to head home so there we had to be creative about getting home.  It didn’t matter.  There was time.  In the afternoon, the rain continued.  The temps had dropped a lot we had Christmas music was playing while I made 100 Swedish meatballs to take to an old fashioned Christmas celebration with about 60 friends – at Santa Hawes.

Santa Hawes was one of the nicest surprises of this season.  It was drizzling and cold (cold for here, remember!) but we were dressed warm and went on a hayride through the feast of lights with Santa himself on board!

Christmas lights that we traveled through projected Santa playing volleyball, horses jumping, a nativity scene and so much more.  They also have a train called the Candy Cane Express which travels through the walnut orchard.  A lot of people will
know this area for the corn maize Hawes Farms does in October that has
grown each year in popularity.

We ended up at the barn for a wonderful sit down meal.  It was simply GREAT to catch up with some good friends during this evening with a difference.  They will be open through New Year’s Eve.  Check the website for more information as they’ve got a lot going this time of year.

I would have to say that this week-end was just about perfect connecting with friends, doing some community volunteer work, and having some precious
down time to get into the Spirit of the Season.

Wishing you and yours a Blessed Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa –
whatever it is you celebrate.

If you know someone moving across town or across country,
one phone call to ReloMary can get alleviate a lot of the work!

Last night I had the honor of going to the official debut of Jill Michael’s Jewelry!

Available in Redding, CA and beyond…

I was greeted by Jill’s warm and gracious smile, along with her friends, Ashley, Bethany, and Lindsay who were helping her host the jewelry party.  Each gal is beautiful in her own right.  It propelled me back to my 20’s with wonderful memories of my own.

I have known Jill (Michael Burrell) for a number of years as my son, Will, graduated high school with her.  What a great group of young people who all support each other in the best kind of way!  To see each of them blazing a trail in the world is a wonderful thing.

Jill graduated college in four years from Azusa Pacific University in Southern California.  She accomplished this feat mostly on her own.  So many do not graduate in less than 5 years!  What an industrious young lady.  She landed a job in Redding, CA working with new young mothers helping them adjust to their new role in life.

In her off hours, Jill has delved into passion she has for design.  She has this keen sense of style and creativity burning within.  Why not make jewelry?  Her mom, Jane-Ellyn, designs/sells her own line of jewelry in Queenstown, New Zealand and gave her a few tips and then Jill was away with her own ideas.

I encourage you to contact Jill if you are looking for a special necklace or earrings.  She also has some fun pieces for young girls…  Jewelry is somehow more special when you can meet the maker!  And Jill would be happy to hear from you…

Contact Jill Michael for her beautiful jewelry at:  jillmichaelburrell@gmail.com

530-227-6995

And a reminder - Please contact ReloMary if you are considering a move within the
United States or Canada.

Mt. Shasta, California – is positioned halfway between Redding and the Oregon border – 60 miles from each. It sits peacefully and beautifully on the western side of the 2nd largest peak in California.  This mountain ”peak”, called Mt. Shasta, rises to 14,179’, creating something magical for miles around.  Author John Muir, in 1874, said:  “When I first caught sight of Mt. Shasta over the braided folds of the Sacramento River Valley, my blood turned to wine and I have not been weary since.”  Aptly put!

The weather over Thanksgiving was unseasonably nice.  Mark and I drove up to Bunny Flat and set
out on a hike up to the Sierra Club Hut which is at about 8000’. Sunshine and blue skies above provided a great day to get out to enjoy some fresh air and exercise before eating Thanksgiving dinner!

One young fellow we ran into was a banker living in L.A. who had recently moved there from Michigan. Unfamiliar with other parts of California, he felt like he had found the “real” California!  He was running with his very shiny boxer named Cash!  He described the friendliness he had met everywhere on his journey north and the views were enough to “knock his socks off!”

There is so much outdoor activity in the area.  Whether it’s hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, kayaking, swimming, golfing, mountain biking you are interested in, you will have a wonderful backdrop. 

There are also some unique shops and restaurants to enjoy.  One of my favorite clothing stores is called Directions on the main street and is worth a stop each time I visit.  Having a “cup of Joe” and breakfast at the Stage Door (also evening entertainment here) or find a new book at the Village Book Store followed by a visit to Language Quest where you can find a map from just about anywhere on the planet.  That was a real find for us. The Fifth Season will outfit you for any outdoor activity and we have known the owner, Leif, for years.  He was extremely helpful to us during the years of outfitting our kids with ski/snowboard equipment.

While I’m writing this, I realize more and more just how much this smallish community has to offer.  If you golf, the Mt. Shasta Resort is incredible while offering very pleasant accommodation near Lake Siskiyou.  From here, you are not far from Castle Craggs which has stupendous views and where you can cross country ski on Castle Lake in the winter. 

The last thing I will mention at this point – as I could go on for days about the area – is the Mt. Shasta Ski and Board Park.  This is where our kids were basically raised in the winter.  One of them became an avid skier and the other an avid boarder.  They both had great training through the junior program.  To this day, they are hooked on snow!  These guys love hiking the back country to get into fresh powder to get “the shot” on film.

For me, having grown up in Minnesota and ending up not loving snow, I can’t believe my kids cannot live for long without it.  But, I am thankful for the close proximity of this amazing place – Mt. Shasta – and all that it entails and all the joy it’s provided the Lascelles’ family over the 26 years we’ve lived in the area. 

No matter where you live in California or surrounding states, Mt. Shasta is worth a visit.  In Redding, we are so lucky to have this phenomenal asset so close at hand.  It’s another strong reason to live in the Northstate!

Contact ReloMary

Winning the Federal Duck Stamp Competition is a BIG DEAL!  Well, I take that back.  It is a HUGE DEAL!  It is the largest wildlife competition in the world.  This was the 76^th year of the competition and it drew 270 entries!

Now, you ask, why would I even be aware of this?  It is because this year’s winner is Joshua Spies from Watertown, South Dakota – the first born son of my cousin, Francene (Argabrite) Spies.  I’ve followed Josh’s artistic pursuits since he was little.  My husband and I have proudly hung some of his works in our home and people are amazed at his perfect detail. 

The competition was held October 17-18, 2008 in Bloomington, MN.  Josh and his wife, Heather, and their young son, Sam, along with Josh’s mom attended the event.  Josh was not going to jinx his chances so showed up casually in a pair of jeans and boots at the judging event. 

 There were 300 people at the event and you can imagine the Spies’ delight when H. Dale Hall, the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced Josh’s name in front of the crowd.  I guess those jeans worked!

Some artists have entered as many as 20 times into the competition.  Josh has entered this competition before and in 2003 and 2008 he won the South Dakota state competition. 

Second place in the contest went to Jim Hautman, of Chaska, Minn., who painted an acrylic of a pair of Canada geese. He has been the proud 1^st place winner three times - 1990, 1995 and 1999. Third place went to Gerald Mobley of Claremore, Oklahoma, who painted a pair of northern shovelers in acrylic. Mobley’s art was featured on the 1985-86 Federal Duck Stamp, and he is a multiple winner of the Oklahoma waterfowl stamp competition.

This year’s winning painting will be featured on the 2009-2010 Federal Duck Stamp.  The stamp goes on sale in late June of 2009.  The amazing thing is the Federal Duck Stamp sales bring in approximately $25 million every year which then funds wetland habitat acquisition for the National Wildlife Refuge System.  This contest, run by the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service, is the only federally sponsored juried art competition.

Duck Stamps, displaying Josh’s winning art, will go on sale at post offices, national wildlife refuges, some national retail chain stores, and various sporting-goods stores nationwide in late June of 2009.

All waterfowl hunters need to purchase and carry with them the current year’s Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp which is often referred to as the Duck Stamp.  Many collectors purchase the stamp in order to support habitat conservation.  All but 2% of the proceeds (out of the $15 cost) goes to Migratory Bird Conservation which, in turn, supports wetlands acquisition for the refuge system.  Since its beginning in 1934, the funds have raised more than $1,000,000,000 ($1 billion!) to acquire and protect over 5.2 million acres of wetlands. 

To see the top three winners for this year’s competition, click here. 

For those of us personally familiar with your work, Josh, it was clearly just a matter of time before you won this competition.  Your depiction of the long tailed duck with decoy is spectacular.  I have had fun showing it to people in Redding – friends and peers at work – they are amazed at how real your work looks and the water is absolutely fluid.   We understand we will be able to purchase a signed piece so please put Mark and me down. 

I also want everyone reading this to be aware of your website.  Your other work is stunning.  You have shown tremendous growth over the years.  Your U.S. wildlife is captivating and now your African wildlife has gotten our attention big time…we are planning our first African trip in 2009.

I always knew you’d be recognized.  To have received this honor at the age of 35 has no doubt thrilled and humbled you at the same time.  May you have many more years of producing such wonderful works, Joshua Spies!

Please feel free to share this post with all your friends and family who have an interest in wildlife and art.  Josh is one person who will be fun to watch over the years.  If you haven’t heard about him before, you know about him now and will hear more about him in the future.

Count me, ReloMary, in as one proud relative and keen admirer!

Josh and Heather's son already showing interest in art!

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I connect people with people.
Regarding all things move…

My job just became more straightforward!
This is very good for me AND you!

How did that happen?
We just grew hugely in size.

A company in Canada, Brookfield Residential Property Services (BRPS), has bought/merged with GMAC Real Estate.  This means, more or less, that GMAC Real Estate offices are now connected to Royal Lepage, LeCapitale, and Johnston and Daniel in Canada.  The Canadian offices comprise 21% of real estate transactions in their country.  Our global ability has just become more straightforward.

When many real estate firms are struggling, we have just become stronger going forward. 
Our Premier Service standard and the common language amonst the companies and offices.

The blend of companies expands my capabilities for assisting you within the U.S. and across Canada.
That is a natural!
This morning I assisted a gentleman in the Toronto area.

Whether you live in California, British Columbia, Texas, Saskatchewan, Minnesota, Alberta, Connecticut, Ontario…or any other state or province - if you are moving, I would love to assist you in simplifying the work.

I love what I do and appreciate that I was just gifted even more tools to help you, your friends and family. 

Call me for “all things move”.  One number gets you going!

There is no fee to you for this service meant to provide you with ease when it comes to “all things move.”

Contact ReloMary

Our memories are short on a lot of things.  How many of us have to walk backwards to remember things?  We are on a mission and walk into the next room only to realize we have no idea why we’re there once we arrive.  If we retrace our steps, we realize what it was we were trying to do.  That light bulb goes on!

I went to a mini conference at South Shore at Tahoe this week with some peers.  We had some tremendous speakers and visited and revisited what the real estate world is going through.

When looking at history, you realize that right now may be one of the best times in real estate EVER to actually buy property.  Why?  Because interest rates are good and prices are good. When was the last time that happened? 

20.5%

Prices have come down and interest rates are 6+% right now.  Interest rates in 1981 were 20.5%.  Put this into perspective!  Interest rates were 11% when we got into our first home in 1983.  We found a way.  We made it work.  And it was that first scary purchase that put us on the path to investing in our future.  One foot in front of the other…real estate prices historically ALWAYS go up - just not overnight. 

Single digit interest rates and good home prices create a pretty good opportunity for purchasing – whether it’s your first home or moving up.  There may be no better time for a long time to come to realize some dreams in real estate.  We all need to live somewhere so it is at least worthy of serious thought, isn’t it? 

Our consensus was that those who wait too long could be kicking themselves two years from now.  The mix of good interest rates and lowered prices is a rare thing.  How many times have we said “if only we’d purchased then?”  Too many!

IS YOUR LIGHT BULB ON?

This is a great market for first time home buyers and investors!  Investors are starting to be seen again.  A Realtor® in my office just declared he has builders who have again started buying fixer uppers to fix and sell.  It’s time to investigate all your options!

There is a $7500 First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit being offered by the government through June 30, 2009.  I can connect you to a professional Realtor® no matter where your inquiry might be around the United States - they will be able to tell you more about this program.

TRAVIS IS DOING WELL!

Do you ever just want to put your head in the sand and quit listening to the media?  The news on a daily basis right now is so negative!  Somewhere along the way, they determined that bad news generates more interest than positive.  Well, not for me! 

I started my day out by watching Robin Roberts - from Good Morning America - come up with lyrics to a song about a Brand New Day with the help of India.Arie .  Robin, as you may well know, starts work early and she lives everyday with the hope each new day brings.  Even through her breast cancer treatment recently, she remained upbeat.  I like to surround myself with this kind of spirit.  It rubs off!

After seeing this bit on T.V., I was ready to head to work.  I kept my head up on my 10 mile drive. This sign about Travis caught my eye at a local service station called Jindras.  They focus on the positive and I give them credit for doing so.

I passed it by and thought I’d better do a u-turn and go back to take a photo of it.  I thought what is more important than little Travis?  All our woes about money.  We will survive this.  The ones who won’t are those who think they won’t!  I have a new friend, Sam, who lives off an island in Turkey.  He actually gave up a more regular life to check out traveling for a few months and now almost three years later he is not ready to give it up.  He has found there is more to life than Wall Street. 

I now have a son who is in Paris - or maybe he has moved onto Milan - before he heads to India and points beyond.  Both my sons worked hard as salmon fishermen in Alaska this summer and are now able to experience a bit of life until they return again next Spring.  My other son is going to be spending his winter in Tahoe working and enjoying his passion - snowboarding.  They are living simply but experiencing so much!

Will, ReloMary, Scott and Annie (the pooch)

I also want to let you know that in our office meeting this week we heard during the Mortgage Minute that it is a good time for people to go back to their banks to see if they can renegotiate their loans.  The bailout money is being used for this.  So, this is good news.

There is also good news for people who are buying homes.  Prices are excellent and interest rates are also good.  When my husband and I bought our first home in 1983, I believe the interest rates were 18%.  They are around 6% right now.  Unemployment in our town was 18% in 1983!  I think we are hovering around 6% nationwide right now.  (That means 94% are working!!)  Interesting!  I wonder if those rates go hand in hand???

Even with those atrocious figures in 1983, we made it!  But it took hard work.  And you know what?  The harder we worked, the luckier we got!  It’s awesome how that happens.  Power of positive thinking and not allowing the nay-sayers to slow us down!  Nike was onto something when they said, “Just Do It”. 

Oh, I have connected a couple of people already this morning with hand picked Realtors in the areas they need - in Palm Springs, CA and Edison, New Jersey.  One seller, one buyer.  I’m working and I’m here for you to do the same.  I love my job. 

I invite you to look around you and comment on the positive things you see in your area, your life.  There is always good news out there.  Wouldn’t it be something if we focused on it? 

There’s a place right here for you to make a comment about the good you see out there. 

In the meantime, if you have any Real Estate Questions, I can put you in touch with the appropriate expert.

Contact ReloMary

Grape Leaves in Santa Cruz Mountains in October, 2008

 Santa Cruz, California in October is just about as perfect as can be.  I like to meet my childhood friend from South Dakota, where she is a department chair at USD in Vermillion, a couple times a year in Santa Cruz where her daughter has lived and attended Cabrillo College and now UCSC studying linguistics.  It is a 5 hour drive for me from Redding to pick her up first at the San Jose International Airport and then take the drive on Hwy 17 to this oceanside town.

We always have a lot to catch up on - having known each other all of our lives.  We’ve been through all of life’s ups and downs together really.  We are the sister to each other that we never had.  This is a very special friendship.  We get to talking so much from the get-go that we almost always get lost from not paying attention.  We were immediately turned around getting out of the airport. 

It was about 9pm before we arrived in the Santa Cruz Mountains not far from Bonny Doone Winery.  This is where we found 8 college age folks celebrating a friend’s 23rd birthday.  We dove into the delicious pasta/pesto dish they were devouring.  It was so fresh and so good!  It felt good to have arrived.

The next morning the gals, (Kristin, Ingrid, Lana and myself) went to breakfast in downtown Santa Cruz but not before a group photo of the 3 others was taken by maize growing in front of a home downtown!

Kristin, Lana, and Ingrid - Downtown Santa Cruz - Maize and All

Breakfast was superb and gave us the energy to drive up to Davenport where we found a beach to hike down to and spend a couple of hours.  The beach was large and there were different activities going on to feast the eye.  Everything from a group of traveling vagabonds with newborn puppies in a guitar case to families to a lone woman playing catch with her dog.  The wave action caught my eye and I got into a Zen like trance watching the shape of the water and rocks transform with each wave.  The temperature was perfect in the 70’s.  Skies were blue.  It was one of those days when there was no care whatsoever.  Nirvana!

These are the railroad tracks above the beach in Davenport.

Voila!  We found our path down to the Beach. 

Lana, Ingrid and Me on the Beach - Taken by Kristin

There is some hypnotizing wave action on Davenport Beach.

Ingrid and Kristin are checking out the puppies in the guitar bag.

After our afternoon at the beach, we retraced our steps upwards to the car and drove to the Bonny Doone Vineyard Tasting Room which is just miles from where we were staying.  GREAT wine and we had fun wine tasting and purchasing.  There were a hundred others doing the same.  Very popular on this day!

It was then homeward for a superb spinach salad, brie cheese and crackers, and - of course - our wine purchases of the day in our new Bonny Doone wine glasses.  Conversation flowed as it does with 4 women!  Two generations learning from each other and having the best of times. 

We called it a day and had a long night’s rest.  In the morning, we were awakened by Matthew serenading everyone in the house.  He is quite the talent and I would not doubt at all that we hear he’s gotten a recording contract.  The YouTube video I have included when clicking on his name is just for fun.  What we heard that morning was more serious and quite brilliant.

Matt serenading my young friend, Ingrid

It was a splendid week-end in Santa Cruz.  It drove home why Northern California is such an awesome place to live.  Mountains and ocean and good people let alone the vineyards and interesting architecture and the sky’s the limit attitude.  It really is.  It does the mind wonders to get away for even a couple of days.  While so many folks have been stressed out over the past weeks with the election and Wall Street - I was so pleased to have just “gotten out of town” to connect with friends.  These young people were so inspiring.  They are our future and I believe we’re in great hands!  Thank you Aaron and Matthew and Kristin and Ingrid and Alison.  You are tremendous!

Too soon I had to get in my car and drive up Highway 1 - up the PCH!  Beautiful again and it was a joy to see people windsurfing and up the road a little further celebrating the Pumpkin Festival in Half Moon Bay. 

Listening to XM Radio got me to Williams, CA on I-5 sooner than later - once through the traffic of all those going to the festival!  (I’ve never seen so many pumpkins in my entire life!)  In Williams, I was anxious to see the newly opened rebuilt Granzella’s Deli.  It burned one year ago and is re-opened and looks just like the old one - with wild game adorning the bar just as before.  It was as if someone went “poof” and it’s back - just the same only better than before!

Granzella’s Deli in Williams - Reopened October 2008

Renewed by the week-end, I’m also renewed by our office meeting today.  Despite the bad economic news, there is good news.  It came up in discussion today that folks on the verge of loosing their homes should go back and talk to their banks to see if anything can be done.  With the money from the government being injected into the system perhaps, just perhaps, there will be help from your bank.  It’s worth checking.

I am always inspired by the Realtors in my own office.  I am surrounded by fulltime professionals keeping up with what is going on with daily changes.  We all have a tremendous resource in this office with so many working toward giving top notch service to their clients.  If you are unsure of whom to call about your real estate questions, you are welcome to call me and I will help you sort it out. 

Call ReloMary with any Real Estate Question/Need

My friend, Sheryl Hallstrom RN, is the nurse manager of the Women’s Heart Center in Redding, CA located at 1100 Butte Street.  Dr. Gisela Okonski, Cardiologist, is the Medical Director of the program.  Sheryl has been telling me about the heart center and I thought it a good idea to check it out. After all, I’m a woman between 18 and 80! Sheryl indicated that if there is a family history of heart disease, it is not too early to be evaluated in your 20’s or 30’s. Certainly, by the time you’re in your 50’s, (which I am), this is a wise thing to do.  The idea is to PREVENT problems!

This is your perfect opportunity, for $45, to receive a comprehensive cardiac risk factor screening, assessment and education. This is not meant to be a treatment or diagnostic program but one to help you know what areas you might improve in your lifestyle to maintain or improve heart health.

I was told to fast for 12 hours prior to my appointment. Sheryl greeted me on arrival and took me right in to the room she has comfortably set up with recliner, soothing music and soft lighting. She told me she has had friends come in together and treat it as part of their “girls day out” or women have come in with their husbands to go through the heart check! The idea of getting so much for so little!

 My blood pressure was checked in both upper arms and both lower legs. Did you know you can drop your B/P by just taking a deep breath and lowering your shoulders? Mine went down 10 points immediately with this relaxation technique! She did a 12 lead EKG, drew blood checking my HDL, LDL, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, highly sensitive C reactive protein. My height, weight and waist circumference measurements were taken.

Before I left, the labs were back and the EKG was done. I had so much information that was really useful – in my hand prior to leaving!  Sheryl went over so much valuable information and I can see where I can make some painless changes to improve my risk factors. While I exercise at the gym 3 days a week, walking more each day can help a lot! Diet was reviewed and I know there are some easy changes I can make there, too.

The EKG will be reviewed by a cardiologist and it will be sent in the mail to me with his/her analysis and some indications if need be.  All the test results (EKG and labs) can be sent to my physician’s office to be placed in my records.  I realize no official diagnosis will be made but it will certainly arm me with some pertinent baseline information. 

I actually feel great comfort in having this baseline information going forward.  Despite having worked as an RN myself for many years, I have a tendency, like so many, to put off getting evaluated.   We are always “too busy!”  This was painless and easy!

To make your appointment at the Women’s Heart Center in Redding, call Sheryl Hallstrom at

(530) 244-5433.