Fairhope, AL - Family Vacation!

Last week, Paige, Liz and Gabriel joined me at the "Pier Relief" cottage on Mobile Bay, just outside of Fairhope, AL.  Once we got beyond the travel traumas of cancelled flights, circling New Orleans in Ms. Penny with the doggies, and finally getting to the bay, it was wonderful to have a glass of wine and watch the sunset. 

This is the cute little pavillion at the end of the pier in front of our vacation cottage.  They had baited the crab traps for us and the next night we had what was my first "independent" crab boil.  That means we got the friggin' critters out of the cage and seasoned the water, got the cooker/gas tank going and dumped the catch into the boil.  Once you get the whole mess going, you dump a bag of ice to let it soak to infuse the spices and all into the crabs.  It was soooo delicious to pick crabs, have a cold refreshment and feel the Gulf breeze as we enjoyed the culture and togetherness of family.

Night view of the pavillion and the crabs boiling.  What fun.

The next day we went to Gulf Shores to the beach.  White sands, lots of people, deck chairs, umbrellas and tons of people watching.  Gabey loved the sand.  He thought everyone would just love having cup fulls of sand on their towels and chairs as well.  I think he was the most protected child on the beach.



Gabriel now can call for his "Abuella" or "Miss Margaret" so at least he knows who I am.  He called the crabs, "Craps" until we told him it's "Crabs".  He then announced that "Crab-bas" were there! And, so we just enjoyed the remainder of our visit.   

The Visit to Santa Barbara!

Miss P's Pool Party!

Irene, Ms. Lucky and I left Sunday morning to go to Dallas to have a pool party with the girls and Gabriel!  We got there late Sunday afternoon in time to go to the pool and cool off. 

We visited with Stewart, Lance and Eliot and a good time was had by all.  The hummos dip was a huge hit with the crowd and even Little Gabey loved the "dip-dip".  Yum!  Also, had a lunch visit with Krystal.  She's so adorable.

Before and After - Special Effects!





Once in a while, we get a very special client that comes our way in the world of real estate.  I recently had such a precious couple to work with in finding their first home.  We looked diligently, they were pre-qualified with a mortgage broker and they knew what they wanted.  After a couple of tours, we were on our way to look at a new listing.  And, here it is. What a fabulous drive up appeal and in the great Capital Heights/Mid-Cities location!

 Of course, the baby blue interior paint color in the living room was a bit shocking and the dead animals hanging on the walls were not the best testament to decorating in 2011!  However, the windows and light were great and the wood floors were gleeming.  And, thank goodness, these clients had the vision to see what could be done.

The color in the kitchen was violet.  Not a faint violet, we're talking the purple people eater kind of purple.  And, when we finally met the Seller, he said that he actually picked the color out himself.  First time, I've ever seen a "hunter" pick that color.  Just another case of "I can still be surprised" in this business. 

Of course, the purpose in all this is not the before photos, but the after photos.  These folks Get It!  What a huge transformation.  And, they did a home make over in such a short amount of time. 

The cool grey color throughout the home has totally transformed the feel and the look.  So, a huge "Go GUYS" to Matthew and Beau, my new favorite neighbors!  Welcome to the Mid-Cities and we're so excited to have you here.

Matthew Caragliano and Beau Moss! You are the best!

What's new in the Neighborhood!

Phil Brady and Rosie

As I've said before, I live in a very interesting neighborhood, Ogden Park.  Ogden Parkers are another breed of character.  We like to walk our doggies and visit with our neighbors.  Saturday morning is a very good time to catch up on what's going on.  The first person that I met was Phil Brady and his doggie, Rosie.  My girls, Ms. Lucky and Irene like her and they always give it the sniff, sniff.

Well, yesterday I was out on a cruise on my new bicycle.  I'm so excited to have finally replaced "Miss Tina" who was stolen back in October from my carport.  And "Miss Tina" was bolted to the carport wall and the lock and the heavy wire locking device were totally gone when the theft was discovered.  Anyway, we're on to better and bigger things.  At least in the past week, I've been able to ride over to the LSU Lake and back 5 times, now.  And it feels so good.  Even though I've got to wear the HELMET!  When I was young, the only people that wore helmet's were mentally challenged people.  Today, you cannot read anything about bicycling without everyone telling you that you have to wear a helmet!  So, I really hope that this can work to get my special self into shape before I have to go to see Doedy and Michael for the 4th of July, then to the beach in August with the girls. 

The Ogden Park Crawfish Boil!

This past Friday night we had the annual Ogden Park Crawfish Boil.   Phil Brady and Michael Book were the chef's of the day and their boil was so spicy with potatoes, corns, sausages, oranges, garlic and even the tiny weiners!  All the neighbors brought either salads, side dishes and tasty desserts.  There were all sorts of people and even the macaw bird with our Lindsay. 

On Saturday, we had the Mid-City's Alliance Challenge to re-do the front of Ms. Lee Ann's house on Bedford.  We had help from the First United Methodist work crews and we had that fabulous Karen and Nancy that brought the life saving spray gun and we were able to complete the painting by the time the judges came by to photograph the end result.  It was a huge effort and a huge success.

Live Today Like it's your Last!

We have word that my dear cousin in San Antonio, Robbie Dell Read had a seisure last Wednesday and went into cardiac arrest.  She was revived and has been in intensive care in San Antonio.  The doctors did not give much home for her recovery and then, yesterday, they removed her breating tube and she smiled.  This morning, she has mouthed "i love you" to her daughter and is responding to simple commands.  The Lord does work in mysterious ways and Praise God for her progress.  Keep Betty and Robbie Dell in our prayers for a quick and thorough recovery.

We have the Ogden Park Mid City Challenge going on this week with a culmination on Saturday.  Our Annual Crawfish Boil is scheduled for Friday evening and it'll be a big time in the hood.  The party will be over at Roger James and is always a good time to visit and play with fun and interesting people.  I don't think Irene and Lucky will be able to go there.

Pulled up acres of spent sweet peas yesterday morning and I do believe that their roots go to China.  Making all sorts of progress in the back yard and got the Icicle rose and the Madame Swartz planted next to Don Juan.  Have some heirloom tomatoes and my Better Girls are fruiting.  The citrus trees have ruby red grapefruits, tons of meyer lemons and some blood oranges on them.  It's a slow year for the avocado so we'll see what next year brings.

MaidofClay: A day in the life of Gabey's Mom, a photoessay.

MaidofClay: A day in the life of Gabey's Mom, a photoessay.: "Here are a few snapshots from a day in the life of our little angel... Peace. At least when he's sleeping. Question everything. Even at ..."

Here come's Summer!

The weather is heating up and the humidity is high and that means summer is around the corner in Baton Rouge.  People are planning their vacations and schools to be out for vacation in another month so it's time to get busy before it get's too hot!

The garden at Hearthstone is finally coming together.  The work crew came and harvested the blasted onions over the weekend.  It looks so much better.  And we're still harvesting the artichokes and the tomatoes are fruiting.  The sweet 100's are ripe and the Early Girl and Better Boys are just starting to ripen.  Then it'll be a summer of harvest.  I planted the avocado tree and it will be next year before it gets any fruits.  About to plant some beans and cucumbers so we'll have them for summer time.  Yum.

The real estate market is still ringing the phone.  There are new customers that are coming in from referrals and some from marketing.  I've made appointments with two new buyers for this week.  Hooray for a spring market!

Irene and Ms. Lucky are finally getting back to their normal.  Irene snaked the bullet (bitter pill) on Good Friday weekend when she got the vomits and after talking with Liz, I was convinced that she would be meeting Jesus!  Well she continued to throw up all night so Saturday morning, I took her to the Vet school @ LSU and was pretty sure that if it had been an obstruction, that I was not going to pay the $1600 plus, plus to save the girl.  And, Miracles happen.  She had the anti-nausea medication (ching, ching) and an I.V. bag and after a couple of hours, she got to go home!  Ms. Lucky's operation is mostly healed and the biopsy showed that the tumor was benign, so she lives!

Crawfish Boil on Friday, the 13th at Ogden Park should be a crowd pleaser.  Fun to come.

My First Snowball and more!

April Showers Water the Flowers..

The puppies are prancing as the thunder storm approaches and Ms. Lucky is not a happy camper.  The flowers are turning their faces up to soak in the rain and the roots will go a little deeper.  Spring is here in Baton Rouge.  Hopefully, this will wash just a tad bit more of that sneezy pollen down the drain.  Do you ever wonder where it goes or whether the fish like pollen?  My Mickey Mouse Tails are peeking up in the courtyard and the back yard, most of the weeding is finished in the backyard.  Have the tomatoes planted and almost time to harvest the potatoes.  Herbs everywhere and starting some peppers.  Will have time in a couple of weeks, over Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday to work in the garden. 

That precious child, Gabriel, can be seen in Liz's blog.  It's made of clay or feet of clay or something, but it has the most fabulous video of that little boy looking at the bluebonnets and saying "I see the bees!"  Absolutely fabulous.  I so hope he's not allergic!  He is about the most adorable child I've seen since mine were on the ground.  Yes, I'm slightly biased.  Don't plan to change.  I can't wait to be his friend. 

With the spring blossoms come the allergies!

Holy geeze and sneeze and sniffle and oh my goodness, the car and everything has this yellow film on it.  And, I cannot breathe and my head feels like a pumpkin.  We're now enterning week 2 of the allergy fog with all sorts of Allegra and Zycam and thank goodness for my old standby Benadryl.  Just pray for rain.

Artichoke in the Garden!

So, fun and can't wait to see if they're tasty too!

The garden is blooming and we're through with the Organic Gardening classes on Saturday at the Methodist Church.  We had 11 the first class and dwindled down to 5 at the last class.  But one garden at a time, we're working on eliminating the poisons in the garden.  Here's one of my two blooming artichokes from the garden.  There are also sweet peas, roses and and more roses, and my tomatoes are setting fruit!  Once we have a rain, life will be sweeter than honey.

Off to see my dear friend, Miss Polly at the hospital.  She thought she had the cancer and they've been giving her chemotherapy and radiation, then they discovered she doesn't have cancer after all.  Not so good.

The Flowers are Blooming & the Birds are Chirping!

And, As Della Jean, the selling machine would say, "buckle up, the spring market is here!"  This is actually the very first Spring Market that I've experienced in Baton Rouge.  In 2006, when I moved here, it was all about "well, Ms. Margaret, you know about Katrina...", then in 2007, it was the beginning of the recession, followed by the prelude to our good 'ole friend Gustav, then the financial melt down. (Not necessarily in Baton Rouge) But, as we must remember, all real estate is LOCAL!, anyway 2008 was the year of paralysis...followed by another year of paralysis for 2009 coupled with the First Time Buyers Tax Credit, (not a Stellar idea in my opinion), but it skewed the marketplace here in Baton Rouge.  Once we lived through that, we began to see people peeking out of the covers as we saw an increase in activity in 2010, especially in the above $300,000 market, and especially in the Million Dollar marketplace where sold contracts doubled from like 12 in 2009 to 25 in 2010...

But life is not all about real estate and my precious Gabriel came to visit his Ms. Margaret this past weekend.  What a glorious baby.  Here he is with his blankey and his Monkey.  Liz brought him here on Saturday, before Miss P had arrived.  It was an action packed weekend and Liz left early on Monday morning to get back to Doctor her horse, Zoe's barbed wire wound.  It was great to be with my people.  The puppies behaved.

It's Mardi Gras!

It's storming outside but that doesn't keep the faithful away from the Mardi Gras madness in South Louisiana.  Schools out for the rest of the week for the parocial schools and most of the citizens are on holiday with their annual ski or beach trip.  I'm here in BR, showing property and playing catch up on paperwork. 

Coming from West Texas, I'd never really heard about Mardi Gras until I lived in Dallas and had a couple down the street, Roy and Ginger Enrico that had an annual FAT Tuesday pancake party.  Now I get it.  Fat Tuesday is the last time the Catholics can really party before they have to "give up" something for lent.  Lent being the forty days before Christ was crucified on the cross.  So, folks are party-ing pretty hard around here.  Roy and Ginger are now in Sacremento, CA. 

The Organic Gardening Classes start on Saturday morning down at the Methodist Church.  We have 7 signed up this time, but that's perfectly alright as it'll be more hands on.  I've got several transplants to get in the ground and numerous weeds to still pull before getting the garden in order.  It's a big job, but coming along just fine.  One of my Sunday School friends brought me some great starter plants and I'm about to put those in the ground.  Now is always a great time to garden.

And, tomorrow it's off to Ash Wednesday and then to office and appointments.

Ms. Nort's gone to Glory!

In the early 1990's I walked into the Ebby Highland Park Office one Monday morning for our weekly business meeting after a disastorous weekend.  I had found out that the current manager had worked on snagging one of my clients.  Now we're talking Big D., Highland Park, you really cannot get more Dallas than that.  Anyway, I turned around to see Bulldog and beside her was this prim little woman that looked just a bit dowdy with the widest grin I'd ever seen on such a sweet and dear soul.  And, she knew the scoop on virtually every piece of dirt in our marketplace or knew who to call.  The woman was absolutely brilliant.  Stubborn, proud and delightful, I loved this woman that was a dear friend.  She went to glory and the Lord on Monday.  It was her time and she suffered in so many ways and never complained.  She was always there for me and I love Carolyn and will miss her to the end of the days.  God Speed, sweetie.

P.S., Irene!

How could we forget the TOE!  Well, PTL, it's been since Saturday when she had her last dose of antibiotics and there's no "lick-lick" and Irene will even let me touch her foot.  It's HUGE. No toe amputation or more visits to the $cow! I love veterinarians!  Hooray for Antibiotics.

It's Mardi Gras Time!

And, Hidey Ho, what does Mardi Gras Time mean to you? 

Hidey Ho from the Orion Parade last Saturday night!  Here I am with my special people, John &
Shannon.  Great Parade.  Love the bands and their strutting guys and dolls.  Girl, the costumes make me blush!  They're rather "hootchie koo", if you know what I mean, and then they do the wiggle! in public!

I did get a huge amount of "throws", i.e., beads, cups and stuff.  Gave it all away to those who didn't have quite enough.

Mardi Gras to me, is very, very, very sweet and goo-ie stuff wrapped in a semi-flaky bread like pastry.  It's even called King Cake.  With a ton of colored sugar on top and a plastic baby inside.  This year, at my Race 'N Gravy group the African American man that got the baby, got a blackish baby.  The first one anyone at the table had ever seen.  Go figure.  It's also the parades (see above).

But, Mardi Gras is more than that.  They close down the schools next week.  Most local businesses are closed.  Of course, Real Estate Offices, like banks, close only on Mardi Gras Tuesday, the day before lent, when you have to give up something of importance in your life as a pentance to the Lord.  Go figure.

It's a great excuse for a huge month long party, because, the next day, Ash Wednesday, you'll see all those partiers at the local groceries and everyone's looking to see if you've got your Ashes!  It's south LA.  And, it's a bit like sitting around the table at Mi Cocina in Highland Park MiCocina's, sipping margaritas and looking over at the 6-top to see the mavens of Highland Park immediately after their botox appointments and they're having to hold their lips around the glass tops against their mouths as they awake from the anesthesia.  Another shot of America!  But, back to Mardi Gras.  Many people travel, many party and I think I'll plant by the light of the moon!  Above ground crops...

Sunshine, the Garden and the Toe

It's glorious sunshine today in Baton Rouge and the real estate business is blooming.  Great action on new listings and dropped off a market analysis for another.  And, wrote an offer on another property this week.  Thank the Lord for a Spring market.

It feels so great to work in the Garden.  Been cleaning the beds, planted the first tomatoes and the potatoes are peaking out of the ground.  They'll be harvest ready in another 30 days.  The Organic Gardening Classes at the First United Methodist Church are scheduled for March 12, 19 and 26th.  Already have several signed up and have to make another poster to advertise the classes.  Have a little bit of "magic potion" left, so will be making more soon.

Irene's been on a 2 week series of antibiotics to cure the famous toe.  Today is the last day for her meds, so the proof will be if she starts that "lick, lick" business again in the next 24/48 hours.  She did Kujo on Ms. Lucky again, and she's about healed up.  Got her over her eye again and this time took a chunck out of her head.  Poor 'ole girl, all Irene has to do in the evenings when we're on the bed is put forth a shallow growl and Ms. Lucky turns tail and sleeks out to the other room.  Irene is a bull-dog, mean girl.  Keep your fingers crossed.

The mid-east mess has those gasoline prices rising.  I was able to get gas late yesterday for $2.99 per gallon and just saw it advertised for $3.25 per gallon in less than 24 hours.  Sure hope it stops before we have to show clients that want to see everything! 

Off to visit with my Reading Friend at the Bernard Terrace Elementary School.  She's pretty cute and reads quite well. 

She's still here!

High drama on the banks of the Mississippi!  Irene/Kujo's toe/foot flares up again.  She "kujo's" on Ms. Lucky and at me and won't let me anywhere near her footie.  Curse her!  So, I'm dialing for Jesus and planning the service on the way to Dr. Bernie's.  Dr. B's not in and Ms./Dr. Emily Taylor is the doc of the day.  Not to worry, we have options! Fine options, ($$$$) another round of antibiotics, pain meds and anti-inflammatory drugs; if that doesn't work, amputate the toe; and if all that doesn't work, PROZAC! We're on the next round of bactrim and if that doesn't work, we may just go straight to PROZAC.  And, wouldn't you know, that 'ole Irene couldn't have been sweeter last night and she actually stayed on her side!

And, the good news is that this morning, I had a message from one of the friends on the Green Committee at the church.  We looked at some properties and she's packing.  Meeting tomorrow with another client that's listing her home and hopefully, buying another.  Spring has sprung.  The flowers are about to start blooming and the birds chirping.  Hello, Dellarina Lively!  Time to rock 'n roll. 

Technology challenges

Alright, there's a class on Thursday, where I'm going to learn to post the videos to the blog.  We'll see if the old puppy can get some new tricks!

I've supposedly "sync-ed" the blog to the cell phone, but that's as far as I can go.  Experiencial learning exercises. 

After 10 days, so far so good, with Irene's blessed toe.  She's through with the antibiotics and if it just won't swell up like a frankfurter, then we may have it made.  Ms. Lucky rolling her eyes, every time she gives the "Kujo" alert, i.e., a low throated growl.  Ms. Lucky does give 'ole Irene a wide birth, though, as we all know the girl will bite.

Yoga at 6:00 a.m., is a challenge to get to, but once we're through, it's a great way to start the day.  Just blows out the pipes and calms the spirit.  So, began with Yoga, off to CB1 office meeting, then office for DVD copying and assembling packages for Sellers.  It's important to nail the list price.  This should be a mantra for all Sellers!   Now to the GBRLD Alumni meeting and then for the Senior patrol to Wesley Group.  Home Charles, after that.

It's cold outside and it MIGHT sleet/snow/rain...

Excuse me, what a bunch of chicken littles!  Had a very productive day and the traffic was not bad.  And, they've cancelled school for tomorrow.  In Dallas, Paige has had the week off with the Super Bowl in Big D on Sunday.  Maybe 1/3 of the people in my office today. 

The East Baton Rouge real estate market is starting to get calls from home owners that are finding themselves in "trouble" with their properties.  These are such sad situations, where the lenders should have never made the loan and where people have flat out made poor decisions.  A recurring senario that I'm hearing is that a couple purchase a property, lived there for a while and got a home equity loan.  These loans ballooned the debt on the property and now they will not sell, 2/3 years later for the original loan and the home equity loan.  When the homeowner gets behind on the payments and fall behind on their payments, the penalties, loans and fines are overwhelming.  I'm just curious.  Who's going to make up for the deficit these properties leave behind.  Who really eats the difficiencies?  I hope this doesn't last long.  It takes a lot out of you to work through all the banking b.s. and fall-d-rall to work to sell the property.

Watching helium deflate...

Hustled down I-10 to the office to tap into the helium machine.  Gotta have balloons if you're going to put your time into an Open House in the real estate business...  Of course, by now, the prediction of rain has become a total reality.  I run into the office with 10 balloons in my pocket.  5 at the intersection of Jefferson and Brentwood and 5 at the house.  In reality, 2 will be gone to "spillage".
It's now a steady rain as I launch the first balloons at the intersection, and travel up to the subject property where there is an automobile, sitting in the rain, at the property!  Need exudes from the auto.  It's a senior couple and the first thing that Mr. says, is, "where is the storage area in the garage?  Not available, but what do you need to store?  Lawn mower, equipment, so let's look at the rest of the house. And, it continues through the next couple, who actually feel some attraction to the property.  Like the  master bedroom, really like the living area, expecially, the electrical plug in the floor.  (whatever it takes!) And, on. 
Then, the couple that actually seemed to like the house.  He especially liked the fact that he would be able to "weed eat" the back yard.  Never even have to have a real mower!  Could be.  Then the car full of ladies.  Who knows, but one needed the bath room, and even though there was no toilet tissue (who really takes the last roll of toilet tissue when you move? what is that?) I happened to have some tissues to share in my pocket.  Compliant, they used and left, each one clutching my business card as they left.  I'm waiting by the telephone for their call for help!
I think I'll make a Chili with chalupas for the lunch bunch.  Wednesday Margarita's for lunch. My place, be there or be square. 

It's Raining and There's an Open House!

It's a slow rain and about 55 degrees on a Sunday afternoon and I'm off to gas the balloons and get ready for the victims to appear.  Because, if someone shows up in the rain, they're way serious about looking at real estate. 

Irene has become her old self again.  Full weight on her paw, it's still a little rough looking with puffy and red looks, but no more infection oozing and she's bouncing around freely.  Of course, I haven't tried to touch the precious, just a visual.  Lucky still in the co-pilot seat. 

There's a terrific art show at the Shaw Center's LSU Museum of Art.  Beautiful contemporary art from the past 75 years by black artists.  And some of the artists are still living and creating.  Take a peak and stay a while.

Today is Ms. Lizzy's birthday.  Happy birthday to Liz, may you have many more. 

Pitiful Irene..

So, all night long poor 'ole Irene is "lick, lick, lick" on her friggin' front paw.  And, low and behold, when I looked at it this morning, the thing had swelled up like a poision dog!  Huge, no wonder it hurts. So, obviously there's an infection that has to be cleaned out and you know that means another trip to the clinic.  I just don't have anyone here that has any comfort level in holding Kujo still while I doctor her paw.  I sure wish Stewart was here, or Lance or someone that has some cajones!
And, I go to see my Reading Friend at the school this afternoon and she tells me she has the rabies!  Yes, she went to the doctor for the "bites" on her and he told her she has the rabies!. She wasn't drooling or anything.  The teacher just waves at me when we go back to the school room.  The RF did read very well today.

Licking that won't quit!

We definately have an issue with the toe!  Late yesterday afternoon, after planting the beets, when I looked at Irene's left toe, the one being medicated with pain and anti-inflamatory meds, it was huge!  Absolutely, red, nasty and huge and she's licking to beat the band.  She's scheduled for another visit to Dr. Bernie's this afternoon to clean it up.  My frustration, is that I'm sure we could have doctored it earlier, if I had someone to hold 'ole Kujo down. 

And, now off to tour some properties!

Let me introduce you to the Girls!

A grey and cold day for south Louisiana, started before dawn with a delightful yoga flow class at the Agame Yoga Center down the street.  When I returned, Irene, the doggie next to me in the photo (Ms. Lucky, is the white and black one) was holding her paw up and walking "lame" as they say.  So, throughout the day, in the back of my mind, is another Kujo experience in the future.
Off to the office for calls, emails and other real estate related stuff.  Working on recipes for Elizabeth's cook book...editing an application for "Bang for your Buck" with HGTV...stirring the pot as Momma would say.  I finally call precious Miss Sherry at the Capital Heights Animal Clinic, Dr. Bernie's office and go through the lameness and the Kujo.  She talks with Dr. Bernie and hooray, Meds win again!  No loading that spit fire into Miss Penny for another look.  The toe is a little fat, swollen and Lord above, don't even try to look at it, no siree, just keep flipping the Rimadyl for the next couple of weeks.  Back to my Nurse Margaret routine.  Now, with both the girls.  We'll go into the travails of Ms. Lucky at another time.
State of the Union tonight.  And, the LA delegation, the Republicans, that is, will sit together.  Senator Landreau will sit with Senator Olympia.  Stay tuned. 

Here we go...

All the people that are telling me how the world communicates today have told me that I have to "blog".  So, I'll begin with simple introductions.  I would be Ms. Margaret. 
I live in Baton Rouge, LA in a fun mid-city neighborhood, called Ogden Park.  My two dogs, Ms. Lucky and Irene reside with me.  We garden, yoga, walk and visit with the neighbors.  You'll be amazed at the shenanigans that go on all around us. 
In another part of my world is real estate.  A practicing Realtor for over 25 years, there are many tales that come my way.  My basic philosophy in serving my clients is that it's my job to get them the most house for their dollar or to get the maximum value when they sell.  And, to make the process easy. 
Ms. Lucky and I moved to Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina.  And, I'm telling you it's been one huge whirlwind of a time.  As we've always said in Texas..."you can't make this $@@! up"! 
Just tag along and we'll see how we do.