MEMED AGAIN!!!

Last night, I was "memed" the first time, thanks to being tagged by Moo, aka Angus Woodbury of Naperville, Ill.  I looked this afternoon, and Tony Marriott had gotten me again, AGAIN!!!  I had a hard enough time coming up with the first 5 things I wrote about......

I bet you're wondering just what on earth "meme" is.......I wondered the same thing when I first read about it, too.  Thanks to Mary McKnight explaining it on her blog, many of us now know what this strange word means.  Each of us who've been tagged have to tell 5 things about ourselves that very few other people know.

So, here goes a list for my SECOND set of 5 things:

  **  I sang soprano in my high school chorus

  **  I was Captain of the Color Guard in high school and I always carried our school flag when we marched in parades, games, etc.

  **  I am the oldest of 5 girls in my family.  We even had a girl dog and a girl cat while growing up....my poor dad - he was TOTALLY outnumbered!!

  **  I worked in retailing - juniors & misses upscale clothing & management - before I came into real estate 25 years ago.

  **  I rarely eat vegetables - there are very few I like enough to eat them - green beans, acorn squash, raw carrots, tomatoes, croutons, french fries - that's about it.  My favorite drinks are ice cold water, Diet Coke, and Coors Light.....yep, a beer-drinker!  ;-)

Well, now you know even more about me than you did from my first list, which was posted on my Active Rain blog!

It's now my turn to tag 3 more people, and I now tag:
             Sue Melhorn
             Real Estate Tomato
             Fred Salzer

    ANNUAL HOLIDAY HOUSE DECORATING  WINNERS ANNOUNCED!!

  This morning's Portsmouth Herald announced the winner's of the "Citywide Neighborhood Annual Holiday House Decorating Contest".

The top prizes went to the following Portsmouth homes:
~~ 1st place winner - 84 Blue Heron Drive, in the Osprey Landing neighborhood.
~~ 2nd place winner - 163 Rockingham Avenue, in the Frank Jones neighborhood.
~~ 3rd place winner - 1180 Ordiorne Point Road, in the Tuckers Cove neighborhood.

The Annual Decorating Contest is open to all Portsmouth residents in the various neighborhoods around town.  Each neighborhood submits their area winners, and then the judges of the contest drive through Portsmouth viewing the top entrants in each neighborhood.  They then make their final selections from that group of decorated homes.

The prizes awarded the top 3 winners were provided by various businesses around town - Atrezzi Fine Kitchen Accessories, Maine-ly New Hampshire, South Street and Vine, Home Depot, and Applebee's.

For something fun to do, take a drive through town and check out the top winners in the partipating neighborhoods around town:
 ** Little Harbor Area - 2 Brackett Lane
 ** Christian Shores Area - 276-278 Dennett Street
 ** Frank Jones Area - 163 Rockingham Avenue
                                          617 Woodbury Avenue                                                                          
                                          1050 Woodbury Avenue
                                          86 Farm Lane
                                          710 Woodbury Avenue
                                          900 Woodbury Avenue
 ** Stonegate Area - 200 Buckminster Way
                                      91 Buckminster Way
                                      66 Buckminster Way
 ** Osprey Landing Area - 64 Blue Heron Drive
                                                63 Blue Heron Drive
                                               109 Osprey Drive
 ** Tuckers Cove Area - 180 Ordiorne Point Road
                                             120 Gosport Road
                                             210 Ordiorne Point Road
                                             175 Ordiorne Point Road
 ** Woodlands Area - 115 FW Hartford Drive
                                        355 FW Hartford Drive
                                        490 FW Hartford Drive
 ** Atlantic Heights Area - 120 Crescent Way
                                                144 Raleigh Way
                                                115-117 Concord Way
 ** Cutts Cove Area - 414 Leslie Drive
 ** Elwyn Park Area - 302 McKinley Road
                                        2 Nixon Park
                                        9 Coolidge Drive
 ** Islington Creek Area - 230 McDonough Street
                                               311 Cabot Street
                                               98 Brewster Street
                                               13 McDonough Street
                                               71 Brewster Street 
 ** Richards Avenue Area - 361 Miller Avenue
                                                   239 Broad Street
 ** Aldrich/Thaxter Area - 50 Sunset Drive
                                                29 Sunset Drive
                                                337 Aldrich Road
                                                954 Islington Street
                                                1046 Islington Street

Congratulations to all the winners!!!  I can't wait to get out there and drive by and see all these great decorations!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

New Portsmouth Library Set to Open!!

Our NEW Portsmouth City Library is scheduled to open on Monday, December 18th, and the grand opening will be January 7th, 2007.  If there's a snow storm on the 7th, the new grand opening date will be January 14th.

This is exciting because it's a fabulous building that's been in the making for a long time coming.  The location is terrific, right next door to the Portsmouth Middle School, and a very easy walk from downtown and all the downtown neighborhoods.

For more information on books that have been checked out, the hours of the new library, and all the programs being offered, check out this link.  You can also call the library at 427-1540.

Great news, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it open! 

Magical Mistletoe

Have you ever wondered about mistletoe - where it comes from, how it came to have the romantic magic it does?  I saw a bunch of it for sale somewhere recently around Portsmouth, and I got to wondering how a plant like that evolved into something with the magical powers that mistletoe symbolizes.

Did you know that mistletoe is really a parasite?  It is!  It's a parasitic shrub that's usually found in fruit trees, maples and sometimes in oaks.  And in North America, it's typically found in trees from New Jersey down to Florida.

Mistletoe has been associated with the holidays at this time of year going back for centuries, and has symbolized peace and love.

In ancient times, Druid priests thought mistletoe was a sacred plant because it grew in the air in oak trees, which was their sacred tree.  They would climb into oak trees and cut the mistletoe with golden sickles.  Worshippers below would catch it on white cloths before it touched the ground, because it was considered bad luck for even the tiniest piece of mistletoe to touch the ground.  It would then be hauled off for use in fertility rites and in cures for a variety of ailments.

In Norse mythology, the soldiers who met in battle under mistletoe would stop their fighting, kiss and make-up.  They had to put their weapons aside and exchange a kiss of peace, declaring a truce for that day.  The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe may have originated from this custom, and from the Druids, since both considered the mistletoe to be sacred.  Other beliefs in folklore say that a sprig of mistletoe placed over a baby's cradle would protect that child from goblins.  And another legend says that giving a sprig to the first cow calving after the New Year would protect the entire herd.

Greek mythology says that a bough of mistletoe plucked from an oak will guarantee safe passage to the Underworld.  In Swiss folkfore, it was shot out of trees with arrows for good luck, but had to be caught before it touched the ground.

Mistletoe has meant all kinds of things over the years.  The language of flowers shows it to be associated with overcoming difficulties.  It was believed to be a cure for epilepsy, since it doesn't ever touch the ground, it could prevent epileptics from falling during a seizure.  Native American tribes in the southwest drink a tea made from mistletoe to relax the muscles during childbirth.  Today, it's being researched as a drug to used to fight inflammation and cancer.  Who knows what it might be used for tomorrow......

In the 18th century, kissing balls made of mistletoe were popular, and continue to this day.  In the 1700's, the exchange of kisses between a man and a woman was seen as a promise to marry.  Getting caught under the mistletoe was supposed to increase a young lady's chances of marriage back then.  Their belief then was that a girl who wasn't kissed would still be single until the next Christmas.  I'm thinking "the times, they have a'changed"!!

Mistletoe was the state flower of Oklahoma until 2004, but it does still serve as the state's official floral emblem.

There's everything you could ever want to know about mistletoe!  And remember, if you're standing under the mistletoe, be mindful of what it COULD mean!!  ;-)

Here's another little snippet of Holiday History for you to read about!

Merry Christmas!!
Ann Cummings

                           Wreaths Across America

Fifteen years ago, a couple by the name of Merrill and Karen Worcester, owners of the Worcester Wreath Company, began donating wreaths for the Arlington Cemetery. 

Back then, they were the leftover wreaths that they had that were still fresh.  He didn't want them to go to waste, so he began sending them to Arlington.  This came about because when he was younger, he won a trip to Washington DC, and he always remembered the Arlington Cemetery from that trip.

He continued sending these wreaths each year, as his way of giving back to veterans because "without them, we would not have what we do today".

This year, 2006, is the first year that they've included other veteran's cemeteries around the country.  They've sent six wreaths, "one for each branch of the military with the sixth wreath to remember those still missing in action", to each of the country's veteran's cemeteries.

Some of the organizations helping to achieve the goal of getting all these wreaths to their destinations include: the Civil Air Patrol and the Patriot Guard Riders.  The Patriot Guard Riders have chapters in each state, and each state's chapter will escort the procession in that state to the border of the next state, until they reach Washington DC.  The Civil Air Patrol will ensure the wreaths are flown to all of the states with veterans cemetaries.  At least one school in each state is taking part, and wreaths have been sent to them as well for delivery and placement in the cemetaries.  The Blue Bird Ranch is providing the trucking to get these wreaths to Arlington.

All the wreaths will be laid on December 14th this year, and everyone is invited to attend any of the cermonies.  For those unable to attend a ceremony, a moment of silence will be held at noon on December 14th.  Here is a schedule of the stops along the Escort to Arlington.

We were very fortunate here in Portsmouth New Hampshire to have been one of the stops of this wonderful Wreaths Across America procession.  Our New Hampshire State Police and the NH Chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders met them to escort them to the Massachusetts border. 

                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
This video, posted on YouTube, put together by those who work at Worcester Wreath, tells the story of WHY they do this every year.  It is a beautiful tribute to our veterans, and is quite moving.  Please take a few minutes to watch it - it's well worth your time, I promise!

What a beautiful gesture the great folks at Worcester Wreath Company are doing - and what a great lesson to share with others about honoring our veterans and those who've given all on our behalf!  In the words of the Worcesters, "without them, we would not have what we do today".......   

                                 

  Looking to do some home improvements and/or repairs?  

Most homeowners typically think the only ways to pay for home improvements and/or repairs is to either pay cash or to put those expenditures on their credit cards.  Those may not necessarily be the best way for you to pay for them!

Consider these options:

~~  Home Equity Loan - This is a second mortgage on your property that's secured by the equity you've acquired in your home.  The rates on a home equity loan might be a little higher than your first mortgage, but these rates are typically better than you'll end up with on your credit cards.  Another big reason to consider this route is that the interest you pay on a home equity loan may be tax deductible.  Interest paid on credit cards likely isn't.

~~ Home Equity Line of Credit - This is a variation of a home equity loan.  With this type of funding, you get a revolving line of credit which is secured by the equity in your home.  You can repay the amount you borrow, and then you can use it again and again as needed.  This type of funding is really useful when doing major improvements/repairs where you have to make multiple payments over a period of time to contractors as they complete specified stages of the work contracted for.  You'll typically have a variable interest rate on this type of loan.

~~ Cash-Out Refinancing - For this option, you refinance your existing mortgage into a new mortgage that is made up of your original mortgage plus whatever the amount is you want to pull out for your home improvements/repairs.  This option may allow you to obtain a lower interest rate, and the interest you pay is typically tax-deductible.
     An example of this is:  you have a $300,000 house with a mortgage on it of $150,000, and you would like to have $50,000 to do improvements, etc.  You would refinance your existing $150,000 mortgage plus the $50,000 for improvements, making your new mortgage amount $200,000.  You'll receive the $50,000 as a lump sum amount when you close on your new mortgage.

Make sure you choose the right project to spend your money on.  The right improvement can dramatically increase the value of your home, and those types of improvements that provide the highest return on your investment include remodeling kitchens, bathrooms, and second story additions.  Take care not to over-improve for your neighborhood, and remember that too much personalizing of your house likely won't appeal to too many mainstream buyers when it comes to resale value.

If you have questions about improvements that you're considering and how they'll impact potential resale value, feel free to contact me, either via phone or email.  I'll be happy to set up a time to meet with you.

Ann Cummings
Portsmouth New Hampshire
603-431-1111 x 3839

Best NH Businesses to Work For

Business NH Magazine recently released their "Best Companies to Work For" list in New Hampshire.  Each year they put out a list of those employers who are considered the best to work for in NH, based on how employees are treated, recognized and valued for their contributions.

Two Seacoast area companies made the top 10 - Seacoast Harley-Davidson in North Hampton and Appledore Engineering, Inc. in Portsmouth.

Seacoast Harley-Davidson has been named to this presigious list six times.  Because of the number of times they've been recognized on this list, they were inducted into the "Best Businesses to Work for Hall of Fame".  Seacoast Harley-Davidson has 66 employees.

Appledore Engineering has also been named to this list three additional times.  Appledore was named "The Top Professional Services Company in New Hampshire" by the New Hampshire Business Review.  And in addition to these 2 very nice awards, Appledore was also selected earlier this year as the "Best Small Civil Engineering Firm in the Country to Work For" by CE News.

Business NH Magazine awarded these companies because of their strong employee benefits packages, and their winning strategies of putting employees first. 

The Timberland Company in Stratham and Wheelabrator Technologies, Inc., in Hampton were both named as semi-finalists for induction into the "Best Companies to Work For Hall of Fame".

Congratulations to each of these companies for their outstanding employee relations!!

Companies like these to work for, as well as all the offerings in this beautiful area of New Hampshire, help to make my job of selling homes such a delight!

Ann Cummings
http://www.portsmouthnewhampshirehomes.com/

Some Great Ways To Help Keep Your Carpets & Rugs Looking Their Best

The Carpet and Rug Institute recommends that you clean your carpets and rugs every 12-18 months, or thereabouts, to help keep them in nice condition.  To do that, here are some easy basic suggestions to help you:

~~  Vacuum your carpets and rugs at least once a week.  Ground in dirt is the worst thing for carpeting and rugs.

~~  Make sure to have entry mats at your doors that enter your home.  Consider removing your shoes in the entryway.  If you wear shoes inside your home, consider buying a pair that you keep just for wearing inside your home.

~~  Clean up spills as quickly as possible.  Try to scrape up or lift up as much of the spill as you, and then use a cleaning solution.  Make sure to work from the outside edge of the spill in to the center.  This helps to avoid making the spill area even larger.  And then after using the cleaning solution, blot the cleaned area instead of rubbing. 

~~  Dry the cleaned area by placing clean white towels or paper towels weighted down over the spot.  If you allow it to air dry, you may end up with a ring that forms around the cleaned area.

If I can help with any other suggestions for home-maintenance, give me a call or send me an email.  

Ann Cummings