Seems like they will be miles away....

Well this has been a very emotional week for my family and I. I wanted to "Pay Forward" my feelings because I know so many families have gone through this same scenario time and time again! My youngest daughter Stacey, as I have mentioned before is married to a Military member. She is also the mother of 3 of my grandchildren, Lucas 5, Paige 4 and Kaleb who will turned 1 in March. WELL, they received notice this week that they are being posted. We knew that would happen, of course, but we thought Nova Scotia or Ontario. It turns out that it will be Cold Lake, Alberta. For a small town family like mine, Cold Lake seems very far away!! My oldest daughter Amy, lives in Saint John, New Brunswick with my oldest grandson Brandon who is 13. I always felt that was a bit too far away from Fredericton, lol. My family grew up in Saint John and I was the first one to leave home in 1993 to move to Fredericton, then my brother Larry also moved the same year to Miramichi. This was really hard on my parents because we had always been close to home. We had Sunday dinners together, Christmas Eve was spent at my parents home waiting for Santa to deliver 1 present to all the little people and having a pot luck with family, friends and neighbors. That all changed when we moved away of course. Taking children on a road trip to Saint John Christmas Eve just wasn't the sensible thing to do. (you will see one of my posts in regards to my youngest sister Karen sending us all ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree at 10:00 Christmas Eve so we would all be doing it together. When my parents passed away, we started a new tradition of getting together on boxing day for a Chinese Buffet prepared by my 2 sisters and myself. My sister Elaine does the honey garlic ribs, the youngest Karen is on rice (how did she get so lucky?) and I do the chicken balls from scratch - yes it takes me at least 2 days to do enough for 28 people!!!! We are the huggy, kissy type of people when we see each other. We say Luv you everytime we talk on the phone and come to the end of our conversation. So, to return to the topic at hand - Stacey and her family moving to Cold Lake will be a huge adjustment for all of us. Presently, she lives about 12 minutes away from me in Oromocto, her husband Tony has been posted at the Gagetown Base for at least the last 9 years since they have been together. He is from Woody Point, Newfoundland, obviously I don't have to tell you what a nice fellow he is. The same as all people from Newfoundland - a very nice guy and a great Dad. I couldn't talk about it for the first couple of days. Of course, I didn't cry when she first told me and she was sobbing - being the strong Mom is just one of the jobs we have to do. BUT after we talked and I called my grandson Brandon to see how he was taking the news and my oldest daughter Amy to talk about it as well, my strong resolve went to the way side. The move I know will be an emotional one when the day arrives and Stacey's family is leaving but I do plan on taking as many trips as needed to keep our family close. I have already been on line, pricing tickets, asking Re/Maxers in my referral network lots of questions, advising family members that we need to have an unscheduled family dinner. Stacey has promised to download skype for me so I will be able to see the little ones every day and keep up with all adventures in their new lives in Cold Lake. Stacey and Tony are doing all the research they need to do to be responsible parents and prepare their little family for the big move. I am lucky that being in the Real Estate professional, we do have a few periods in the year when things really slow down and I will be able to pass my phone to a coworker and hop on a flight to visit my family in Cold Lake. I am keeping my fingers crossed that sales are good this year to enable me to purchase those tickets of course!! So, to all those people that miss their families every day - I will soon be among you. Take the time to write those notes, emails, send pictures and if you have the ability to do so, skype your families often. It is our responsibility to continue to be there to support our families moving away. I know it is hard on us emotionally as well but it is these young families that are being uprooted and moved so far away. I know Stacey and Tony will make more good friends wherever they go because they are pleasant, outgoing young people. Until they do, I can assure her that she will hear my voice everyday and her children will know how much Nanny misses them and loves them. AND I hope to be the strong voice that she needs to hear on the other end of the phone. So, I want to wish my children the very best on their new adventure and I am looking forward to being able to take some adventures of my own and have the opportunity to visit with them in Cold Lake. I have never been to Western Canada but will definitely be paying a few visits over the next 4 years. Sharing this post with heart felt emotions. To those families missing people in your own lives - I hope you get to talk and visit often!

Had to smile at several of these…. If I Didn't Have A Dog Or Cat ... I could walk barefoot around the yard in safety. My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated. All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be hair-free. When the doorbell rings, my home wouldn't sound like a kennel. When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through all the fuzzy bodies who beat me there. I could sit on the couch and my bed any way I wanted, without having to take into consideration how much space several fur bodies need to get comfortable. I would have enough money, and no guilt, to go on a real vacation. I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grandkids through college. The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: "out," "sit," "down", "come," "no," "stay," and "leave it ALONE." My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates and makeshift barriers. I would not talk 'baby talk'. 'Eat your din din'. 'Yummy Yummy for the tummy'... My house would not look like a day care center, with toys everywhere. My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash. I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, O-U-T, G-O, R-I-D-E, S-U-P-P-E-R, and C-O-O-K-I-E. I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside. I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much. I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud' season. I would not have to answer the question: 'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never know the joy of being loved unconditionally by the closest thing to an angel they will ever encounter . How EMPTY my life would be!!! -- I wish you sunsets to warm your heart & friendships to brighten your being!

Delicious Truffles

I just have to share this recipe. I made these at Christmas time and my son-in-law loved them so much I decided to make them for him as a special birthday treat. They almost didn't make it to him because my Daughter Stacey, who is expecting their third child in April came to pick them up for him and threatened not to tell him about them at all! I had to tell my granddaughter Paige (age 3) to make sure she told her Daddy when she got home that Nanny made him chocolates.

This is so simple AND so yummy. A bit time consuming but when doing it for friends or family, what is a little bit of time?

Cheesecake truffles
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg.  (16.6 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 4-1/4 cups), divided
2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
make it

MIX cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.
SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
kraft kitchens tips
HOW TO MELT CHOCOLATE
Place unwrapped chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted, stirring every 30 sec.
HOW TO EASILY DIP TRUFFLES
To easily coat truffles with the melted chocolate, add truffles, in batches, to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll truffles in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove truffles with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place truffles on prepared baking sheet; let stand until firm.
HOW TO STORE
Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.


Next time I may try peanut butter cookies .
Enjoy, Kathy

"Paying It Forward" Referral Network

I am so pleased to be writing this post because I have finally been able to accomplish my greatest goal and that is to start a Re/Max "Paying It Forward" Referral Network. I am presently still working on recruitment but am happy to tell you that I have recruited 20 Re/Maxers across Canada. The areas covered to date include - Edmonton, Cold Lake, Suffield, Victoria, Comox, Winnipeg, Saint John, Moncton, Greenwood, Barrie, Petawawa, Trenton, Kingston, Sainte Foy and of course my home town of Fredericton. If you are planning to sell your present home or purchase a new home any where in Canada - I can make a call and have you in touch with a Re/Maxer immediately. If they are not in the "Paying It Forward" Referral Network - they soon will be.

What is the "Paying It Forward" Referral Network all about. We will make a contribution on behalf of our clients to a charity and the tax receipts will be sent to you. Personally, I alternate my donations to the Food Bank and SPCA. I have two locations for these charities in my area, The Fredericton Food Bank and SPCA and the Oromocto Food Bank and SPCA. I have given each location specific areas. So in regards to which location the sale was in, I then alternate the donation between the two charities listed above.

Some of the other Re/Maxers have their own preferred charities but as long as they are "Paying It Forward" charities will benefit.

You can pay it forward in your own life everyday. It doesn't have to be money, it can be a picture, a joke, a kind thought - anything you think might possibly bring a smile to someone's face.

Appreciate the people in your life. I hope everyone finds something to smile at each day.

Happy New Year

I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. I hope everything good comes to everyone. Please do not forget - if you have the opportunity to "Pay It Forward" in any way possible, please do so. It is a great feeling to be able to give. It does not have to cost you anything, a smile, a joke you share, a great picture or just give someone a helpful hand if they need it. Working together is what makes the world go round! Take Care, Kathy

Thank you to all

I just want to take the time to thank everyone for helping me distribute 14 payments this last quarter to the Fredericton Food Bank, Fredericton SPCA, Oromocto Food Bank and The Oromocto SPCA. I couldn't have accomplished that on my last quarter without the help of my clients and the great support staff at Re/Max Group Four Realty.

I have received two great letters and a thank you card from the above charities thanking me - but it is you, my clients who made that happen.

I have made a few more "Pay It Forward" monetary contributions to individuals that would prefer their names not be added to the list - but what I wanted to share in regards to this, I have asked those individuals to "Pay It Forward" in the future when they are in the position to do so.

I just love the idea of "Paying It Forward". It doesn't have to be monetary. A great joke, a noval idea or as I have mentioned before - pay forward those books you have already read. Start a library at your office and share those books between other coworkers. There are lots of ways to Pay It Forward - giving a little of yourself to someone in need is just a great thing to do and the feelings a person can feel at helping others can be extremely satisfactory and give you that special glow.

Something that you can pay forward to other people on a daily basis is just a smile - it lights up your face and someone elses as well! Give it a try today.

Again, thank you to everyone that supported me in my Professional Career as a Sales Associate with Re/Max Group Four Realty and thank you for making it possible to help the above charities as well as the IWK (a contribution on every sale is made to the IWK) and we also sponsor the Re/Max Relay for life.

Have a wonderful week!
Kathy

A Fallen Soldier

As most of you know, my son-in-law is in the Military. I also have a number of family members and a number of very special clients serving our Country as well. When I read this email a family member sent to me, I had to share it with you. We should be thankful for the members dedication and the families of our military members understanding and all they give up for their family member to PROTECT US.

The story begins:

My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked.

'Yes', she said.

'Is there an escort?' I asked.

'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.

'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said..

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia ,' he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He
left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son,husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia.
The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I would get back to her.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a
secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I
saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:

'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft.
The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'
I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told
that all traffic was being held for us.

'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to
make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was
clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane.

They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in Canada.