Lakeland Real Estate Blog by Petra

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Thanksgiving Day – What are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving Day - What are you thankful for?

My daughter Jeanne called me today to share with me a journal entry of her friend, which inspired me to write a blog about Thanksgiving and what it means to me. Before I continue, please read this short message between a mother and her little girl - it is so cute and what a great idea to write short notes of thankfulness for everyone to see.

"Mommy, what are we writing today?
I thought it might be fun if we wrote everything we're thankful for on the mirror so all our friends and Without Turkeys, there'd be no Turkeysfamily would see when they come to visit us.
Oh.  But, mommy, what does thankful mean?
Well, thankful means lots of things.  Name something you love.
Mommy and Daddy!
So, I bet since you love us so much, you're thankful we're here.  Name something else.
Bubby.  I'm thankful that Bubby is here.  What about you, mommy?
Well, mommy and daddy are thankful for you and Nickolas.
What else mommy?
Well, we are thankful for our jobs.  Some mommies and daddies can't work right now.  (I started to add more and I was interrupted...)
MOMMY...you know what I'm most thankful for?
What Alissa?
TURKEYS!!
Why turkeys?
Because, silly, without turkeys, there'd be no turkey!"
 

My first Thanksgiving DayWhen I first experienced Thanksgiving Day - I didn't even know it. Long time ago, when my husband and I first met I was living in my own apartment in my hometown in Germany. My husband Jim told me he had a few days off and wanted to spend time with me. I said okay and he showed up at my doorsteps after I arrived from work that evening. Since I did not take any time off from work, I was thinking what could I make for him to eat while I was gone all day at work for the next two or three days. Well, I prepared this very tasty home-made vegetable soup in a big pot for him to heat up over the next few days while I was gone to work. That specific Thursday evening after we ate, he explained to me that in America, Thanksgiving Day was celebrated and people would cook turkey, pies, etc. - turkey! What the heck is a turkey? Really, I did not know what a turkey was; you see, Germans cook for the holidays such as Christmas a goose or a duck and are not accustomed to turkey, at least not in Bavaria. That was the last time we had soup on Thanksgiving Day and since then I'm always reminded being a little embarrassed on Thanksgiving Day on how Jim and I spent our first Thanksgiving Day.

 

Over 20 years have passed since then and now I'm telling the whole world what I'm thankful for - what about you?

Of course, I'm thankful for my family, children, grand-children, my dogs and friends spending Thanksgiving at my house with all the trimmings - Turkey of course! I'm very grateful that my 85 year old mother made this long trip to Lakeland Florida to spend time with me and my children during the Holiday Season. I'm mostly thankful that my husband is back at his old job after his horrific accident at work that kept him at home for over a year. I'm thankful that my sister-in-law Sally does not have to suffer from bladder cancer anymore because she is looking down on us from heaven above. I'm thankful for all my clients - past, present, and future - that have instilled their trust in me to sell their homes and buyers who depended on me to find their future home and keep me in business. I'm also thankful to all the friends on Active Rain that read, comment, subscribe to my blog and continue to give me the confidence boast I need once and awhile.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

 

 

 Petra Norris

 

 

 

 

I hope you found this post useful! If you need help finding or selling your Lakeland, Florida home, please contact Petra Norris - REALTOR(R) at 863-619-6918. If you’re new to Lakeland, I’d especially like to extend a warm welcome. I value my clients and provide them with honest, reliable service. Allow me to introduce you to the Lakeland FL real estate landscape and all it has to offer.

 

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The Family I Left Behind!

The Family I Left Behind!

 

Fifteen years ago this month, I hoped on an airplane with my husband - a US soldier, kids and dog and left the land that I grew up, where I found my love, where I married my love, to start my final overseas move to Lakeland, Florida from Mannheim, Germany.

 

Kemnath, Stadt _ GermanyI have been back to my hometown Kemnath, Stadt (Bavaria) many times over the past years where I celebrated most of my family's birthdays in June, especially my mother's birthday on June 24th. I have six brothers and one sister; all of my siblings are older except for one of my brother, who is only about two years younger.

 

I love spending my time in Germany in June, the weather seems nicer and cooler than here in Florida and the daylight lasts until 10 o'clock at night. We usually sit outside to eat and drink and enjoy each other's company. And there are a lot of Bierfests going on around this time.

 

I was really looking forward this year to fly to Germany, but things happened and I had to tell my family in Germany that it is really not financially feasible for us to make the trip with my husband, one of my daughters and her fiancé. I probably could have gone by myself; however, due to my husband's injury that he received in 2006, I did not want to leave him behind.

 

Yesterday, I phoned my mom and wished her a Happy Birthday and told her that I was sorry that we could not be there this year to celebrate her 85th Birthday, whose health has been declining a little bit, seeing the babies born the past two years. All she said that she wished that she could come to see me and my kids this year again. She is a very strong willed woman, despite her strokes and recent illness. And with God's will, she will be here in Lakeland, FL visiting with us this fall.  I also have twin brothers, whose birthday is today and one of them has been ill the past few weeks. So talking to the both of them today, makes me miss my family even more.

 

The picture below was taken five years ago at my mom's 80th birthday.

 Mutti's 80th Birthday

 

So Happy 85th Birthday, Mutti (mom)

I hope you found this post useful! If you need help finding or selling your Lakeland, Florida home, please contact Petra Norris - REALTOR(R) at 863-619-6918. If you’re new to Lakeland, I’d especially like to extend a warm welcome. I value my clients and provide them with honest, reliable service. Allow me to introduce you to the Lakeland FL real estate landscape and all it has to offer.

 

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Have you haggled lately?

I have been looking at the Flip Video camera for some time now and noticed at Best Buy last week that they Flip Videowere on sale for about $149.00. I gave it a try at the store and I really liked the style and the simplicity of the camera. Well, I did not buy the Flip Video last week because I wanted research more about the camera online, read the reviews; last but not least do a little price comparison.

 

Best BuyYesterday, my husband and I drove to Best Buy again, not to buy the Flip Video but to look at cables for our television. I stopped by at the video counter to see if there was a change in price of the camera and to my revelation the price increased to $179.90. The sales associate walked up to me and asked if he could be of any help and I replied "yes, of course the Flip Video's price increased and I was asking if you would sell it to me for $149.00." He told me that he could not make that decision. I said, okay can I speak with the manager. After about ten minute wait, the manager came up to me and asked if there is anything he could do and I kindly replied if he could arrange to sell me the Flip Video for the sales price of last week, since I could get it online for a cheaper price. He took out the price tag from the shelf and walked away for a minute. When he came back, he gave the authorization to the sales associate to sell the Flip Video for the sales price.

 

By the way, where was my husband? I guess he felt a little embarrassed by my haggling and stayed away. I guess if you don't ask you will never find out. Give it a try - it sure made my day.

 

Here is my first video shoot with my Flip Video - Enjoy!

 

 

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Have you haggled lately?

 

Petra Norris - CDV TransAtlantic, Inc. - Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker -

PO Box 92050 - Lakeland, FL 33804-2050 - Telephone (863) 619-6918

This blog is solely my point of view

I hope you found this post useful! If you need help finding or selling your Lakeland, Florida home, please contact Petra Norris - REALTOR(R) at 863-619-6918. If you’re new to Lakeland, I’d especially like to extend a warm welcome. I value my clients and provide them with honest, reliable service. Allow me to introduce you to the Lakeland FL real estate landscape and all it has to offer.

 

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Home At Last - Safe and Sound - Our Marine

Saturday was a very exicting day for our daughter Jeanne and her kids - our grandchildren, Amanda and Austin. After a six month deployment to Iraq, LCPL David Savage and his company, which is a Reserve Transportation Company stationed in Orlando, FL came home safe.

   Homecomming

    

 FamilySavage

At this time, I would like to say "Thank you for their Serving and Thank you for their Sacrifice" to every member of this AR community. who have family and friends deployed overseas in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and anywhere else in the world. I can't wait until every Soldier in the Armed Services is home "Safe and Sound".

I hope you found this post useful! If you need help finding or selling your Lakeland, Florida home, please contact Petra Norris - REALTOR(R) at 863-619-6918. If you’re new to Lakeland, I’d especially like to extend a warm welcome. I value my clients and provide them with honest, reliable service. Allow me to introduce you to the Lakeland FL real estate landscape and all it has to offer.

 

Subscribe to my Active Rain Blog   Facebook  LinkedIn  Follow me on Twitter Virtual Tours & Videos  Subscribe to LakelandFloridaLiving.com