It always strikes me that things just seem to come together. Five of the buyers that I am working with right now are moving here from other areas as part of their retirement plan. When I ask them why they've chosen Reno, they say things like "I grew up here and want to come back", "We have kids and grandkids in the Bay area, don't want to live in California and Reno is a short drive", "My son is going to attend the University of Nevada", and "We want a good golf community and sunshine but don't want to live in Arizona."
Because of these conversations I've had my buyer goggles set to a view of what Reno has to offer retirees. And then I read an article in the Reno Gazette Journal: Reno Makes National Magazine's Top 8 Places to Retire. The "Where to Retire" publication nailed it with this assessment:
The magazine’s editor, Mary Lu Abbott, praised Reno’s current housing prices and outdoor activity options.
“Reno has so much to offer active retirees, from the cultural scene to casino action complemented with year-round outdoor recreation,” Abbott said. “And all those perks come with outstanding bargains in home prices as the city recovers from a hard hit in the housing crisis."
If you're thinking of retiring or know someone who is please share this information with them and then have them call me. I'd love to help!
www.jerianne.rnohomes.com
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
The Tree is Up
We got our Christmas tree(s) up for the year. We have had a lovely 7 foot artificial tree...I won't go into the pros and cons of real vs artificial...for the past few years and really love it. This year, because our living room ceilings are so grand, we decided to purchase a larger tree. I found a sweet deal on craigslist and the minute Todd got home from work we started putting it up.
But I'm sentimental, especially around the holidays. I couldn't NOT put up my sweet old tree. So we made room for it in the family room and put it up too. I love to stand in the kitchen where, if I crane my neck just right, I can see both trees at once. The tall one is beautiful with a perfectly coordinating set of new ornaments. The old one is covered in a lifetime collection of ornaments, each with a story and a memory behind it. If I had to choose a favorite I couldn't do it. I guess they're like people...you make room for the good ones in your life.
www.jerianne.rnohomes.com
But I'm sentimental, especially around the holidays. I couldn't NOT put up my sweet old tree. So we made room for it in the family room and put it up too. I love to stand in the kitchen where, if I crane my neck just right, I can see both trees at once. The tall one is beautiful with a perfectly coordinating set of new ornaments. The old one is covered in a lifetime collection of ornaments, each with a story and a memory behind it. If I had to choose a favorite I couldn't do it. I guess they're like people...you make room for the good ones in your life.
Friday, December 7, 2012
What I SHOULD have done...
My darling friend, Regina, regularly donates platelets at the United Blood Services near our office. As regularly as is allowed, in any case. She invited me to go with her so I did. She made the appointment, described her personal experiences, and forwarded me the e-mail message from United Blood Services that outlines what you should and shouldn't do when donating.
I was supposed to run on Wednesday. I got sidetracked with cleaning my living room and putting up Christmas decorations and told myself I'd run on Thursday. That would, after all, put me back on the same schedule as my husband. This was the point that I should have looked at my calendar to see what else was coming up during the week but alas, I did not.
I woke up on Thursday...the day I was to donate...with a very stiff neck. I did some gentle neck exercises and thought about what my day had in store. I still had a couple of hours before the appointment and thought about taking some aspirin or ibuprofen for my neck. The appointment! No aspirin allowed. And just to be safe I decided against the ibuprofen.
I thought I'd go down and have some coffee and see if moving around helped. But then I remembered you're supposed to go light on caffeine. So no coffee...because I rarely "go light" on things I love once I start. Grr!! My neck was hurting and I had my no-coffee crankiness going on. Naturally I decided a quick run would be the answer. I came up with the idea because running really does tend to ease the stress I carry in my neck and shoulders. (See how great running is for you?! And I'm saving tons on massage fees!) This of course would make me short on time but I told myself I would just do a quick 2 miles.
Two miles in felt too good to just stop so I decided I could do the 5K if I didn't dry my hair. So I did 5K, felt pretty good, rushed through getting ready and dashed out the door. On the way I remembered that I was supposed to have a low fat, balanced breakfast. A Fiber One bar counts, right?
Is anyone even a little bit surprised that halfway through the donation procedure I got a bit lightheaded? I don't blame United Blood Services...they were unbelievably kind and attentive. I blame me. If I had simply followed my own running schedule I would have had time for a healthy meal. Lesson learned. My little episode shouldn't deter anyone from donating. In fact, you've now got all the tools you need to have a successful visit. And how great I feel knowing I've helped others totally outweighs the momentary discomfort.
www.jerianne.rnohomes.com
I was supposed to run on Wednesday. I got sidetracked with cleaning my living room and putting up Christmas decorations and told myself I'd run on Thursday. That would, after all, put me back on the same schedule as my husband. This was the point that I should have looked at my calendar to see what else was coming up during the week but alas, I did not.
I woke up on Thursday...the day I was to donate...with a very stiff neck. I did some gentle neck exercises and thought about what my day had in store. I still had a couple of hours before the appointment and thought about taking some aspirin or ibuprofen for my neck. The appointment! No aspirin allowed. And just to be safe I decided against the ibuprofen.
I thought I'd go down and have some coffee and see if moving around helped. But then I remembered you're supposed to go light on caffeine. So no coffee...because I rarely "go light" on things I love once I start. Grr!! My neck was hurting and I had my no-coffee crankiness going on. Naturally I decided a quick run would be the answer. I came up with the idea because running really does tend to ease the stress I carry in my neck and shoulders. (See how great running is for you?! And I'm saving tons on massage fees!) This of course would make me short on time but I told myself I would just do a quick 2 miles.
Two miles in felt too good to just stop so I decided I could do the 5K if I didn't dry my hair. So I did 5K, felt pretty good, rushed through getting ready and dashed out the door. On the way I remembered that I was supposed to have a low fat, balanced breakfast. A Fiber One bar counts, right?
Is anyone even a little bit surprised that halfway through the donation procedure I got a bit lightheaded? I don't blame United Blood Services...they were unbelievably kind and attentive. I blame me. If I had simply followed my own running schedule I would have had time for a healthy meal. Lesson learned. My little episode shouldn't deter anyone from donating. In fact, you've now got all the tools you need to have a successful visit. And how great I feel knowing I've helped others totally outweighs the momentary discomfort.
www.jerianne.rnohomes.com
Thursday, December 6, 2012
I Scream for Ice Cream Scones!
I broke my cardinal rule of baking the other day. I modified a recipe before I'd tried it in its original form. This is one of those "agree to disagree" scenarios in my house. Todd has never followed a recipe as written. He HAS to mess with it...usually adding something spicy. I think it is best to try a recipe first and then adapt it to your taste later. Our compromise is based on the fact that I bake and he doesn't.
I was craving scones, ran through some cookbooks and did a quick web search and found a couple to try. I'm an instant gratification sort and opted for the one with just 2 ingredients. Sounds too good to be true, but they turned out really well! The modification I made was to add the ingredients necessary to change them from vanilla to vanilla-cranberry-orange scones. First the base recipe from www.allrecipes.com:
Ice Scream Scones
3 cups self-rising flour*
2 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream**, melted
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Pour the ice cream into a large bowl; fold the flour into the ice cream until the dough just begins to come together. Using your hands, gently knead the dough into a ball, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 9x13 inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 12 circles, 3 inches in diameter, and place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
My notes:
* You can make your own self-rising flour out of all purpose flour. For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and mix to combine.
** Do not use low-fat ice cream.
I didn't roll into a rectangle and cut into circles. I rolled it into a large round and cut into 8 wedges. Then I baked them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
To adapt these I steeped a half cup of dried cranberries in boiling water while preparing the dough. I added 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice, a Tbsp orange zest, and a 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the ice cream before adding the flour. Before turning out on a floured board to knead I coarsely stirred in the drained cranberries. Once baked and cooled I glazed them with my mom's doughnut glaze recipe: Warm 1/4 C milk, 2 Tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla, dash of salt over low heat until dissolved. Add 3/4 lb confectioner's sugar (more or less) and stirring until it reaches desired consistency.
Try it and let me know what you think! Especially if you create a delicious variation!
www.jerianne.rnohomes.com
I was craving scones, ran through some cookbooks and did a quick web search and found a couple to try. I'm an instant gratification sort and opted for the one with just 2 ingredients. Sounds too good to be true, but they turned out really well! The modification I made was to add the ingredients necessary to change them from vanilla to vanilla-cranberry-orange scones. First the base recipe from www.allrecipes.com:
Ice Scream Scones
3 cups self-rising flour*
2 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream**, melted
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Pour the ice cream into a large bowl; fold the flour into the ice cream until the dough just begins to come together. Using your hands, gently knead the dough into a ball, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 9x13 inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 12 circles, 3 inches in diameter, and place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
My notes:
* You can make your own self-rising flour out of all purpose flour. For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and mix to combine.
** Do not use low-fat ice cream.
I didn't roll into a rectangle and cut into circles. I rolled it into a large round and cut into 8 wedges. Then I baked them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
To adapt these I steeped a half cup of dried cranberries in boiling water while preparing the dough. I added 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice, a Tbsp orange zest, and a 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the ice cream before adding the flour. Before turning out on a floured board to knead I coarsely stirred in the drained cranberries. Once baked and cooled I glazed them with my mom's doughnut glaze recipe: Warm 1/4 C milk, 2 Tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla, dash of salt over low heat until dissolved. Add 3/4 lb confectioner's sugar (more or less) and stirring until it reaches desired consistency.
Try it and let me know what you think! Especially if you create a delicious variation!
www.jerianne.rnohomes.com
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
They care! They really, really care!
I've bragged before about the wonderful generosity of Keller Williams agents and the amazing outlet, KW Cares, that gives that giving such special meaning in our company. I think I've even mentioned the monthly sales meeting that brings together both the Reno and Sparks Keller Williams offices for an opportunity to share information and successes. This week was a beautiful culmination of all of that.
Our meeting started by covering the usual topics. We discussed licensing, contracts, our upcoming Reno office move. Our vendor partners shared product information and extended invitations to holiday gatherings. And we had an auction for some fun items that you could purchase with play money, Bob's Bucks, earned from New American Mortgage. There were gas cards and massage certificates and chocolates for our bidding pleasure.
Before the auction kicked off a couple of agents gave a presentation about KW Cares...a public charity created to support Keller Williams Realty associates and their families with hardship as a result of a sudden emergency. Ed Davis shared that some years ago KW Cares very generously contributed to him after he experienced a medical emergency. He has taken up the cause and spearheads a lot of the fundraisers that we have. Today was no different.
Ed raised as many Bob's Bucks as he could and many agents donated their bucks to him as well. And then he raffled them off for actual cash to support an agent in need in the Reno office. Those bucks were raffled and then donated back to be raffled again. Hundreds upon hundreds of dollars were raised. While the raffle was taking place a collection jar went around the room and wallets opened. When all was said and done we had all given and were all the richer for it.
www.jerianne.rnohomes.com
Our meeting started by covering the usual topics. We discussed licensing, contracts, our upcoming Reno office move. Our vendor partners shared product information and extended invitations to holiday gatherings. And we had an auction for some fun items that you could purchase with play money, Bob's Bucks, earned from New American Mortgage. There were gas cards and massage certificates and chocolates for our bidding pleasure.
Before the auction kicked off a couple of agents gave a presentation about KW Cares...a public charity created to support Keller Williams Realty associates and their families with hardship as a result of a sudden emergency. Ed Davis shared that some years ago KW Cares very generously contributed to him after he experienced a medical emergency. He has taken up the cause and spearheads a lot of the fundraisers that we have. Today was no different.
Ed raised as many Bob's Bucks as he could and many agents donated their bucks to him as well. And then he raffled them off for actual cash to support an agent in need in the Reno office. Those bucks were raffled and then donated back to be raffled again. Hundreds upon hundreds of dollars were raised. While the raffle was taking place a collection jar went around the room and wallets opened. When all was said and done we had all given and were all the richer for it.
www.jerianne.rnohomes.com
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
No NaNo Novel
I have to admit...I didn't write a novel in November (insert sad-faced emoticon here). But what I love about NaNoWriMo is that each time I participate I get closer to writing one than I would if I didn't try. In the past I've written in November, then stop, and never look at it again. This year I read those earlier attempts and was surprised that they weren't as horrible as they felt while I was writing them. So the deal I've made with myself is that I am going to keep writing on this one until I hit the 50,000 word mark. Ugh! Why do I do this to myself!
I kid...I do it because I love having goals. Some of my goals this year...to run 500 or more miles (just about there, and barring any injury, I should make it), start a blog (done!), read at least 12 books (I'm going to have to squeeze 3 small ones in this month). I don't really make resolutions, I set these as I go and looking back at this list I see what sorts of things are important to me. I think I'll carry these forward. Starting with my annual Resolution Run with my husband at midnight on New Year's.
What goals, resolutions if you will, are you setting for yourself?
www.jerianne.rnohomes.com
I kid...I do it because I love having goals. Some of my goals this year...to run 500 or more miles (just about there, and barring any injury, I should make it), start a blog (done!), read at least 12 books (I'm going to have to squeeze 3 small ones in this month). I don't really make resolutions, I set these as I go and looking back at this list I see what sorts of things are important to me. I think I'll carry these forward. Starting with my annual Resolution Run with my husband at midnight on New Year's.
2012 - Me, Todd, and our favorite running companion Yuri!
What goals, resolutions if you will, are you setting for yourself?
www.jerianne.rnohomes.com
Monday, December 3, 2012
ChickEnchiladas
I'm getting excited because some wonderful friends are coming to visit later this month! It has been about a year and a half since we saw them last so I can't wait to catch up. 15 or so years ago Jeri made chicken enchiladas for us for dinner. She wrote up the recipe for the flour tortillas on one page while reciting the filling/topping directions to me to write on another scrap of paper. Those treasures are part of my love of cooking. Even after I enter a recipe in my cookbook program on the computer, I hang on to those precious scraps.
When I told Todd when the Vradenburgs would be arriving naturally he yelled, "I love CHICKENS!" Jon and Jeri's adorable daughter Emma will radomly yell that and then run around the room like a madman. Alyssa, the older sister, will sometimes join her if she is feeling particularly silly.
When I think of Jon and Jeri I yell (in my head), "I love chicken enchiladas!" So here is that recipe from a thousand years ago! My chickenscratch notes leave a lot to be desired, so the assembly directions are simply how I've been doing it for years and not necessarily how Jeri intended.
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb grated cheddar cheese, divided
1 small can diced green chiles
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pint half and half
1 cup chicken broth
8 flour tortillas (see Jeri's recipe above or purchase pre-made)
sour cream, optional
hot sauce, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook chicken and onions in large skillet over medium high heat until chicken is cooked through. Drain off excess liquid. Add 3/4 of the cheese and chiles and stir.
In a bowl combine soups, broth, and half and half until smooth. Add one cup of this mixture to the chicken mixture and stir to combine.
In 9x13 casserole place one tortilla, spoon approximately 1/8th chicken mixture, roll and slide to one end. Continue until all tortillas are filled. If any chicken mixture remains just spoon it into casserole alongside the rolled tortillas.
Pour remaining sauce mixture over filled tortillas, sprinkle with remaining cream cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with dollop of sour cream and hot sauce to taste.
www.jerianne.rnohomes.com
When I told Todd when the Vradenburgs would be arriving naturally he yelled, "I love CHICKENS!" Jon and Jeri's adorable daughter Emma will radomly yell that and then run around the room like a madman. Alyssa, the older sister, will sometimes join her if she is feeling particularly silly.
When I think of Jon and Jeri I yell (in my head), "I love chicken enchiladas!" So here is that recipe from a thousand years ago! My chickenscratch notes leave a lot to be desired, so the assembly directions are simply how I've been doing it for years and not necessarily how Jeri intended.
Jeri's Chicken Enchiladas
4-5 chicken breasts, cubed1 medium onion, diced
1 lb grated cheddar cheese, divided
1 small can diced green chiles
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pint half and half
1 cup chicken broth
8 flour tortillas (see Jeri's recipe above or purchase pre-made)
sour cream, optional
hot sauce, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook chicken and onions in large skillet over medium high heat until chicken is cooked through. Drain off excess liquid. Add 3/4 of the cheese and chiles and stir.
In a bowl combine soups, broth, and half and half until smooth. Add one cup of this mixture to the chicken mixture and stir to combine.
In 9x13 casserole place one tortilla, spoon approximately 1/8th chicken mixture, roll and slide to one end. Continue until all tortillas are filled. If any chicken mixture remains just spoon it into casserole alongside the rolled tortillas.
Pour remaining sauce mixture over filled tortillas, sprinkle with remaining cream cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with dollop of sour cream and hot sauce to taste.
www.jerianne.rnohomes.com
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