Shot 84 at The Pearl east course the other day. Shot 106 at the same course 6 weeks ago. Go figure?

The Reasons I Moved To Myrtle Beach

1. More golf courses per square inch than any other area in the US. I've been told that there are over 90 courses within 40 miles or so. I've tried about 20 - most are very good and the vast majority are user friendly compared to up north. Oh and a lot less expensive with local discounts & special discount packages.

2. More restaurants per square inch than any other area in the US. Now I'm just guessing but if there are 90 golf courses, there must be at least 300 restaurants. I've tried about 25. I really like the ones where you eat outside and overlook the water.

3. A perfect climate - not too hot like Florida and never very cold. Locals tell me that it can get down as low as the mid 20s but that is rare. My experience is that it can get in the mid 30s in the early morning but always warms up to the 50s by 11am.

4. 60 miles of perfect beach. Now I am not a beach person but I do enjoy the very warm water which I am comparing to the cold water up north. Also the beach is so long, it never gets crowded at least not where I go.

5. Entertainment including comedy clubs, live theaters and shows, casino cruises, night life and live music, shopping, fishing excursions, festivals and water sports. Now I do not participate in all of these activities but I know they are available. Shagging is the local dance which I am going to try very soon.

6. Very affordable housing. You can buy a newly constructed home with 1400 sq ft, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths and a 2 car garage for under $150,000. Re-sales are even better deals.

The Stress Of Moving

So much has happened since my last posting. We closed on our home in Massachusetts on November 28 and immediately drove to our new home in South Carolina. It took 3 days of driving. The first day we stopped at my sister's home in Springfield, Massachusetts. On day 2 we stopped at about the half way point just south of Washington DC. The last day took us to our townhouse in Little River where we waited 8 long days until our furniture arrived. On December 8, we officially and finally moved into our brand newly constructed 3 bedroom 2 bath single level home at Lafayette Park in Little River, South Carolina. The whole process was stressful as we worried about our buyers, their financing, the final walk thru, the movers arriving on time, whether it would snow on our way down, getting separated on our 3 day trip, our furniture being damaged, our furniture not arriving etc etc.

Within a week, we had our Christmas tree up and decorated. It was a big one - maybe our biggest ever. Made me realize why we bought this house - the cathedral ceiling for our tree. The kids all three plus Gary arrived for Christmas. Was great to have them - made it feel more like home.

Our neighbors are really very very nice. We've had them at our place and they invited us to theirs. The weather has been fantastic - almost no rain, mostly sunny and unseasonably warm.

Email Versus The Telephone

Email allows you to communicate similar information as a telephone does, only the other person doesn't have to be there. With email, you don't have to wait for an answering machine to turn on or to leave a message with another person. Instead, you just write your message and send it--even during the early hours of the morning! Also, with email, tone of voice is not there. You've got to realize that a person is going to be reading this and it's going to impact them emotionally. At some point, you have to pick up the phone, and you'll need to know when it's time to do that.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

Congressional Reform Act of 2011 1) No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when out of office. 2) Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose. 3) Congressmen can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. 4) Congress will no longer vote itself a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. 5) Congress loses its current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. 6) Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. 7) All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

275 Lancaster Drive, Tewksbury, MA

Just sold my house - on the market only one day. The reason is simple - aggressive price - $419,900.

The Sin of Omission

The Sin of Omission by: Margaret E. Sangster It isn't the thing you do, dear, Its the thing you leave undone That gives you a bit of a heartache At setting of the sun. The tender work forgotten, The letter you did not write, The flowers you did not send, dear, Are your haunting ghosts at night. The stone you might have lifted Out of a brother's way; The bit of heart-some counsel You were hurried too much to say; The loving touch of the hand, dear, The gentle, winning tone Which you had no time nor thought for With troubles enough of your own. Those little acts of kindness So easily out of mind, Those chances to be angels Which we poor mortals find~ They come in night and silence, Each sad, reproachful wraith, When hope is faint and flagging, And a chill has fallen on faith. For life is all too short, dear, And sorrow is all to great, To suffer our slow compassion That tarries until too late: And it isn't the thing you do, dear, It's the thing you leave undone Which gives you a bit of heartache At the setting of the sun.

Are Homes Selling?

According to the Multiple Listing Service(MLS), these are the number of single family homes that have sold in the past 30 days: Billerica - 21; Chelmsford - 24; Dracut - 18; Lowell - 30; Tewksbury - 17; Tyngsboro - 5; Westford - 34; Wilmington - 22.