Susan Howard Blogs

You can dispose of still-functioning appliances and fixtures by donating them to a favorite charity rather than sending them to a landfill.  One of my favorite charities that I have used both for donating and purchasing is the ReStore Home Improvement Center  - Habitat for Humanity.  This store is located at 160 North fir Street in Medford across from the Mail Tribune.  Or visit www.Freecycle.org to find out how you can donate them to individuals who can use them.

Appliances and fixtures that no longer work also can be recycled. Call your municipal solid waste agency, contact the Steel Recycling Institute at www.recycle-steel.org, or visit www.earth911.org for local options.

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My husband Mark and I and our 19 month old grandson Rowan went to the Annual Bike Show yesterday that was held on Front Street in front of Habaneros and Porters restaurants in Medford.   As x-Harley owners, it was exciting to see all the bikes lined up in their competing classes and especially the bikes designed by Mark Daley of Thunderstuck Custom Bikes who has put on this show for 12 years with all proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Jackson and Josephine counties.  Since my Mark wrote the article for Mark Daley in the Tempo, he had special privileges for getting Rowan the opportunity to sit on one of Mark’s creations - a replica of Captain America from the movie “Easy Rider”. (see pic below).   Rowan, by the way, had so much fun just looking at the beautiful shiny bikes, the people and the live band.  We broke for lunch at Habaneros and shared a wonderful fish enchilada and Rowan had a cheese quesadilla from the kids menu.  This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in the Valley and I highly recommend it.

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Here’s some tips from an article I read for those of you who are thinking about redecorating your home.  Redecorating can have  a snowball effect so be careful.

Next time your decorating decisions start to snowball, here’s how to get control:

• Divide and conquer. True, to achieve great design, everything needs to work together. But don’t let that overwhelm you. Break the process down into all the steps you’ll need to make. Write a list, then tackle one task at a time, keeping in mind the big picture as you go.
• Think layers. Start from the walls and floors, and move in. First, choose flooring, wall color and tiles in colors you can build on. Next layer in window treatments, furniture, and accessories. I got stuck by starting with accessories, hanging framed mirrors. Like artwork, these should come last, unless you build them in as part of the background, as I did once I installed tiled mirror frames on the wall.
• Watch that first step. The first decorating decision you make in a room is often the hardest because it sets the tone, and has a ripple effect on every subsequent design decision. In home design, fools often rush in. Take your time, think of the future impact and choose well. Choosing should get easier as you go — unless you do something impulsive, like buy a red leopard-print carpet then get stuck.
• Spend wisely. The more expensive something is and the longer you plan to keep it, the more neutral and timeless it should be. Be more trendy and personal with less expensive touches that are easy to change. In a bathroom, for instance, pick tile and cabinets you (or the next homeowner) won’t tire of. Add pizzazz with towels and floral arrangements.
• Think of it as an outfit. Dressing a room is like dressing yourself. Start with good basics. Be sure the wardrobe staples are well constructed, classic and tailored. Then accessorize with the scarf, the shoes, the jewelry. Or the vase, the drape, and the perfect mirror.

Marni Jameson is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of “The House Always Wins“

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Yesterday, my husband Mark and I decided to take a day off and head up to Applegate Lake with our new (used) little fishing boat.  After a little mishap getting the boat into the water (which I’m not allowed to divulge) we motored out to an inlet where, years ago I used to camp at the Tipsu Tyee campground.  It was windy and mid day by now but using worms (I hooked my own) and colorful power bait, we were able to catch 4 trout.  It was very exciting!!  We brought them home for a trout barbeque and it was wonderful.

It had been a while since I was up to Upper Applegate and the lake and I once again fell in love with the area.  If you are looking for the true Oregon beauty of mountains and rivers and vast open acres, this is the place for you.  I first lived here when I moved to Oregon over 30 years ago.  We drove into Hart-tish Park where there is a “beach” for sunning and swimming and a day use and camping area and a great boat ramp.  I  also noticed that they rented out kayaks there as well.  There was a cute little general store for buying snacks and bait.  Boats are not allowed to go over 10 mph on the lake so motoring is pretty mellow.  We’ll be back as it is only about 45 minutes from home.

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Hi everyone…or anyone looking at my blog.  This is my first time blogging and I hope that what I enter here will  be educational, sometimes humorous, entertaining, or at the least, interesting.  Since I am a Realtor, I will have much of my blog be about real estate, the market, the area that I sell and live in and any tips for buying and selling.  There may be other news…I do have a great family and I may have to tell you about them from time to time.  So, enjoy and check back with me often.

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