Fear of the things you don’t know or are not good at!

Did you ever put something off because you didn’t know the right way to do something? Maybe because you weren’t good at it? Maybe because you just didn’t understand it and didn’t want to try and fail? There are so many reasons why we don’t do something. Everyday we make excuses to not change, but to stay the same. It is such a short life, might as well try something new, try something that is not comfortable, who knows maybe by trying, by opening a new door you will have many more doors to open afterward. As my father always says ” Failure is not, not succeeding, but rather never trying!”
Well, its taken me 3 months to write another post to my blog and three different times today to write this simple little paragrapgh. I started at 6 when I came in and now as I watch some of the workers leaving our Community I notice it is 5:00. I am not a good writer, I can’t spell, even with spell check. When I click on a word to make sure it is spelled right, it doesn’t come up with options, it comes up by saying, ” No Suggestion”! I can’t tell you how many times I have to change a sentence around so that I can use a different word.

I am writting this post today because I just don’t feel comfortable doing it, but I know that if I try it again and again I will be more accustomed to it and eventually I will like it. I also felt compelled to write this today because of the many people that are also changing. The many future residents of The Lodge at Old Trail are also doing things that are not easy, nor probably fun. They are looking through there house and seeing that they have sometimes over 40 years of possesions to weed through. I hear all the time, ” what should I throw away, what should I keep, what should I give to my children, goodwill, or auction.” The Lodge hosted a Downsizing Event 2 weeks ago that over 140 people showed up to learn more. We had 5 different experts talk about the real estate market, the way to downsize, to sort, to auction, even a great getlemen talking about actually packing and moving. I learned a lot as I feel most of the people who attended did. I was asked to go on a radio show about downsizing after our event because even if you are not moving, taking care of your house and your things is always cosumming. If we can just take one step at a time we can work through anything. Our thoughts can turn to reality.
I look out my office window and see my beautiful new Community The Lodge at Old trail, almost complete. If I had listend to other people , if I didn’t keep trying things out of my comfort zone, this new Community in the middle of a multi generational community would have never been built. Whether it is cleaning out a closet, trying new food, meeting new friends, building a 186,000 sq ft Community or even writting this grammitically incorrect, mispelled post on this blog, if you don’t try you will never know if you can do it.

As my Father said, ” Failure is not, not succeeding, but rather not trying!”

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The Launch of The Lodge at Old Trail

On September 22nd, The Lodge at Old Trail finally said hello to the public. Even though we will not open our new Senior Living Community until next spring we held an event. Over 150 people attended. The many friends of The Lodge were made up from all walks of life and all generations were present.
We were grateful to have several Pastors from our local church’s and honored to have Rev. Chuch Mullaly speak to our crowd. After which, our 25th Delegate, Steve Landes spoke followed by Ann Mallek. Both mentioned how important The Lodge will be in helping our Community of Crozet bring our Seniors back into the middle of our Community.
Following this event, The Lodge at Old Trail will be having an event every third thursday. Look at our web site for upcoming events, www.lodgeatoldtrail.com.
On Oct 20th we are honored to have Gabriele Rausse, The Monticello wine maker speak. The month after, November 17th, Phil James, the author of The Secrets of The Blue Ridge will speak.
Below are several pictures the Launch for The Lodge at Old Trail, truly a Community located in the middle of the Multi Generational Community of Old Trail Village.

Chief Williamson, Chief Eggleston

Friends of The Lodge at Old Trail

[caption id="attachment_246" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="The Rev speaking to our Community."][/caption]
gathering for the Launch at Old Trail

Many friends of The Lodge

[caption id="attachment_244" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="Friends of The Lodge at Old Trail"]Steve Landes, Ann Mallek ,Jerry McDonald,David Hilliard[/caption]
Multi generational community

Little girl taking a rest on our 1946 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup

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“I didn’t want to have my mouth full!”

Today a great friend of mine, Leonard Harris, and my mother’s boyfriend of over 35 years died. I called him Uncle Woo as did my children, but that is a different story about him.

We are all born and we all die, that is the truth of it. I sit here and remember how knowledgeable he was. If you didn’t know the title to a song all you had to do was say a couple of words from the song and he would tell you. He was a Broadway theater critic for many years. If you asked him who was the welter weight champ of 1953 he would describe him to you and the fight were he became the champ. Amazing what was in that mind. I will also remember how when my kids were young how he read stories to them, there are so many wonderful memories of him that I think it doesn’t even feel like a memory but just another story like it was yesterday.

But truly his must loveable trait, besides his incredible love for my Mom, was his humor. So to leave you with a better understanding of who he was . . .

A man calls his Mom, ” Mom how are you?” ” Fine” the mother answers. The man replies” you don’t sound well.” ” Well, its true I feel sort of weak.” ” Why are you weak?, ” because I haven’t eaten in over 26 days.” The son replies ” Why haven’t you eaten?”

“Because I didn’t want to have my mouth full when you called!”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Harris_(actor)#Bibliography

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Moving Again

senior community - squirrel

Started this morning at 6, moving from the construction trailer on our emerging senior community to an office in the Village Center at Old Trail in Crozet, VA. I am going to miss the noise and action from the boys at MB Contractors. Junebug, the site manager, said he never saw a squirrel he didn’t like……to eat! His son George, or Stingbug. Big Eddie and Ryan. So if you are reading this, come by and ask for a hardhat tour and give me a reason to go the 75 yards to see them at the site.

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Latest Construction Pics August 1, 2011

Here are the latest construction photos for The Lodge at Old Trail, a new senior community in Crozet (near Charlottesville), Virginia. Our active retirement community, part of multi-generational Old Trail Village, is quickly taking shape. The roof is under construction. Yay!

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On The Radio

Senior Community - Lodge At Old TrailI was recently asked to be on the radio. Michael Guthrie, CEO and managing broker of Roy Wheeler Real Estate does a talk show every Saturday morning on WINA 1070 AM. He noticed that there was a lot of talk going on about my new Senior Living Community going up in the heart of Old Trail Village, by the village center, in Crozet Virginia. He was curious about how The Lodge at Old Trail was going to integrate into an already bustling area in Old Trail.

As I mentioned on his show, The Lodge gives the area a multi-generational mix that is so important to the community. Its so nice to be able walk out our front door and go to Trailside Coffee to get your ‘cup of joe’ and the morning paper. Sometimes you might even run into your son or daughter taking grandchildren to school. Its all right there. Its not a chore to have the kids come out to the country to see you. And when your kids and grandkids go on a trip there is so much to do in and around Crozet. Time just flies until they come back. You have your own activities and schedule and hopefully you can fit them in!

Just wanted to post the podcast for those that are interested:

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I want to thank Michael for letting be on his show. Truly an informative show about, not just what Roy Wheeler is doing, but actually about the whole market. Its nice to have someone that is an authority on Real Estate Matters and isn’t always trying to sell.

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Downsizing, what a mess!

See the bike fender

Packing the minivan

My wife and I moved very recently. We left a beautiful house in Baltimore, MD to move to Charlottesville, VA. The reason for the move is to build a senior Living community, The Lodge at Old Trail, located in the middle of Old Trail Village in Crozet, VA. I mention that for two reasons. The first reason, because I am downsizing just like many seniors who will move into my community. The second reason, I am renting instead of owning, as with the Lodge at Old Trail, which is a rental community not a buy-in.

Honey

Downsizing

It’s funny. You speak to many people about downsizing, but if you are not doing it yourself you really can’t understand what people are going through. What will fit where? What should I give away? What should I try to sell? What should I just throw away (the coffee tin of all different size nails?) There are so many issues to think of, not to mention when I do move to a new place will I make new friends?

Well, I am here to tell you that I feel better. We did give some things away, we did figure where the furniture we really liked fit, we did sell a couple of things and I must say I did throw away the tin of nails. And yes I did meet nice a gentlemen that was cutting his lawn that welcomed me to the neighborhood. All a good start.

We live in a house half the size of our old house and everything fits. I think it is more that we as a family are really the most important fit. My wife and three children are happy wherever we are and that is the most important part. It is a freeing feeling not to have so much baggage. You don’t always need so many choices. To be happy and healthy are the two most important choices and when you make the choice to be happy everything else works.

Everyone happy

getting ready to move

The other part of moving is now I don’t own anymore, I rent. That is not to say I still don’t change the faucet when it starts leaking or fix the door when it doesn’t shut right. I like to do those things and I am sure my landlord is happy I can do repairs, but the worries of owning the house and all the bills, the land taxes, the insurance are lifted. I now have more time just to walk my dogs and tend the tomatoes I planted in the community garden. My golf game….I think that will always be a worry!

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Growing like the Garden and the Sunflowers, The Lodge at Old Trail!

sunflowers - senior community - The Lodge At Old Trail

Sunflowers, The Lodge At Old Trail, Senior Living Community

Heirloom Tomatoes Growing

Every day I wake up early, and the first thing that I see are the sunflowers in my field. I stroll to my garden and marvel at the tomatoes, cucumbers and watermelons exploding with growth. I then drive over to our new Senior Living Community, The Lodge at Old Trail, and contemplate which is growing faster. The Lodge’s second floor is being framed right now. To think that only a few short months ago we were just coming out of the ground. The similarities are maybe too cliché to mention, so I won’t.

Growth

As we harvest our vegetables during the summer, and watch the doves fly in September over our sunflowers, we will be that much closer to having a roof over our heads at The Lodge. As with the garden, we will work over the winter to plan for our planting season in the spring. For The Lodge, the work we do under the roof during winter will prepare for the newest senior community in the Charlottesville area to open its doors in the spring. There is so much interest in The Lodge….. people are sending deposits to move in and become part of this growing community.

Multi generational community growing

Growing taller - The Lodge At Old Trail, Senior Living Community

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Lodge At Old Trail Construction Video

This video shows the latest construction photos of The Lodge At Old Trail, a senior community in Charlottesville, VA. Learn more about this active, vibrant new development in the multi-generational community of Old Trail at http://lodgeatoldtrail.com.

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Fighting for those before us and after.

Standing for us!

Give thanks for our men and women of the armed services. Thank you.

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