Susan Mangigian, Chester County Life

I was determined not to catch a cold.  Everyone around me was sick.  I told myself that this is okay, they can catch cold.  Not me.  I will not catch that cold.  This has been going on since the holidays.  Last year I went an entire year without a cold.  This reminds me of the old move " with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.   Jack Lemmon has a terrible cold and Shirley MacLaine tells him not to worry, she just doesn't catch colds.The Apartment
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Duration: 2 hr. 5 min.
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Edie Adams, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Shirley MacLaine,
Director: Billy Wilder
Producer: Billy Wilder
Distributor: United Artists, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Release Date: July 02, 1960
Writer: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond

I have been so successful for so long that it has come as a shock to me that guess what??  I have a cold.  I am a firm believer in positive thinking.  If you think you can, you can.  If you think you can't you are very often right.  Well, what am I to think?  Do I lay down and grouse that positive thinking doesn't work?  Not me.  I prefer to think that for some reason, I need to slow down for a day or two and take a breath.  I've been working every day and almost every evening for about two weeks.  I think it's time to sit down, have a cup of tea, read a good book or, watch a great old move like The Apartment.  This cold is not going to get me down.  It's going to remind me to heed my Mom's advice to me just before she left at Easter.  "Be good to yourself", she said.  Thanks Mom.  I love you and I think I will.

God bless me, my Mom, and all of you!

I've been selling real estate for 23 years now.  As a full time Realtor and full time mom, my life is pretty busy.  Now that my littlest guy is almost 12, I've been looking around and seeing what I can do to make a difference for others.  I feel like it's time to do more than just work, take care of my home and family and read.  I sit on the board of the Chester County Women's Commission, and while I enjoy it, it is just not very hands on.  So, I signed up to deliver meals on wheels.  Today was my first day.  There were only 4 stops.  The first stop was to an elderly couple, the wife was hearing impaired and the husband has Alzheimer's.  The second stop was to another elderly couple.  This time the wife was afflicted with Alzheimer's.  The third stop was to a retired judge, who had a very hard time coming to the door with his cane.  The fourth stop was to an elderly woman.  It may not sound like much of a help, but I think I am going to enjoy delivering meals to these fine people every Thursday.  I'll feel useful and who knows, maybe in addition to bringing a hot meal, I can deliver a smile that may just lighten a load.  I know it will certainly lighten mine.

To locate a Meals on Wheels in your area, click on http://www.mealcall.org/

I read all the time.  I love it.  I can't not read.  I just finished Eat Pray Love, which was an absolutely wonderful book.  I can't recommend it enough.  It's time for some mindless fun.  I am reading Strip Tease, a rollicking romp of a book by Carl Hiaasen.  It is great fun and I am enjoying it immensely.  This book is filled with my favorite kind of people, quirky and irreverent!  Gotta go... need to find out what happens next!

Gorgeous home overlooking the golf course.  Ready to go, with lots of extras like extra woodwork, gleaming hardwood floors, large sunny breakfast room with gorgeous views, finished basement, you name it!  Enter the from door from a lovely flagstone walkway.  Two story entry foyer with lovely turned stairs.  Glass doors to den/study on your left and living room with built-ins on your right.  Gorgeous kitchen, family room and large sun-room/breakfast room.  Master bedroom suite with wainscoting, sitting room and private bath.  3 additional bedrooms and hall bath.  Finished basement with full bath and great room with outside entrance to flagstone patio seen below.   Backs to Broad Run Golfer's Club. 

Yesterday, I had lunch with a client at this neat little place in West Chester that I had never heard of.  The Art Scene.  We had a wonderful lunch and then moseyed around checking out the art work and sculptures.  What a great find.  If you get a chance, check it out!

10/31/08 update... I heard from a friend that the Art Scene closed it's doors.  I'm very sorry to hear this.

I am still reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I usually read much faster but I realize that I have just been working a lot this week.  I didn't get a chance to read at all yesterday.  I woke up, took one look around my house and realized that if I had been burglarized and ransacked, I'd be hard pressed to notice!  So yesterday, in addition to taking a client to lunch, was designated a clean and get organized day.  I'm not sure quite how much I got done between phone calls, but at least it looked a little better.  This morning, reading this great book with my morning tea, I came across a great line... "Listen--next time you feel the need to cry about spilled milk, make sure it condensed, will ya?"  This was in response to a long email the writer had sent to friends.  I thought this was so funny.  How many times do we do this.  Complain, long and loud about things that go wrong in our lives.  I think women may do this more than men.  And not only do we do it, we do it over and over, until it's out of our systems!  I hope next time it's my turn to vent, I can remember to keep to the condensed version! 

This is a great book.  Full of funny things and great insight.

This is a great little 3 bedroom home on one acre in sought after East Goshen Township.Front of home

View of back yard.  One acre!!!

 This property is listed at an incredible $329,900!  For 1 acre in East Goshen!  One car garage and one car carport.  Shed.  Hardwood floors on first floor except kitchen and baths.  Call Susan Mangigian, RE/MAX PREFERRED, WEST CHESTER OFFICE.  610-719-1700. 

I like to be helpful.  I never feel like "this is not my job".  If my client needs an electrician and the house is vacant, I call an electrician and meet him over at the house.  If my client is too busy to meet the exterminator, hey, no problem.  I'm there.  I'll deliver meals, dust, vacuum and even go food shopping for my clients if that is what they need at that particular moment.  I think that is why I have a lot of repeat business.  I think that is why most of my business is referral business.  My clients know how much I care, how much I want to help.  In this maybe slightly slower market, get busy.  Be useful.  If it's not your job, don't worry.  Another Realtor will be happy to help.  As for me... I'm on my client's team.  Whatever they need, I'm there.

Susan Mangigian, RE/MAX PREFERRED, WEST CHESTER OFFICE.