Text Msg A Soldier To Say Thanks!

The Defense Department’s "America Supports You" program lets you show appreciation to our troops who are far from home for Thanksgiving this year.

It officially began Nov. 17 and concludes at midnight PST Nov. 22.

Simply send a brief text message to 89279.

Each message sent will receive a response from an active-duty service member.

AT&T, Sprint Nextel, Verizon, T-Mobile, and other major cell providers will provide access to the program.

Read more in this article from American Forces Press Services:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=48161

What a great idea! I found out about this through a fax that RE/MAX International sent out to all offices yesterday.

Karen
www.move2va.com

Events in Charlottesville & Central Virginia Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov. 22-26, 2007)

First and foremost, the biggest event this weekend...

UVA vs. Virginia Tech, Saturday, at High Noon. UVA wants a sea of orange, so dress appropriately. Good luck finding tickets.

These events, and more, were on the Albemarle Family calendar:

- Turkey Trot at the Boar's Head Inn, Thanksgiving Day at 9am. Wrk up an appetite for a good cause in true Charlottesville tradition. Unite with friends and family to run (or walk!) the 5k course through Ednam Forest and raise money for the University of Virginia Children's Hospital. Tethered hot-air balloon rides are also offered that morning to participants or spectators.

- The Blessing of the Hounds service on Thanksgiving Day, before the Fox Hunt, in the churchyard of Grace Episcopal. 10am. Free.

- Barracks Road Annual Holiday Parade, Friday at 9am. Santa arrives with over sixty of his friends, including local civic organizations, marching bands, antique cars, horse-drawn carriages, and Charlottesville/Albemarle area princesses. Parade route begins in front of Harris Teeter.

- Charlottesville Tradition Grand Illumination, Friday 4pm-8pm. The Jeffersonland Chorus will make holiday music in Central Place. Charlottesville's Mayor, David Brown, will flip the switch, lighting up the entire Downtown Mall with brilliant Holiday lights. Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, and other historic characters gather on the Mall with musicians, performers and carolers. The Central Place at Downtown Mall.

- All The Hoos In Hooville at the Charlottesville Downtown Visitor's Center, Sunday at 5:30pm. An evening of Christmas fun featuring the cartoon, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", as well as the movie starring Jim Carrey . There will be caroling by local choirs and UVA acapella groups, free popcorn and hot chocolate during the movie. Free.

- Santa's Arrival at the Charlottesville Downtown Mall, Sunday at 1:30pm. Santa rides a horsedrawn carriage down the mall! Then he will set up shop in The Shops at April's Corner, where he will be available to listen to the wishes of children of all ages. The carriage will then be available for free rides on a first come, first serve basis. 1:30pm.

- Thanksgiving at Wintergreen, Thursday-Sunday at Wintergreen Resort. Traditional feasts, the grand illumination of the courtyard, gingerbread house and boxwood wreath workshops.

- The Moscow Ballet will present its Great Russian Nutcracker. At the Martin Luther King Jr., Performing Arts Center. Monday & Tuesday at 7:30 pm.

I found these at NBC29's calendar:

- Mistletoe Market in Fluvanna - A holiday shopping event open every weekend until Christmas. Wonderful selection of home decor, antiques, folk art and seasonal accents. Located on Union Mills Road (Route 616) Troy, VA- near the Fluvanna SPCA. Fridays & Saturdays 10am-8pm, Sundays 1pm-8pm.

- Marine Toys for Tots Stuff the Truck. This event will feature motorcyclists, cheerleaders, and other performing acts. Come support the Marine Toys for Tots campaign in it's 60th year by donating a new, unwrapped toy for a needy child for the holidays. Friday, 9am-5pm, Kmart parking lot Charlottesville.

These events were on the Virginia Is For Lovers calendar:

- Mount Vernon by Candlelight 2007, 5:30pm-9:00pm, Fridays-Sundays now through 12/9/07. Learn about the Washingtons' Christmas traditions; tour the candlelit mansion including the rarely-seen third floor; and meet historical characters including Martha Washington. On the grounds, guests enjoy caroling and free cookies and hot cider around a roaring campfire. $15/adults; $10 children.

- Holiday Open House at Valley Green Gallery in Nellysford, Friday, 10am-5pm. A festive occasion music and refreshments. A chance to "meet the artist and artisans". Located at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, near Wintergreen Resort.

- Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia, Thursday-Saturday, 9am-5pm. Explore the 17th- and 18th-century culinary practices of Virginia. At Jamestown Settlement, learn how food was gathered, preserved and prepared on land and at sea by Virginia's English colonists and Powhatan Indians. At the Yorktown Victory Center, learn about typical soldiers' fare during the American Revolution and trace the bounty of a 1780s farm from field to kitchen. $17.75 (adults), $8.50 (6-12).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Karen
http://www.move2va.com/

How To Reduce Spam

Receiving hundreds of spam emails a day is extremely frustrating and time consuming. We are hooked on email now, and it comes with the territory unfortunately.

How to stop it? Everyone is looking for ways to reduce it.

There are lots of spam blockers. Check with your email host to see if they offer spam filtering options.

Our web/email host, One World Hosting, offers NOSPAM, which is a great blocker. For only $5 per month they block out a huge amount of it from our inboxes. Then you can login to NOSPAM separately to check what they've filtered, just in case a good email gets filtered by mistake.

Read more about preventing spam in this article from Realtor.com:

http://www.realtor.org/libweb.nsf/pages/fg908

Here's another great article with 10 spam fighting tips from Microsoft's Crabby Office Lady:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HA010701261033.aspx

What do you use to prevent spam? Please share your tips. We'll all be thankful for sure!

Karen
www.move2va.com

Thanksgiving Funnies

Why do turkeys always go, "gobble, gobble"?

Because they've never learned good table manners!

===================================================

Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building?

Yes - a building can't jump at all

===================================================

Why does a pilgrim's pants always fall down?

Because they wear their belt buckle on their hat

===================================================

Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?

The outside

===================================================

What sound does a space turkey make?

Hubble! Hubble! Hubble!

===================================================

What sound does a turkey's phone make?

Wing! Wing!

===================================================

How do you keep a turkey in suspense?

I'll tell you at Christmas.

===================================================

What do Hippies put on their Thanksgiving potatoes?

Groovy

===================================================

Why should you keep your eye off the turkey dressing?

Because it makes him blush!

===================================================

Hope these made you smile! Be sure to share them with your friends and family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Karen
www.move2va.com

What You Should Know About Mold

Mold in homes and commercial buildings... insurance companies, buyers, sellers and mortgage bankers all have an interest in this subject.

I've been told that if your house has had a moisture or flooding problem that they may increase the insurance on your home, or when you sell it they may increase it significantly higher, but check with your insurance company to find out about your home's policy.

I guess that's why the Virginia Association of Realtors came out with a form for homeowners insurance and the fee, so we could protect our buyers from a rude awakening at closing for excessive rates on their dream home.

Mold can be corrected, but sometimes it can be very evasive. Of course, mold can be dangerous as well. We are lucky to have a mold expert in Charlottesville, Joel Loving. If you have any questions regarding mold or other environmental issues, call Joel. I'll be glad to furnish you with his contact information if you need it.

It's an issue today, so be careful.

Read more in "Bankers' Group Revisits Effects of Mold on Real Estate" from Realty Times:

http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20070726_moldeffects.htm

Read "Moisture and Mold Prevention and Control Tips" from the EPA:

http://www.epa.gov/mold/preventionandcontrol.html

Karen
http://www.move2va.com/

Quote of the Week: Be An Optimist

"The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist, the opportunity in every difficulty."

-- L. P. Jacks

or L. P. Jacks(1860-1955), was one of the the best known British Unitarian ministers in both North America and Britain from 1914 to 1940. A prolific writer, educator and a modern philosophy interpreter. Jacks tried to convince his peers of the need for using twentieth century communication to reach the common man with religion.

I say always look on the bright side and look for the opportunities you can achieve. If you believe that you will be successful, you'll make it happen.

Karen
www.move2va.com

Interest Rates up just a bit to 6.32%

Movement in national mortgage rates was mostly modest this week. Read more at:

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/bank/Nov1507_interest_rate_roundupa1.asp?s=2#tab

Karen
www.move2va.com

Almost New Home In Downtown Charlottesville

$274,900 (Reduced $25,000!)

• Gorgeous gourmet kitchen
  
• 2 Porches on front
  
• Deck to rear
  
• 3 Bedrooms
  
• 2.5 baths
  
• Bamboo floors on first floor
  
• Convenient to UVA, the Downtown Mall, I-64

Karen
www.move2va.com

Events in Charlottesville & Central Virginia This Weekend (Nov. 16-18, 2007)

At Albemarle Family's calendar I found these events and more this weekend:

- Jeffersonian Thanksgiving Festival, come give thanks as people did in Jefferson's day, also battle reenactments, period music, games and craft demonstrations, carriage rides, dancing, concerts, lectures, and more. Downtown Charlottesville, Market or Water Streets, Friday-Sunday.

- Family Art Jam - Sense of Place: Exploring the art of William Christenberry at the UVA Art Museum, make-and-take art for families, now available on a regular basis in the Museum's new and growing hands-on space. Saturday 1pm-3pm for 4 to 7 year olds and their families, 3pm-5pm for 7 to 12 year olds and their families.

- Free-Bridge Jazz Quintet, some of the finest jazz musicians in the country at Old Cabell Hall, UVA, Saturday at 8pm.

- The Lipizzaner Stallions, "the greatest equine ballet in history", at the JPJ Arena Friday 3pm & 7:30pm, and Saturday 2pm & 7:30pm.

- Ash Lawn-Highland Annual Open House, celebrate the anniversary of the Monroe's arrival at Highland, includes a visit from Presiden James Monroe, admission is free Sunday only for residents of Albemarle and the surrounding counties (Augusta, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, Orange and Rockingham). Sunday, 11am to 5pm.

- Charlie And The Chocolate Factory at Old Michie Theatre, Friday 7pm, Saturday 7pm, and Sunday 3pm.

- Simon Mall's Evening of Giving at Fashion Square Mall, private shopping with all ticket proceeds benefiting local charities and non-profit organizations. Entrance is by ticket only on Sunday night, not open to the general public. Most restaurants and kiosks will be open with special one-time sales and activities. There will be door prizes and seasonal entertainment for adults and kids. Tickets available at the information desk at Charlottesville Fashion Square Mall, Sunday 6pm to 9pm, $10.

I found these and more events on The Hook's calendar:

- Charlottes Web musical, The Black Box Players, Friday 7pm, $8 reserved seating, at Burnley Moran School Auditorium.

- Bellydance Showcase: "Alexandra" hosts a showcase of several belly dancing styles. After the performances, enjoy open dancing and drumming. $10; $8/student. Friday, 7pm at Live Arts Upstage.

- Thanksgiving Sides Cooking Class: from sweet potato soup to roasted Brussels sprouts. $50. Friday at 7pm, 921 Preston Ave.

- Funny Family Portraits: Children ages 6-10 are invited to bring family photos for this drawing project at the Kluge-Ruhe collection. Free, Saturday 1:30-3pm, registration required.

- The Holiday Bazaar at the Starr Hill Brewery, hot soup, beer tasting and brewery tours, live music, children's activities, and 20 artists and crafters will keep the whole family happy. Free admission. Saturday 10am-6pm, 5391 Three Notch'd Road in Crozet.

- The Charlottesville Writing Center invites would-be writers to join them for a Writers Walkabout, followed by writing time, sharing time, and snacks, explore mysteries along the Rivanna Trail. Saturday 9am-11:30am. $10/adults, $5/children under 12.

- Create a Victorian holiday ornament, Saturday 9am-1pm, $35. Later in the day, learn to make an "endless necklace", Saturday 2pm-4:30pm, $35. Studio Baboo.

- Monticello presents "Saturdays in the Garden: Making Vinegar," and the uses of vinegar in preparing vegetables, meat, and dressings. $10, reservations required. Saturday 9:30am.

- Charlottesville Swing Dance Society offers a high-energy evening of swing dancing. At 6:30pm Saturday, Kevin Sumter and Lisa Morales teach a beginner country two-step lesson followed by intermediate lesson 7:15-8pm Saturday. Lessons included with the dance admission. Singles and couples welcome; no partner required. Saturday 8-11pm, $12/person, $6/students (with ID), $9/members at Greek Orthodox Church Fellowship Hall.

There's more fun at the Louisa Arts Center this weekend:

- Decorating Creatively for the Holidays. Learn how to creatively decorate using wreaths, arrangements, trees and greenery. Saturday 10:00 am – 12:30 pm. Outdoors, teens and adults. Design Packet for arrangements $8.00.

- Saturday Kid’s Quest ~ The Rhythm and Rhyme of History. Native American storytelling, music and more! Saturday 1:30–2:30pm. $3.00 child + parent; or $8 family of four.

- Purcell Gallery is Open Sunday 10am - 4pm; the Historyland Barbershop Chorus in the gallery from 1pm-3pm.

The Virginia is For Lovers web site has some great events as well, including these:

- Shakespeare Festival in Fredericksburg, Saturday 2pm-11:30pm, at James Monroe High School Auditorium. Tickets: $20.00 Adults; Students free. Don't miss out on this extraordinary opportunity to see Shakespeare as it was meant to be performed by the American Shakespeare Company's Touring Group.

- Holiday Open House in Downtown Culpeper, Sunday, 12pm-5pm.

- Capital of the Confederacy Civil War Show at the Richmond Raceway Complex, Saturday & Sunday 9am-3pm.

Have fun!

Karen
www.move2va.com

Will Zion Crossroads Become A Traffic Nightmare?

Zion Crossroads is booming in western Louisa County with both commercial and residential development right now, including a new super-center Wal-Mart and maybe a large outlet mall as well.

Recently the Louisa County Planning Commission was warned by a traffic consultant, Timothy E. White, the Vice President of T3design in Richmond, that Route 15 may become overwhelmed with traffic within 4 years, unless Route 15 is widened to 6 lanes with new turn lanes. He also suggested a U.S. 15 Bypass around the western side of the Green Springs National Historic Landmark District.

Read more in this article from DailyProgress.com:

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP/MGArticle/CDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173353433495

Do you think it could get this bad?

Karen
www.move2va.com

Deal of the Week: KFC coupons

Go to this web site and put in your zip code, then you can print out some Kentucky Fried Chicken coupons:

http://kfccoupons.cre8.com/

Right now in Charlottesville they have these printable coupons which all expire 11/25/07:

- $3.49 for a 2 piece deal

- $4.49 for a 3 Colonel's strips meal

- $4.99 for a KFC famous bowls combo

- $19.99 for a 12 piece meal

- $11.99 for 12 pieces of chicken

- $13.99 for an 8 piece meal

Karen
www.move2va.com

High Marks For Local Schools

Schools are so important now and in the future. Today's students are the future leaders of our country, so education is paramount.



I found this article online a few weeks ago at NBC29.com's HomePlace page (http://www.nbc29.com/global/Category.asp?C=105495 ), but it has since been taken off of their site, so I pasted it below. (To view the article that Google cached click here: http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:TFjK5ck-kaUJ:www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp%3FS%3D6957015%26nav%3Dmenu496_13_13_4+%22albemarle+county+public+schools+quoted%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us )

This article shows we are doing things right. Great job!

Local Public Schools Get High Marks
By Joanne DiMaggio, NBC29

Visitors who discover the quality of life residents enjoy here in Central Virginia find themselves wanting that for their own families. Naturally, their thoughts focus on local public and private schools throughout the area, wondering what kind of an educational foundation these schools will offer their children.

The answer in a word is-outstanding. In their Report to the Community, Albemarle County Public Schools quoted Education Week, a national education journal, as saying Virginia children are the most likely in the nation to experience academic success by finishing high school and continuing on to college. That's quite an achievement and something the school systems here point to with pride.

In this two-part series, we will give you an overview of both public and private schools in the Central Virginia area. While it's impossible to present detailed information on each school in one article, you can read more about individual schools within the counties by visiting their Web sites. Links to those sites are included at the end of each summary.

Albemarle County Public Schools

Albemarle County stretches across 726 square miles, making it the fifth-largest county by area in the Commonwealth. The mission of the school district is to establish a community of learners and learning through rigor, relevance, and relationships, one student at a time.

Albemarle County school district services 12,446 students in 26 schools (16 elementary; 5 middle; and 5 high schools, including Murray High (charter) and Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Center (CATEC), which is jointly operated with Charlottesville City Schools.

Fifteen percent of Albemarle County students are identified as gifted and there is a 90% high school completion rate. Students-to-computers ratio is 3.15:1 and the budgeted per student cost is $11,338.

Albemarle County Public Schools are 100% fully accredited by the Virginia Department of Education-the highest rating a school can earn. The SAT performance of Albemarle County's high school graduates surpassed state averages significantly. Albemarle County students scored a 555 in math, and a 554 in verbal. Both scores were 42 points above the stage average. Sixty-three percent of Albemarle County graduates earned an advanced studies diploma; the division ranked third in Virginia for high school students graduating with advanced studies diplomas in 2005; and 85% of Albemarle County students go on to pursue post-secondary education.

Albemarle County Public Schools received the Gold Medal for being among the top 17% of public school districts in the United States in Expansion Management magazine's 16th annual Education Quotient. The 2006 Albemarle County Citizen Satisfaction Survey gave the district a 92.4% satisfaction rating. Individual honors went to Agnor-Hurt Elementary (Gold Award) and Stone-Robinson (Silver Award) from the Governor's Awards for Best Practices in Nutrition and Physical Activity Program.

Average class size is 19.09 students (K-5); 20.67 (grades 6-8); and 20.59 students (grades 9-12). Approximately 58% of Albemarle County teachers hold a master's degree and both teachers and support staff continue to receive honors as respected education experts in Virginia and the nation.

Last summer an estimated $3.45 million was invested into improvements to school buildings and campuses at 20 schools. Approximately $13 million in major, long-term facilities projects at two schools also began: a $5 million renovation and expansion of Cale Elementary and a $6.25 million construction project for a new auditorium at Monticello High School.

For information on Albemarle County Public Schools, including additional accolades and awards, visit http://www.k12albemarle.org/.

Augusta County Public Schools

Augusta County Public Schools has a comprehensive educational program for students from preschool through high school. The school system takes in approximately 11,000 students from around the county, as well as the independent cities of Waynesboro and Staunton. Augusta County Public Schools operate 22 schools, including 5 high schools, 3 middle schools, 12 elementary schools, 1 regional vocational/technical center, 1 regional governor's school, plus a regional special education program and a regional Head Start program.

Currently the division employs approximately 880 teachers and offers advanced curriculum in language arts, science, foreign language, mathematics, social studies, physical education, and fine arts, with college credit available. The schools offer a program for gifted and talented students in the areas of language arts, mathematics, art, music, and drama as well as vocational education programs in agriculture, business, home economics, technology, trade, and industry. Extensive media services, connections to the Internet, and e-mail are provided to all students and personnel. Summer school enrichment and remedial programs are available as well as special education programs to provide a continuum of services for students with special needs.

More information is available at http://www.augusta.k12.va.us/.

Karen
http://www.move2va.com/

Funny Time!

"This house has every new convenience, except low payments".

Karen
www.move2va.com

Slopes & Subdivisions

In September the Albemarle County Planning Commission unanimously endorsed two new policies.

The first bans the construction of septic systems and driveways on hills with slopes of 25% of more.

The second affects the county's family subdivision ordinance, stating a family must hold a property for at least 15 years, (at least 5 years after the property subdivision).

Read more about these changes in this 9/12/07 article from DailyProgress.com:

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP/MGArticle/CDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352719305

Some agreed these policies were good for Albemarle, because they are concerned about damage to watersheds and the costs required to maintain an adequate water supply.

Others disagreed, as they wanted to protect personal property rights.

A few weeks later, on 10/10/07, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors could not agree to either approve or deny these changes. They tied with a 3-3 vote. So back to square one.

Read more about the BOS vote in this article from DailyProgress.com:

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP/MGArticle/CDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173353261791

Changes in county planning can affect all of us. What are your thoughts on these rural area policies?

Karen
http://www.move2va.com/

Quote of the Week: from Publilius Syrus

"No man knows what he can do till he tries."

--Publilius Syrus

This is an oldie, but a goodie. You never know what you can accomplish if you don't try.

Publilius Syrus lived during the first century BC. He wrote and acted in mimes. And he was very famous as an improviser; he even won a prize from Caesar in a contest. He also wrote a collection of Sentences (Sententiae), a series of moral maxims in iambic and trochaic verse.

Karen
www.move2va.com