Alive and kicking!

Who says "the mall is dead"? Tanglewood had quite a few shoppers as I completed my walk on Thursday just after noon. There was a sales event being held in the former Waldenbooks storefront that was drawing a lot of shoppers - Equestrian Exchange. Apparently this is a traveling consignment show that makes the rounds in Virginia and North Carolina. If you have any spurs or chaps you need to get rid of, check out their site at EquestrianExchange.com.

A note in the window of another recently opened store that sells trading cards indicated that there is a new baby boy in the world. Congrats to the proud Mom and Dad!

Hopefully the weather will cooperated this week so I can get to some Sox games in Salem. I hear that the team is having trouble winning at home. I'll have to see if I can cheer them on to victory. I really enjoy watching the games in our beautiful stadium. Whether it's for baseball or just being outdoors, come and support our local team and escape the daily routine for a few hours of fun and relaxation. See you there!

Cleanup on Aisle 5..

Today's cloud cover provided for just the right temperature for a comfortable river walk. Last week's accumulation of debris from the river flooding has been removed and the finishing touches of sweeping away the mud on the roadway was being completed this morning. There were several fishermen and even someone that was fly-fishing. It's always interesting to see the different types of fishermen as indicated by their garb, their poles, their equipment, and ultimately the number of fish on their stringers. Yesterday I passed someone who looked like he just stepped out of an Orvis catalog - coordinated pants, boots, vest, and hat. This man may not have caught a thing, but he sure looked the part. This is in contrast to the man that I saw a few days ago who asked to use my cell phone so he could call a cab. He looked a little scruffy in his ballcap, tee shirt, shorts and sneakers and the only way you would guess he was a fisherman is the stringer he proudly held containing the allowable catch limit. He told me that he didn't have a car but he loved to fish so he was willing to spring for the cab fare. Yep, cab fare - $30, stringer full of fish - priceless!

All consuming...

Can it be that almost a month has passed since my last post? Well, it's not that I haven't been walking as usual. I have been squeezing my walks into a much busier schedule. I have been attending classes and completing self-study related to stock market trading. Even though I have been involved in the stock market for years, I got out last October as many others did. I wanted to be better informed before entering the market again and I am very pleased with the education I have received thus far. There are many new techniques and tools that I was not aware of that can help the trader to become more successful and I am trying to take advantage of whatever information is available.

I have enjoyed many walks by the river and it seems that more and more people are getting out to do the same. The recent rainfall flooded both of the bridges so that my route had to be modified. It makes me wonder if the flood control project that was completed over the last couple of years still needs some tweaking.

The state of Tanglewood hasn't changed much. One walk that stands out is the day that I watched 3 young mothers walking the mall with their kids in tow. They would stop occasionally and do some exercises and then continue walking. At one point, near Penney's, they actually spread out some mats on the floor and were exercising while one of the toddlers was standing at the end of the escalator and daring the descending stair to catch the toe of his shoe. My heart was in my throat as his mother remained focused on her exercise routine instead of her child.

Today I enjoyed a wonderful brunch with my Mom, Dad, and husband at Horizon Bar & Grill in downtown Roanoke. The shrimp and grits was very flavorful and satisfying and the fried green tomatoes were very tasty. Our party of 8 was seated promptly and everyone enjoyed their meals. We then spent a couple of hours visiting and sharing a bottle of Cornucopia wine at the Valhalla Vinyard wine tasting room and enjoyed the spectacular view across the Roanoke Valley. Wow, what a day! Hope all of you mothers enjoyed your day. I sure did!