Vicki Doudera – Realtor, Author, Mainer

Things are off to a bang this year, real-estate wise. I started just a few days after New Years Day meeting with a lovely new client and helping her find a great house in Belfast. Since then I have gone to see three fabulous new listings, one of which is already on the MLS (wonderful three unit multifamily in Camden — absolutely turn key and very profitable) and two which will be ready next week.  I have some interesting and interested new buyers to work with and a number of showings lined up.  It’s been a great start to January and I’m very encouraged.

Here’s something else that gives me whatever the good endorphins are:  split pea soup. I had a hankering for this green comfort food last week and promised a friend I would make it and bring her some for lunch on Tuesday. Monday morning I took two hambones out of the freezer and Monday night I made the soup while my daughter worked away on an essay about the French Revolution and A Tale of Two Cities. (Did you know Dickens wrote Two Cities purposefully as a page-turning popular novel? It does have some excellent suspense, evil characters, and reversals of fortune. Another thing I didn’t realize is that Dickens feared that a similar sort of bloody uprising could happen in Britian, hence his novel was meant as a warning to the citizens there to mend their avarice-filled ways.)

But I digress… I’m sure you’re wondering how the soup turned out and the answer is: yummy. I have more than enough in the freezer for the next time I crave it.  Meanwhile, I’m pleased to see and list some lovely homes and I’m somehow managing both to get a little writing in and exercising.  I hope your New Year is off to a good start, too!

Dead of winter in Maine and that can  only mean one thing… time to get out the seed catalogs and start dreaming of the garden.

My Johnny’s Selected Seeds (a Maine company) came last week so the timing is perfect. Here’s what I do: start a fire in the living room woodstove. Get my list of what I bought last year and any left over seeds. Pour a glass of wine or a cup of tea (depending on mood and time of day) and start making some notes.

I think about the things we didn’t plant and wish we had (carrots, kale, swiss chard) and the things we planted that didn’t really work. For instance, the peas took up alot of valuable garden real estate (primo location by the fence) and didn’t do much of anything. Do I try them again? Try the variety that is “innoculated” this time? It was kind of fun to plant them because they go into the ground so early (Easter) but it was disappointing to only harvest a handful…

Lexi and I are making another small bed this year which will be solely for lettuces and other leafy things since the zucchini kind of bulldozed their way over those crops. (Yes, I will plant less zucchini this year!) And I am going to look for another type of cucumber as the one we planted didn’t do much.

Ahh… the winter garden dreaming. So rewarding and your hands don’t even get dirty!

Ever vigilant Hoover guards the brussels sprouts.

I can’t wait to harvest the last thing in our garden — the brussels sprouts!

This is the first year we planted veggies and it was a great experience.  We started our crops  from seed back in February, transplanting the young seedlings into bigger pots when necessary and setting them outdoors once the danger of frost was over. We enjoyed plenty of pole beans, zucchini, lettuce, and radishes, about a half dozen cucumbers and peppers, and a handful of peas. Our tomatoes didn’t do too well and next year we’ll stick to the cherry and grape varieties.

Maybe it’s just this very mild November, but the cold crops don’t want to quit. Next year I’ll try chard and kale along with the sprouts.

Not only does having a garden give you fresh and tasty things to eat, it allows you the chance to say things like “nature’s bounty” and “plentiful harvest” and really mean it!  Tomorrow I’ll play pilgrim and bring our sprouts to our turkey day feast at my brother’s home in Portland.  It’s a fitting end to the gardening season, right? 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Did you know that the fear of public speaking is greater for most people than the fear of death?

I’m back from San Diego where I attended — and spoke at — the National Association of Reators’ annual conference. Was I nervous? Yes. Did I do it anyway? Yes. And, I have to say, it was fun.

My class was called “Write it Right” and it was a brush-up, back to basics class for agents who want to improve their business writing skills. Sixty or so people came and it appears (from their evaluations) that they were pleased. I managed to get a few laughs, keep my cool, and enjoy San Diego’s lovely weather and water.

Flew home yesterday and now I’m back to work on both real estate and novel #2. I even squeezed in a much needed visit to the Y this afternoon for a little sweat time with Oprah. (She’s not sweating, at least not that I can tell.) It’s great to get away but always nice to come home to a routine that you like. Now if I could only get myself to vacuum on a regular basis!

There is nothing more rewarding to me than helping build a house! Take a look at some of the great folks who turned out on Saturday to do just that.  We had a great time and made some good progress. If you’re in the area and want to help next month, watch Midcoast Habitat for Humanity’s website for details.

Building House #21 Midcoast Habitat on YouTube

Not to be outdone by neighbor Camden, the village of Rockport, Maine, has been cited by Forbes Magazine as one of America’s prettiest towns.

I’m in complete agreement.  Rockport has a lovely, narrow harbor that rivals any on the Riviera, historic homes, and a sweet little downtown.  There’s a restored Opera House, a cute library, post office, and a breakfast eatery. With a little grocery store plus a restaurant or two, Rockport village would be not just pretty, but perfect.

Here’s a great clip of the stunning view from this favorite Camden hike. Thanks to my friend Tom for forwarding and to Graham Phaup (that’s his distinguished British voice you hear) for filming it!
Maiden Cliff View

Boston Magazine agrees with all of us — Camden is one of New England’s (dare I say the world’s??) best small towns!  Check out the story here and in the meantime — another great view of Camden, from atop Mt. Battie.  My two sons were home for a visit this weekend and we took a quick hike up.