The Heart of Austin

Austinites Can Avoid Foreclosure

There are a number of reasons that a property and its homeowner can fall into a distress situation with foreclosure looming on the horizon. The inability for a homeowner to make their payment once it has "adjusted" to a higher interest rate is certainly at the top or the list.

Subprime mortgage loans and less than ethical loan officers lured unsuspecting and sometimes marginally qualified buyers into the housing market with introductory mortgage rates considerably below the prevailing interest rates. Now, thousands of homeowners can't make their mortgage payments and many are facing imminent foreclosure.

These loans came in all varieties with adjustments in interest rates tied to a volatile index. A once "affordable" property climbed out of reach as the mortgage rate "reset". Complicated and complex, it is not unusual to find mortgage payments that have increased dramatically leaving these homeowners with little capacity to keep making them. Some homeowners have seen their mortgage payments more than double and in some cases triple the original amount. Once a mortgage payment is missed, the lender begins the process of foreclosing on the property. In Texas, foreclosure can happen very quickly unless a homeowner acts fast to stop the process.

One remedy for this situation is to refinance the subprime loan. However, many homeowners with these types of loans find that they cannot refinance them for typically two reasons. They are not qualified now under the lending guidelines for the mortgage amount of their current loan or their property value has decreased since they purchased the property, and they now owe more than their property is worth. In either case, they are "short" whether they try to refinance or sell the property.

The Distressed Property Institute is teaching real estate professionals across the country to counsel these homeowners to avoid foreclosure. Through negotiations with the homeowner's lender, these real estate professionals who have been designated as Certified Distressed Property Experts are helping lenders and homeowners avoid foreclosure, a costly proposition for both parties. Through a negotiated "short sale" the CDPE agent is able to find a buyer for the property and work with the bank to accept an offer. In a short sale, the lender accepts less than the distressed homeowner owes and many times does so without recourse. While a foreclosure becomes a permanent record for the homeowner and damages their credit for years to come, a short sale allows the homeowner to resolve the debt and get on with their lives. For homeowners that have a security clearance necessary for their employment, foreclosure can jeopardize their security clearance resulting in difficult finding or keeping a job.

As a designated Certified Distressed Property Expert, I am uniquely qualified and committed to helping Austin homeowners who find they can't make their payments because of mortgage payment increase, loss of job, divorce or any other hardship to avoid foreclosure. Please call me if you know someone who could benefit from my expertise. All consultations will be kept stricltly confidential.  I can be reached by email at Laura@WestAustin.com or by phone at 512-750-2425.

Posted by Laura Duggan, CDPE, West Austin Properties, Austin, Texas, on February 23, 2009.

 

New Year's Day Good Luck Tradition

Eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day is essential for anyone in the South. No one in my family would even consider skipping this southern tradition for fear of having the promise of luck and prosperity that comes with this almost religious experience elude them. The black eyed pea, really a legume and not a pea, symbolizes good luck and prosperity for those that eat them on the first day of the new year. Dating back to Civil War days, legend has it that the fields were planted with black eyed peas to feed livestock and nourish the slaves. When Sherman's troops marched through the South burning fields and confiscating crops, they left the fields of black eyed peas untouched giving the surviving Confederates a source of food to survive.  Often eaten with turnip greens or collard greens, symbolic of green cash or dollars, the black eyed pea represents the coin. Legend also has it that eating cornbread, another tasty companion dish, fortells the the arrival of gold in the new year. Add stewed tomatoes to the black eyed peas and you get a promise of health with the impending prosperity. 

Black eyed peas are also nutritious because they are low in fat (if you don't cook them with pork, bacon or ham bone found in so many recipes).  They have no cholesterol and they are low in sodium and high in potassium, iron and fiber.

I have cooked black eyed peas every way you can cook them. I have added a ham bone and cubed ham to the lot; cooked them with bacon and chicken broth; added chopped onion, garlic and tomatoes then served them over rice.  But, several years ago, I figured out the perfect recipe, and it has become a family favorite both for flavor and because there is no fat added.

Laura's New Year's Day Black Eyed Peas

Take two packages of fresh or one package of dried black eyed peas and wash them thoroughly. Add water according to the directions on the package. Add one jar of Rose's Just Right Red Salsa and cook until peas are soft and ready to serve. 

If you don't have access to Rose's Just Right Red Salsa, the award winning Austin salsa that is made fresh from scratch every day and found in the cold section of the grocery usually by the milk and eggs, you can create your own. Mix two large fresh tomatoes chopped, tomato puree and salt. Add a handfull of chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, several cloves of minced fresh garlic, fresh serrano pepper, fresh lime juice, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt.  Mix together.  The real secret ingredient to this salsa?  Gobs of fresh, chopped cilantro!  Eat and prosper!

Happy New Year to All!

 Prosperity, Health and Peace in 2009

As always, thanks for thinking of me when you need real estate services in the Austin area. There has never been a better time to purchase real estate. Prices are great and interest rates are at an all time low below 5%. There are also some excellent preforeclosure and foreclosure opportunities. Please call me today if I can be of service.  My direct line is 512-750-2425. Austin remains a great place to live and to invest!

 

Posted by Laura Duggan, West Austin Properties, January 1, 2009. Laura@WestAustin.com

Christmas Memories for my Sister

Christmas was a magical time for my sister, Ellen, and me. We grew up in a 3 bedroom house in Tarrytown with floor furnaces and window air conditioners. When we were small, we would dress in our new Christmas pajamas and matching house slippers (a tradition that I still continue!) and stand over the grate of the floor furnace until the grate had scarred the bottoms of our slippers, our night gowns billowing from the heat beneath. In early December, Daddy and Mother would take us out to a Christmas tree lot to get our tree. Mother hosted bridge club every December, so she wanted to decorate the house early, a real bonus for us kids!  Anna, our housekeeper, strung the lights while Daddy was at work, and we couldn't wait to finish dinner and decorate the tree when he came home.  We opened each tissue-wrapped ornament with excitement, aahing and oohing over each one and the memory that it represented and hung them on the towering fir that filled our plate glass window in the living room. Most of the simple little ornaments were gifts from friends or hand-made trinkets from years gone by, but we squealed as if each one was a treasure. When the last one was hung, we would rush out into the cold night to admire our work from the street.

Ellen and I helped decorate the mantle with a well-loved Santa with his little sleigh and miniature toys, snow covered reindeer and little pine cone elves that sat on a bed of cotton snow. Our grandmother, Marcie, made our stockings from felt that she cut from a pattern and decorated with sequins and beads, and we hung them to either side of the hearth. Mother hung an Advent calendar that she had bought at the church bazaar on the front door and filled it with candy canes. We marked the days until Christmas by removing one candy each day after school. Marcie had also made a ceramic handpainted Santa that carried candy canes in his sack. We took turns taking a candy from the calendar and the Santa until the big day arrived.

The days before Christmas were filled with anticipation and lots of activities. We nibbled fudge, divinity and Marcie's delicious Christmas butter cookies. She let us mix the dough, cut the cookies from the chilled rolls and bake them. Her kitchen smelled heavenly as they baked, and we sipped coffee that was more milk than coffee, out of tiny China demitasse cups until the cookies were just beginning to brown around the edges and could come out of the oven. Marcie had little, but we felt she was the richest woman in the world becasuse she shared everything she had. (I still have that big, red milk-glass mixing bowl!)  Mother also wrapped cookies and slices of fruit cake that Marcie made on Christmas plates covered with plastic wrap and a sprig of holly from the bushes in our front yard to give as gifts to our teachers and the ladies in the principal's office at our school, Casis Elementary.  Several weeks before Christmas, Mother would take us downtown in our Christmas dresses to talk to Santa. We didn't know that the real reason was so that Mother could find out what toy we wanted and to have our pictures made. We stood in line in Scarborough's Department Store at the corner of 6th and Congress and then went out to look at their Christmas windows. Scarborough's always had the most amazing windows with mechanical elves, skating penguins or some other delights. At night, Daddy used to drive us down Congress Avenue under the lighted garlands toward the Capitol. The tinsel lit with mulitcolored lights sparkled in the night.

We also caroled with the Junior Choir at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church and reverently visited the live nativity scene on the lawn of the Church. The Slaughter Family brought in a live donkey, a cow, two sheep and some ducks and chickens from their ranch for the nativity.  A wooden manger was erected and fenced so that the animals couldn't roam. Volunteers from the Church stood inside as Joseph and the Wise Men, and Mary sat quietly gazing at the baby Jesus, a doll from the children's Sunday School. Soft Christmas carols played softly from speakers in the trees. Each Christmas, the nativity would play for 10 days before Christmas. Grampy and Daddy played Joseph or a wise man, and Mother volunteered playing Mary when we were young, then we took our turn as we grew older. We silently visited the nativity every Christmas Eve for years, then attended services at Church. Good Shepherd is so gorgeous at Christmas. Iron candelabra decorated with holly and candles mark each pew. Red poinsettas fill the nave, and the pipe organ and choir majestically celebrate the coming of our Lord.

On Christmas Eve, we drove around our neighborhood in our newly opened Christmas pajamas and looked at the lights decorating our neighbors' Christmas trees through their windows. No one had outdoor lights at that time. We danced from the hearth of the fireplace and sang our favorite songs from Dean Martin's Winter Romance Album, sipped hot chocolate with baby marshmellows from our Santa and snowman mugs, read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and played games of Old Maid and Candy Land until it was time for bed. Ellen always hated getting the Old Maid, and we howled when it ended up with Daddy! We left our homemade cookies, decorated with colored sugars, on the arm of our favorite chair next to the fireplace.  Then we piled into the twin beds in my bedroom, a special treat to sleep together. We talked and giggled, and I would crawl into Ellen's bed and show her Santa and his reidneer (a passing airplane!) in the night sky out the window.

On Christmas morning, Granny and Grampy would arrive just in time to see us open our presents and play with our toys. In our matching robes and gowns, we played for hours feeling like the luckiest kids on earth, and we were. We had love and we had family. Our favorite gifts were always ones that came from the heart. Anna sewed a wardrobe of Barbie clothes for Ellen's Barbie. (remember the gold evening dress with matching coat and the real fur collar?)  One of our favorite gifts was a trampoline with black rubber bands holding the tramp to the frame. Mother almost lost it when she looked out the window to see our 90 year old great grandmother, Gran-Gran, jumping with Ellen on it! There were years of bikes, games and dolls, but the greatest gift of all was the love of our family. Pictured here is our mother, April, our father, Bill, our grandmother, Ellen Poage and our great grandmother, Gran-Gran, Helen Conger Poage on Christmas Eve, 1959.

Merry Christmas, dear Sister!  You will always be my best friend!

Posted by:  Laura Duggan, Christmas Eve, 2008

Family Christmas on the San Antonio Riverwalk

San Antonio is one of those unique cities in the United States made popular by its rich Texas history with the Battle at the Alamo, the Spanish missions, and the River Walk that winds through downtown punctuated by restaurants, bars, galleries, and hotels. At Christmas time, the River Walk turns into a fantasy land. The little river boats that carry tourists through the maze of shops and eateries are piloted by river guides wearing Santa hats as they steer their boats past native Indians playing carols on their wind chimes, a Hispanic Santa on his Christmas throne and beneath the towering cypress trees with mulit-colored lights hanging like stars from their branches. Luminares, white sacks filled with sand to anchor them from the wind and a little candle lit inside, line the river guiding the way for the Holy Family . School and church choirs sometimes fill the boats and serenade diners and tourists along the route with carols and pagentry. The Posada, or procession, is a special Mexican celebration along the River in early December that marks the search of Joseph and Mary for shelter. This is a real special treat for those lucky enough to see it.

This weekend our family and some friends made our traditional hour and a half trek south to San Antonio to wander through the Mexican market, take in the delights of the River Walk and eat our fill of Mexican food at Mi Tierra Cafe and Bakery where we enjoyed the mariachis singing, "Feliz Navidad" and oggled the ornate decorations and the array of baked goodies. The Mexican nachos with beef and guacamole were the biggest hit, followed by the authentic chile con queso and traditional tamales. They have fantastic margaritas too, but this was a family day, and we still had to drive back to Austin. Brad and I have been coming here for more than 30 years to fill ourselves with these Mexican dishes and see the Christmas decorations of old. Open since 1941, they used to have tableside juke boxes, and the garland and Christmas lights would stay up year round. We always left with a sack full of traditional Mexican cookies to munch on the way back to Austin. This time, we ate too much and the counter was too crowded to buy them so we left the calories behind. Colorful pinatas lined the ceiling and Mexican vendors peddled their goods from Mexico in the Mexican market next door. Children were dancing on stage, a photographer was selling his photos and a wood carver was making toys in the promenade. It was so festive!

We made our way downtown to the River Center Mall, one of two places along the river where you can embark, where we boarded one of the little riverboats to tour the river. Unlike the arctic chill covering most of the country, the weather was mild and the day inviting for our adventure. Our guide pointed out all of the famous old buildings and we marveled at the amazing and well-preserved architecture of them, some over 100 years old. Christmas lights and decorations added to the enjoyment as we wound our way through the city enjoying waterfalls, winter hardy perennials, mosaics, and statuary. Ice cream at Marble Slab finished our day (and our calorie count!) as we left the Alamo City once again for our short journey back to Austin. It was truly a memorable day, and one of our family's holiday traditions!

Posted by: Laura Duggan, West Austin Properties, December, 22, 2009

The Austin Farmer's Market Holiday Fun

Austin is really alive right now with the holiday spirit! Balmy weather in the 70's this weekend invited Austinites to take to the Hike and Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake this weekend, to drink in the amazing colors of the leaves as the wind blew them off of the trees and to explore all of the interesting home-grown booths at the Downtown Austin Farmer's Market. Located at Republic Square between San Antonio and Guadelupe at 4th Street, the Farmer's Market is a weekly treat for Austinites and visitors where farmers and ranchers sell seasonal and organic produce every Saturday morning between 8 am and noon. This week we lusted over the big plump tomatos, onions, tender green beans, cauliflower, kale, wild mushrooms, shelled peas, potatoes and squash. Among other locally produced things, you can also find freshly baked goods, shrimp, organically raised meats, breakfast tacos, freshly made pasta, soaps and lotions, local crafts, and even native Texas landscape plants and a variety of herbs.  This Saturday, The Austin Banjo Club entertained the crowd and children got to talk with Santa.  

Brad and I love to park our car at Austin High School and walk along the gorgeous trail beside Lady Bird Lake to the Congress Avenue Bridge where we turn north to 4th Street and then walk over to the Farmer's Market. We stroll through the vendors, munch on a freshly baked meat pie and purchase some of the local fresh fare. I am always grateful that we have the opportunity to buy these gorgeous fresh vegetables and never disappointed in the taste or quality of my purchases. We try to get something new and different each time we stop there. It is a great way to spend Saturday morning and a particular delight with the holidays approaching. An added bonus this time, the bell chime carols playing from the Buford Tower to mark each passing hour.

Marcie's Holiday Yams are a Family Tradition

My grandmother, Marcie, was a fabulous cook. When I was a little girl, I couldn't wait to pull a chair up to her big maple table and help her make an array of holiday treats. One of the first things that she taught me to make were her yams, and they are a holiday tradition at my house at Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year we took them as our contribution to a Thanksgiving gathering at my cherished friend and clients' home here in Austin.  This family favorite got rave reviews, and no one could believe that there is no butter in them.  My daughters and their cousins always put the marshmellows on top just before they go in the oven, another family tradition since they were little. This year, they had some help!

This dish is easy because it can be made the day before and refrigerated. The resting period gives the spices time to enhance the flavor. On the day of your feast, heat the covered dish for about thirty minutes at 350 degrees before serving. When it is thoroughly heated, remove from the oven, add the marshmellows on top and return it to the oven to lightly brown the marshmellows before serving.

Marcie's Holiday Yams

10 small to medium yams (about the size of your fist)

1/2 Fresh Nutmeg (grated from the seed)

Ground cinnamon to taste

1 and 1/2 bags of large marshmellows

3/4 to 1 cup of water from the water that you boiled the yams in

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Wash and peel the yams and put them into a large pot. Cover with water and boil until soft. Lift the yams out of the water with a large, slotted spoon and place them in a large mixing bowl.  Dip the water out of the pot and add small amounts slowly as you mash the yams until they have the consistency that you want. They should be light and smooth, but not runny. Marcie used to mash them with a potato masher, but I prefer to mix them with an electric hand mixer. Cut a fresh nutmeg in half and grate one half of it into the mix. Fresh nutmeg is key! Don't use pre ground nutmeg; it just doesn't taste the same. Add cinnamon to taste.  Mix thoroughly.  Spread the mixture into a large casserole dish (38 X 25 X 4). Take a spoon and spread it across the top of the mixture for even distribution in the dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Heat until thoroughly warm and steaming, then add large marshmellows on top. Put back into the oven until they are slightly brown. Marshmellows can brown quickly, so keep your eye on them!  Serves 18-20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Like turkey and all of the trimmings, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a staple in our family since our girls were small. With the smell of turkey wafting in the air, we gather in our jammies in front of our telly early each Thanksgiving morning to watch each float and wait for the musical numbers to be performed by the hottest celebrities and, of course, our favorites, the Radio City Rockettes. There are big balloons of popular cartoon characters managed by teams of balloon handlers as they make their way down the parade route dipping and swaying with through the buildings with each gust of wind. The weather can be treacherous with freezing temperatures and icy rain or snow, and the crowds always bundle up as they gather predawn for the start of the Parade. We always feel sorry for the band members who have to march hours on end in that cold weather, but we are grateful for their efforts as it is joyful to watch, and the arrival of Santa at the end of the Parade marks the beginning of the holiday season and all of its blessings.

Last year, precious friends, knowing our love for this tradition, invited us to be their special guests for the Parade. After losing both parents last year, holidays in the Big Apple seemed like a good way to divert the pain of their loss. I know that Mom would have loved it too as she watched many a Parade with us while the turkey roasted.  We had fabulous seats in the grandstand right in front of Macy's. Clowns entertained us, store employees served hot chocolate and croissants and being so close to the floats, musicians, and yes, Santa, was thrilling! Unbelievably, the weather was cool, but comfortable and a day that could have been blue, turned out to be joyful.

This year, we will be back in our jammies in front of our telly to watch the frivolity. As an added bonus, we will be watching for the Bowie High School Marching Band to perform. The weather in New York City looks like it might be cold and possibly wet, but we know the Parade will thrill all of those that see it.  We will wait for the Rockettes, oooh and aaaah over each passing float and eagerly await the arrival of Santa, thankful that we have seen another Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and that God has blessed us deeply with each other. From our home to yours, we wish you a Blessed Thanksgiving!

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS!

     Laura, Brad, Kerry, and Katy

Flip Happy for Crepes and Fall Weather in Austin

  This gorgeous fall day and mild weather was the perfect time to introduce Katy to Flip Happy Crepes, a favorite spot of Brad's and mine for hanging out under the towering pecan trees and enjoying one of Austin's best gastronomic experiences. Cooked and served from a 1966 Avion Trailer, folks line up around the block to order the most delectible crepes this side of the Atlantic. Normally, they are closed on Sundays, but today they were open for a special Sunday Brunch because they are closed this Thursday for Thanksgiving.

Katy and I gobbled our crepes, mine with roasted chicken, carmelized onions, goat cheese, fresh leaf spinich and garlic aoli and hers, a crepe stuffed with roasted veggies that included squash, zucchini, sweet peppers, feta and chicken. They were amazing! We ordered off of the chalk board next to the silver trailer strung with holiday lights and waited patiently with the others until our names were called through the second window of the trailer. It is hard to believe that such a tasty creation can come out of a trailer!  While none of us has ever had room for dessert, there are some really tempting dessert crepes on the chalkboard too. They even have a kids menu. If you don't want to wait you can call in and take out, but then you would miss half the fun...people hanging out in the mild Austin weather enjoying the day and each other.

    Located on the back of a lot at 400 Jessie Street just off of South Lamar and north of Barton Springs Road, this little gem is worth the hunt. Featured last year on the Food Network and lauded by the Austin Chronicle, Flip Happy delights its patrons Wednesday-Friday 10:30-2:30 and Saturdays 9-3. Be careful not to block the driveway or park in the spaces designated for the other businesses. The parking ogre will get you!

We Need a Little Christmas Right This Very Minute

Are those the Rockettes??  You really have to love Austin!  You never know what kind of people your going to run into in and around this place. Brad and I went for a walk yesterday morning on the Hike and Bike Trail along Lady Bird Lake. This is really one of our favorite things to do to relax and unwind or solve a pressing problem. We were talking about the horrific financial mess that the country is in and batting around both the causes and solutions. I told Brad half way around the lake that what the country really needed was a little bit of Christmas, not just a Santa, but the compassion and love of the season without the greed and meanness that seems to permeate this debacle. (Thank goodness we were able to keep the bankers out of the real estate business when they wanted it all---lending, insurance and real estate under one umbrella. Yes, Virginia, this mess could be worse!) 

We were looking at the beauty that the city has to offer in the early morning hour---a rare crane, two turtles sitting on a log, a breathtaking rainbow in the fountain--and we were wondering what it was like to live any place else but this paradise we call Austin. As soon as we passed the statue of Jimmie Ray Vaughn, I looked up and saw these four beauties prancing our way!  Was it the power of attraction? Or just a sign that hope is around the corner? I guess all of us could use a little bit of Christmas right this very minute! Do you think my legs could look like that if I dutifully did the circuit every morning???

It seems that the Radio City Rockettes were in town yesterday to promote their December performance at the Erwin Center. If you have not seen this magical extravaganza, grab the nearest kid or kid at heart and reserve your tickets now! Show times in Austin are available on December 30 and 31st.  This show is one of our family's favorite Christmas memories.

The Last Day of Summer

 

Summer of 2008 meant travel to Ephesus in Turkey and a visit to the Turkish bath in Istanbul to celebrate my sister, Ellen's, 50th birthday.  Our journey began in Athens with a stay at the Grande Bretagne on  Constitution Square where we dined on the terrace overlooking the Acropolis and drank Lemon Drop Martinis on the patio. We shopped in the Plaka, took a private tour through the Acropolis and finished the day with dinner on a hillside in the Plaka. We couldn't decide on a dish, so we ordered samples of fish that we handpicked from the kitchen (no joke!), some traditional Greek appetizers of hummus and stuffed grape leaves and a tasty lamb dish baked in pottery. The next day, we boarded a small cruise ship, the Silver Sea Silver Whisper, where we checked into our suites. Brad and I have enjoyed a number of memorable cruises with this popular Italian Line, but this was Ellen's first adventure. She was the life of the party for the entire cruise, quickly popular with passengers from all over the world whose names she learned quickly and whose attention they would seek at practically every cruise function. We had a spectacular time!

We arrived first in Istanbul where we took in a tour of all of the highlights of this fabulous old city that  uniquely joins two continents, Europe and Asia and is divided by the Bosphorous River. We toured the Blue Mosque, St. Sophia, the Grand Bazaar and finished our day at the Turkish Bath immortalized in the book 1000 Places to See Before You Die.  If you've never been to a Turkish Bath, it is a true adventure! Ellen and I were sure when we left that we were the cleanest that we had ever been! For over an hour two large Turkish women scrubbed the skin off of us as we laid on a steamy marble wheel with nothing on but a dish cloth.  Neither of them spoke English, but both were determined to scrub us clean. We laughed uncontrollably when we left. What were we thinking??? And, can you spell "staph infection"? Anyway, we checked it off of our list. Over lemon drops that evening, we exchanged stories with our husbands who were in another section of the bath house about their experience. It was just as funny, only they took a photo to share their experience. Brad said that he and Byron had a terrible time walking in their soapy wooden sandals. We all agreed that we would never do it again, but Ellen wanted to try it, and afterall it was HER birthday!  The next day, we were off on a half day cruise of the Bosphorous River, a fascinating river because it divides the two continents and the homes that line it are really magnificent to view from the water. There is also a lot of boat traffic as the Turks use the waterway as a means of travel because the traffic is so bad in the city. 

We also visited Patmos, the Greek island where St. John was exiled and wrote the Apocalypse.  Then we sailed to Mykonos, famous for its straw topped wind mills standing like sentinels on the hillside, a bit touristy with all of the cruise traffic, but a fun place to eat and shop for gold jewelry. Then, on to gorgeous Santorini, the presumed lost city of Atlantis and one of my favorite places on the earth with its white washed buildings lining the caldera. Sailing in, these buildings looked like icing being drizzled down the sides of a cake. The sunsets were spectacular!  On each island, we did some exploring, shopping and lots of eating.  Each place held its own special place in our hearts when we said goodbye and came back to "the real world".

All of us agreed, this trip together made for a memorable birthday and a memorable summer!