Written by Blue Team: Ashley Farrington & Michelle Blue, Windermere Woodinville
Its all over the news that the local real estate market is slowing down – whether it really is for your home and neighborhood is something you should talk to your Broker about. The economic forces of supply & demand vary not only by city but by neighborhood, home style, and home condition. In a balanced market, it is even more important that you get good advice and you make sure your home stands out from the competition to ensure that you sell quickly and at its highest price.
The winter season is upon us. We can either stay inside and hibernate, or go out and embrace it. If you prefer the latter, fitness instructor and outdoor enthusiast, Sara Graham, reveals a personal favorite snowshoeing hike.
"I chose Rock Ridge Trail because this was a trail that I stumbled upon while looking for another hike in Lake Wenatchee State Park. "
Sara explains that part of the allure of this hike is that it is little known to the public. "Often we are the only car in the parking lot, meaning that we are the only ones on the trail." Rock Ridge Trail has more to offer than just a solitary commune with nature. Washington State Parks Commission describe this trail as 3.8 miles which traverses a low ridge providing nice views of the valley.
Written by Lisa Yeager, Sno-Valley Senior Center Director
Many people say that what they most fear about aging is getting dementia. But did you know there is a lot you can do now (no matter your age) to prevent dementia in later years.
In 2017, the Lancet Commission released a life-course model for dementia risk that stretched from a person's genetic risk at birth, to early life education level; middle-age hearing loss, hypertension, and obesity; and late-life smoking, depression, physical inactivity, social isolation and diabetes.
"The evidence we’re seeing now suggests that decisions you make in mid-life can impact your chances of getting dementia, as well as your brain health after diagnosis,” Professor Ritchie said.
While sustainability may seem like a buzz word that wound its way into pertinence to some, the concept has largely ruled supreme for communities like Woodinville. The land is still as bountiful— yet maybe not as plentiful—as it once was. The soil is soft and fertile. The blossoms continue to bloom. With the boom of wineries and other beverage producers that occupy the city’s tourist district, it has been in vogue to tout the benefits of producing the finest, most organic products possible. Before many of the shops had ground their way into one of Washington’s most tantalizing microclimates, the search for a new Woodinville Farmers’ Market occupied the minds of a few at the end of the ‘90s. By 2005, a 21-acre parcel had been purchased. The following year, the organization and site were officially named 21 Acres.
In December of 1976, a little boy named Craig wrote a heart-wrenching letter to Santa Claus. The little boy’s letter said that he and his sisters’ mother told them that Santa had become lost last year when he was trying to deliver Christmas presents to the family’s house. Craig ensured Santa that he and his little sisters had been good all year, but their mother told them that Santa was going to get lost trying to find their family’s house again. To help Santa find his way, Craig drew a map. Craig signed off his letter affectionately before writing, “P.S. Don’t leave anything for dad because he isn’t here anymore.”
The letter did not make its way to the North Pole but somehow landed in a Seattle restaurant ran by a man named Dick Francisco. Francisco was so touched by the letter he started The Forgotten Children’s Fund (FCF). FCF is a grassroots organization that is ran exclusively by volunteers and donors who give both their time and money to make it so kids who face tough circumstances can still have the warm, merry, and special Christmas they deserve. In 1976, FCF managed to bring Christmas joy to 285 kids in 81 families. Now, the wonderful organization has grown large enough to bring cheer to over 800 families, totaling more than 2,900 children at the end of December.
The families are each carefully selected by FCF. FCF then makes sure they have complete knowledge of each family they assist from the names and ages of the kids, to their clothing sizes and any special needs a family might have. Sometimes, FCF gifts things like donations of groceries or even aids with basic payments on things like electricity or water bills. The FCF currently operates in King County, Lewis County, North Counties (including Skagit, Island, Snohomish and Whatcom Counties) and Chelan Counties of Washington State.
