Brainerd Lakes Real Estate News

 As Easter is a celebration of spiritual life through Christ- the Monday following Easter will be a new chance at physical life for a Brainerd man. Marv Milliam at 69 years of age will receive a kidney from his 32 year old daughter, Vindy Pulak.  If successful, this gift will enable Marv to say goodbye to his three times a week dialysis treatments that take three hours per treatment. He will be able to travel and visit his son in Montana. As his family enjoys yearly elk hunting trips in Colorado, Marv also went but needed  to travel  every other day 180 miles round trip to Laramie, Wyoming  for dialysis treatments. 

Vindy's mother, Lorri, said they were shocked that Vindy wanted to do this but that when Vindy makes up her mind to do something, there is no stopping her ."Why wouldn't I, I wouldn't have a kidney if it wasn't for my dad." Vindy told Kathi Nagorski, city editor for the Brainerd Dispatch.  When asked what he thinks of his daughter for giving him this gift, Marv said to Kathi: "The world."   And when asked what the surgery means to him, Marv, struggling for words, said it all: "Life."

Garden tomb in Israel 

"I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies" 

Kathleen Lordbock

Re$ale Design

Brainerd, MN 

Painting by local Brainerd artist, Ashley Bast,

 -posted with her permission

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks,

he broke it and said,"This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 

In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood;

do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."  For whenever you eat this bread and drink

this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NIV

Until he comes,

Kathleen Lordbock 

Re$ale Design & Home Staging

Brainerd, MN 

Once upon a time, a Prince called from Wisconsin asking if  in a few weeks he could propose to his girlfriend on our frozen beaver pond in Minnesota. Since he, his girlfriend and my daughter had all gone to school together in Florida, I said yes (like I'd say no?) After he secretly asked her father for her hand (& the rest of her as well) they would come to our place to say hello.  Late on the appointed night  from inside my nice warm kitchen, I could see their car lights coming up the driveway. I efficiently  called the crew ,  who were shivering in place only warmed by a small campfire, and  the lighters quickly started flicking.We had wired Mason jars and put votives in them hanging from tree branches, so it was quite enchanting.  They lit 100 votives in cut out white paper bags, artfully arranged a faux fur throw on the bench, lit the candles on the pictured table , and scattered rose petals and potpourris on the ice.  Then they vanished into the dark!  I greeted the couple , quickly noting that the prospective bride was wearing flip flops, and handed them a lit candle in a lantern. I told them to follow the candle lighted path and off they went.  The groom had something to say at each turn about the steps in their lives leading them to this moment in time. She said, YES, and the wedding is in August.  My daughter is the Maid of Honor and yes - we stage weddings, too!

Kathleen Lordbock  - President of the

we'll stage  almost anything company-

Re$ale Design 

As a Home Stager & Interior Redesigner, I carry a number of tools in my Re$ale Design tool bag.  Here is a list of my personal favorites:

• One 16 foot FatMax retractable tape measure by Stanley
• One 25 foot retractable tape measure
• One small  carpenter's level with attached magnetic strip
• One FatMax Laser Level kit 
• One medium weight  claw hammer
• One light weight ball-peen hammer
• Two needle nose pliers
• One slip-joint plier
•  Makita 12V Cordless drill  with light and a variety of bits - slotted & phillips  -all sizes
• Two batteries for above
•  Battery charger
  
• Stud finder
• Hot-Glue guns and lots of sticks for each -both low and high temperature
• Staple gun- Black & Decker Power Shot & staples
  
•  2 Flashlights - 1 small maglite and 1 large maglite
  
• 409 or some type of cleaner & rags
  
•  Not technically a tool but more a life necessity - Duct Tape
  
• Slider pads for moving furniture
• A lifter for getting the pads under the legs
• Extra tiny screws & something to put them in with
• Emery board
• Small bar of soap for squeaky drawers
• Removable mounting squares
• Bedrisers
• Various size plastic bags
• Dry wall hooks
• Felt pads for under wooden furniture legs
• Steamer or iron & board
• Brown, white, black & tan extension cords
• Microfiber cloths
• Adapter for 3 prong to 2 prong outlet
• Sewing machine needles (leave only tiny hole)
• Febreeze
• Light bulbs
• Brown & black permanent markers
• Vacuum & cordless vacuum
• Goo Gone or my new favorite - Pure Citrus Air Freshener for removing labels and black marks on vinyl floors
  

 Now, what's in your tool bag?

No laughing matter-  you need to be aware of the power!

 This is what was left of our 70' trailer home in Brainerd, MN.  We never found the appliances, furnace, etc -  but our blue toilet was found intact  several miles away. The trailer was inside a 80x170 indoor riding arena - also gone! Fencing &  building in the background put in after storm.  The following information  was found on the FEMA site : see link

Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in seconds. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Every state is at some risk from this hazard.

Some tornadoes are clearly visible, while rain or nearby low-hanging clouds obscure others. Occasionally, tornadoes develop so rapidly that little, if any, advance warning is possible.

Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still. A cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible. Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.

The following are facts about tornadoes:

• They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
• They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
• The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
• The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 MPH, but may vary from stationary to 70 MPH.
• Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land.
• Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
• Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer months.
• Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.
• Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at any time.

     I told you it was going to snow! 

In a previous post, I was commenting on the everlasting rain we were receiving in Brainerd, MN. where my  Home Staging & Interior Redesign company, Re$ale Design, is located.  Well. it stopped!  Is snow this time of year unusual in the Brainerd Lakes area? Not really, we have had snow on the 4th of July! Actually, I prefer snow to rain, as it is very difficult to cross country ski on water.  Now, where are my skis- I'd better get going before it starts raining again. 

Kathleen Lordbock

Resale Design - President 

    How do you keep  visitors & Realtors at open houses and showings from using your nicely folded, perfectly hung, and oh so clean and dry towels?  I have read that some suggest tying them in ribbons or raffia and therefore signal that they are off limits.  Does everyone know how to read raffia?    A sign "Do Not Use Towels" along with "Do Not Use Toilet or If in the case of an Emergency :  please close lid & flush (or maybe flush and then close lid)", "Do Not Sit on Bed" ,  "Don't kiss the Mirror", "No eating or drinking in  any room", & "No smoking right outside the door and then throwing butt on doorstep" (still referring to the cigarette here) - might help!

What I do is provide a wicker or metal basket with lovely paper guest towels or on a low budget - nicely folded printed Bounty.  This has helped with the towel problem - the others are still out of control!

What do you do? 

Kathleen Lordbock

Re$ale Design 

       Here in the Greater Brainerd Lakes area of Minnesota - it is raining.  It has been raining for days.  With a very low amount of snowfall, this is a good thing.  For me, I'd rather get the snow!  Rain for days is depressing (sorry- Seattle residents). You can't do anything in a rain this cold and when you try - soon you are back in the house changing clothes. 

        Since we have 14 horses, I need to put them in the barn so they get a chance to dry off and warm up.  They certainly appreciate it and I feel better.  It makes for  longer chore times however.

      I just listened to next weeks weather report - more rain & then 4-6 inches of  snow.  Ah, the best                                  of all worlds - Brainerd, MN