Wilmington, NC Real Estate Blog

Porters Neck in Wilmington North Carolina

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:22:50 -0600

Funny how the name "Porters Neck" just outside of Wilmington, North Carolina, conjures up different images, thoughts or an area to different people.

There is the "Porters Neck" area, Porters Neck Road, various small buisnesses ...Porters Neck Hardware, Porters Neck Post Office, Porters Neck Golf Course, and of course the "Porters Neck Plantation and Country Club"

As a Realtor in this beautiful area of southeastern North Carolina, I have come to appreciate, notice and understand the true life style consumers and homeowners are looking for in this unique community of Porters Neck. Whether the climate, a job transfer, change of pace, retirement, or the beckoning call of some of the most beautiful beaches on the east coast, Porters Neck Plantation is a wonderous place to call home!

I recently had the pleasure of representing a retiring couple from the Cincinnati, Ohio area in the purchase of their new dream home. They had reshearched numerous areas, looked at many homes throughout the south, and had thought that this area would be the perfect spot. A multitude of reasons why they chose Porters Neck and the Wilmington area is....well, it's Porters Neck Plantation.

A little history is in order, Porters Neck Plantation was founded in 1989, and is tucked away in the northern section of New Hanover county in Wilmington, NC, along the Intracoastal Waterway. It offers it's residents 650 plus acres of lush beauty, soft ocean breezes, thousands upon thousands of wild azaleas bursting with vibrant colors. AND, and some of the most beautiful homes and home sites in North Carolina, many of which have won numerous medals and awards for their excellence of design and construction.

Many of the residents came for the security of a planned gated community, or the highly rated Tom Fazio designed Par 72 golf course, or the private community boat ramp with access to the Atlantic Ocean, or walking trails with picnic areas, or for the tennis programs, or the exclusive equity membership features Porters Neck offers including sports, dining, golf, and swimming in the larger than life pools. All sorts of indivualized membership programs are available....pick and choose just what suits your fancy.

Social events abound... you would be hard-pressed to find an activity that did not meet with your life style...that's it!! Life style!....Want a perfect life style, a mild climate, amenties second to none, and a dream home to appreciate for years to come? Well then it is all here in Porters Neck Plantation.

The Day After Halloween!

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:25:16 -0500

Dick Beals

Happy Labor Day

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:43:34 -0500

Labor Day

Hello friends

Have a Safe and Great Labor Day!!

Open Your Labor Day Card Here!

Dick & Sandy Beals "Wilmington's #1 Expert" www.WilmingtonRealEstate4u.com 2802 Market Street Wilmington, NC 28403 1-877-379-2589 toll free, 910-352-2000, or 910-431-2572 direct

N.A.S.C.A.R. Bar-B-Q Ribs....You Will Race to the Table

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:43:17 -0600

I can't believe I'm doing this! I like to cook, HOWEVER, I have never, ever, never, ever have provided a recipe in written form to anybody. Here now I'm blogging about it! What is the world coming to?

Happening upon a blog written by Karen Monsour, entitled My New Cookbook Group, I commented on my speciality, Baby Back Ribs and was enticed to provide the recipe....so here it is:

I start with a six pack of "The beer of NASCAR" (Miller Lite) and pour it into a huge pot....don't even save any to drink (it tastes awful, and only true NASCAR fans would even admit to drinking it) add to the pot 2 chopped cloves of garlic, 1 chopped red onion, half a chopped jalapeno pepper, and a couple of bay leaves, along with a couple cans of chicken stock, in fact, if you have a 12 pack of Miller Lite throw it all in....it helps get it off the super market shelves.

While the peppers, onion, and bay leave are enhancing the NASCAR beer, start rubbing the ribs with a dry mixture specifically made for ribs, salt, pepper, and let stand for an hour. You could go to all the trouble of making your own dry rub, however it is a lot of wasted time and effort.

Next gently place the ribs into the pot and bring to a fast boil, then turn it down to the lowest setting for about 3 or 4 hours or until the beer smells better than when it started.

Start the grill up, if it is not a cooker type, put some wet hickory chips into a disposable aluminium pan, cover it with aluminum foil, puncture a few holes in the top and place under the grates of your grill. Wait for the smoke to start (the wet wood chips will burn a little, so keep a spray bottle of water handy to put out any flames)

When the the smoke gets to the point your neighbors start to look out and see what's going on, again GENTLY place the ribs on the grill. Resist the temptation to coat them with some kind of sauce, wait for about 10 minutes so your neighbors smell them. NOW coat them with your favorite sauce, I use Rudy's Bar-B-Q Sauce from Texas, it is tangy and flavorful, and helps keep the ribs together, as they will be falling off the bone. That is the only way to enjoy ribs....they have to almost fall off the bones, and be covered in goo (sauce). Leave them alone for 20 minutes, again resisting the urge to play with them, turn them only one time.

As an added enjoyment to your ribs, if you are a transplanted Yankee (like I'am) bring some over to your Southern neighbors and tell them you made these ribs, just for them, with their favorite beer. After all they have been smelling this wonderful concoction all afternoon. And ya'll know it is their favorite beer! They might not even call you a "Damn Yankee" anymore. ENJOY!

Dick Beals

Watch Out....Big Brother is Watching

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:14:21 -0500

I received this tip from Jack Peckham from The Cyberspace Society:

Want to know who's behind that blocked call? If you are an AT&T, T-Mobile,
or Verizon user you're in luck (other services will follow soon). This
system is based on military-level counterintelligence technology - but it's
easy as pie to use.

Once you set up your account, whenever you get a blocked call on your cell
phone just click the magic button and your called ID will light up with the
caller's information. Then you can make the decision to take the call or
trash it if you wish.

There is no software to install. The basic service is on the house and
there are some other interesting counter intelligence features available at
a modest cost.

I like it.... and I don't like it. I want to know, yet I think it is scary that folks can find this stuff out. I usually do not answer blocked caller Id's, yet if I knew, I probably wouldn't answer anyway. I'm amazed at what we are up to....kind of like the Jetsons, Dick Tracy, and The Twilight Zone all rolled into one.

What do you think? Does the average person know too much, or spend too much time thinking up this stuff?

Dick Beals

Another Bar Joke.....A Gorilla Walks into a Bar

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:39:08 -0500

A gorilla walks into a bar and says, "A scotch on the rocks, please." The gorilla hands the bartender a $10 bill.

The bartender thinks to himself, "This gorilla doesn't know the prices of drinks," and gives him 15 cents change.

The bartender says, "You know, we don't get too many gorillas in here."

The gorilla replies, "Well, at $9.85 a drink, I ain't coming back, either.

(This happens to me all the time)

Dick Beals

Cypress Island….Golf, Pool, Tennis and Lots More!

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:49:32 -0500

We recently listed for sale a nice maintenance free brick patio home in Cypress Island, just off River Road in Wilmington, North Carolina. For you newcomers or folks in other areas, Cypress Island is about 12 miles south of the city Wilmington. Traveling from Wilmington, on Carolina Beach Road, you will pass through the thriving community of Monkey Junction (more on that name in another article). Carolina Beach is only a short 5 minute drive from Cypress Island, which is also close to major shopping and attractions.

There are 107 town homes, with 126 patio homes, all surrounding a par 3 golf course, and a couple of ponds. The homes here range in price from the 180's for a town home, and up, to 300k plus for a larger patio home with many upgrades available. This community is about 7 years young, so there will be no further construction going on to interrupt the peacefulness. 7829 Cypress Island Drive is a well kept home, gently lived in by a business man during the work week before heading back to the Raleigh area.

Cypress Island is perfect for the young family just starting out, the retiree, or empty nester (snowbirds) as there is golfing on the par 3 course, swimming in the community pool, tennis courts, and maybe a fish or two to catch in one of the ponds nearby.

What is very attractive to the home owner here is, most of the homes are brick, feature plenty of room, 2 car garages, and the HOA (home owners association) dues of $100 per month include all lawn maintenance and trash pick up. This along with the pool, tennis, clubhouse, and a host of amenities, surely make this a desirable area in which to call home.

7829 Cypress Island Drive is sure to please....it features a nice view of the pond, and the 8^thgreen (a golfers dream) from the enclosed screen porch. Also included is a corner fireplace, volume ceilings, breakfast bar, and a walk in laundry area. It is MLS listing number 420841 in any of the national listing registers, or can be viewed on the web site at www.7829CypressIslandDrive.com. This beautiful patio home is just the right home for your consideration...and priced under $230,000.

Just recently a new web site for Cypress Island has been created at Cypress Island HOA

Dick Beals

Ladies ....Here's to You

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:15:32 -0500

My sister-in-law, who was here for a weeks visit over spring break, liked our life style here in this part of Wilmington North Carolina. So much they purchased a small second home just outside of Shallote in Brunswick County.

Terri and her husband loved our southern life-style, and you can't blame them....cook outs, nice weather, nicer people, margaritas on the deck. After a long day of searching for the perfect home, margaritas on the deck just seemed liked the perfect ending to our day.

Terri enjoyed them so much, she thought that it should be considered a prescription for living here in the South....so here is to you Terri, and the rest of you ladies might want to jump on this band wagon as well. She sent me this today after her first full day back at work.....

Important Women's Health Issue

Do you have feelings of inadequacy?

Do you suffer from shyness?

Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your

doctor or pharmacist about Margaritas.

Margaritas are the safe, natural way to feel better and

more confident about yourself and your actions.

Margaritas can help ease you out of your shyness and let

you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything

You will notice the benefits of Margaritas almost

immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles

that prevent you from living the life you want to live.

Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you

will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding

and start living, with Margaritas.

Margaritas may not be right for everyone. Women who are

pregnant or nursing should not use Margaritas. However, women who

wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include:

- Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration

- Erotic lustfulness

- Loss of motor control

- Loss of clothing

- Loss of money

- Loss of virginity

- Table dancing

- Headache

- Dehydration

- Dry mouth

- And a desire to sing Karaoke

Please share this with other women who may need Margaritas. Thank you.

Guys you may want to have a couple of beers while your honey is busy with her prescription!

Dick Beals

Wanted ...You

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:50:44 -0500

LOOKING TO HIRE BUYER'S AGENT FOR REAL ESTATE TEAM IN WILMINGTON, NC

We receive more quality leads daily than we can handle and are looking for an aggressive buyer's agent to join our team. These buyers are looking to purchase in Wilmington, at the beaches and in Pender and Brunswick Counties. This is a great problem to have wouldn't you say? Many of these buyer's are ready to purchase, many need nurturing and constant communication. Many require us to do research.

So why are we running this ad? We need a NC Licensed, experienced REALTOR to work with us. There are a lot of responsibilities that come with this position.

First, you only get paid when you have a closing and that would be at a high split.

You have to work some long hours, some weekends, and evenings many times.

You can't be afraid to call someone on the phone and you need to know how to take rejection and move on to the next prospect.

You need to be friendly in managing your incoming and outgoing calls.

Computer experience is a MUST.

You need to know how to enter information into a data base and follow-up with people on a regular basis. We are not looking to train a "newbie" unfortunately, although we have done that in the past and they have gone on to make 6 figure salaries.

Real Estate today requires hard work. Sales are not easy this year and probably won't be easy next year, but our lead generation system has thousands of clients needing your nurturing along with ours.

Some of the other things we need assistance with are marketing, prospecting, listing and closing support and website maintenance. We are looking for an energetic, positive individual to work with us, not for us.

If you are interested and feel you are up to the task at hand, give us a call at 910-431-2572 or email us at rbeals2@ec.rr.com and oh by the way if you are wondering who we are, we are Dick and Sandy Beals of Wilmington Real Estate 4U.....

Dick Beals

104 Havana Court....The Palms at Mallory Creek Plantation

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:36:25 -0500

The title gives this new neighborhood away....Palm trees! Plenty of them, from the richly appointed entrance way, continuing past the pool and clubhouse, to the entrance of the neighborhood "The Palms"

Palms everywhere!

Now I'm not a great tree affectionate, or a lover of trees....but palm trees...yes! There is something about palm trees that gives one a sense of calmness, warmth, and serenity of a far away tropical island.

Tropical island? Think tropical colors, think warm tropical breezes, think gentle winds. Sounds perfect doesn't it?? Well this neighborhood at "The Palms" may just be your answer to help gently ease those winter doldrums away, or for that matter, many of life's uncertainties and problems.

Mallory Creek Plantation is just a short jaunt from downtown Wilmington, NC....about 5 miles over the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge on Route 74/76/17 to Leland, NC, then a left on to Route 133 heading towards Southport, NC. Mallory Creek Plantation is another one of those communities that grew from the boon years of 2004 to 2005 here in the Wilmington market. In fact"The Palms" helped, assisted and gave a hand to Leland becoming one of the fastest growing towns in the state, and Brunswick County becoming one of the 40th largest growing counties in the whole United States.

The developers and builders definitely had a unique vision with the homes in "The Palms" Every home here has multiple palm trees in the yards.

The builder of these fine homes is Craig Stevens of Wilmington, NC.

Craig's many accomplishments, along with building great homes, is his sterling reputation,and he is a third generation builder. It really does run in the family!

Craig has held many positions in the community, and was a past president of the Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association. His credentials did not come easy....they were earned by building the best home for the money.

One of those homes is our new listing at 104 Havana Court, and we are proud to present it, as it has been lovingly maintained by the original owner. A military transfer dictates this move, and the sellers will surely miss this wonderful home and neighborhood.

As you can see...palm trees, peaceful yellow pastel color, and when the lawn greens up....you will think your new home is in paradise.

This wonderful home on a cul de sac lot, features a large fenced yard and open floor plan!

Laminate and ceramic tile flooring's with carpet in bedrooms.

Eat in kitchen and formal dining room.

Cozy breakfast nook makes catching a snack fast and easy.

Over-sized terraced yard with pergola, full irrigation system, a relaxing screened porch to enjoy the warmer evenings, they are just a few of the nice features. The house is bright and cheery, and has a walk in pantry and laundry area.

The large attic is floored the full-width of house. Large master bedroom with walk in closet. Garden tub in master with block glass and bead board surround, double sinks. Large living room with fireplace. Designer colors throughout the home, ready to move into. A new refrigerator is also included. Low HOA monthly dues of $40 per month, pool, clubhouse, and side-walked community. Nice landscaping and of course many palms!

All this for less than 190 thousand dollars!! First time home-buyers would do well to check this out, use your $8000.00 tax credit, and start enjoying vacationing right here in your new home at Mallory Creek.

The Palms at Mallory Creek offers the smart, savvy buyer many reasons to choose this area....find out for yourself why so many homeowners are calling Mallory Creek in Leland, North Carolina home.

Dick Beals

Welcome to Westport, in Leland North Carolina

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:48:50 -0600

Hi all, I want to introduce you to a wonderful neighborhood just outside of Wilmington, NC....called Westport. It is in the town of Leland, which is a bedroom community about 5 miles west of downtown Wilmington.

Westport is one of those communities that grew from the boon years of 2004 to 2005 here in the Wilmington market. In fact Westport helped, assisted and gave a hand to Leland becoming one of the fastest growing towns in the state, and Brunswick County becoming one of the 40th largest growing counties in the whole United States.

Westport is a 165-acre community of 435 homes on Route 133 South in Brunswick County. There is a feel of "country" as the road meanders past trees and creeks, and Westport's bronze "Mariner" statue is a commanding, larger-than-life presence at the beautifully designed wrought iron and masonry entrance gates, where it welcomes homeowners and visitors alike, giving the community an elegant feel.

Here is our newest listing at 740 Beachwalk Drive, truly a well maintained patio home that was purchased as a second home and used very sparingly. This particular home is one of the larger models with 3 good sized bedrooms, 2 full baths and features a 3 season sunroom. Virtual tour is here.

Westport offers an array of residential designs including patio, two-story and townhouses. The homes are of low maintenance brick exterior, and the majority of residences include lawn maintenance in the monthly HOA fee. The Westport community includes two swimming pools with bathhouse facilities. One pool is specially designed, with walk-in access for smaller children and persons with disabilities. Nearby is a large playground including play equipment for smaller children, a basketball court, and a soccer/baseball field. The clubhouse is the hub of many community activities. A scenic park is taking shape thanks to an enthusiastic volunteer effort. The development was completed in 2006, and is considered one of the area's finest.

Westport offers the smart saavy buyer many reasons to choose this area....find out for yourself why so many homeowners are calling Westport in Leland, North Carolina home.

Dick Beals

Inflation......Hang on!

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:11:19 -0600

Inflation, by its definition in "Websters Handy College Dictionary" is a noun, a condition in which the money in circulation is excessive for the commodities on sale or being used.

Now I'm no scholar, or have an economic degree, or even understand the amount of money 787 billion dollars is.(are?) Inflation probably was derived from the word inflate...I don't know....but maybe, and probably. Inflate means to fill with air, swell, raise or expand, and it also means to exaggerate! It also means overblown, grandiose, ostentatious, pompous, pretentious, verbose. My favorite of those definitions is overblown....no wait, it's grandiose, I mean it's pompous, no I think it is definitely filled with air. Hot air most likely! Did anybody read or understand the 1200 pages of "The Plan"?

I had to go to Websters to look up those meanings....where do politicians go to look up how to spend money? They go back in history, and see what they did before them (I think) and if history proves them right, we will see.....

So now we have too much money, that we don't know what to do with (lets spend it) So inflation will be coming at 'ya. Hang on, it will be a wild ride for years to come! You think this recession or depression is bad....Wait... this 787 billion will seem like chump change in a few years. You know what they say...."Pay backs are a Bitch" can I say that?

Dick Beals

A Stones Throw from UNCW

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:03:13 -0600

Welcome to a new listing that is a perfect fit for the parent and student (or students) View the virtual tour here. Perfect for the student, as it is in the sub-division of Stones Throw (catchy name uh?) and a stones throw from the campus of UNCW, and within walking distance to shopping, coffee shops and pizza joints (college students live on pizza...trust me on that one)

904 Dolphin Court is also perfect for the parent. Why? Do the numbers. A student living on campus cost dear old Mom and Dad about $600 per month, along with food, entertainment, dates, and mad money. Probably a conservative $1000 per month, plus the tuition...it is a huge expense to put a student through college these days. Why not purchase this nice town-home, get 2 of your son's or daughter's friends to move in with them at $500 per month each, and share utilities and expenses?

The cost of owning this town-home will be under $1000 per month, the kids students will be happier living off campus by themselves, and you will have a rental property in four years or a nice place to use while you are at the beach. Or maybe sell it at a profit when the son and daughter graduate. Yes a profit! Talk to your tax person or accountant to understand the tax benefits of owning this investment tax write-off.

Need financing? Ever hear the term Kiddie-Condo-Loans? These are perfect for this! AND if the stimulus package goes through, as expected, the time is NOW. Don't wait!! homes will be selling, and in two or three years you do not want to be heard saying....

"I should have bought when the market was down" "I should have listened to Dick and Sandy Beals from Wilmington Real Estate 4u!"

Dick Beals

Another MeMe....Book Style

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:01:10 -0600

OK Vickie Barrington here is the MeMe that you requested. Myself, along with 4 others, are supposed to respond to this request....is there a time period to respond? Anyway I think I'm first to commit.

Here are the rules

1. Grab the nearest book.

2. Open the book to page 56.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the text of the next two to five sentences.

5. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book or the intellectual one. Pick the Closest.

6. Tag five people to do the same

*The one book that this can not be is the Bible************************************

Pretty simple, and seeing I usually follow the rules, I'll do this, HOWEVER, I like a few others, could not bear the pain of following through with rule #6......so 5 out of 6 isn't too bad is it Vickie?

1-3 EASY!!

#4 harder, but here goes:

What these individuals don't realize is that most big things start small. They mistakenly believe that big success at anything requires big and mysterious things they don't have, such as the following:

Special natural abilities verses a little of some acquired aabililities. Lots of free time versus a little bit of well spent time. Massive amounts of money versus a little well placed money.

Those are the next 2 to 5 sentences, they make really no sense till you know what the next sentence is....so go get the book "The Millionaire Real Estate Investor" by Gary Keller

Yeah, I know I gotta get a life outside of real estate.

Dick Beals

"The Race"

Wilmington Real Estate 4U — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 11:24:31 -0600

I had the good fortune of attending a Vince Lombardi motivational talk quite a few years ago. For those of you who don't know Mr Lombardi, he was a coach with the Green Bay Packers professional football team. Some say he was the best, he got more out his players than any coach could ever do, and is probably the man who most would say brought football into the 20th century. He was a "mans man" He was as tough as nails. He was a family man. He was hated, he was loved.

Every New Year I bring out his poem he shared with us that day. It is my map for not quitting. I have shared it with my own sons, our agents, and with people who are in need of uplifting. No one knows the author, it could be Mr. Lombardi....he never said. You may relate, you may cry, you may rethink your own self, or you may just think about it for awhile. One thing for sure is, you won't forget it! So here is my copy and paste for a great New Year to all of you.....hopefully it will help keep you from quitting and on track for a great year.

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure's face,
    my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
A children's race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
    excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn't hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
    or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
    and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,
    to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy's desire.
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
    was running in the lead and thought "My dad will be so proud."
But as he speed down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
    the little boy who thought he'd win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
    and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn't win it now.
    Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
    which to the boy so clearly said, "Get up and win that race!"
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that's all,
    and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
    his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
    "I'm hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn't try to race."

But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father's face
    with a steady look that said again, "Get up and win that race!"
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
    "If I'm to gain those yards," he thought, "I've got to run real fast!"
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten...
    but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
    "There's no sense running anymore! Three strikes I'm out! Why try?
I've lost, so what's the use?" he thought. "I'll live with my disgrace."
    But then he thought about his dad, who soon he'd have to face.

"Get up," an echo sounded low, "you haven't lost at all,
    for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
Get up!" the echo urged him on, "Get up and take your place!
    You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!"
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
    and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn't quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he'd ever been,
    still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.
Three times he'd fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
    Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
    head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
    the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
    you would have thought he'd won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, "I didn't do so well."
    "To me, you won," his father said. "You rose each time you fell."

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
    the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
    And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
    another voice within me says, "Get up and win that race!"

I did find out the author is D.H.Groberg....To all A Very Happy New Year!

Dick Beals