I could not resist the temptation.  Four live Elvii, all here in Wilmington on Rodney Square today.  What was the occasion? Well, the Dupont Theater is celebrating its 100th season of live performances, and the dignitaries were there, including 4 Elvis impersonators who are starring in a show "Elvis Lives," which opens tomorrow at the theater. Pictured are in the center picture (from left) the mayor of Wilmington, our congressman, Ellen Kullman, president of the Dupont company,the theater director, all interspersed with Elvii from different periods of his life.  In the far left picture are the two pastry chefs from the Hotel Dupont, who made a cake whose bottom layers depict the theater with billboards from various plays displayed on top layers.   And I could not resist the temptation t... 10/01/2012

It's been a while since I actually got to mount an exhibit, and thanks to the hammer I always carry in my trunk, and the work done earlier with the Delaware Historical Society, I got to hang up the pictures and captions on 2 of the panels in the current exhibit done by the Historical Society in cooperation with the Friends of The Furness Railroad District. Exhibit information on Frank Furness and his B& O Stations in Delaware and Maryland can be seen at  the Delaware Historical Society website. This is the 100th anniversary of the death of Philadelphia architect, Frank Furness, and our Wilmington group The Friends of the Furness Railroad District, did this exhibit as part of the numerous events in the area to commemorate this anniversary (for a list of all the events, see website on Fur... 09/25/2012

Sharpley continues to be one of the most popular, convenient, and stable home communities in North Wilmington. Sharpley is located just north of Wilmington to the west of Route 202, north of Route 141, and south of Silverside Rd. It is adjacent to Woodbrook, Tavistock, and Eden Ridge with the communities loosely bounded by Route 202, Rockland Rd, and Mt Lebanon Rd. This provides immediate access to Wilmington and all of North Wilmington with easy commutes into southeastern PA and to I95 toward Philadelphia or Washington. Shopping, dining, and entertainment options surround the area. Sharpley is a comfortable, well established neighborhood with wide tree lined streets and plenty of open space. With just over 400 homes, it contains a nice mixture of Colonials, Cape Cods, and Ranch style h... 09/19/2012

  When William Penn was granted sole proprietorship  by Charles II of England of an area almost as big as England itself in 1681, this real estate transaction became one of the most significant documents in the early colonial history of North America. And talk about advertising--over a period of 3 years, 8 promotional pamphlets appeared, 3 being translated into a foreign language and one being translated into 3 languages.  How would you like your listings to be so widely translated and promoted in an age before electronic communication?   Penn sold over a half-million acres in the first year, but counting on Quaker honesty was not his most brilliant idea. In issuing deeds, metes and bounds were not specified, and purchasers could select their locations. As a result, with the help of a d... 09/18/2012

Alerted by an article on Kiplinger.com, we learned that Delaware is the third most friendly state for taxes, trailing only Arkansas and Alabama.  Those of us who live here already know how great it is to live here, and our mall parking lots are full of cars with out-of-state license plates! Delaware has no sales tax, income tax rates are modest, Social Security benefits are exempt, and senior taxpayers can exclude $12,500 of investment and qualified pension income from state income taxes. Also, Delaware homeowners 65 and older get a credit equal to half the school and property taxers, up to $500.    Retirement Living has a complete list of states if you want to compare your state to Delaware http://www.retirementliving.com/taxes-alabama-iowa#DELAWARE Photo: Rodney Square in Downtown Wil... 09/18/2012

The Golden Hour has been getting later each morning, and now around 7:30 a.m. I see the sun shining through the star clematis on my arbor outside my kitchen window. It looks like a golden cloud hovering over the arbor, and I just had to take a picture of it! When you look at it with a run through Picasa's Vignette setting, it looks like there is a "golden path" leading to the arbor! To find the golden hours in your area, seehttp://www.golden-hour.com/       09/16/2012

FAST Wilmington Delaware Junk Removal Same Day Service Hauling Available Delaware Junk Removal  gets the job done fast!  We are open 7 days a week to take care of your junk removal needs.  We remove household trash, appliances, unwanted items, basement clean outs, garage junk removal, whole house clean out, estate clean up.  We also haul away yard waste and debris, we take down old swing sets and sheds and haul away the scrap wood.  Visit our website for our pricing guidelines Junk Removal Delaware Price list Our office is open 7 days a week and offer same day or next day pick up in the New Castle Delaware Area WE REMOVE ANYTHING FROM ANYWHERE!   09/16/2012

Historic Homes E-News, September, 2012   Wharf Dance---Put on your dancing shoes and join New Castle Senior Center and the New Castle Historical Society  at the Wharf in Old New Castle for a night full of music & dance, food & drink and friends on Saturday, September 15 from 7-11 p.m.  The evening will feature music by Lew The Mailman, delectable goodies to purchase and a cash bar, which will serve wine, beer and featured mixed drinks.  Tickets are $20, and can be purchased by calling 302-322-2794, or online at www.newcastlehistory.org. Proceeds will benefit the Senior Center and Historical Society.   Join the City of Wilmington for IN Wilmington Week, a nine-day community celebration of arts and entertainment IN Wilmington - Saturday, September 22nd to Sunday, September 30th! This coll... 08/31/2012

       The question in the air when a Realtor® is in the room is always the same. "So, how is the real estate market?"  I would answer, it depends whether you are buying or selling. I just did a search to see how many active listings there are in the west of the city of Wilmington to Hockessin area for a buyer looking for a townhouse with at least 2 bedrooms and 2 baths from $150-200,000.  Thirteen listings came up.  Then I looked to see the last 6 months statistics for pending and sold listings of this same type, and came up with 64 listings. These properties are getting snatched up like crazy!!  So if you are a buyer, not a whole lot of choice.  But if you are a seller who keeps in mind the numbers in the chart, and you realize that median sales prices are down 10% for the year compar... 08/29/2012

              After reading Toni Weidman's blog about using Ipiccy, I decided to try it again. She inspired me to take a picture of Sweet Autumn Clematis on an arbor in my garden which is just getting ready to burst forth with its white star-shaped bloooms. And using the "mirror frame" on Ipiccy, that was fun! Thanks, Toni! Are you ready to plant your garden in a Delaware yard?  Ask Carolyn about houses for sale in Delaware! 08/26/2012

I had my old computer gathering dust for a couple of years. It was of absolutely no use. The programs were not compatible with the ones on my new laptop, and I didn't have a use for the screen. So what was I waiting for?      I was waiting to hear when the county was going to have their next recycling event. Today was the day, and from the look of the longgg   line of cars at the New Castle County Government Center in New Castle, (it was a 45 minute wait to get to the front of the line), a lot of people had the same idea. There were computer monitors, ancient TV's, flat screen TV's, and who knows how many cell phones and PDA's.  We were all trying to be responsible citizens. Even though you can still put electronics in with your trash, some components of these electronic devices may con... 08/25/2012

Delaware is currently the only state in the country without a national park — but with your help, that may soon change. Please join the Delaware Congressional Delegation to discuss progress in establishing the First State National Historical Park and the possible inclusion of the 1,100-acre Woodlawn Trustees property in the heart of the Brandywine River Valley. Incorporating the Woodlawn property into the park would preserve aspects of our country's earliest Quaker origins and the community-planning “experiment” conceived by 18th century industrialist, William Bancroft, which provided permanent recreational opportunities to improve the lives of Wilmington’s working class. Come learn more about this process, ask questions and share your ideas for how best to preserve Delaware’s unique n... 08/24/2012

This is a Jury Duty Story. Location: New Castle County Courthouse, Wilmington, Delaware. No, I’m not going to reveal any confidential information about a trial because there was NO trial. What happened was that we kept being told that we could not leave the Jury Assembly Room YET. They even gave us a lunch break, and we waited some more.   Then a black-robed judge came in and told us that there was a nasty drug dealer who, when he found out he faced a possible life sentence if he went to trial, had a big THINK. Then the judge told the bailiff to call in a jury. Thus, motivated by the thought of a bunch of us coming up to be interviewed by the attorneys and then 14 of us being chosen to sit in judgement, the drug dealer suddenly saw the light.  He took a guilty plea, and not only that, h... 08/14/2012

Historic Homes E News--August 2012   Join Preservation Delaware and the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs on August 4th and 5th for Preservation Weekend. Saturday’s program will feature Ken Darsney, who will speak at 10:30 a.m. about the potential adverse effects of trees and landscaping on historic buildings and sidewalks. Richard Byrne will speak at 1 p.m. on  a building’s overall health particularly as it relates to the effects of water. Both lectures will take place in the New Castle Court House Museum in Old New Castle (211 Delaware Street) and include walking tours to point out examples. Saturday’s program will run from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with an hour at noon for lunch on your own.   Admission is $20  per person; and free for members of Preservation Delaware. Sunda... 08/01/2012

Today and tomorrow bring the reappearance of the Ice Cream Festival at Rockwood Park in Wilmington.  As a long-time volunteer from the "old original" festival in the 80's and 90's, I was interested in seeing what an outside organizer could do. Of course, it is the same man who brought back the Brandywine Arts Festival, so he has had experience in organizing such events.            I visited the event this morning, and although it was scheduled to start at 11 a.m., a lot of people opted for an early bird special and came at 10 a.m.  There was shuttle bus service, but I chose to park on the street in nearby Brandywine Hills (don't forget I have a lovely historic 18th C home for sale in Brandywine Hills)  It was a nice walk, but the uphill climb into the park at 97 degrees in the hot sun w... 07/07/2012

Wilmington Delaware Appliance Removal Low Cost Fast Service Delaware Junk Removal not only cleans out garages, basements and whole houses but we also remove any large appliances from your home or business for a low fee.  Washers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, air condition units we haul it all away. To schedule a pickup call 302-530-9186 Visit our website www.DelawareJunkRemoval.com   07/02/2012

The July 2012 Historic Homes News Dover, Delaware is having more activities than you can possibly participate in on July 4. From 9-6 Welcome Center galleries open, Historic Dover Scavenger Hunt, State House open, Colonial games for kids at the John Bell House, Legislative Hall open (our Capital building), the Biggs art museum and Johnson Victrola museum open. 2 p.m. - National Bell-Ringing Ceremony.  The Old State House on The Green. will join the other 12 original colonies as bells ring at 2 p.m. to celebrate the birth of our nation. and read the Declaration of Independence. As if that isn’t enough, at 6 p.m. join the American Legion Independence Day Parade and at 7:45 p.m. see a flyover from the Dover Air Force Base, followed at 8 p.m. by a concert by 287th Army Band and of course, fi... 07/02/2012

Open House Sunday, July 1 in South West Wilmington, DE Join us this Sunday, July 1, 2012 from 1pm-4pm for an Open House at 2605 Belaire Dr, Wilmington, DE. The home is located in a private cul-de-sac in the lovely neighborhood of Montclare in South West Wilmington, DE! This 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath home is in move-in condition with lots of recent updates including a totally renovated granite kitchen with lots of cabinet space, updated heat and A/C, a massive deck and more! Again, this fantastic South West Wilmington, DE home will be open to the public on Sunday, July 1, 2012 from 1pm-4pm. The home features hardwood floors throughout most of the house, a great floor plan, a terrific family room off of the kitchen with a brick hearth fireplace, an eat-in-kitchen, a large formal dining room tha... 06/30/2012

Delaware Estate Clean Up And Clean Outs Lowest Prices Guaranteed Delaware Junk Removal are the local Estate Clean Out Experts.  Not only do we remove all unwanted items quickly and without damage to the home but we work with the home owner to make sure any important items they may have missed are returned.  We have found everything from family photos to antique diamond rings! Call us today for a free no obligation quote 302-530-9186 06/26/2012

Every year, the DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival in Wilmington, Delaware brings 6 nights of  Jazz played by some of the world’s greatest jazz musicians to downtown Wilmington, Delaware.Schedule Monday night was no exception. Monty Alexander dazzled with his band and piano artistry, followed by the All-Star Lionel Hampton Tribute featuring Jason Marsalis, Candido, Robin Eubanks, Kevin Mahogany and Russell Gunn. The youngest Marsalis brother dazzled on vibes, and 91 year old Cuban Conga artist Candido Camero showed his Energizer Bunny personality.And of course, in my mind the greatest living male jazz singer, Kevin Mahogany, was smooth as silk. The Festival lasts until Saturday, June 23, 2012.                                              Search for Wilmington homes for sale. 06/20/2012