I do hope we don’t get pounded with severe storms along with the amount of rain that’s been predicted. Since I was on 4th St. NE, I figured I’d cut thru East Park to get to Virginia this afternoon. Oh Mercy! The water level of Willow Creek is already high, and if we do get the rain predicted, we’re going to get flooding again. This is starting to remind me of a late Summer years ago when the ground was so saturated that the corn started laying down in the fields.
Since I was caught up with my work today, I decided to take a few hours off and get some much needed mowing done before the rain. As much as I complain about others not taking care of their yards, I certainly don’t want to be thrown in the same bucket as all those many I’ve seen around the City this Summer. I mentioned the fact of over-grown lawns to someone about a week ago, and the kick-back was, “You don’t realize how soft the ground has been.” I didn’t respond because any way I looked at it, I considered it a pretty weak excuse. Too many are mesmerized by their cell phones and computers. You do realize don’t you that time doesn’t exit when playing around for hours on end with electronic gadgets.
Late this morning while I was preparing to leave the office, I noticed a young man across the street walking briskly towards the Downtown. What made me stop and look, was his entire focus being on his cell phone as he was walking. I dare say he didn’t even look up the entire time he was walking that block. It would be interesting to find out the real number of car accidents that are caused by cell phones. Another question that’s bothered me, is how many people trip and fall due to not paying attention to their surroundings while glued to their cell phones. Do you think they’d ever admit to their own negligence if ever pulled into a lawsuit? I highly doubt it.
My colleague stopped by and picked up the stripped commode this morning and seemed quite impressed with the quality of my work. I’m glad the question didn’t come up regarding the number of hours I spent on it. Sometimes it’s best to keep quiet and move on and chalk those freebie hours up as charity work. I did agree take a check for the amount of materials I used which I thought only right.
I’ll be listing a home tomorrow afternoon as well as another on Friday. I’m in hopes they’ll both sell quickly. Friday’s listing is a very unique home which one normally never finds in North Iowa. I did tell the seller that because it has a very large yard, it will likely sell to a young couple with children. I’m finding all the more buyers in these times wanting yard space, and willing to pay for it. I’m of the belief that many are becoming more “earth friendly” and want to create their one little garden areas for vegetables, fruiting trees, or even berries in belief they’re contributing in small, yet fulfilling ways to their own forms of sustainability.
One of my dear clients stopped by the office today for a visit, and I just had to show her my blooming Hoya vine. She was near speechless while taking a closer look. I told her the heart-felt story about how I managed to save it from certain death when finding it having been thrown out of a pot in the back yard of an estate home I sold about five years ago. While the home was listed, it was on the window sill of the kitchen, and whenever personally showing the home, I would give it a drink of water. I thought for sure the beneficiary would’ve at least gifted it to someone, but I guess that wasn’t the plan. Thank goodness I stopped by the house the day before closing and do my own personal walk-thru. While I went out the back door, I just happened to notice it lying on the near-freezing ground still clinging to a clump of dirt.
It has been a part of my office life ever since. I had it in several windows, but didn’t seem to do much until I stationed it in the brightest corner of my front window early last year. Tonight’s photo is the very first blossom it’s produced since its arrival. Silly me should have done a little research on Hoyas right after I rescued it. The flower is beautiful, but the multi-colored leaves are equally stunning. It gives me a warm feeling whenever I see our seniors from the Manor stopping in from of my office from time to time just to see how my plants are doing. Whenever there’s more than one senior strolling, there’s usually a conversation taking place about them on the street-side. I’d have all the more if they’d tell me those plants are helping to brighten their days.
Tonight’s one-liner is: Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy, you must always have someone to share it with.
