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Meet my mom, Shelley Weber.  I know you probably think your mom is the most amazing mom, but my mom is more than just that: she is the most amazing woman I know.

 

My mom has been at turns: a nurse, go-go dancer, sister, best friend, wife, business woman, bridal gown saleswoman, x-ray technician, meditation specialist, guitar player and singer, aunt, militant mom, poet, photographer, artist, cheerleader (for my sister and I) and most of all, my mentor and role model.

In every situation my mom would bring positive thoughts, care and concern and proactive energy.  She taught me to meditate to reign in my youthful anxieties and temper: skills that I still tap into daily.

Mom showed my sister and I that sisters were precious and valuable and succeeded in teaching us to be more than just sisters…best friends and support for life.

Mom personifies strength. If you have a problem, there is no one that you would rather have by your side.  She will slay dragons, bolster confidence and subdue fear with seemingly no effort.

Mom built an empire to care for my sister and I.  She did it with love, generosity, skill, determination and perserverance.  My sister and I are blessed to have had hands on experience watching her master the real estate business and succeed over difficulty time and time again.

When times were tough, Mom met them with a shrug and a smile.  Out of money after paying bills…”It’s only money, I can make some more” was her mantra.

I was never faced with a mother who was uncertain or afraid. I know now that she surely was terrified, but she never showed us that…she was a fierce warrior who would triumph because she knew she had to.

My mom let us have Strawberry Shortcake for dinner and eat lobsters until we were sated.  One year the lobster gorging lasted almost a week culminating in a lobster so huge that I had to use a sledge hammer on the claws.  Mom is FUN.

Mom instilled a love of books, music and movies: things we still share together.  One year it was just mom and I for Thanksgiving.  We made dinner in our jammies and ate in front of the tv watching the all day series of “A Year In Provence” on PBS.

Mom made us take stock in beauty and gave us the confidence to demonstrate our artistic skills.  We took sketching trips, we sang and put on shows, we wrote stories and poetry, we danced and danced and danced some more. Mom caravaned my sister and I to art lessons,dance lessons, acting lessons,voice lessons….

We had adventures!  We traveled for dance and family and we explored historical and natural places or the city…we were on the move. From NYC to Florida, Mom was ready for a road trip with a packed cooler, a blender for margaritas and a go-get ’em attitude.

My mother bucked the system.  She stood up for my sister and I when we were brave enough to buck it, too and she let us know that the BEST thing we could be was free thinking and independent.  She let me wear safety pins for earrings, gave me my first “new wave”haircut and let me get the trendiest punk rock outfits.  She loved us for who we were, not some version that society “thought’ we should be

Mom was TOUGH. There were no corners to cut and no excuses.  Mom gave her all and she expected nothing less in return.  We were expected to work hard, cooperate and help the family along; there were no free rides.

My mom taught me the value of being flexible and adapting to the changes in life.  This is something I still work on, but Mom has paved the way for me.

I hesitate to say my mom is better than yours because I haven’t met all of your moms, but I can say that my mom is better than any other I have ever met.  If you find me to be strong, smart, adventurous, silly or brave it is because I learned it from her.

Thank you Mom……

I LOVE YOU.

 

 

April 28, 2009, Westfield, MA…no one knows how to dress today.  It is 95 degrees and everyone is complaining about it being too hot, too soon.  The daffodils and tulips are wilted in protest and I didn’t unpack my summer clothes yet…what happened to spring?

May 5th, 2009, Westfield, MA…I sit in my office shivering.  I unpacked the summer clothes and now I am ready to go unpack the sweaters!  Again I  sit wondering where did Spring go?  It is raining, which isn’t so odd, but it is CCCCCoold today.  Isn’t it supposed to be warm in May?

Well, after living here my whole life I can attest to that old adage:  If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute, it will change!

I have been asked numerous times why I wouldn’t like to move somewhere with a better climate.  Friends who have gone South or who live in temperate California wonder what could be appealing about what I just described above.

When they ask this I usually shrug and respond: “Well, it is never boring.”  Truthfully, though, it is a lot more than that. So here is my list of why I love Western Massachusetts even though the weather is tempermental:

 

—It is gorgeous.  Lush, green, picturesque and beautiful.

—I adore the seasons.  All of them.  Yes, I even like winter!

—My favorite people are here!

—My career is here and I love my job.

—2 hours to Boston or 3 hours to NYC when I need a big city fix

—1 hour or less to great skiing

—2 hours to the beach

—Great safe community

—Outstanding support of the arts and culture

—Amazingly gifted, generous and intelligent people

—Excellent colleges and schools

—So many amazing outdoor activities available

 

So even though I don’t always love the extremes in the weather, I always love it here.  I travel and can’t wait to get home to my little corner of the world: (of course the two sweeties are the best part of my home!)

 

 

 

Lesley Lambert, The Real Estate Natural at Park Square Realty AND Member of the #twitterqueens

 

 

221 A Chalmers Street, Springfield is available for you to build your dream home!

 

 

Nestled in between two quaint Cape’s, this wonderful Springfield neighborhood has a great building lot ready for you to build a home! This exclusive East Forest Park neighborhood is the perfect place to build your dream home.

Within walking distance is Frederick Harris Elementary School, Holy Cross Church, Cathedral High School, Nathan Bill Park, Gus and Paul’s Deli and Bakery and more, this professional and family based neighborhood is the ideal place to build a home! Conveniently located on a bus route, away from the sound’s of the city but yet in the midst of urban amenities, you will be taken aback to the rural feel of this charming neighborhood. This is a quiet neighborhood with minimal traffic.

If Springfield is where you want to live, then this is the perfect lot for you. The lot already has a driveway curb cut, has no sidewalks, great neighbors, no existing house across the street from it, and is fenced in on one side and the back. It is perfect site for a Cape or small Colonial home.

Call Lesley Lambert at 413-575-3611 for more information!

Day One Westfield, MA Spring School Vacation. +

Me at home with two daughters, eight and four. +

Weather: cold.+

Listing to show, broker price opinion to photograph and report and a lunch appointment =

MONDAY MANIA MOMMY MADNESS!

Started the day working from home and mentioned on twitter that I had to take my “cherubs” with me on a house showing.  The responses that I got varied from “I will pray for you” to “use a carrot and not a stick”.  All helpful, but most of these people have only ever seen pictures of my girls…

They LOOK so sweet!

Actually, they can be extremely sweet, but vacation with bad weather+mommy working = them acting up.

So after three versions of breakfast (don’t ask) and a battle into the clothes, two fights and a meltdown because we didn’t sleep on the couch (hello we have been up for two hours!) we start to head out.

SO- I pray and accept the donated prayers then take the carrot advice and offer lunch at their fave spot if they manage to not drive each other (and ergo me) nuts during our little escapade.  That was mostly sucessfull.

I arrive at my showing to find that the owners were unexpectedly home and I wasn’t aware.  The buyer who shows up loves the lot and location of the house, but doesn’t have much good to say.  We have to leave before we see the 2nd floor because the seller is up there with a GI infection (thank you…I am OUT).  Set up a date to return with buyer who is suddenly very sad they didn’t see the 2nd floor of the house they hate and take off with daughters to take pictures of a house for a broker price opinion.  After that…

Lunch at The Summer House in Southwick, MA on a cold day isn’t my idea of fun, but the girls had some, which was the point.  Of course it wasn’t without life’s little moments: 8 tells me she wants cheeseburger, 4 wants dino nuggets (don’t ask).  We sit down and 8 melts down because, “I never listen to her at all, she SAID she wanted the same as 4 and how didn’t I get that?”  4 won’t eat anything but two french fries, sprite and her icecream, so I give 8 the friggin dino nuggets and try to move on.

While there my phone is chronic and three calls came in that were “urgent”.  Now mind you…my idea of urgent is one of my houses for sale is on fire (which has happened to me incidentally) or something happened to one of my kids.  I hustle them into the car amidst vociferous complaints and start making my calls.

I head to Park Square Realty, Westfield, MA with my little “assistants” in tow and proceed to deal with a couple of the “fires” that needed attention.  While I do that, my cherubs play kickball, wrestle, argue over a marker, freeze cold water: cold water with ice cubes and hot water as an experiment (led by a co-worker) and get threatened by their lovely mother for making so much NOISE!

Done at the office I take the girls to mom’s house and am met by mom’s husband who rats out my mother for taking a walk (which I think she should be doing more of personally) without her oxygen in tow.  I placate the children, scold my mother (wtf?) and head out for lunch with my friend Morriss Partee who is going to give me pointers for the TwitterQueens Social Media event in NYC in June.

Morriss is detained, but keeps me amused with random texted updates so I head in to grab a seat.  After being sat I am met (and I didn’t say greeted for a reason) by a very surly waitress who asks me in hard to understand English (sushi joint) when my other person was joining?  She stomps off and the host asks me the same thing in somewhat better English.  (I didn’t even get to tell Morriss this part).  Apparently they actually “close” for the end of lunch at 2:30pm, but they allow people to sit and enjoy their meal while they take a break…I charm them into leaving me alone (it is a gift, that strangely has no effect whatsoever on my children) and after Morriss’ entrance I enjoy a very good conversation about things Western MA, social media, TwitterQueens, PodCamp WesternMA and a wee bit about my lovely children.

Back to get said lovely cherubs from my mom.

Home again, into my sweats (did I mention it was cold today?) and start working on my broker price opinion report…or rather TRYING to since 4 demands my attentions no matter what I do to placate her.  This report is already bordering on late when I realize:

I took the wrong friggin pictures.  I swear I am about to blow a gasket, but at least the house is not far and we bustle out the door to Southwick, MA to take the pictures of the RIGHT house this time….good gracious I was mad at myself.

Home again after a decent discussion/warning to the girls about Mom’s deadlines and the importance of being paid (ummm you know that roof we are so fond of?) and get the report done FINALLY.

As I complete the report, ex-husband arrives to finish painting the kids’ room.  My friends all tell me that I have the most disfunctional divorce (a badge of honor to me) and I decide to cook dinner for the whole “family” to enjoy together.  8 is thrilled, 4 pitches a fit and wants to eat at the tv (we don’t do that….ummmm more than, well moving on now).  After some negotiation (read debate) I get 4 to the table and we have our dinner.

Ex finishes room (thank goodness for small favors in this life cuz I HATE painting) and the girls and I settle in.  They can’t sleep in their room, so I set them up on the couch.  WHY would I think that this would be fine?  They won’t sleep…they are up (whining because they are exhausted but won’t sleep) until almost 11pm.  One falls asleep, the other whines and wakes up the first, and the cycle repeats.

At this point, if you are still reading you are either nodding vigorously in understanding, have long since clicked off or are contemplating hari kari with a spork (I think of that daily…messy though). 

After Cinderella and part of some Land Before Time (which is much better than Cinderella, btw) they FINALLY fall asleep and what do I do?  That’s right, write a post about them.

Moral of the story?

I am as much a work in progress as they are.  I learn from lots of people (yes I actually listen to the advice) and try my best every day.  Today was a bit more challenging than some, but not bad.  Exhausting, but not bad at all.

To all you other Mommies (and Daddies, too) out there, I salute you! (with a LARGE red wine)

If you like a flawed person who is really really good at real estate, look me up, but do me a favor and do it tomorrow:  I am totally fried today! 

Lesley Lambert, The Real Estate Natural at Park Square Realty, Westfield, MA

413-575-3611

 

 

 

It is no news to you that mortgage interest rates are terrific right now.  I have heard a lot of speculation from potential buyers that maybe they should wait because they might get lower.  The opinion of many professionals is quite the opposite, however. 

These low rates are historic and not bound to last for too long.  The most likely change is that the rates will increase, not decrease, especially if the market improves. 

With the convergence of terrific rates, low home prices and the first time homebuyer tax credit: now may be the best time in history to buy a home! 

This flyer can explain how a 1% uptick in the mortgage rates will affect your purchasing power:


What is the Big Deal With Interest Rates? – Free Legal Forms If you are ready to make a move in the Westfield or Western MA area then I would love to help you! Call 413-575-3611 or email: therealestatenatural@yahoo.com!