To my friends and clients in Western Massachusetts and beyond who will begin their Hanukkah celebrations I wish you a wondrous season of light. May your holiday bring you many cherished and joyful family moments together.
photo courtesy of hotzleplotz on flickr.com
The holidays are in high gear already in Westfield, MA and there are many festive events on the schedule over the course of the next few weeks.
Years ago I was on the committee that first created “Dickens Days”. It began as a tour of Westfield’s historic homes and changed over the course of the years, but remains a great holiday staple.
In its current incarnation it features craft fairs, plays, dinners and more. Be sure to visit Westfield on Weekends and “The District Westfield” page for detailed schedules and information on Dicken’s Days in Westfield, MA.
On December 3, 2010 Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, performing his acclaimed one-man version of the classic Christmas tale. He entertains and delights, depicting 26 characters with just a table, wing chair, and a hat rack!
Beginning December 3, 2010 the Westfield Theater Group will be featuring “A Christmas Carol”
On December 4, 2010 the Westfield Athenaeum will present a FREE viewing of Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” which features choreography by Westfield native, Michelle Weber!
On December 16, 2010 The School Street Bistro will feature a Christmas Carol dinner that sounds interactive and fun and is bound to be tasty!
Do you know of other events in town? Leave a comment!
Happy Holidays from your Westfield MA Real Estate Agent, Lesley Lambert of Park Square Realty 413-575-3611
When you think of a “green” house, most people think of new, streamlined, energy efficient and angular. Most people imagine solar panels or elaborate water systems, but how many of you imagined an old home?
While driving to show a home in Springfield, MA tonight, I caught an interesting story on Marketplace about older green homes. I found it very interesting and it got me to thinking on this subject further.
Long a lover of old and historic homes, I have always felt that it is important for many reasons to leave property in place whenever possible. My reasons didn’t include the fact that this is the more green treatment, but it makes a lot of sense.
Discussing this topic with my boyfriend, Morriss, he pointed out a statistic that he remembered about land fills. He stated that we often hear negative statistics about the number of items like diapers that are filling landfills, but in reality it is construction debris that is a huge problem. Known as C & D Debris , it is a big problem in New England. In 2002, C&D debris accounted for 36 percent of all residential and commercial solid waste generated in Massachusetts.
With this knowledge in hand, it seems to make ultimate sense that renovating existing properties to be more efficient is the better route to take in most cases. Not only are you reducing the amount of debris that might be sent to a landfill, you are reducing the use of the existing resources like wood and you are taking a less efficient property and making it highly efficient.
I love the idea that a beautiful historic home could have added value by becoming “green” and efficient. I think that a home like that would appeal to a large number of home buyers in Western Massachusetts who love the charm and quality of an older home, but are energy and green aware and trying to reduce their footprint.
Interviewed in the story that inspired my train of thought was Emily Wadhams who said, “The greenest building is the one that’s already built.”.
photo courtesy of taberandrews on flickr.com
As we approach Thanksgiving in Western Massachusetts, it is easy to get caught up in the hustle, bustle and mania that surrounds holiday preparations. I want to pause for a moment before the grocery shopping, food preparations, intense cleaning and extended family descend upon us and reflect on what Thanksgiving is really all about.
Being Thankful.
It can be so hard to stop and remember to be thankful, especially when life isn’t going as smoothly as we hope. Financial worries, sickness, busy work schedules and the rigors of daily life can set us into a robotic spin where we forget to savor the goodness around us. I am guilty of this, although I strive to overcome that personal trait.
So I am Thankful for…
my daughters. They are lovely, smart, talented and spirited. I am so proud to be their mom.
my mom, who paves the way to goodness and generosity each day.
my sister, my first best friend.
my boyfriend, Morriss is there for me every day.
my circle of dear friends. They bolster me and love me as I am.
my work. It is a rare thing to have a career that impacts people’s personal lives in such a meaningful way. I love being a real estate agent in Western Massachusetts.
my hobby. Even though I teach dance as a job, it is really a paid hobby as it is so important and meaningful to me. It is my therapy, my exercise, my family away from home.
my condo. We love it here. It isn’t fixed up the way I want it to be (yet), but it is a lovely and safe place to raise my daughters.
my health. Aches and pains, sniffles and sneezes are all temporary. I am lucky to be well.
my cats. Their furry snuggles cheer and relax me.
my geography. I love living in Western Massachusetts.
So many things to be grateful and thankful for every day. Let’s try to remind each other to slow down and cherish these things more often.
What are YOU Thankful for?
Last week I was sharing my new real estate business cards with some teenage dance students of mine. I give them an annual speech on driving while impaired or getting in the car with anyone who isn’t fit to drive and always hand out my card for them to keep in their wallet for an emergency.
As they were admiring my cute new Mini Moo Cards which feature photography of Western Massachusetts scenery, several of them exclaimed, “Cool! You have a QR Code on here!”. Another said, “If I scan it where does it take me?”. Still another announced she was off to try scanning it that very moment.
This was so refreshing, as I usually have to do a lot of teaching when people in Western Massachusetts encounter my QR Codes on promotional materials. I was thrilled to see that the young generation has embraced this technology because it says to me that it will reach mainstream use eventually.
With large companies like Target using codes in their holiday catalogues and local vendors featuring them on display racks, I believe that soon most average consumers will have at least a working understanding of what QR Codes are and how they work. They may not use the technology, but if they understand why other people want to use it then they will see the benefits in using a real estate agent in Western Massachusetts who is integrating QR Codes into her marketing.
