Real Estate News from Westfield, MA: May 2009

Today I had my first experience at the fish elevator at the Holyoke Dam in Holyoke, MA.

I have lived in Western MA my whole life and somehow missed out on this curiosity until today. 

At the Hadley Falls in Holyoke Ma the annual migration of anadromous fish is no small affair. A visit to the  website explains the technical aspects.

I stood watching the fish through the observation windows with my daughters and I listened to my guide and date explain to us that these fish are swimming up the river to mate and then die.   This brutal trip takes them up the rocky Connecticut River where they cease to eat.  Eventually they make it to Holyoke, where the dam constructed in 1849 prevented them from migrating.  The once plentiful shad and salmon of the river valley were extinct to this region until the first fish lift was built at the Holyoke Dam in 1955.

After watching the complicated process that ushers the fish into the elevator and seeing them deposited into the tank, we made our way to the viewing windows.  There we were met with  busy scene encompassing hundreds of shad, one salmon, many lampreys and some tiger striped bass.  The shad, in particular, were looking worse for the wear on their journey.

Several seemed bitten, one had almost lost an eye and another had a fish hook hanging from a side gill.

I can't relate to their ultimate and undeniable goal of mating, but I have swam upstream.  I did it for a long time and I think I have a few scars from the hooks and bites along the way.

I am unsure about the nature of these fish or what drives them upstream to fullfil their destiny.  But I did get a glimmer about myself during my observations today: I  swam upstream HARD for years.  I thought I was doing what I was supposed to do.  I made promises and set goals and was determined that I would do things RIGHT.

Well, that didn't work out much better for me than it does your average salmon (except of course I don't have to expire), but it did teach me a lot.

As I stood next to this great man watching our children meet for the first time it occurred to me that life doesn't have to be a constant struggle with unattainable goals at the brink.  Life can be spontaneous, sweet and easy:if you let it. 

You can swim upstream....I am going to follow the course downstream and guide it the best I can while I let life ebb and flow around me in a beautiful froth. 

So, thank you Morriss for sharing today with me...you teach me something new all the time, even when you don't realize that is what you did.

In my over 20 year career the one client that has always been a favorite is the first time homebuyer.

What isn't to love about the flush of excitement as a young adult sheds the protection of parents, landlords or school and makes the decision to strike out on their own?  Their energy is contagious and they are open to education and guidance.

These fledgling buyers almost always do everything on time and as you requested because they don't have the bad habits of more "experienced" buyers. 

I am working with a series of first time homebuyers lately, most of them are young women (neat!) and have been caught up in their excitment.  There were issues with the last two closings, but these ladies kept their cool, took my (very good) advice and hung in there while things were sorted out. 

Getting to the closing with these buyers has been so much fun....seeing them take the keys to their new home is a gift to my spirit. 

What is even better is the recognition and thanks that they freely offer to me.  Both young ladies are having me to their new home after they settle in and both stay in touch with me regularly.  One of them texted me when she hung the "Welcome Home" picture I gave her and today I got a thank you note in the mail from another.

What could be a better feeling than opening up a note like this?:

I can't wait!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! This is a royal proclamation announcing that TwitterQueens, Inc. and the lovely Queens themselves will be making several royal appearances over the next few months!

TwitterQueens, Inc. is a proud sponsor of RE Barcamp Philedelphia.  We are also volunteering at the breakout sessions and will be attending Beer With Bloggers the night before.

We are also a proud sponsor of RE Barcamp Boston. 

Our own webite is boasting a retinue of fabulous tweetups, gatherings and most importantly:

TwitterQueens NYC!

This fabulous event will boast fantastic breakout sessions with powerhouse presenters and content.  We are also very excited to share our Website MakeOver Contest!  See my blog on TwitterQueens site for full details of this great opportunity!

We hope that we will have the opportunity to meet many of you in person at these wonderful events and for those of you curious about the mission of TwitterQueens, Inc please visit TwitterQueens and take a look around...we would love for you to join us!

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!