Gardening

They Are So Cute!

Terri Pontzious 2 Comments

Shoes 1I love shoes, always have. I am embarrassed to say how many shoes I have owned over the years. I mean, you need high heels, mid-heels and flats in all the basic colors. Sandals, Espadrilles, tennis shoes, shoes for those dressy occasions. Shoes for working in the garden and boots to ride horses. And then there are those shoes that you just have to have because they are so cute!

I have reluctantly donated many shoes over the years, and worn out even more. I am a real estate agent, so I am hard on shoes. When showing property, I sometimes walk two to three miles in an afternoon. I walk in dirt, over rocks and wet grass to find lockboxes when other agents don’t put them in convenient places and when taking photos. I am constantly scuffing and dinging my shoes on my office chair.

Yesterday, my eyes were drawn to a pair of cute little high heels on the shelf. I hadn’t worn those shoes in a while, at least over a year. I couldn’t remember why, and they were so cute and went perfectly with my outfit. Why not? They were my shoe choice of the day!

I spent the morning in my office and met clients at a home inspection in the afternoon. You might think a home inspection is boring and that the Realtors spend most of our time sitting around. But I usually take the opportunity to do my Agent’s Visual Inspection if I am representing the buyer. Of course, my clients and I follow the home inspector around while he explains what he has found. Because I love gardening, I usually spend time walking around the yard planning what I would do to it if I were the new owner. When the inspection is over, my clients usually like to walk around the home again, measuring rooms, space for refrigerator and washer/dryer, visualizing where they will put their furniture. It is such fun to see their excitement and anticipation, so I tag along!

On my way home, I stopped at the grocery store and walked every aisle. Then went by the dry cleaners to pick up laundry. And stopped at a client’s home to drop some paperwork off. And, my feet were killing me!

I have to admit, I am just not 30 years old anymore and what my feet could take then and what they can take now just aren’t the same! I hate that. But it is my reality!

Reluctantly, these cute shoes are going in the donation box today. I hope someone will enjoy them as much as I have. THEY ARE SO CUTE!

Autumn IS A Productive Time Of Year!

Terri Pontzious Leave a comment

Pumpkins

We harvested the remaining pumpkins from our garden this week. We had a record-breaking crop of pumpkins this year. Actually, it is the only year I can remember when we had more than one very small pumpkin on the vine. I don’t know what we did differently this year, I know we did not have big expectations. But, our garden was certainly bountiful this summer!

When you have a garden, you plant the seeds, watch them germinate, pull weeds, water, fertilize, chase critters away. You help the plants through hard times…too much heat, too much cold, not enough water, too much water. Some don’t make it, some surprise you.

Instead of letting the garden become dormant, we are preparing for a winter garden and then the spring garden. Even though the garden looks bare right now, there is a lot going on. Planning, sketching, mulching, reading about new plants. It is definitely a busy time for a gardener, just different.

In my real estate business, I am also preparing for 2014…preparing my business plan and goals. Looking at what works, what do I want to change. It is an exciting time for me as I look at all the possibilities ahead and the families I can help in 2014.

Someone asked me the other day if I am taking off the rest of the year! Ha! Some people DO think that the real estate business comes to a grinding halt during the last two to three months of the year. Nothing could be further from the truth. I almost always have a very busy fourth quarter. It is a great time to sell a home. The buyers who are looking are usually serious buyers, the looky-loos have other things to do. And, if you are a buyer, the sellers who have their homes on the market this time of the year are almost always serious sellers. Negotiations are usually easier this time of year – people are happy. Homes look great this time of year. They are decorated, the smell like pumpkin pie and turkeys in the oven. And, you won’t have to ask “I wonder where they put the Christmas tree”, you will be able to see for yourself!

So, if you are contemplating buying a home in San Diego, or selling a home in San Diego, looking for investment properties, or are looking for a vacation home, don’t let the holiday season stand in your way. This is a GREAT time of year to take that step!

Pumpkins & me

What To Do With Too Many Limes?

Terri Pontzious Leave a comment

You may know from some of my posts that I love to garden and love to cook. We have a wonderful lime tree that was supposed to be a “dwarf” tree. Well, it didn’t turn out that way and we have hundreds of limes on the tree! We give them away by the dozens, but can’t keep up with the limes. IMG_8906

Inspiration sometimes comes in strange moments. This morning while I was enjoying a cup of coffee I decided there had to be something to be done with some of these limes. So, I found a great recipe for Lime-Ginger Marmalade. It was really easy to make and I had a great time making it – and it tastes really good!  It has been years since I have made jam or anything like that. I had forgotten how getting lost in the moment of doing something you love is so good for the soul.

Gardening and cooking are such creative outlets. I love the planning, planting, caring for and harvesting a garden, whether it is flowers or vegetables. Cooking for a family has so many dimensions. The planning, shopping, looking for what is in season, what’s on sale, making what your family likes and trying out new things. Cooking together, setting the table, giving thanks, having great conversation, that’s what I remember about meals in our home.

I guess some of the creativity carries over into my real estate business. Challenges almost always seem to arise and thinking creatively about how to best resolve the challenges, and do what’s best for the clients, is a necessity. Whether it is a loan gone bad, something major found in a home inspection, clients who have life altering things happen to them while in escrow…I could go on and on. Thinking creatively to make it all come together is fun and very rewarding. Guess that’s why, for me, being a Realtor ranks right up their with gardening, cooking, and making a happy home!

IMG_8926