They Are So Cute!

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!

Living A Joyful Life

Garden

I made a deal, kind of a New Year’s Resolution, but bigger than that. I promised to live my life with joy in 2013.  Actually, my word for 2013 is JOY….it is written on a stone in my office. So, I am committed!

Now, that may seem kind of simple, but when you have a pretty busy life, you can lose those joyful moments.  I am a Realtor, have been for 20 years. It is hard work, but I love it…love selling homes, finding homes, solving the problems that invariably arise, putting a deal together, having happy clients, all of it. I even like to look at houses when I am on vacation!

Some days, I work 12+ hours. Some weeks, it’s hard to take a day off. So finding the JOY is easier some days than others. What I have discovered so far is that JOY really comes in the simple things in life. For me, I love my garden, flowers, plants, vegetables. I love the beauty of it. I love the process, from prepping, planting, growing and reaping the benefits, the smells, the tastes, all of it.

I love feeding the birds and butterflies in my yard. We have doves, hummingbirds, mockingbirds, robins, road runners, jays, Lazuli Buntings (they are so colorful), woodpeckers, owls, hawks, quail, finches, sparrows, and more. They eat a lot, but I don’t mind. I love watching them, listening to them.

Today I had an hour to kill between appointments so I ended up walking down a small town street, in and out of shops. My joy for the afternoon was an ice cream cone…all by myself…in a waffle cone, double scoop, even dripped down my chin. It was indeed a joyful moment!

So, what are the little things in life that bring you joy? I really want to know!