a spring evening

come on summer

Tonight I drove home after taking photos of a new listing, feeling pretty lucky.

I'm working with the most pleasant clients right now. Every single one is agreeable, reasonable, funny, sane. It's an absolute pleasure.

This afternoon I did an open house for a couple who are so sweet. We've known each other about twenty-five years, so there's history there. Their kids are cute, even the dogs are.

The house was immaculate, all the vacuum cleaner trails still evident over the carpeting. The windows were spotless. They're doing everything they can so the house will show well, and it did. I wish someone would buy it! They're so ready to move on to the next part of their life.

Yesterday, same thing. Good-natured owner,beautiful house, dusted and shined, all the junk mail shoved in a drawer out of sight. The floors are mahogany and the cabinets cherry, the lighting and plumbing are dramatic and fun. It's a contemporary style house with abundant warmth and personality.

And tonight. These people have been working their butts off for a month--moving out of their house, painting every wall, polishing the 90 year old oak floors. We took pictures, and this sweet little house absolutely sparkled in the evening sun.


Plus, they're funny. We laughed a lot, and after taking a few photos with the owner hovering, I handed her the camera--she knows her house best and what angles flatter it most. She took many, many photos, so we had lots to choose from. Very nice.

Jay grilled hamburgers for supper, and he makes the most delicious burgers. He uses a recipe from an old friend of my mother's, and they're divine. He made potato salad too, my mom's recipe also. When I say he cooks like a mom, it's true. He's fabulous.

Kirsten got home from the airport and was in a hurry to get home, exhausted, physically and emotionally. Long distance relationships have lots of good byes and time apart, and that's a bit depressing. But anyway, when she heard there was potato salad handmade by her dad, she came back inside.

Earlier today, Julia had Maria laughing harder than I have heard that girl laugh in weeks. Julia's lost so many teeth, her mouth is all crazy, and she's hard to understand! Without teeth, her pronunciation lacks clear consonants. She's repeating herself all the time, us listening more carefully. "Talk slower, Jule."


Well tonight she was telling us about her tooth, and how the Tooth Fairy hasn't picked it up. Our Tooth Fairy is crap, honestly. It can take literally weeks for the teeth to be picked up. The Fairy is a putz. (hiding face) The kids know this and deal with it, but this Fairy of ours has about as much credibility as the lawn mowing guy up at the lake--which is not much.


She told us she'd looked at the tooth a few days ago, and it was in the hallway bookcase waiting for pick up. (The kids don't put them under the pillow. The idea of a Fairy sneaking around that close while they're asleep freaks them out.)

But she talked more and more and finally I asked where the tooth is right now. She said, "Oh. I have no idea."

Oh great. That'll really help. Ei-yi-yi. That's when Maria was gone in peals of laughter.

So it's bedtime, and the week is looking promising. The snow is gone, and life is good. I suppose I could put a little money in the bookcase, even if we don't know where the tooth went. love, Val