10 Reasons You Might Need A Vacation

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Springtime in the New England Real Estate Market

Spring is a crazy, busy time of year for us in the New England Real Estate world. New England has one of the most seasonal markets in the US.  I’ve been clocking long hours, OT almost every night and breaking my own rule of No Work on Weekends! My boss questions me about burn out once or twice every week.

Burn Out Is Real

In my younger years I didn’t believe in burn out. I scoffed at those who complained they were suffering. An excuse to slack off I said! Wimps! But of course I was wrong. Science has proved it and I have suffered from it myself.

Do You Suffer From Burn Out?

Do you need to take a vacation? AAA thinks you do if you meet only a couple of the 17 signs they list on their web page. AAA.com/needavacation. I looked over their list and here are my top 10 reasons to take a break.

  1. The weekend arrives but you are too tired to venture out for local adventures.
  2. You daydream about all the places you want to go and things (fun things, not lawn mowing) you want to do.
  3. Wonder how those people on the Travel Channel manage to take all those fabulous vacations.
  4. You can’t seem to focus on any one task for long.
  5. Getting home at the end of the day is a single minded obsession.
  6. Forgetfulness abounds. You can’t even remember what the string on your finger was supposed to be for!
  7. Are you on edge? That’s one of my first indicators. My team starts finding me scary!
  8. Watch out for over eating (or binge drinking). What happened to that jumbo bag of tootsie rolls? More potato chips anyone?
  9. No one is posting on your social media accounts, not even you! There’s nothing exciting going on.
  10. Your Life revolves around going to work, paying bills and sleeping. Get up and do it all again.

What’s the Verdict?

So how did you score? Did you even read it or did you park yourself in front of the TV and cry over vacation commercials? Those palm trees and sandy beaches are calling you. It’s almost a physical ache.

Do yourself, your family and your work a favor. Take that break. You’ll come back refreshed, more productive and maybe even with an attitude adjustment. Just be sure to let me know where you go! I want another place to daydream about.

Spring Has Sprung when Lilacs Bloom

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Spring has sprung when Lilacs Bloom

Lilacs are one of my favorite spring flowers. From their beautiful fragrance  to their delicate blooms, Lilacs are the comfort food of the flower world. I’m blessed with a ride to work that passes everything from pruned and pampered lilac bushes to wild road-side shrubs. This time of year they are all covered in purple blooms.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p370109947/h8a78fe8e#h8a78fe8e

Lilac Sunday

Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum was canceled because of the rain. Of the many thousands of flowers at the arboretum, only lilacs get their own special day. Most of the lilacs in the Arboretum are located at the edge of Bussey Hill Rd. The Arboretum has 369 lilac plants! If next week is nice maybe I can catch the tail end of the blooming season.

Lilac Symbolism

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The lilac story actually goes back to Greek mythology. According to the story Pan was enamored of a nymph named Syringa. Pan chased Syringa into the forest. Syringa wanted to avoid his advances so turned herself into a lilac bush. To Pan’s surprise, he could not find Syringa, but he did find the shrub. A lilac shrub consists of hollow reeds. Pan cut the shrub to create the flute he is so well known for playing.

Lilac Meanings

Lilac meanings vary throughout different cultures and time periods.

  • The Celtics regarded the lilac as “magical” due to their incredibly intoxicating fragrance.
  • During the Victorian Age, the giving of a lilac was meant to be a reminder of an old love. Widows were often seen wearing lilacs during this period.
  • In Russia, holding a sprig of lilac over the newborn would bring wisdom.
  • In the United States, the lilac is the official state flower of New Hampshire and represents the ‘hardy’ nature of its people.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p370109947/h8a78fe8e#h8a78fe94

Lilac Symbolism & Colors

  • White lilacs symbolize purity and innocence.
  • Violet lilacs symbolize spirituality.
  • Blue lilacs symbolize happiness and tranquility.
  • Magenta lilacs symbolize love and passion.
  • Lilac, the color for which this flower is named, is a light purple that symbolizes a first love.

Lilac Facts

  • The lilac is the official flower of a couple’s 8th wedding anniversary.
  • Lilacs have one of the shortest bloom times and only flower for three weeks at the beginning of spring.
  • George Washington and Thomas Jefferson  loved lilacs, growing them in their gardens.
  • Lilacs belong to the same family as the olive tree.

Comfort Food of Flowers

Lilacs symbolize home to me. Growing up our driveway was lined with lilacs and there was a huge lilac bush in the middle of the yard. The blooms only burst forth in early spring and in a wink of an eye are gone. For about 3 weeks the air is fragrant each spring. No matter where I am, the scent takes me home in my mind.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p370109947/h8a78fe8e#h8a78fe92

Facts and symbolism provided by FTD web site https://www.ftd.com

Sunday Was Mother’s Day

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Sunday Was Mother’s Day

Did you call your Mom? I’m ashamed to say I did not. I didn’t send a card or flowers or go visit. I’m a bad daughter! But I did think about Mother’s Day. What do you think…is it better to send a card late or not send one at all? It’s the old better late than never dilemma.

Mother’s Day has an interesting history.

The Travel channel has a program that you can hardly miss. They seem to do marathons all the time. The show is called Mysteries at the Museum. They ran their Mother’s Day Episode rerun this week and I happened to catch part of it. According to the show The American Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis to honor her mother and the sacrifices she saw other mothers making for their children.

Be careful what you wish for!

Once again the old adage turned out to be true. Anna Jarvis didn’t like what she created. After all her hard work to get Mother’s Day recognized as a National Holiday she grew to hate her creation. It was too commercial. She hated that florists, stationary stores and candy makers jumped on the bandwagon and  made the holiday another commercial extravaganza. She actually spent the rest of her life trying to tear down the holiday her efforts created!

Anna Jarvis’ Vision

Anna Jarvis had originally conceived of Mother’s Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation as a badge and visiting one’s mother or attending church services. That was fine when it was just a local or personal celebration but it all changed once it  “went National”.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p494260681/h5bd62824#h5bd62824

The Sad Result of Mother’s Day Success

Jarvis eventually resorted to an open campaign against Mother’s Day profiteers, speaking out against confectioners, florists and even charities. She also launched countless lawsuits against groups that had used the name “Mother’s Day,” eventually spending most of her personal wealth in legal fees. By the time of her death in 1948 Jarvis had disowned the holiday altogether. She even actively lobbied the government have it removed from the calendar.

In The End

In the end it was the charities that Anna raged against that cared for her once her financial resources were exhausted.

There are lots of other Mother’s Day traditions around the world. A short but interesting read about this history can be found at http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day

To my Mom, there is no excuse for skipping Mother’s Day but we’ll have our own celebration in June when you join Sandy and me for our Maine Vacation!

Happy Belated Mother’s Day!

 

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The Ultimate Massachusetts Waterfalls Road Trip

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The Ultimate Massachusetts Waterfalls Road Trip

We dabbled with the Ultimate New Hampshire Road Trip.

Jackson Falls, NH

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I need to make another trip back for a couple more waterfalls and a covered bridge but I just ran across this link http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/massachusetts/waterfall-roadtrip-ma/. You guessed it; The Ultimate Massachusetts Waterfalls Road Trip.

Where are these Waterfalls?

Turns out the Massachusetts waterfalls are far more spread out than the New Hampshire ones. It’s an 8 hours drive to complete the road trip not figuring in hiking times.

Doane Falls

The trip begins at Doane Falls, Royalston, moves west through the Berkshires and swings back south of the Mass Pike. # 5  on the list is Bish-Bash Falls.

Bish Bash Falls

Bish Bash Falls is the most western waterfall right on the New York border. I first heard of Bish Bash Falls last year but never found the time to go look for it. Now, with the Ultimate Massachusetts Waterfall Road trip as a guide it’s back on my radar. I have a feeling that I will need to set aside a whole day for this waterfall. The trail is a 2 mile out and back hike near Mt. Washington. and a 3-4 hour drive from where I live but it look like a pretty little falls, not Niagara but certainly worthwhile.

Glendale Falls

Glendale Falls in Middlefield, MA is described as among the longest and most powerful in the state. Middlefield is a little closer to me but still quite a hike. It’s past Springfield MA approaching Becket in the Berkshires. It’s not surpriseding that I’ve never heard of this waterfall. I’d never heard of Middlefield!

The series of comments on trip advisor ranged from beautiful little falls to creepy. We’re going to be slashed in the woods! https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g41680-d2008353-Reviews-Glendale_Falls-Middlefield_Hampshire_County_Massachusetts.html

It will be interesting to see how I feel about it if I go.

Has Anyone been to any of these Falls?

Take a peek at the list of waterfalls and locations. If you’ve been to any of them please let me know. Are they worth the drive to get to them? I’d love to get your comments.