Do not be guilted into keeping things you don't love or do not spark a memory of the loved one. I kept a rickety and not attractive bench that had belonged to my mom. I kept it because it had belonged to my mom, ya know? Not for any other reason. A few years into keeping it, I had a bright light moment. My mom was always rearranging furniture and she loved putting on a good garage sale. Suddenly I knew without a doubt I could get rid of said bench because there is no way my mom would still be owning it if she were alive. Very freeing thought. I agree that the person who said it must be kept should have it. Keep all the best memories and get rid of the stuff.

My husband and I will be in the San Francisco/Oakland area later this week. This Texas gal has never seen Redwoods--where should we go? We will have a car. Thanks!

The first episode was a little odd, but I thought the second and third were better. All in all, I enjoyed it.

IF you want to celebrate, throw yourself a party! I turned a significant birthday last year. Significant because most of my family does not live to that age. So yes, I had one party for some of my family--we invited everyone to join us at a Texas Rangers game. It was fun....and I was not the center of attention, but my birthday was the reason. Then we hosted a dinner party at a local restaurant for a half dozen of my closest friends and their spouses. We had a blast celebrating the milestone. Gifts were not expected and we paid the bill. Life is too SHORT to wait for someone else to fulfill your wishes. DO it! Let people celebrate with you.

Get referrals from friends and family. Talk to the agent--on the phone and face to face. Ask if he or she is the one you will work with. An agent doing 150 deals a year probably will hand you off to a team member unless you are a high net worth individual. Ask to speak with the actual person you will work with. If you don't get a comfortable vibe, move on. I don't do 150 deals a year. I want to help each of my clients personally from beginning to closing (and after) so I LIMIT the number of deals I do in a year. I do not hand you off to a team member or coordinator. Yes the agent should pay attention to what you are asking to see-- one of the best compliments I ever got as a agent was when a young couple told me 'You knew what we wanted before we did...because you were watching what we reacted to.' Ask about the worst deal they were ever a part of and the best. What were the determining factors in each? What did they learn from the worst one. Ask how many of their deals are repeat clients--people don't go back to a crappy agent, but they happily go back to an agent they liked. 100% of my business is repeat and referral--and I love it that way. Best of luck!

Inspectors are to alert you to potential problems so you can have an additional licensed pro have an indepth look to determine if you want or can afford to go forward. As an agent I see and work with a lot of inspectors. I always give my buyer clients a list of at least three inspectors who do a good job and will explain their findings with the potential buyers. I want the level headed guys or gals who can explain what should be a deal killer, an repair or replace item, or what goes on the first honey-do list. That 20 (or 40 or 60) page format is pretty standard for the inspection industry. Does a lot of cya in my opinion. Houses break--a good home warranty can help for some aspects. I tell my clients to start an emergency repair/replace fund immediately-- for the AC and the roof if nothing else. Many agents I know work hard to explain the process and procedures of buying a house. It is a convoluted process at times--lots of moving parts. I'm sorry they had a less than spectacular experience.

We are Happy and Pappy to our grandgirl. I worked pretty hard for her to learn to say Happy--for years it was 'appy, 'appy, 'appy. :)

They are so cute

We enjoyed Oddball and the Penguins. Based on a true story. Light but hearty. Fun movie if you like dogs. We got it on Netflix disc, so I don't know if it's on the streaming half.

I love my Vera Bradley Hipster bag for traveling. Lightweight, lots of pockets, zip top close, adjustable strap. ​I wore this a solid week in Orlando- I travel a lot and this was a fun and practical bag to wear all day long. I tried to do a link but failed--google Vera Bradley Hipster and you'll find images of this just the right size bag. Remember to not stuff it full of other people's stuff....you know like stuff your kids hand you. :) Edited --- just realized this was an old thread revived by a possible Sash salesperson. Sigh.

​My adult son has hypoglycemia....when his blood sugar crashes, he needs protein. Just consuming sugar does not bring it up. With a consistent blood sugar that low, I'd be taking her in. Just to see what the doctor got when he checks it. When my son's gets that low, he feels like he is having a heart attack so it does get our attention.

​I keep credit card sized cards that block the ability for someone to steal cc info from my wallet. Found them on Amazon. ​My travel purses are smaller cross body bags with lots of zippers. I just used a cute Vera Bradley bag while we were at Disney. All the pockets and zippers kept everything secure. ​If I'm in a crowded place like Rome, I wear the cross body bag between me and my husband or sons. ​Mostly I try to stay observant.

We purchased a new higher end Kenmore 2 or 3 years ago. I LOVE that it is quiet--so quiet we do not know if it's on unless we see the lights on the control panel. ​One thing I really like--the delayed timer. I can fill the dw after supper and set it to run after I've gone to bed. Love that. I rinse my dishes (old habits) and I find they are not clean if I'm using dry powder dw soap. I must use gel. Probably has more to do with our water, but it's something I noticed. Have fun with your new dishwasher!

I always picked up clutter before the cleaners came...so they could clean more. We are clutter bugs, so it did make a difference. ​Yes, do it! I used to have a gal in once a month to clean. She retired and I've not found a solid replacement....and my house shows it.

As a real estate agent, that's part of what a seller pays me to do. It is tough to do. ​I wish I were close enough to help. ;) All the best as you figure it out.