Category: Daily Happenings

Daily Happenings

A Snowy Sunday Morning

Lora Knows...

We don’t get a lot of snow here at the bottom of the mountains, so I get excited when a snow weather alert comes on my phone. It wasn’t snowing when we went to sleep, but I woke up around 1:30 AM and peeked out the window and it was falling. I made sure to wake up early, so I could enjoy some quiet time on a snowy Sunday morning.

It was just light when I raised the blinds to the balcony, made a cup of hot chocolate, grabbed a warm soft throw, and cozied up on the sofa. I looked outside a bit, then decided to watch an old movie. There is something about old movies that makes my heart happy. This morning I picked the romantic comedy “Send Me No Flowers” with Doris Day and Rock Hudson.

Dean got up just as the movie was ending, and the day started. It’s now 1 PM, and the snow has melted off the trees, the roads are clear, and the only proof there was snow remains in the shadows. I’m so glad we had one morning of snow this winter, of course I’d love to have more, but this one was good for my soul.

Daily Happenings

… And Now It’s October

Lora Knows...

It has been months since I’ve posted, and it seems odd to be sitting here trying to think of all that has happened in 2020. Looking back the beginning of the year was fantastic, and then March arrived and changed our world.

There is no way for me to write my way through the ups and downs of this year, that will remain in my beside journal. I can say it has been a year like none I’ve ever known. There have been days where laughter was a bit easier, some working through struggles and tears, and others dealing with a broken heart by losing someone we love.

It has also been a year of people learning to share, communities became connected, helping others became common, and supporting local businesses owners became a movement.

Then in the midst of the pandemic a horrific murder took place, and a lot of the world cried out for George Floyd. Through protests in numerous countries people’s voices have been heard and names of other murdered innocent people have come to be known. The official #BlackLivesMatter Global Network was born to bring justice, healing, and freedom to Black people across the globe.

Through all this change it was also necessary to edit how I work. Being a real estate broker I learned to embrace Zoom meetings, virtual tours, face time walk throughs, and more. It has been difficult not to feel a bit out of touch with practicing social distancing. I love to hug, and I miss that. I love to share smiles, and learned how to share them behind a mask.

We, Dean and I, feel very blessed because we are safe, happy, and most of all healthy. I will wear my mask (that Dean designs more about that later), use hand sanitizer, and keep positive thoughts in my mind and heart. Welcome October.

Daily Happenings, Real Estate

Dear Email, I Need an Hour

Lora Knows...

artI remember using dial-up to get to the welcome screen of AOL. The excitement of dialing in would make me smile, and then to hear that familiar voice say, “You’ve Got Mail”, was great. Fast forward a couple decades and the newness is long gone, and email is just a part of our lives.

In the past, I would wake up and within five minutes I would grab my phone and see if there were any missed calls, texts, and then emails. As soon as I opened the inbox I was immediately focused on its contents. I would grab my laptop, bigger screen, and sit on the sofa and dig into the contents of my inbox. Before I knew it at least 30 minutes, more likely 60, would be gone, and I would feel a bit stressed.

Then in early October my boss, Kim, was telling me about a speaker she heard who talked about not doing email for the first hour after waking up. She went on to explain that one hour can make a huge difference in our productivity level for the rest of the day. I like to try new things to be more productive, and thought I’d give it a go.

At first it was hard, and I cheated a day or two that first week. I decided I needed to put my phone temptation out of reach, and placed it on the end table in the living room. Moving it from my nightstand made a big difference, and helped me start a new morning routine.

I’m an early riser, and instead of sitting down to work on emails, I’m getting things done. It isn’t always something big, but just to have time to empty the dishwasher, start a load of laundry, write a note, and to get cleaned up for the day without worrying about that inbox, is amazing.

I was sure there was more information about waiting an hour, and while Googling the subject I found some good articles, blogs, and even entire books on the subject. One author, Julie Morgenstern, wrote in her book, “Never Check Email In The Morning”, that, “there is very little that cannot wait a minimum of 59 minutes”. I agree, and the email can wait.