Finally!  The entire family has been fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

Which means we can get together again.  Sure, we had brief visits with certain family members throughout the pandemic, but now we can do so without masks.  I’d nearly forgotten how nice it is to read someone’s facial expressions during a face-to-face conversation nose-to-nose interaction.

I’m not sure who was more excited to have Cordelia come for lunch:  Puppy Cody or me.  At first, Cody seemed a bit confused with Cordelia’s masklessness, but that changed quickly enough.  Cordelia went home covered in doggie slobber and fur.  I’m sure her own tiny canines had a great sniff-session upon her return.

Another family member is  beginning to look for a new, and larger, home.  We’re all optimistic despite it being a sellers’ market.  She will have no trouble selling her current home, but finding another one is going to be tricky.  A realtor who works in my office building told me a story about one of his clients, who is also looking to purchase a house.  Said client offered $50,000 above the list price for a basic house in a not-particularly-great suburb, with NO concessions, NO home inspection, and free post-occupancy rent FOR THREE MONTHS to the sellers – and said client was outbid!  Said client has put offers on five different houses, and has been outbid every time.

The market was tough when we bought our current home (a fixer-upper) four years ago, but not that tough.

I’m so glad I’m no longer a real estate paralegal.  Between the pandemic restrictions and the extremely hot market, the stress would do me in for sure.

The pandemic has had so many unexpected effects.  In addition to the threat of contracting the virus and maybe dying from it, there are issues such as continued food/supply shortages and the inability to go to public places like movies and restaurants (although those restrictions are about to be lifted); and for some of us, the stress of having a battery die in a two-year-old vehicle because it hasn’t been driven enough in the last year.  Fortunately, the battery was recharged and the vehicle is running fine, and the driver (not me, thank heavens) has learned that it’s probably not advisable to sit in a parking lot during the lunch hour with the radio on and vehicle off, especially if the work commute is not long enough to recharge the battery on work days.

I know, I know.  Such minor annoyances, considering the alternative.  But we’ve all had them, and we’ve all complained, so I won’t apologize.

May all your gripes be petty ones, and may you all stay healthy and safe.

PS:  Not a great photo below, but the dandelions and robins say that spring has arrived!

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Images by Cordelia’s Mom/TeddyRosalieStudio