My best friend is a cat lover. (I must confess that I also am a cat lover. We have two members of the family who are furkids -- Roxanne and Stanley. Both were adopted from Madison County shelters.)
So when I was looking for a gift for my friend's birthday, I came across this terrifically titled tome, "Feng Shui for Cats." Who could resist a book like this? (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)
You don't need to believe in the principles of Feng Shui to enjoy the book, but it did make me think about my cats' natural use of the art. They DO care where their food bowl is located and how the kibble should interact harmoniously with the water dish. Stanley, in particular, has certain needs that seem to be related to the best positions for feline nourishment. He always scoops the dry food out onto the floor with his paw before eating.
They also enjoy napping with their little heads facing certain directions and they hate it when their toys are in the wrong quadrant of the room. I guess nature works in mysterious ways.
As a Realtor, I am sympathetic to customers who want to employ Feng Shui in their buying decisions. Thinking back to the first time I encountered this need, however, I probably should have found a way to handle it more effectively. It was my first time out with a group of buyers who were looking for homes as a family -- a large family, including grandma, grandpa, two sons, the wives of the sons and all of their children. They were very nice folks, but the showings were chaotic at best. There was a lot of input going on at every stop -- all in a language that I, sadly, did not speak.
The first home was visited was #55 SomeStreet. Before we even entered the door the daughter-in-law who was the spokesperson for the group asked if they could change the address on the home. "Bad Feng Shui," she explained. I told her that the postal service and the town's emergency services personnel would most likely frown on a random address change.
If this happened today I might tell her she could call the home "Ralph" if she wanted -- just get her mail delivered to a PO Box and paint the house number on the curb -- or would that be cheating? Something tells me you can't fool Feng Shui. The unfortunately numbered house would still be a sow's ear of a #55, even if you dressed it up to look like a silk purse of an #88.
I better stick to Feng Shui for cats and leave the real thing to the experts.
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About the Author: Nancy Milton, GRI, is a REALTOR with the GoshenRealtyGroup at RE/MAX Preferred Partners in Edwardsville, Illinois. She and Kristina Pratt help their customers buy and sell homes and investment properties in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs with special emphasis on homes for sale in Madison County and the communities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Collinsville, Troy, Bethalto and surrounding areas.
Goshen Realty Group takes its name from the earliest nickname for Madison County, Illinois -- the Land of Goshen -- coined when the region's first settlers compared their new home east of the Mississippi River to the biblical land of peace and plenty.
For more information, visit GoshenRealtyGroup.com or e-mail Nancy at Nancy@GoshenRealtyGroup.com. Text or call Nancy at 618-791-8007. REMAX Preferred Partners is located at One 157 Center, Edwardsville, IL 62025.
Please note that individual listings periodically mentioned in this blog are accurately described in terms of availability and price at the time of the posting. Because properties are constantly coming on and off the market, please contact Nancy for the latest information on those that are of particular interest to you.
