Did you know that no word rhymes with "month"? That only three birds mate for life: geese, eagles and swans. That the Amazon is the longest river in the world (4,150 miles, beating the Nile by about 100 miles), that Madame Curie, the person who discovered radiation was also the first person to die of radiation poisoning. Did you know that giraffes have only 7 vertebrae in their necks...the same as humans; that triskaidekaphobia is the fear of hair. Why are they called stands if they're made for sitting? When something is out of whack, what's a whack? Why do we put suits in a garment bag and garments in a suitcase? If "all the world’s a stage," where is the audience sitting? And why is the third hand on a watch called the second hand?

Pricing your home correctly. Ever wonder why two seemingly identical homes have a radically different time on the market before sale? Sometimes it’s the smallest things that make the difference. Both homes may have the same floor plan, but improvements and the home’s position in the tract can often make a difference as to which home sells faster. Most often, however, it’s the price that makes the difference. This is usually the single most important factor in determining how fast a home will sell. When you consider mortgage payments, utility bills and potential future repairs and upkeep, it rarely will pay you to overprice your home. Your Realtor will help you determine the best price. Just ask Norm! to help. Is an appraisal necessary before you put your home up for sale? Not necessarily. Although an appraisal can provide you with some additional information, your Realtor will prepare a Comparative Marketing Analysis (CMA) that will provide you with prices for which other homes in your area were sold. Then, working together with your Realtor, you should be able to set just the right asking price. Remember, the first 30 days that a home is for sale can be the most critical. What is the MLS system? MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service. It’s a computerized database that houses information about all of the homes listed for sale by Realtors in your area. Realtors can search the database by geographic area, by price, and by a wide variety of features such as size of the home and lot, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, when the home was built, etc. They can quickly zero in on just those homes that offer the specific features sought by their buyer. The most important benefit to the seller of the MLS system, however, is that all Realtors are alerted about the features of your home and dozens may want to show it. Because of these and other factors related to MLS searches, you should have a very, very good reason why you would not want your home placed in the MLS database.

Traveling by air? If you wear a broach with a long pin, it may be confiscated by Security. Need more leg room? Ask to be seated in the emergency row aisle. If the air on a long flight seems too dry for you, try wetting some paper towels and breathing through the towels. To avoid a possible blood clot on a flight, always get up and walk around a bit. Take an aspirin before the flight, provided you are not allergic and your doctor approves. Can a disabled person take a cruise? You betcha!! Go to www. accessible-travel.net for lots of available cruises for disabled folks. Always take your hotel’s business card with you when traveling in a country where you don’t speak the language. Show it to a cab driver to get back safely.

To keep a hanging picture straight, try wrapping some masking tape over the picture wire. It will be much less likely to slip. When painting a ceiling, wear a garbage bag. Cut holes for arms and head and wear a plastic shower cap over your head. Presto! No more painted hair! On a long automotive trip, spray the front of your auto with cooking oil spray. Bugs won’t stick as easily and those that do will wipe off easily. To remove bumper stickers, use a blow dryer to heat the sticker and peel off, using a credit card or other flat edge. Use bug & tar remover to take off any residue. All of the following are good for watering plants: water from boiled eggs (minerals), coffee or tea combined with more water for acidity, aquarium water has lots of fertilizer, club soda that has lost its fizz. Pouring boiling salt water on weeds kills them. Spot treat only to avoid killing grass and other desirable plants.

During these difficult times, remember to say a prayer for our brave men and women in the military to keep them safe. And don’t forget those brave rescue workers in NYC and Washington DC. God bless America!!