YAY! Summer is officially here! St. Joe will be busy this summer helping folks sell their homes, but as summer starts this week, we want to share some tips to stay green this season!
Bamboo Dinner Plates ~ Say goodbye to paper-plates for those summer BBQ’s, these disposable bamboo plates are disposable and biodegrade within six months of use.
Find alternatives to staying cool ~ Give your air conditioner (and electricity bill) a break by opening your windows at night and letting the evening breeze cool your home! Buy a Deluxe Misting fan. These are really inexpensive and can give you a nice splash of energy when you’re feeling hot and lethargic.
Be conservative with your water ~ Water usage is a big deal throughout the US, especially during the summer. Watch what you use, only water plants when necessary, and use a rain barrel to collect water for extra watering.
Shop Local ~ Check out your local farmer’s markets for fresh fruits and vegetables. They are a great place to shop and can help you make sure the the food on your table didn’t travel hundreds of miles to get there. Local Harvest can help you find farmers markets, family farms and other resources to help keep your table green.
And don’t forget, there are plenty of reasons that summer is the best time to sell your home. If you are putting your house on the market this summer and need some extra intervention? Opt out of the traditional plastic St. Joseph statues and go with one of our earth-friendly EcoJoes!
Photo by jousteWe at EcoJoe’s are always fascinated to find references to St. Joseph all around the world. This is an interesting one, integrating traditional Catholicism with New Age holistic treatment.
The Society of Jesus, Mary & Joseph is one of the International Congregations in the Roman Catholic Church, founded by Rev. Fr. Mathias Wolff, S.J in 1822 in Holland, with a view to furthering the cause of women’s education in the world. Seven sisters of the Society of JMJ came to India in in 1904 and started their services in the Educational, Health and Social Sectors.
They founded St. Joseph’s Nature Cure and Yoga Centre at Pedda Kakkani, a unique and integrated health care centre, based on the wisdom of the ancient healing process of Naturopathy and Ayurveda and in close collaboration with St. Joseph’s General Hospital, Guntur with its modern medical treatment and technology. The inpatients and outpatients are treated and cured with herbal medication, water, sun, mud therapies, massages, fasting, dieting, yogasanas, meditation, and prayer.
Another Father’s Day related post this week: we love the kids that have launched the “Green My Parents” campaign.
The aim is to help families learn how to save money by going green, $100 in each home, $100 million by next April.
How? It will start with 100 “youth champions.” Each of them plans to recruit 100 more kids, then train them to promote easy, everyday steps that protect the environment and save money, too, at least $100 per family. It’s hoped each of those kids will recruit another 100, and another 100, and another 100, until tens of thousands or even millions are involved.
Visit their page and see how you can help or get your kids involved!
1) Solar Panel Backpack — This backpack made by Voltaic comes with lightweight and waterproof solar panels built in to each bag. The backpack and converter produce 4 watts. One hour in the sun will power three hours of iPod play time or 1.5 hours of cell phone talk time.
2) Buy him a nice plot of Australian land. Well…sort of. The Nature Conservancy lets you go all out and Adopt an Acre in your awesome dad’s name to give to him as a gift.
3) Wooden Dumbbells Cuff-links. At first I really thought these were wooden dumbbells, great gift! They are actually very sharp cufflinks, a little smaller, but still great for your dapper and trendy dad.
4) A Bottle of Organic Whiskey. Benromach Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whiskey, is made by two experienced distillers using Scottish barley and pure spring water from the nearby Romach hills. When he has a shot after a hard day’s work, he will enjoy taking in the rich and mellow, fruity flavor with malty tones and a hint of smoke.
5) Ultimate Hammock. This is one of my favorites. When dad’s not laying in it, I’m going to sneak his spot. The Ultimate Hammock is made from recycled soda bottles and has a maximum weight capacity of 450 lbs…so it can easily accommodate the largest of dads.
6) EcoJoe. Last but not least — don’t forget EcoJoe! He may be the hardest working saint in real estate, but he also is a lovely gift for others. Our accountant Tax Ninja proudly displays his EcoJoe in his office, sitting on top of his stack of tax codes!
Superstition Friday ~ Do You Know Why You Knock on Wood?.
Photo by opacityFew people know why they do it, but still today when we mention something good that is supposed to happen in the future, many of us “knock on wood” twice to keep from jinxing the expected good fortune.
Once upon a time, it was thought that trees were the homes of the gods. When in need of a favor or some good luck, one politely mentioned this wish to a tree and then touched the bark, representing the first “knock.” The second “knock” was to say “thank you.” Photo by fatboyke (Luc)
Read more about Popular Superstitions like breaking a mirror and walking under a ladder and their origins here!
In Catholic circles, St. Joseph is considered the foster father of Jesus Christ. He cared for and protected Mary, his betrothed, and raised Jesus as his own. He trained his son to be a carpenter, just like him. He loved him and was a kind and compassionate father.
It’s not too early to be thinking about a unique Father’s Day Gift — Why not a handsome EcoJoe for his desk? It’s definitely a conversation piece, and the extra luck he brings everywhere can’t hurt. Or a EcoJoe Organic T-shirt for dad — what better way to let him know how much he’s appreciated?
Here is an interesting legend about St Joseph and the spiral staircase:
The Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878. When it was finished, there was no way to access the choir loft approximately 22 feet above. Several carpenters were called in to resolve the problem, but the best solution was a ladder leading up to the choir loft. There simply was not enough space in the interior of the small chapel for a staircase.
Legend says that in order to find a solution to the problem, the Sisters of the Chapel made a novena to St. Joseph. On the ninth and final day of prayer, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Several months later, the elaborate staircase was finished. The carpenter disappeared — the nuns did not have a chance to pay him or even thank him. After searching for him for weeks and not finding any trace of him, many concluded that the carpenter was St. Joseph himself that came to answer the sisters’ prayers.
The structure was innovative for the time and many of the design considerations still perplex experts today. The staircase has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support. It’s also been noted the the staircase was built without nails — only wooden pegs. Questions also surround the number of stair risers relative to the height of the choir loft and about the types of wood and other materials used in the stairway’s construction.
Source: PlanetWare
The legend has been the subject of many articles articles, TV specials, and movies, including “Unsolved Mysteries” and a television movie entitled “The Staircase.”
Do you have any interesting legends or stories about St Joseph? We would love to know! Send them to us.
~ an article from our friends at Frontera Estates, translated from Spanish to English
You’ll have to excuse me for the sensationalist title, but we should have a sense of humor when dealing with the dark cloud that hangs over our real estate market these days.
That is how our team at FronteraEstates has taken on our patron Saint — Saint Joseph.
Real Estate Customs and the Statue of St. Joseph
During one of our trips to the United States to REBarcamp Silicon Valley, I had the pleasure of meeting Cindy Linof Staged4more, who was launching a business selling statues of St. Joseph. The business is called “EcoJoe.”
What relationship does St. Joseph have with Real Estate?
For more than ten decades the tradition to bury a St. Joseph statue in the patio or garden to ask the patron Saint for help in selling the home.
We shouldn’t take this too seriously, but in times like these, we realize there are very tense moments for our industry. And we can’t lose faith —
Since we are a proactive team and want to be a part of the solution in improving the real estate market, we will put our two cents worth to the cause. Although we won’t be burying EcoJoe statues in all the houses and apartments of the cities we will visit — we told Cindy we will be sharing the pictures of EcoJoe’s journey through all the cities where we travel.
EcoJoe’s First Visit to Europe
He may not improve the real estate situation in Barcelona, but EcoJoe brought snow during a time period when it hardly ever happens: Spring!
Who’s the Patron Saint of Irony? How about a Chinese Saint?.
An odd thing about saints? They sometimes become the patron saint of things that either maimed or killed them in life. Scary, huh? That’s why in paintings, the saints are generally painted with the weapons that caused their death.
Here are a few out of the box stories about sainthood and how these interesting characters become patron saints: (Thanks to source religournal.com for this great story)
Saint Apollonia is the patron saint of dentists. Why? An anti-Christian mob pulled all her teeth out in Alexandria in the early years of the A.D. Ouch.
Women were often tortured by their breasts (creative, huh?) and for most female saints, there were not only tortured and murdered, they also had their breasts cut off. A partial list of those subjected to this awful fate includes St. Anastasia, St. Christina, St. Agatha, St. Febronia, St. Tatiana, St. Guilia, St. Juliana, and St. Barbara. The most common theme amongst the women is that they were beautiful young virgins who were lusted after by all the local pagan men and when they refused to submit to their marriage proposals were persecuted as Christians. A good-looking hottie can scoff at false idols and worship Christ all she wants until she refuses to put out. Then you guys get touchy.
Around the World Wednesdays with EcoJoe, Next Stop: Santiago, Chile.
SANTIAGO, CHILE
Our friends, Rosmary and Carlos Gantz, from Los Angeles Chile, shared this link and pics from a Seminary in Santiago, Chile. Below are photos from the garden and a painting — illustrating the Holy Family.
Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata, Seminary of Philosophy, Santiago Chile
St. Joseph is honored around the world, not only as the patron Saint of carpenters, real estate, and protector of the home — but as the human father figure in the Holy Family. This painting, housed in the chapel of the Sacred Stigmata, in Santiago, depicts the three divine figures together.
6 Simple Tips to Landscaping Your Way into Better Curb Appeal.
Photo by Shavar RossYou know how photographers beautify our headshots? It’s the same with the house. We need to put our best foot forward and making sure the buyers are getting the best first impression of your house. (A bit like speed dating…) We love EcoJoe, but if you ignore your curb appeal, in a competitive market like today, buyers are not going to come!
Here are six short but sweet landscaping tips on improving your curb appeal:
Photo by Brew*CrewWork better under pressure. Pressure washing that is. If you don’t want to repaint or replace siding, you’ll find that a quick power wash of the exterior features will brighten up your home from the outside and make it stand out a little more as prospective buyers are doing their shopping.
Photo by kingaryMulch! In case a medium to large landscaping endeavor is not possible, a few bags of mulch are inexpensive and an inexpensive way to cover up weeds and dirt. The mulched areas also give the prospective buyers a way to visualize what lovely flowers and plants could be there.
Pay attention to your post. When is the last time you thought about your mailbox? You don’t notice this neglected fixture, but a buyer will. Repaint your post and replace the box. A new mailbox is a welcoming sign to prospective buyers.
Photo by thathsSo fresh and so clean. Throw a fresh coat of paint on your doors and trim. When painting the entire house is not an option, touch ups on the entry and trim will make a big difference.
Green is in. A well manicured lawn will do a few very important things. It will help a buyer overlook other deficiencies, make your house stand out from the neighbors, and convince them that if you can make it look good — then they will be able to keep it that way. A nice lawn represents in its own way a bit of Americana and gives a shopper images of outdoor barbecues, barefoot summers, and lemonade. So pull some weeds up and put some seed down.
Photo by kris247Of course, you can always call on your favorite Saint. That well cared for lawn isn’t complete without St. Joseph buried underneath
Work these inexpensive and easy tips into your home selling strategy, and wait for the magic to happen.
Wondering where the practice of burying a St. Joe to sell your home originated?
One legend says that European nuns in the Middle Ages buried a St. Joseph medal when asking the saint to intercede on their quest for a convent. Others claim that it started when German carpenters buried small statues in the foundations of houses they built and then said a prayer to St. Joseph. There are many who trace he connection to a chapel building effort in Montreal in the late 1800s. A monk named Brother Andre Bessette wanted to buy land on Mount Royal to build an oratory. When the landowners refused to sell Bessette began to plan St. Joseph medals on the property. In 1896, the owners suddenly relented and sold. Brother Andre was then able to build the small chapel.
The practice dates back at least to 1984 in the United States. In 1990, it was very popular as realtors started to buy St. Joseph statues in bulk. The standard practice is for the statue to be dug up once the property has sold and placed on the grateful seller’s mantle, or in another place of honor. Some may have trouble remembering where their statue is buried, choose to leave them behind to protect the property for the new owners.
The beauty of EcoJoe: He’s a fine little statue that you won’t mind digging up and cleaning off, giving him his rightful place in your new home. And if you happen to leave him behind — well he’s nice charm for the happy new owners and you can feel good about his not harming the earth.
Read more here from Snope’s article called “Property Rites.”
Bamboo Dinner Plates ~ Say goodbye to paper-plates for those summer BBQ’s, these disposable bamboo plates are disposable and biodegrade within six months of use.
Shop Local ~ Check out your local farmer’s markets for fresh fruits and vegetables. They are a great place to shop and can help you make sure the the food on your table didn’t travel hundreds of miles to get there. Local Harvest can help you find farmers markets, family farms and other resources to help keep your table green. 
