The bayberry candle has a lovely history that dates back to the earliest settlers. Colonials typically formed their candles from animal tallow, a useful material, but not one with an especially pleasant scent. The tallow candles were smoky, as well.

When some of the early settlers learned they could boil wild bayberries down and use their wax for candles that not only smelled good, but also had a naturally pretty green color, it quickly turned into a coveted item.

Colonial women began to give a pair of bayberry candles as a gesture of friendship, and a new tradition emerged: to burn the candles on a chosen night as soon as the first star appeared in the sky. Today, they are often purchased and shared with an accompanying tale and poem about the past and current beliefs of burning the bayberry candles.

One common verse found along with the sweet-smelling candles is as follows,

“This bayberry candle comes from a friend,

 so on a holiday burn it to the end.

For a bayberry candle burned to the socket,

will bring joy to the heart, and gold to the pocket.”

 Perhaps you want to share in the tradition and give out bayberry candles this year!

Years ago, I was invited to a local shop holding a New Year’s Eve party at noon, for young children to enjoy an early celebration. I suspect it was organized so parents could enjoy a night out later that evening, but the idea struck me as being a brilliant way everyone could celebrate the final day of December.

Consider this bit of history: Sir Isaac Newton discovered that white light, when split into a prism, actually consists of all the colors in the rainbow. There is no division between the colors: they all blend from one to the next. So do our days transition into one another. Our actions on one day lead naturally to the next, and so on. If we do not take time to celebrate all that we have accomplished, especially in this busy month, we risk never doing so. While a rainbow is beautiful, there is something to be said for savoring each color, or celebrating each day.

Try this: set aside some time on Sundays or Mondays to write down everything you accomplished the week prior, then add in at least one thing you are proud of having completed at any time during the year. Think back to the coldest months of February and March, or those hot days in August— what did you do that brought you joy? Did you create anything you want to repeat or build on this coming year? Take your time, savor the memories, and reflect on your success.

Here’s to celebrating friends and family this month… and here’s to you!

Gino Pezzani,

Your Real Estate/Mortgage Consultant For Life

This December, consider starting a wish jar. Regardless of how far you are into the month, take a decorative jar or a pretty vase and have everyone who passes through write down their wishes, hopes or goals for the year.

Let everyone know their notes can be serious and goal-oriented, or more for fun, such as saying they will learn one new recipe each week over the next year. Keep it easy and rule-free: family and friends can add as many or as few ideas as they would like to include.

Tuck the jar away and one year later, you can retrieve the jar and read the notes to see how far everyone has progressed. You might be surprised at who took the challenge seriously.

The BCREA Commercial Leading Indicator (CLI) fell from 155.4 to 150.9 in the third quarter of 2021, representing the first decline since the economy began recovering from the COVID-19-induced recession. Compared to the same time last year, the index was up by 9 per cent.

It is important to note that while the economy generally continues recovering strongly, we are still in a very abnormal and uncertain environment for commercial real estate. Therefore, the strong economic and employment growth we have seen in previous quarters may not translate directly to improved conditions in the commercial real estate market.

The CLI declined in the third quarter due to a drop in the economic activity component of the index, which was the result of lower manufacturing sales. That decline in manufacturing was primarily due to a reversal in lumber prices following their historic run-up in the first half of the year. The economic activity component of the CLI was also negatively impacted by an 8.3 per cent decrease in wholesale trade, while retail sales declined 1.5 per cent primarily due to a 5.5 per cent quarterly decline in motor vehicle sales as a result of the ongoing semiconductor chip supply shortage. These negative economic factors combined to drive the quarterly decline in the CLI.

Employment in key commercial real estate sectors such as finance, insurance, and real estate (FIRE) increased in the third quarter, rising by 2,000 across the province to a record high for the sector. As a result, for a fourth consecutive month the office employment component of the index hit an all-time high. However, the effect of this strong employment growth on the demand for office space remains unclear as many nominal “office workers” continue to work remotely. Manufacturing employment also remained essentially flat in the third quarter.

The CLI’s financial component made a positive contribution to the index for a fourth consecutive quarter, while REIT prices hit fresh records. Risk spreads between corporate and government debt remained very tight.

To view the full Commercial Leading Indicator PDF, click here.

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

Experts often encourage people to think outside the box when trying to be creative. According to The Creativity Post writer K.H. Kim, you should consider three distinct boxes to unleash your imagination:

1. Inside box: This box holds your expertise and knowledge, and is useful for narrowing things down, focusing on specifics, and identifying options.

2. Outside box: This box is flexible and holds all the possibilities. Let it relax your focus and explore everything, whether or not it’s related to work.

3. New box: This box lets you synthesize and refine ideas for effective implementation. Use it to connect ideas and find new ways of approaching problems.

Sometimes, you need an approach to emotional situations at work that allows you to take a breather before automatically saying “no” or insisting things go your way. Try these two little things the next time someone approaches you with an impossible-sounding request:

First, take a walk. If you’re feeling burnt out or possibly overwhelmed by emotion while at work, sometimes the most effective measure is the simplest one: take a breather. If you have the ability to leave the premises entirely, a walk sometimes can restore your energy and change your mood. Get out, enjoy some fresh air and see if the situation seems more approachable when you return to your work area.

Then, try giving people what they need, even if it is not how you would approach a situation. Ask yourself what the person is seeking and see if you can some way deliver it for them. For example, if you have a coworker who needs ideas broken down into manageable bites, it could be more effective to deconstruct a larger project than wait for them to proceed outside their comfort zone.

All of the third graders at Emily’s school had practiced songs for the holiday concert. When they first received the music at the start of the school year, December seemed far off in the future. However, with just a week to go until the concert, Emily still didn’t have any idea how she would make the concert a good one for her mother, who was born deaf.

The teacher informed the children that a few permission slips, required to walk to the theater for the afternoon concert, were still missing... including Emily’s slip.

After her brothers had recapped their day in the American Sign Language they all used at home, Emily bravely asked her mom if she would like to attend the concert. Her mother, usually shy in social settings, hesitated but smiled and signed the permission slip.

That Friday, most of the children spotted their parents in the old theater, but one seat remained empty. At show time, Emily’s mom still had not arrived.

When the house lights came on, Emily saw her mother was seated in the center of the first row. Her mother stood, then proudly began clapping in a standing ovation for the young performers, with all the other parents following suit. As the lights rose over the stage for the show to begin, the audience faded into darkness and the little girl gave up trying to spot her mother, focusing instead on singing with all her heart. Suddenly, a movement caught her eye. To the right of the risers, she saw both her brothers, signing the words for the audience.

The show was perfect.