Things Happen in Threes

People say things happen in threes, so I guess having experienced four downers in a day, we're DONE for a while ... or does it mean we've just started the next three and there are two more disappointments yet to come? And, granted, these are 'luxury' downers to have:

• Our dream property in the UK is turning out not to be a good investment and we must look elsewhere: there appear to be water rights and problems with the shared spring (which also dries up sometimes in summer), the house is too shaded to benefit from solar panels, and the protected bat inhabitants of the carport may not be shut off from their abode (so no adding garage doors and sealing the building from rodents, and creating a workshop etc.)

• The tenants of our Massachusetts home did not prepare the house well for our recent Open House - there were damp towels and laundry lying around, dirty dishes in the sink, the cat litter box hadn't been emptied, and there were hairs lying in the sink. (They also reported a leak in some plumbing that they did themselves, now asking us to repair it!). So far not a single bite on the house, and the tenants haven't found a place to move to ...

• A potential buyer of our current lake paradise informed us they wouldn't be able to afford to buy our property as previously thought, despite it being perfect in every way. We'd really felt happy they would be the ideal stewards of our special nature space.

• This is the worst one of the day - I feel so betrayed and affronted. Our Chelmsford neighbor of many years, to whom we initially offered our MA home, and which she turned down (she owns the houses on either side of ours), and who has always given the concerted impression of being a good, dependable friend, visited our home during both Open Houses (sending her partner separately to one of them). They were very rude to our realtor, both coming in with an attitude, harrumphing and complaining that the house is overpriced, the deck is unsafe and needs to be ripped up, and that the finished downstairs room isn't heated (which it is), so it shouldn't be listed as a bedroom. What business is it of theirs how we list and price our home? They turned it down when offered, and now they're coming round to see what's on offer? I suspect they're trying to get us to believe we should lower the price so they can buy it (she has admitted to having "stolen" the neighboring house from the previous owner). Last month she had hosted us to a sumptuous 'for old time's sake' dinner in her home, and begged us to have dinner with her again before we leave for the U.K. Charming! And then she turns around and tries to undermine our sale of the house. That's not what friends do; it's what vultures do!

Trying to think and be calm with this serenity around me