Hello 2011

Hello Darlings!!

I know Just where Have I been?? Busy My Dears, just simply Busy.

The Holidays were fabulous, but then being with my family is always fabulous.

Juanita and her family are doing just fantastic, the baby is growing, discovering things, and is just so beautiful.

I have been busy with the Holidays, Taxes, and house hold repairs---the roof for one, it developed a leak over the kitchen so it was decided to replace the whole roof instead of layering over it, which I could have done but I wanted to see if there was any serious structural issues. Of course the heating bill went up until the work was completed, but the good thing is that during that time we had a wonderful window of opportunity to get the work done.

Princess is trotting around with her new hair do and pedicure from the Doggie Salon, I’ve found a wonderful one that also is a day care center for dogs if one has to be gone for the day. And yes she is spoiled.

My brother Tom and his wife Lois are making plans to “attack” the Oakland Museum White Elephant Sale, they’ve already made early purchases by donating some goodies, mostly for their newly build cabin---and yes Darlings it DOES look like the Ponderosa, with 4 bedrooms on the second floor, the master bedroom has it’s own bathroom, walk in closet and a small fireplace, the two smaller bedrooms share a bath, and the 2nd largest bedroom has it’s own bath.

There is a half bath down on the main floor, and off the main living room is a Library and it too has its own fireplace for heating, although it is propane driven.

Towards the back of the house is a two car garage that has a door that leads into the hallway of the house, separated by a mud room which will hold boots and such.

Some of the trees that were close to the house had to be cut down, they were so badly burned that there were deemed a danger, so my brother got some plantings to replace the burnt trees.

Lois is going to plant red geraniums around the grounds for color. The furniture from the original cabin has been installed and already Lois is thinking of changing some things, the painting that she saved has been placed in the Library, and she’s think of having a rotating collection of books there, although bound volumes of the Louie L’Amour westerns will have pride of place, as well as a thesaurus, dictionary and a Encyclopedia.

Now there is another room just off the mud room on the way to the living room and it has a pool table in it, all knotty pine, Lois is going with the Western Victorian theme, she also wants to put a pot belly stove and a card table like you see in the western movies, but in much better shape.

Right now the snows are much too heavy to go up there, but earlier when there was a nice break in the weather they were able to get much of their things up there.

Their dog Smoky, that they rescued a few years ago has settled in with them just fine and seems to have his own routine, Tom and Lois love taking walks with Smoky, but being a Cattle Dog he needs extra mental stimulation, Lois said that Tom is looking far more trim than ever thanks to Smoky.

And for myself, well for the last two days I’ve been putting together all that needs to be done for our annual “Oscar Party”. A number of friends including my “Ladies who Lunch” came over for the festivities; Costco has such wonderful bargains for entertaining. And passion was high between “Black Swan” and “The King’s Speech” not having a chance to see either of them I couldn’t make a choice, so I will have to wait until they are out in DVD, ***sigh*** “such is life” (I’m joking of course). And, of course, “The King’s Speech” won.

And where is all the snow that we were promised??? Although I do remember it snowing in 1976 and even earlier, but we really don’t need it now.

Now on entertaining---Darlings it’s always best to do it at home and have your friends get involved as well to bring over goodies. Being a member of Costco is very good if you can afford the annual membership, but it really only works if you entertain a lot, have an at home business and/or a large family. But for a number of people that I know the annual fee seems worth it.

Right now gasoline prices are devastating, I don’t need to tell you that it’s nearly at $4.00 a gallon. My Ladies who lunch are being Frugalistas by taking the bus or other public transportation, even car pooling if need be. One of my Ladies took advantage of an offer at her job, they are offering in conjunction with the local transportation organization bus passes that she can use unlimited, coming into the city, going around the area. She even uses it to help with shopping. By doing that is has lowered the mileage on her car and she is getting a break on her car insurance.

Some of my ladies are trying to see if they can take a tax write-off by using public transportation to get to work as a work related expense, if they have to pay for their passes. Always check with your tax preparer to find out if you can.

In the Feburary 26, 2011 New York Times, a short article by Floyd Norris talks about the prices for oil and natural gas and touches briefly on what is driving the oil price up and what could bring it down. He mentions that Libyan production was falling (as we know because of the rebelling that has been happening) and has influenced the rising of oil, but since Libya produces only 2 percent of the world oil and the United States does not buy Libyan oil that should not drive up the prices---it is what is called “panic pricing” being done by those who are investing and manipulating the upward oil prices.

The United States needs to look at its untapped oil fields that are in the Rocky Mountains and also back in the outlying areas of Los Angeles, we have vast oil pool reserves that have not been tapped, and there are better more eco-friendly ways of getting to that oil, if anything it will give the United States a chance to get back on top again, have prices based on the U.S. dollar, between that, budgeting on the Federal and State Level, bring back manufacturing to the U.S. and stop selling our patents to foreign countries the United States can be back at the top of the mountain where it is now topping from.

If the U.S. doesn’t, we will be taken over by China and the U.S. will be made a “slave.”

Am so sorry to give one those bits of bad news but one has to face facts, but by being frugal, and by slowing down oil demand it will make the oil rich countries have a hard time and only if the Asian markets (China ) stumble and decrease their demand for oil will we have a chance to truly recover and give our manufactures a chance to develop a fuel that is not dependent upon corn or any other high-end product, so that the U.S. can be independent again.

Again my Dears be Frugalistas’ to be Divanestas.

More later.

Until Anon. Kisses Darlings.