Happy New Years Darlings!!! 2009

Happy New Years to all my Darling Divas and Divas in Training,

Isn’t it good to get rid of 2008?

Well really Darlings, one should really take the experiences of 2008 and use them as a learning lesson. It is really Reality knocking on one’s door.

Take all those financial fiascos’s and see what you could do to prevent it from happening to you. All those Home Loans that were nothing but disasters, the housing market bubble popping, all those companies whose worth was nothing more than paper.

This is where learning finance and investing can really be the best thing that a Diva can have in her financial arsenal.

Now I was fortunate, my Father always said that you can’t go wrong in investing in durable goods, even if they are slow growth, my U.S. Steel Stocks always a steady but unremarkable performer has held solid for me. Of course that is just one example, but remember when one invests in something, there is always a “domino effect”, what affects one will always affect another.

So here is a quick recommendation, look at the 2008 back issues of these magazines, Money, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and the Kiplinger Report, Fortune, Forbes, Barron’s and others, and see what they recommended and compare it to what recommendations performed well, that will give you an idea of where to invest.

Right now there are things that can be picked up for a low cost. Hetty Green, the “Witch of Wall Street” always said “Buy cheap, sell dear” meaning buy low, sell high. I’d say the same thing too, but I also say that it’s important to look at the steady income stocks as well, see how their performance was during the crisis.

Now Darlings I’m still putting together my “report” on my “Business Ladies Who Lunch” Pot Luck and there is a lot to assimilate. But I will have it up in the next few days.

Now for my personal update:

As you all know, if you have been following my blog, my plans were to go to my brothers house in San Francisco for the Christmas holidays and I did, it was so good to see everyone, my nieces and nephews and their children, my other brother Roger and his wife. We also received phone calls from other far flung members of the family.

It was a wonderful time, very much like last year only more people. Roger and Diana are going to be staying in a hotel for a week or two (now that is expensive but they’ve been planning it) and are looking at Pied a Terre’s to buy, they are looking at 1000 Van Ness, it’s right on the Geary line and it has parking. He told me that just a few years ago the small condos were going for a million dollars each now he can pick and choose for a song.

There are others but the fact that it’s close to a major bus line is the attractiveness to them, they just want something that’s “basic”.

We all went to Midnight Mass and of course it was only standing room, now in a time of crisis people are coming together even more so.

And Lois, Diana and I had such a delicious time at that wonderful Spa that Lois calls her own.

Princess and Smokey got along very well, Princess even bossed Smokey who is a much bigger dog but he took it all in stride, it was so precious to see the two of them sleeping together, my little Diva Darling all curled up next to Smokey’s ample body. And Smokey is doing so well, Lois said the poor dear adjusted very well to being with them.
The elderly man who was Smokey’s pervious owner has seen him several times now but they got word that he’s beginning to have kidney problems and has been to dialysis, so they were going to go up before New Years to have him see Smokey again, they do not hold out much hope that he will see spring.

Tom, with Smokey’s owners’ wishes, has made all the funeral arrangements, and has made sure that his estate will cover the medical costs. The land that the man owned will go to the estate and be used to pay for all the medical expenses, but Tom has pre-paid all the funeral costs. He said it’s the least he can do, Smokey has been such a treasure and so devoted especially to Lois.

Lois showed me the preliminary drawings for their “cabin” that is going to be built on their property, she was able to get copies of the plans for the cabin that was at Incline Village and from there, she and her architect have been able to come up with a design that will incorporate the Ponderosa plus their needs.

She told me that she was able to locate a company that re-builds old fashion cooking stoves, so she is looking at one that is a combination of gas burners and oven with wood burning features so that if their gas/propane gets low she can still cook on the wood burning part and she also wanted it to have a hot water reservoir even though they will be installing a hot water system that will be hot water on demand, much like mine only larger for when the family visits.

And she was able to find refrigerators and freezers that look like pantries to install in the kitchen, and a place that makes the old fashioned stone sinks.

They figure it will take two to three years to build it properly; they don’t want to rush it, and their have to look at everything first to make sure about codes.

But Lois is so excited about this “adventure”.
We had fun at the Christmas sales, although exhausting, again I found some wonderful bargains, and I especially hit the perfume counters. Juanita asked me if I could purchase a perfume or cologne set of J’Adore for her daughter Constance, which I did find.

But all the Prêt porter clothing was just so unremarkable, except for some selections by Ralph Lauren, that was very interesting and I can see that they will remain in style for some time. But Lois and I had to laugh at the silliness of most of the shoe styles, the heels were so high who could or would walk in them. I have beautiful shoes and stylish too but I make sure that they are comfortable.

But again all too soon it ended and I and my Diva Darling came home. Which was good really, I had time to catch up on my mail, had the maid service come in for a good “fluff and dust” Then once again I and Kevin whisked ourselves off to the Hornet last night for the New Year’s Party, so lovely and so romantic.

But this morning I surprisingly got up early, showered and dressed and made coffee, Kevin is getting dressed now as I type, we are going out for breakfast, do a little “cheap” shopping--- It’s at Target and Rasputins, then a light lunch and we will go and pick up my Diva Darling at Betty’s house, but I will be staying at Betty’s and Bill’s house for dinner and they will bring Princess and I home, Kevin unfortunately must catch an evening flight to (and here I am jealous) Hawaii. Because Obama may make his White house home away from the White House in Hawaii, there appears to be some investments that may develop out there and Kevin wants to investigate it.

Then on Monday, back into the real life, I’ll be meeting Wallace for Lunch next Monday in the City, we’ll be talking about the financial course that I must plan on for durability. Then putting together my records for my tax preparer, Tax time my Dear Diva’s waits for no one, and it pays to get the jump on things quickly, why should the Government make anymore interest on your money.

Oh and here is a suggestion, but you really should talk it over with your professional Tax preparer or CPA and I’m not talking about H and R Block either. One item that was suggested by one of my Business ladies is to look at how much is being taken out of your income for income tax, put in a form with your job so that most of that comes to you, but DO NOT SPEND IT, put that money that would go to your Federal and State income tax into your own savings account or something that will give you a good return and you get the interest not the Federal or State governments, then just pay them what would have been taken out for your income tax, why should they make interest on your money.

But if you are not prepared to do that, then file early and get your refund early so it can make interest for you.

Now I must go Darlings, Kevin is waiting and looking so handsome in a Daniel Craig sort of way, well he does have at least a “4 pack”.

Until Anon, Kisses Darlings.

Merry Christmas Darlings

I know I haven’t “blogged” in the last few weeks, but Moi developed a cold, and so did my dear Juanita, so here we were both of us coughing and sneezing, and just so sick.

Thank God Constance, Juanita’s daughter came to our rescue, with nourishing soups and teas, and getting us our medicines, she also wanted to clean the house, but I told her “no’, she had enough just making sure we were getting well. Well, both Juanita and I had to relent and allow her to change and wash the sheets.

Darlings’, getting sick is ‘no fun’, even though we did get our flu shots it does not prevent coming down with the common cold. Because of that I missed out on some of my usual Christmas events, but at a ‘certain age’ one’s health comes first.

***Sigh***

As my friend “Mean Kitty” would say “Its God’s and your body’s way of saying ‘time to slow down and rest’”, and she’s right. So I skipped going to the Art Deco Societies Deco the Halls event, the Ballet and seeing the Nutcracker, skipped seeing “A Christmas Carol”, seeing the decorations and Christmas Tea at Dunsmuir House and going to the Christmas Revels.

But the day after Thanksgiving, Lois, Tom, the family and I did go the Dickens Christmas Fair and we had a wonderful time, so much to see and do. I really can’t begin to start. But it did get us into the mood. And over the remaining weekend, I set up the Christmas tree and decorated it with Juanita’s help, and Manuel her son-in-law put up the Christmas lights, and then--- “Achoo!”

There was nothing either of us could do but stay in bed and get well. Fortunately Lois bought the Christmas gift certificates for me and I reimbursed her. She told me I had to get better for Christmas, especially for the after Christmas sales.

Ahhh the Christmas sales, I can’t miss that!

All day Friday Juanita and I have been wrapping the Christmas Presents to her Grandchildren that she had managed to buy before she came down ill. Her family has decided that although the adults can do without, the grandchildren can’t and so once again we were covered with tissue and wrapping paper, sticky tape, bows and curling ribbon and constantly looking for the scissors, with Princess attacking every stray piece of wrapping paper that floated down to her and growling at the unknown intruder.

So Darlings, even though I have been laid low by this “bug” I haven’t been lazy, resting yes, lazy no. And now that I have emerged from my “cave” I’ve been able to look over things and this is my recommendations to all you dear Diva’s.

Recommended Diva Reading for 2009~~~~~~~~

The January issue of Money Magazine and the December 22, 2008 issue of Fortune Magazines, their recommendations are well worth reading about and investing in.

The articles in Money Magazine especially on how the secrets of America’s top advisers and is well worth reading and implementing especially if you are young, get into the financial habits that they recommend starting On New Years Day 2009.

Surprisingly the articles in the January 2009 issue of Family Circle are also worth reading to organize your life and lower your carbon footprint, so I recommend that as well. But also read the AARP Bulletin, especially if seniors have been treated in a shabby manner by companies or find themselves in an upsetting financial situation, it can help you decide if the company is the one you want to invest in and secondly to be on the watch for any scams or underhanded dealings.

The January 2009 of Reader’s Digest is running a short article about 9 new scams to avoid and Oprah Winfry’s “O” magazine for January 2009 has an excellent article by Suze Orman on “10 ways to protect your money now”. Photocopy those articles from the magazines that your public library will have and put it on your work bulletin board in your home office.

On the entertainment front-----

With January just around the corner I always recommend that the time between Christmas and New Years, be a combination of taking in the sales and getting started on getting ones’ life in order, personally for me Christmas isn’t over until January 6, the traditional date for the Feast of the Epiphany.

What many people do not realize is that the real 12 days of Christmas is from Christmas to Epiphany when traditionally the 3 wise men presented their gifts to the baby in recognition of his special place in our lives.

And on “Little Christmas”, as some people call it, that is time to start taking down the Christmas decorations, you can even has a little after Christmas party, with everyone bringing something to eat, and have it as a joint effort.

As for me, well Darlings, I’m going to have a little party today, Sunday, with my “Business Ladies Who Lunch”, again Pot Luck. We will be discussing what has been working well for us in the “saving mode” and other plans to save even further.

I will be sending Juanita off to join her family for the Holidays and I told her to not come back until the evening of January 11. I had a Maid Cleaning service in to clean the house before this weekend’s party and I’ll have them in again after New Years that way Juanita won’t have to worry about having to face a major house cleaning or tiring herself out and getting ill again. When I had the Cleaning Service in earlier this week I chased Juanita off so she could find some more Christmas presents for the Grandchildren.

Any if any of you wonder why I’ve hired a maid service, please look at my Dec 2007 blogs and you’ll understand why.

As for Christmas, once again I’ll be going to Tom and Lois’s home for a delicious few days of family fun and wicked indulgences, (again back to the Gym for me later) Lois and I will be going back to that wonderful Spa that she discovered last year, and of course the Christmas sales!

It will be good to hear Tom’s plans for his country place that was destroyed by fire earlier this year and I’ll see how my Darling little Princess gets along with their dog Smokey. Roger and his wife will be up for a few days, they are thinking of getting a Pied a Terre here in San Francisco, I was wondering why but Roger told me in an earlier phone conversation, that some of his business investments have expanded to the East Bay and it gives his wife a chance to shop in the City.

And now with the terrible winter chill, I always look forward to a nice hot toddy and if the “Air Police” will permit it, burning a nice warm fire in the fireplace, I have found out that although there are a number of pre-packaged fireplace logs, Duraflame is the only one that is without any petroleum products in it so it can “burn green” and it’s much better than wood.

But it has been so cold even Princess is wearing a warm sweater tucking her tiny little paws to stay warm, poor Darling, I bought at Walgreen’s a couple of those inexpensive fleecy throw blankets, one for me, one for Juanita and one for little Princess to lie upon while she waits in her chair for me to finish writing.

Ahhhh Juanita is playing some Christmas CD’s big band music of the old favorites, she does know my moods. And Kevin is on the phone calling from Hawaii, so Darlings I must go, so much to do before my ladies get here.

I hope to “Blog” again soon before Christmas, but if not----Then Merry Christmas to all of you and Best Wishes for a Better, Richer Diva New Year.

Until Anon, Kisses Darlings.