Updates so much to catch up with

Hello My Diva Darlings,

Yes, yes. Where HAVE I been, well pretty much all over, visiting family, traveling with my friend Michelle, repairs to my home and pretty much taking care of things.

So much so that I've really haven't had a time to blog. But I plan to post some things soon.

Did any of you catch the opening film video for the London Olympics'. The Queen herself as the latest James Bond girl. Who said she doesn't have a sense of humor. The Dear does, she just is not vulgar about it, but I think that this story premise did tickle her sense of humor.

After all the Darling did her duty during the War (WW II) her family never left London and stuck it out through the bombings. And that takes courage. Even in one movie the James Bond character says he does it for "Queen and Country".

Did you see Daniel Craig's (the latest James Bond) tiniest reactions---you seem to sense that even he can't believe it---he is acting a scene as the iconic 007 character with Her Majesty. I just love it and have saved it onto one of my flash drives. As they say "You Go, Old Girl!"

I've been putting together a number of posts and saving them onto my flash drives and will most likely post a lot of them at the same time.

Right now I've been watching the market with all its volatileness but only to see where the general trend is for long term investing.

With the corn crop an absolute disaster it is guaranteed that food prices will go up, right now I'm finding excellent deals on meat and poultry so Juanita and I are stocking up and dating the frozen foods, with the knowledge that when we re-stock it will be higher.

And because we use a certain amount of ethanol or corn additives I would not be surprised to see fuel prices going up.

Mitt Romeny's visit to Israel is a very interesting and calculating move, something that might gain him the vote from the Jewish voters if they view him as a friend but it also sends a message to Iran that he could have a "Hawkish" administration.

This election that is coming up is see-sawing, but frankly I'm not too hopeful about Obama, his administration has not been the best, but it is possible that we are focusing in the wrong areas to make a final determination. I wish to keep women's freedoms via the Democratic party but there are somethings that the republican party is promoting, so the question is which devil is the best, I really do wish we had a third candidate that was a combination of the best of these two, but I even don't see that.

All I can say Darlings is vote with your head and with logic, not with your emotions, I think we'll know better if they have a debate, and I hope that will happen, most likely in September or October. If they don't then we will have a problem of deciding.

Now about family and friends---my family is doing fine, one of my nieces is expecting a baby, which may arrive near Christmas, so we are all excited, my dear friends are all well, Kenneth is busy traveling for his company, and Keith has invested in purchasing a rental property that he is in the process of fixing up, one apartment unit at a time.

Keith has some very elderly renters who live in upper units and since there is no elevator he has approached his tenants about shifting around to accommodate the elderly, so far everyone seems to be comfortable with the idea, especially about making it as part of the rental agreement. He is looking into eventually installing an elevator which will be costly but he feels that it might help with the value of the property and he's looking into grants for it.

Ralph is comfortably ensconced in his new apartment. Juanita and her family are all doing well, her granddaughter is having fun with her side business and trying to go to school I've offered to help offset some of her schooling costs.

My Ladies who Lunch are all doing well, two of them managed to get better jobs and on the whole things are looking up for them, but as always it is a struggle, one has to fight for each penny.

Princess my little 4 legged Diva Darling just had her vet check up and is in excellent shape, she just visited the Doggie beauty shop yesterday and is all pretty.

Myself, well I am heir to all the plagues and fortunes that maturing age brings to me, but I keep active and interested in life which is important.

And right now my friends Betty and Bill are coming to pick me up we are going to our local Art and Wine Festival and see what items are up for sale and what wines are being offered, I may make a few selections.

And that is what all you Diva Darlings should do, enjoy life, you can do it even without spending a lot of money, look around see what is free or next to nothing in cost. Use your imagination and ingenuity and you can find life can be wonderful even in these difficult times.

Until Anon, Kisses Darlings

Catching up~~~and Group Investing~~~

Hello My Darling Divas,

Busy, Busy, Busy is my only excuse, repair and remodeling on my home, working with my brothers on updating our financial portfolio's.

The tensions in Greece, Spain and Europe in general had us looking at our investments, and we've all made changes. No loss but no profit either, but that is at this time is what it should be.

Face book has proven to be a very poor investment choice and we were glad we did not take the plunge.

I've always been a "Mac and Cheese" investor, and now am looking more seriously at what people will need for children and for the elderly---one cannot get away from diapers, that is a given.

So I've been carefully shifting my portfolio. If anyone of you have been reading my earlier posts I've always recommended that it's wise to review it at least every 6 months and depending upon where you are age-wise.

And I have been taking my own advice. Part of it is to also always look at what people will always need. Again a type of "Mac and Cheese" investing.

I feel from what we've been seeing that the stock market is going to stall a bit, the Europe crisis is having people take a very hard look at things.

There is a oldish type of social gathering that ladies have been doing for a while and if you Divas have not been doing it then you should consider it.

An investment club---a group of people, mostly ladies, study the stock market and then pool their disposable money into investments---now this has to be a group decision based upon research. A book was written about this and once I find the title I will re-edit this post with it. Alright I've found out the name it was the "Beardstown Ladies Investment Group" both famous and infamous.

The reason that I say infamous is that they touted that they made more than the stock market SP. Which upon investigation proved to be incorrect. But this is what I'm trying to say....

Now some people think that is passe---but really it is a good social interaction and my late husband's partners re-marked to me the other day that they have seen a minor resurgence in this...they feel that woman are re-thinking and want to gain control again over their lives. One of the partners was asked to speak at one of these ladies weekend luncheons, he stressed in his talk that it is best to get educated as much as possible about how the stock market works, especially since it is so global for the 21st century.

He remarked to me how incisive and very deep thinking the ladies were with their questions, taking into account none of them had ever invested in the stock market before. He cautioned them about the type of schemes as done by Madloff.

My "Ladies who Lunch" and I have done this as well and still do it, although with changes in their individual lives we have had a few rotate off and new one's come on, each bringing their own outlook, but we've done well.

This is in addition to my own personal investments.

Now your choices may not do as well if you were with an investment firm but some people gamble playing the slots, poker, the horses. In that type of gambling, you'll lose your money and lose it quickly.

But what my late husband ex-partner remarked is that with careful monitoring, one does not have to lose all their money and can still salvage something. But it is something that if one is going to invest in should be for a long term investment not a quick turn over, and they should get together at least once a week, plus, with the use of the cell phone or smart phone each person in the club can stay in touch and can vote far more quickly than at standard meeting if something should suddenly come up.

So my Dear Divas, you might want to consider this as a social investment gathering with some profit in mind---so much better than going to a club for Mojito's and Chips.

On my repairs and remodeling---My dressing rooms are all done, painted, polished, new fixtures and beautiful, next is slowly putting in the clothes and while doing that weeding out things as well.

Juanita wants to buy a Sewing Machine, a good dependable Singer she says and she has one in mind, nothing too big, for her room. Her Grand Daughter who has a sewing business on the side is doing very well, especially with Prom Dresses, I asked Juanita if she is going into partnership with her Grand Daughter and she said no, but she'd like to have a machine to do repairs on her clothes and mine. And I thought that was a perfect idea, so we are going to leave in a few minutes and go Sewing Machine shopping.

And that Dear Divas is another good investment.

Until Anon, Kisses Darlings

Riding the Roller Coaster~~~~

Hello My Diva Darlings,

Now it is the beginning of September and where HAVE I been?

Visiting both of my brothers and taking a wonderful trip to Lake Tahoe.

I first enjoyed my younger brother’s country house on the lake, up north (not at Lake Tahoe); it was a wonderful reprieve although not as warm as expected, but lovely just the same.

Princess and I had been taking a lot of walks around my brother’s property, well I was walking and she wanted me to carry her, not that I blame her, she is such a tiny thing.

But it’s been fun to watch her and my brother Tom’s dog Smokey interact, she just bosses him around and he takes it. And then after an exhausting day of fun in the sun they fall asleep together.

With all the building and re-landscaping, they’ve made sure about having what is called a “defensible” area. Although my sister-in-law, Lois, insists on planting red geraniums for color and it’s looks wonderful.

It does have the look and feel of the Ponderosa; they hunted for a modern stove that looked old fashion and found Elmira products, and they are just wonderful. The kitchen has everything one could need and still look old fashion, including a farmer’s stone sink, and a chopping block that one would see on the T.V. series.

Although among the furniture it’s not an exact replica of the Ponderosa but as my sister-in-law says bit by bit they will get there.

Out of the dinning room area as well as the better bedrooms on one side, one has a fantastic view of the lake, my brother made sure that it was a little longer than the one pictured in the series, so that two comfortable chairs could look out onto the lake while indoors.

On the other side a view of the mountains and forest that is just as pleasing.

My brother also had a deck built on the back to enjoy the lake and mountain views in the evening but out of sight when one comes up on the road.

My brother and his wife are planning to move here permanently, get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, although they do plan on getting a pied a Terre in the City, like my other brother, just a one bedroom, small but comfortable, that way if the children come to the city they have a place they can go to.

I asked Tom if now was a good time to sell his house and he replied “No time is a good time to sell” When they bought their home some years ago it was very reasonable, and even now they will still get a very good price for it, enough to pay off what is still owed on their country place and buy the planned pied a Terre. So he will come out ahead.

Although he does sympathize with people who have low incomes their difficulties in home buying, “It’s the American Dream to own your own home, but it’s a nightmare now for almost everyone except the very lucky or the very rich.” He pointed out that Juanita’s children are very lucky to have their homes, and that they were able to re-finance them, but he asked “Why doesn’t Juanita buy her own home?” I couldn’t answer that, I hadn’t thought that maybe Juanita would like to have a place of her own to call home and I was both embarrassed and ashamed that I had not thought of that, I felt that she was content with the current arrangements, so I resolved to ask her as soon as possible.

He did suggest that if one is moving out of state and has a house to sell and the market is slow, to lease it out through a reputable agent, that way if an offer is made for the house at the price one wants they can do it, the new owner can finish out the lease. By doing it that way the agent is the one who has to deal with emergencies and make sure the house is in good condition when vacated.

We were looking at the Stock Markets crazy ride and what Standard and Poor’s has done, and could only shake our collective heads.

When I returned home, I had a chance to have dinner with my friend Wallace and his wife Sherry, and the consensus between my brothers, Wallace and myself is this, ride out the “roller coaster” and not to panic. I have been doing that and I always factor that as long as a certain amount is available I can always pay the bills, taxes, buy food and medicine, anything extra I slot over into a savings account for just in case.

If you feel very anxious then do a 50/50 mix of stocks and bonds, but depending upon your age you can start with a 80/20 mix of stocks to bonds ratio, as you approach middle age then go to 60/40 but it all depends upon your comfort level.

If you are young but prefer staying with the Treasury’s’, CD’s or savings account then it means a lower interest rate which means you’ll have to work longer, save a lot more and have less to live on when you retire.

I have a mixture of Stocks, Bonds, CD’s, Treasury and the old standby savings accounts, as I do not put all my “eggs in one basket” it’s a big mistake to do that.

Remember what happened with those that trusted Bernie Madoff. And I look at stocks that will withstand the long haul, and I make sure that that it’s not concentrated in just Europe or Asia, be sure you’re spread around.

A little gold in an exchange-traded fund is fine but only if you have bought it at a very low rate, with gold climbing to the $2,000 level I’m not sure it’s a good investment at this time. Some real estate investments trusts or (REIT’s) are fine just be sure to check them out.

But no matter what, My Dear Diva’s, a cash reserve for emergencies is important---plan on at least 3 but even better 6 months of savings, to cover your rent, bills, food etc. for any job loss, medical emergencies or even when the Stock Market faints, until things recover. Although my “Ladies Who Lunch” tell me that the minimum of 1 year’s savings is by far the best, considering how the economy is going and I am inclined to agree with them, this is a very, very bad economic situation.

Just remember if you have 50 dollars in your saving account you’ll always have 50 dollars in a FDIC-insured account but if you have 50 dollars in your bond fund brokerage account there is no guarantee, because it could become $45.00 tomorrow.

My Father always said it’s hard to go against the crowd but that is how the House of Rothschild did it. And even the legendary “Witch of Wall Street” Hetty Green did it, her motto was “Buy cheap, sell dear” or buy low sell high, which means that if one is very astute buying stocks can be a fire sale right now, especially if you buy the right stocks.

I have systematically contributed to my 401(k) and by doing that have reaped the rewards of the upswing in the stock market in the last few years. I will buy stocks that are on sale but by doing it through my 401 (k), IRA and my other retirement accounts it’s far better than shopping for individual stocks.

Manage your portfolio by sticking to a balanced, diversified mix of stocks and bonds, and do not try to time the market, you will come out better in the long run, do not run in fear towards gold or cash when things dip or over buy, in better times, stocks, you will be just following sheep and you my Dear Diva’s are not sheep.

On stocks as I recommended before, go for something that no matter what, the consumer will need, what I call my “Mac and Cheese” stocks. I mean no matter what children and adults will always want Mac and Cheese, or John Deer Tractors, or Tires etc. Find out who is the holding company, check out their ratings and how well they are doing, even with a slow growth rate if they are weathering this bad economy then they are the ones to buy.

And now for something completely different----

I visited my older brother down in Santa Barbra, he sold his house in the Santa Barbra hills, the fires that they had made him too nervous, and he has paid off his house with a wonderful view of the Ocean on the beach. “I don’t have to worry about beach erosion” he said in an oblique reference to the condo’s that are just south of San Francisco that are in danger of falling off the sandy cliffs.

Of course he has his Pied a Terre in San Francisco for when he travels up for business, and his wife Diana can shop till she drops(and I do love her). They sold off most of their collection of paintings and antiques, only keeping a few that are their favorites at their beach house.

It was relaxing in Santa Barbra, we went to a few Summer Fund raising events, but watching the Ocean is hypnotizing in its own special way. One of my nephews’ and his family came to visit as well, it was good seeing them and we all made plans to get together for the holidays.

My great-niece Cynthia (aka Cindy) has discovered Etta James and Dina Washington on CD and begged me to take her to this music store in town to see what one could find, realizing that I had nothing by these two artists I was able to pick up two Etta James CD’s and suggested to Cindy a CD of Julie London that had her signature tune “Cry me a river”.

Then it was time to return home, so driving Ms. Wicked I enjoyed listening to Etta as I and my little Diva Daring, Princess, drove up 101, then flipping over to 880 and home.

Juanita elected to stay in my home while I was off vacationing, taking a day here and there to visit her children, but I made arrangements with my friend Ralph who had been burned out of his apartment, he still hasn’t found a good place to stay and is just staying in a studio apartment that he’s sub rented on a month to month.

Anyway Ralph was happy to stay at my house for a week while my friend Michelle swooped me up to Lake Tahoe in a friends’ private jet. That way Juanita could visit with her oldest Grand Daughter in Los Angeles and have fun in Disneyland.

I know Dahlings---A Private Jet??!!! Well why not! Michelle had a friend who needed to fly up to Tahoe to conduct business and offered to take Michelle and “a friend” (Moi) for the long weekend, it was a beautiful Falcon Jet, off white cabin interior with pale beech wood trim, the most comfortable seats, and we could conduct business on the plane if we wanted to.

It was good seeing her again, so off we flew on a Wednesday morning, landing at the Lake Tahoe airport, it had been years since I’d seen it and it has improved so much. A private Limo was waiting for us to take us to the MontBlu Resort and Spa and while we were there enjoying the beauty that is Tahoe we enjoyed a Gatsby weekend at the Valhalla Arts festival, with Friday a Gatsby Dance with the Tahoe Dance Band, followed on Saturday by Murder Mystery Radio Theatre with a local play titled “Lights! Camera! Murder!” about murder at Lake Tahoe 1920’s style, wine and hors d’oeuvres included, we finished off on Sunday with a Gatsby’s tea on the lawn of the Valhalla hall, that included a fashion show of vintage clothing just right for a 1920’s summer.

It was more than enough for a vintage fashion maven like Moi, I felt that I was back in the Lake Tahoe of the 1920’s and the money’s to go to the Tahoe Heritage Foundation to help preserve Lake Tahoe history and those locations that could easily disappear if they were not saved.

We also contributed to the Tahoe Youth and Family services organization, although we could not attend their Gatsby Gala, we felt it was a very worthy cause.

But all too soon our Gatsby fantasy came to an end and by Tuesday afternoon we winged our way back home and reality, Ralph was just fine taking care of the house and Princess (she couldn’t come on the plane) and she was terribly spoiled by Ralph. Ralph was going to stay at another hotel for a week, until he could line up another apartment, he still preferred month to month until he could make up his mind where he wanted to stay.

Juanita returned as well saying she needed to rest from her Disney Vacation. I could only laugh at her remark. Princess was happy to have her “Mummy” back home.

And “Mummy” also needed to rest from her vacations as well. Michelle stayed with me for the week so she could rent a car and visit her family in San Francisco, then she flew back to L.A. over the weekend. I’ll miss her company, we had so much fun catching up and enjoying everything. But I HAD to get back to going to the gym and my walks with my little darling, not that I’ve gained any weight, as a matter of fact my clothes are a little loose, but I know the holidays will start putting on the pounds again---can’t be helped.

After I got my head back to reality, one evening I had a chat with Juanita about the possibility of her owning her own home, I was surprised when she said “I am home Senora, I’m with you, where would I find a home with a beautiful view with the birds, where I work is only steps away, I have my own comfortable room, I make meals that we both like, and little Princess to play with. My family know I am safe, I can call them anytime, they are like family to you. When I am too old to work, then I move in with Constance, by then the children will have moved away and she will be lonely…or not…I have both things, for that I am lucky. You are ‘La Senora’ I am Juanita, but we do things together and you are very kind to me and my family, many of my friends they are not so lucky and are treated badly, but you … you see me…you see my happiness and my pain…but you do what you can to ease my pain…your family they are kind to me, you always see that I have plenty of time with my family, so why do I want to buy a home? I am home.”

Well that left my head spinning, she was fine with the way thing are, all I could do was hug her. And with that we had fun watching a tellanovella that we both enjoy.

The Labor Day weekend is here and I suggested to Juanita to spend time with her grandchildren…I mean I’ll be fine for the few days she’s gone, and she does love seeing her family. There are a few local events that I and a few friends are going to take in, or I might “vegetate” for the whole weekend, sleeping in is such a delicious thought although my little 4 legged darling might have different ideas. We shall see.

So what is this post all about??? Well Darlings, first an update (and I was bragging a bit), but also what to expect when the Stock market goes insane, just hold tight is the best thing, and thirdly, if you are going to have fun make sure it’s a tax right off as well. You’ll get more “bang for the buck”.

Until Anon, Kisses Darlings.