HOW OLD IS YOUR CAR?

How old is your car? Do you think of it as a status symbol, or simply as a way to get from point A to point B.? Back in the fifties, middle class people upgraded to a new car every 2 or 3 years. The bigger the car, the better. Gas guzzlers with tail fins and lots of chrome were a sure sign of success. Driving an old car was an embarrassment, indicating that you were a financial loser. So what about now? Should you buy a new car?

bIG CARS WERE POPULAR IN THE FIFTIES — IN THE FIFTIES, GAS GUZZLERS WERE A STATUS SYMBOL

Did you know the average car payment is now between $350 to $550 a month? Even though there was a trend toward smaller cars like the Volkswagen and Honda in the eighties, people still buy new cars. And, let’s face it, A Cadillac or Lexus is going to buy you some big time respect.

Would you believe I’ve never made a car payment in my life? Even though I lived from paycheck to paycheck for many years? My first husband came with a second hand car purchased for him by his parents. That was the era when everyone drove new cars—except us. We took the teasing from friends, but we stood our ground. All the time we were driving that car into the ground, we were socking away cash for the time when we simply had to buy another one.

This went on for 20+ years, until we divorced. By then, we had two cars, and I got a Chevie Impala we had bought (cash) from my brother, who had leased it. I think it cost $3,000. I got the Impala, and drove it for the next 95,000 miles, which was a pretty long time in a small town. When, my youngest was 16, she got that car, and I paid cash for a new one by refinancing my house which had a very low mortgage. This was all before I remarried my current husband.

Fast forward to 2019. I’m still driving a 2009 Buick. My husband, who is handicapped, had to get a new SUV a couple of years ago, but l get a little nervous trying to back it in and out of tight spaces in parking lots.

I could easily afford a new car, but I love the familiarity of the one I’m driving. And since we have a garage, my car is still shiny, except for a minor scratch or two. If anyone looks down on me for not driving a fancy new car, then that’s not the kind of person I would want for a friend,. And the money we save means we can help our grandchildren from time to time when the need arises.

I’ve read that Generation Y has begun losing interest in owning cars, due to the ease of Uber and other new forms of transportation. Now, that’s a wise generation!

January 7, 2019January 7, 2019

11 Things TO LOVE about winter

Do you feel a twinge of envy when someone announces they’ll be gone for the winter? My husband and I were snowbirds for 20 years, happily packing up our bags and leaving our less adventurous family and friends to suffer through the winter months. But now, we’re toughing it out up North and have re-discovered 11 things TO LOVE about winter.

wINTER SUNSETS ARE SPECTACULAR — BARE TREES AND A WINTER
SUNSET IN JANUARY

1. No yard work. Even if you have a lawn service, there’s still that worry about wet and dry spells that interfere with mowing. Then, there’s the weeding, planting, and nightly watering during the hot dry summer months.

2. Winter reading gives us a chance to catch up on all those good books we missed in the past several months. So much cozier to curl up with a book in a warm house vs. sitting in the hot sun, brushing sand from our eyes.

3. Less laundry, because you’re not getting all sweaty in the heat. In the hot summer, you can go through two or three outfits on a busy day.

4. No mosquito bites, bee stings, or gnats. You don’t have to douse yourself with bug spray, or walk out the door into a cloud of seasonal gnats. And no bees assault you while walking to your car.

5. Skiing, skating, building snowmen, sledding. Every kid loves playing in the snow. And so do grown ups.

6. Less road construction on highways and city streets. What’s worse than a summer traffic stall on a busy highway, or annoying slowdowns due to construction? Just for a few months, you can get to your destination without that worry.

7. End of season sales. White sales. Major discounts on everything from couches to clothes.

8. Homemade soups & fresh baked bread in a warm kitchen. Nobody wants to steam up their kitchen or run up air conditioning bills when it’s hot outside.

9. Sleeping through the night on flannel bed sheets. Most people sleep better in cold weather, especially with soft, warm sheets .

10. Sipping wine while watching a winter sunset. Bare tree limbs fanning out across a pink and blue sky is a breathtaking sight.

11. You don’t have to paint your toenails every week. In fact, you really don’t have to paint them at all if you’re wearing boots.

Can you add to this list? e mail me @ luciasin@aol.com

January 4, 2019January 4, 2019

LAST DAY FOR FREE KINDLE BOOK

This is the last day I’m offering a FREE KINDLE BOOK of my novel, TAKE THE MONEY: ROMANTIC SUSPENSE IN COSTA RICA.

You may wonder how an Indiana author decided to write a book about Costa Rica. My inspiration came the year after my husband and I retired and spent several months living in San Jose. We had traveled through Europe and all over the United States by that time, but it seemed that Costa Rica had special charms we hadn’t found anywhere else.

When you think of Costa Rica, you picture beaches and rain forests. But in fact, Costa Rica is also known as “Little Switzerland” due to it’s verdant countryside and mountains. The air is crisp and clear, the weather near perfect. Visiting downtown San Jose , you hear numerous languages from all over the world. Everyone loves Costa Rica.

fly away with me via Kindle to romantic Costa Rica — TAKE THE MONEY: ROMANTIC SUSPENSE IN COSTA RICA

Many Americans have permanent residences in Costa Rica. We were tempted to move there, but realized how inconvenient it would be for our children if one of us got very sick. Not to mention the legal hassles involved in passing away in a foreign country. So, we came back home, and that’s when I enrolled in a creative writing class at Indiana State University, and began writing Take The Money.

TAKE THE MONEY: ROMANTIC SUSPENSE IN COSTA RICA is FREE today on Kindle @ http://amzn.to/1AgDW8a

Here’s a brief synopsis:

What would you do if you witnessed a murder and the victim gave you $60,000 just before he died? Should you keep the money or call the police? Julie Lawson has only moments to decide.

Julie goes for a drive in her boss’s new Porsche, but a joyride turns to terror when they’re rammed from behind and tumble into a ravine. Knowing he won’t survive, Kevin Dufrain urges Julie to take the money and run because, “they’ll get you, too.” She boards a night plane to the cosmopolitan city of San Jose, Costa Rica and meets mysterious businessman, Bud Jimenez, who helps her find a job at the “Memphis South,” a popular nightclub run by Texas beauty, Nellie Compton. When Julie discovers the killer has tracked her down, she heads for a beach near the Nicaraguan border.

Julie’s small plane is forced to land in a remote Indian Village where she meets the passionate and charismatic Dr. Enrique Rojas, a widower who runs a medical clinic for the impoverished natives of Costa Rica. Here, Julie thinks she’s found the secret thing she always wanted to do, but it may be too late. The killer is still on her trail and the DEA suspects her of drug trafficking. Her fragile hopes for happiness seem about to shatter. Now, Julie must lose herself to discover what’s really important in life.

Take the Money is a compelling tale full of passion and courage. It takes you from a corrupt, inbred, southern Indiana town to the mountains, beaches, volcanoes, waterfalls, rain forests, and all of the fabulous natural wonders of beautiful Costa Rica.

Take The Money: Romantic Suspense in Costa Rica is FREE on KINDLE Jan 2, 3, 4. @ http://amzn.to/1AgDW8a

Enjoy!