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!

December 31, 2018January 6, 2019

One Way to BE HAPPIER in 2019

On this New Year’s Eve, the media is full of suggestions for New Year’s resolutions that will make you a happier person. Most of them include diet and exercise. If this doesn’t seem very original or appealing, I’m reviving one of my most popular posts on Blogger with a different headline : One Way to BE HAPPIER in 2019:

Do you make your bed every day? If you don’t you have plenty of company. According to a survey of 68,000 people by Hunch . com, 59 percent of people don’t make their bed; 27 percent do, while 17 percent pay a housekeeper to do the dreaded job. This may be good or bad, but psychologists in that same survey found that 71 percent of bed makers consider themselves happy, while 62 percent of non-bed-makers say they’re unhappy. Bed makers were more apt to like their jobs, own a home, exercise, and feel well rested.

MAKING YOUR BED EACH DAY LEADS TO HAPPINESS AND ONLY TAKES 2 MINUTES

At girl scout camp, they told us to let our beds breathe before we had breakfast, then make them after we got back from the cafeteria. Some health advocates say that dust mites live in made beds, so they’re better left unmade. Turns out, this advice only applies to people who live in damp climates. The excuse does not apply to most of us in the USA.

Naval Admiral William Raven explained in a commencement speech at the University of Texas, Austin, why making your bed each day makes you happy:

. It gives you an accomplished feeling 1^st thing in the morning

. It helps with the clutter & visual appeal of your room

.It increases productivity and happiness

.It’s manageable

Studies prove that people who make their beds are happier, more productive, and successful. And it takes less than 2 minutes! So, whether it rains, sleets or snows–get up, make your bed, and face the day with a smile.😃

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

email me @ luciasin@aol.com

December 28, 2018December 28, 2018

HOW TO HANDLE BACKHAND COMPLIMENTS

Tis the season to socialize at family gatherings, office parties and community events. Each occasion provides fertile soil for those comments that leave us wondering: How to handle backhand compliments?

Smarky compliments are irritating — HOW TO HANDLE BACKHAND COMPLIMENTS

Examples:

1. “You’re lucky that your children don’t mind being in daycare, and you can keep such a good job.” This, from a stay at home mom who doesn’t have to work.

2. After hosting a successful family dinner, I’m told, “ you seem so much more relaxed than you were last year.” This leaves me feeling uneasy. Was last year’s dinner a disaster? Was I a nervous wreck?

3. The white haired wife of an executive where I once worked : “Your hair is so pretty. What was the original color?” Okay, I get it. She wouldn’t dream of “dyeing” her hair. She thinks it’s cheap and tacky, but her husband had just given me a raise.

4. Being introduced to a socialite who knew my older sister. “ I can’t believe she was your sister. She was so lovely.” I hear you. I’m not a cross between Ava Gardner & Elizabeth Taylor, and I don’t belong to the country club. I tell myself I’m not too shabby. I’ve got a master’s degree, have a good husband, and really like hanging out at the senior center and swimming at the YMCA.

Other examples are telling someone they look good for their age, or that they’re more attractive now that they’ve lost weight.

Psychologists call such backhanded compliments microaggressions.

Wikipedia defines microaggression as “brief and common daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental communications, whether intentional or unintentional, that transmit hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to a target person…”

My first impulse after a backhanded compliment is to respond in an equally snarky way. But I refuse to let them get me down. Usually , I just smile and say thank you. And then I walk away.

December 14, 2018December 22, 2018

FOR SOME, TIS NOT THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY

For the average happy, healthy person, Christmas is the best time of the year. But for those who’ve hit a rough patch in life, it’s not so great. If you’re going through a divorce, illness, job loss, or a myriad of other personal crises , the holidays only increase the feelings of isolation. For some, tis not the season to be Jolly.

Each individual man, woman, or child deals with sadness in their own way. Some pray, or seek counseling. Others turn to mind altering substances like drugs and alcohol. I am not qualified to offer any expert advice to those unfortunate individuals who are feeling holiday blues.

It's worse to be sad when everyone else is happy — The holidays can be a sad time for those who are experiencing a personal crisis

But common sense tells us there are ways to cheer and comfort anyone going through a bad time. Often, the person doesn’t want to share their feelings. They may put on a happy face as though they are perfectly alright. if we’re close enough to our co-workers, family or friends, we know who is suffering silently. But the last thing they want is pity.

If we go overboard with our feelings of sympathy by doing something extravagant, they will be embarrassed. Best do little things, like asking them to meet for lunch or go to a movie. Maybe a text to share a photo, or a phone call to say you’re thinking of them. .Sometimes, just going out of your way to smile and say hello could give them a lift. If they open up , listen to what they’re saying, but do not offer advice unless they ask for it. And if they dwell on negative feelings,, say something positive, tell a funny story, or share a little joke.

Don’t try to fix things. You can’t cure cancer, save a failing marriage, or bring back a lost loved one. But if they feel that you really care, you can cheer up a sad person and help them weather their own, private storm during the holidays.

Happy holidays,

December 10, 2018December 10, 2018

SHOULD A LADY CHEW GUM?

I was brought up on etiquette guidelines from Emily Post , who declared that no lady should ever chew gum in public. I’m quite sure that I never saw my mother or any of her friends chewing gum, anywhere, ever. Even to this day, manners gurus will tell you that chewing gum is extremely rude.

Chewing gum is good for your health — EMILY POST SAID CHEWING GUM WAS UNLADYLIKE

But if you stop at any drugstore counter and see the array of chewing gum for sale, you have to conclude that there are a lot of vulgarians in our culture. Kate Middleton’s mother was royally criticized by the queen for chewing gum in public during a tennis match, until she explained she was trying to quit smoking.

As teenagers in the fifties, most of us chewed gum if we were going on a special date. That was the only way to guarantee fresh breath if you were kissing someone goodnight. Admittedly, a person chewing gum the way I do reminds one of a cow chewing her cud. I cannot chew gum softly and quietly. I have to chomp and snap it. Therefore, my gum chewing must be done in private. I’ve recently taken up the vile habit in order to open up my dysfunctional eustaschian tubes. Clogged up tubes cause poor hearing and balance issues, so I have a perfectly good excuse.

In addition to helping you clear your ears and quit smoking, health experts will give you several reasons why chewing gum is good for your health.

.Reduces stress and anxiety. Just chew away all that nervous tension.

. Improves memory and concentration

. Helps you lose weight by warding off food cravings.

.Relieves nausea after surgery

. Relieves dry mouth

There are pros and cons to chewing gum — THIS IS THE BUILDING IN CHICAGO THAT WRIGLEY CHEWING GUM BUILT

When you see all the chewing gum for sale everywhere, you can easily see that a lot of people are defying Emily Post. The Wrigley Building in Chicago, built in 1920, would certainly attest to the popularity of chewing gum. But there are a few caveats: too much gum chewing can hurt your jaw, and give you a headache. Sugary gum is bad for your teeth. But if done in moderation, it appears to be an inexpensive, natural way to improve your quality of life.

Category: tips