“My Funny Valentine”

You know this day will come. Well…you certainly hope it does. Mr. Virgo didn’t get this far. He died at sixty-two. Mr. FixIt brought my mail home from town yesterday. I was browsing through it when I noticed an envelope from the Department of Health and Human Services. I thought it was just an advertisement but when I opened it…it was my Medicare Card.

Wow.

“Late Winter Sun”

We are having a warming trend here in West Virginia. The monsoonal rains are beginning and we will have long stretches of grey, rainy days in the next few weeks. Still, the night time temperatures drop and we awoke to a skiff of snow and icy roads yesterday. After totaling my truck this time last year, I am really skittish about driving on dicey roads so I’ve been hanging out at Mr. FixIt’s place while he goes to town for physical therapy on his hand.

Word Power

When I was a teenager, my mother always told me my mouth would get me in trouble. I’ve spent a lifetime speaking when I should have remained silent. I say the wrong things at the wrong times. I let my anger lead my speech far, far too often. I am a work in progress. I know what I am supposed to do. We all do, right? But even God knew we could never tame our tongues…not completely.

Jim and Pam from The Office

I need an intervention. I’ve gone without watching practically any television for the last five years. I took great pride in my “sobriety” from the tube. Then Mr. FixIt turned on his TV. I watched a game or two. Then there was the occasional MASH episode or Big Bang reruns. I wrote the other week how I found The Office on my iPad, and now I’m like a junkie…I can’t stop. I’ve been binge watching a show that is so cringe worthy it’s like watching a train wreck…you can’t look away.

I have always loved the Olympics. The games always capture the imagination of the world. They are often fraught with shades of politics and even North and South Korea leaders are seated beside each other to witness the opening ceremonies. Two hundred forty two athletes are gathered to vie for the gold and bring home the bragging rights of being the best in the world.

I’ve always enjoyed figure skating, downhill skiing, ski jumping, the halfpipe. Shaun White is back for his fourth Olympics. I cannot see him without picturing a young seventeen year old redhead holding court in the corner of the ballroom at the Hotel Jerome in Aspen several years ago. I was at the Aspen Sojourner Magazine’s holiday party after Mr. Virgo snuck me in. He was the Food and Beverage Director. Several celebrities were there including Heidi Klum and Seal, Paris Hilton, Justin Timberlake, and Mariah Carey. Shaun White was obviously reveling in the moment, surrounded by star struck snowboarders. Mr. Virgo walked up and Shaun said, “Dude! You want an autograph?” Mr. Virgo laughed and said, “Dude! I want your beer. You’re under age!” At which point, a contrite young man handed over the bottle. It was actually quite funny.

“House in the Colorado Snow”

I lived in Colorado for two-thirds of my adult life. I have always considered West Virginia to be “home”, but this sweet little house was a pretty close second. I bought it when my second marriage ended in divorce. It was the first home I ever owned on my own.

Being a home owner is such a mixed bag. There’s the tax deduction for the mortgage interest. That’s a plus. There’s the mortgage itself… unless you are greatly blessed to not have one. That’s not so great if it strains your budget. There’s the comfort and security of a roof over your head. That’s a plus. There’s the maintenance and repairs that, in my case, were becoming quite costly. That’s difficult to plan for. There’s that wonderful covered front porch and meticulously manicured lawn, trees, shrubs, and flowers. That was truly my favorite part of living in this house. But the water bill alone could be $400 in the peak of summer irrigation, not to mention the high heating costs in the winter. Throw in mowing and shoveling snow all by my self along with memories of Mr. Virgo around every corner and I was done. Totally overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.

“Stock Market”

Disclaimer: I do not give financial advice. This essay only expresses my feelings.

Personal wealth is a matter of comparison. If you compare my financial picture to a goat herder in the Sahara Desert, I am a multimillionaire. If you compare me to a member of the Fortune 500, I am poor as a church mouse. It’s all relative. But what I do have, I want to protect and watch over carefully.

“I Am Enough”

A friend of mine posts these really great inspirational messages on her Facebook page. She comes up with original questions, collections of photos surrounding a theme, and generally spreads love and light throughout the world…with an occasional “f-bomb” thrown in for emphasis. Her name is Barbara. I think she should write a book or have a syndicated newsletter or something because I never see her stuff without feeling uplifted and in awe. I love her.

“John Mahoney aka Martin Crane”

In 1993, my youngest was a toddler. We watched a lot of TV in those days. Winnie the Pooh, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid. Those were the go to movies to get a little one settled down after her bath. And when we finally got her tucked in for the night…mommy and daddy could watch something to settle US down. We loved MASH reruns. We were big fans of Cheers, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Roseanne, Will and Grace. But I think my all time favorite was Frasier.

Eagles win the Super Bowl!

Everyone loves an underdog. In a Google poll, only a handful of states hoped for a Patriots win, even though they were predicted to win by a substantial margin.

The game was tight. Philadelphia held the lead till they faltered in the third quarter when they seemed to run out of steam. Or, more accurately, Tom Brady got a fire lit under his team…finally. For a few brief moments, the Patriots led till a fumble picked up by the Eagles gave the birds some wings.