Long ago, when the world was young, the Sun traveled on her journey through the sky and looked down upon the people of the Middle World. She hoped to see lovely people, but all she could see was squinted, frowning faces. She spoke to her brother, the Moon, about the ugly faces of the people of the Middle World and the Moon laughed. He told the Sun that he felt that the people were quite handsome, for when they looked up at him at night, they always wore a pleasant smile. This made the Sun very angry. She began to resent her brother and the people of the Middle World for loving him much more than her and she vowed to put an end to them.
According to its spiritual meaning, the month of April is a time of growth and moving forward in new and positive ways. The birth flower for the month is the daisy (one of my favorites) which is associated with purity and innocence. For me, April is a sign of rebirth, as I watch daffodils and crocuses slowly unfurl in my flower garden.
One of the most positive aspects of living in Houston, TX is that with almost year-round high temperatures, you don’t mind escaping to someplace a little chillier for a holiday. The off-season then, is one of our best friends. It isn’t so painful to pack a heavy coat and hat when you know that upon your return in a week or so, you’ll be back in shorts and shirtsleeves.
One of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, is famously quoted as declaring, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” In a world driven by marketing and extreme consumerism, many Americans have bought into the lie that having more “stuff” will bring happiness. The newest iPhone, the coolest jeans, tailor-fit brand-name suits and the trendiest shoes are all ways we can imply our status level to the world. Everyone wants to be viewed as successful, and unfortunately, the “fake it until you make it” mentality is causing many to overspend and neglect their savings.
Hollywood loves to make movies about its own history – and audiences and reviewers, generally, have liked them. Witness Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” last year, “La-La Land” and “Stan & Ollie” before it, and the Best Picture Academy Award-winning “The Artist” prior to those.
When The Hobbit was released in 1937, it was met with near unanimous critical acclaim. With one story, J. R. R. Tolkien re-invented the fantasy genre. The characters, the races, the history, the world he invented dazzled adults and children. His follow-up trilogy, The Lord of the Rings cemented his standing of one of the world’s greatest fantasy authors. He would go on to produce many more tales with most of his works being released posthumously. His books continue to influence fantasy writers, movies and games (Dungeons & Dragons) nearly 50 years after his death. The impact of Tolkien upon our world cannot be ignored.
Okay, I’ll admit it. I am a fan of the reality show/singing competition, “American Idol.” I have been watching it for years, back to the days when Simon Cowell, who everyone loved to hate because he was so frank (and sometimes just plain mean), Paula Abdul (who was too gushy and nice) and Randy Jackson were the judges. Why do I watch it? Because I love seeing a 15-year-old girl with raw talent, who has never performed outside of singing in the shower, bring the judges to their knees. Or, a kid from Texas whose singing is so good, it makes you cry. And, I love how the show makes me laugh and brings a little sunshine to this “gray” time in our lives with the pandemic and so much political division in our country.
I love to tell amusing stories from my travels – using the wrong words, making a silly assumption, putting my foot in my mouth or complaining about the heat, the number of steps, or the choice of hotel on a holiday. These anecdotes make readers smile, chuckle, remember a similar “fish out of water” experience they themselves had while traveling.
Going into the pandemic in March 2020, many investors (rightfully) questioned whether our national economy would be able to recover. As humans, we are designed with a fight or flight instinct that has preserved our species for thousands of years of recorded history. When it comes to investing, resisting this natural survival instinct is paramount to being successful over the long term.
During the last week of January, the price of the GameStop Corporation stock increased from $20/share to nearly $350/share. The GameStop business model was thought to be in trouble as video game purchases moved online. According to the data collection company, Statista, about 83% of video game purchases are currently made online, compared to 20% in 2009.
