The 4Leaf Clover Girl

I've decided on a new name for myself! Maybe you can help me out here...check out my blog and then give me some suggestions. I kinda like the 4Leaf Clover Gal because it "smacks" of good luck.

Now, I'm not suggesting that there is luck all over the place for me, but I can tell you that I BELIEVE in the power of words.

Truth For The Day!

"If you don't know where you're going, you could end up somewhere else."

Yogi Berra

(Do you think he may be on to something?)

Who Am I?

It was almost 4 years ago now and it seems like such a short time ago now...my job was eliminated. Gosh...you would have thought that "I" was eliminated!! Why did I care so much, I said I wanted to retire at 62. So I got my wish. Ready or not...there it was. So I found out something very important.

YOU CAN TAKE ME OUT OF THE JOB...BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE THE JOB OUT OF ME!

There it was! What on earth was I going to do with the rest of my life? I wasn't ready to retire.
So who cares...I was OUT! So, now what??

Somehow, I had to get some order in my life - so I set up my "home office" and started looking for ways to make some cash. Keep in mind that I didn't have money to travel and live the life of leisure like all the literature says. I had some cash for retirement, but believe me, not nearly enough. And forget about traveling, now I'm just trying to pay my mortgage.

Ok, now I've tried about everything - including looking for work. After all, I could always answer phones for a living. Oh, really? Guess again. Now I have to face the fact that "they" all think I'm too old. But shhhh, because we can't say that!!

Once An Italian, Now an American!

My grandfather came to this country from Italy in the early 1920's. Yes...a long, long time ago. He came here to realize his American dream - becoming a citizen. He was definitely a REAL Italian, coming from the province of Calabria... hard working, honest, high moral values. In fact, he was one of the very first street car conductors in Tacoma, WA.

He did study and become a citizen after being here for a short time. He knew more about this country than any average American. And he was so proud to be here.

His picture is still proudly hung on the walls of one of the oldest asphalt paving companies in Tacoma, WA. They will easily tell you that he was the best worker they had every hired. I'm so proud of that!

I'm going to try to scan his passport picture and put it up here soon. Stay tuned!

Is it a dream or a nightmare?

We are all hoping to fullfill our own version of the "American Dream." Living in America - the land of the free and the home of the brave - has to be the best place on earth where we can actually hope for the best life has to offer us.

Growing up in the 50's (I know, I'm old!) there was a great deal of freedom. I didn't have to be escorted to school for one thing. The world was a much simpler place to live. I could actually go fishing for trout several miles from home and be gone all day. Think about that! You would never let your kid take off for the entire day.

Well, no use looking backward...it's NOT coming back!

Until very recently, the American dream, and most people's perception of it, was realizable--e.g., owning a home, obtaining a job, and old-age security. Most of us have a #1 priority of owning our own home as the highest ranking family priority. That is why I began one of my businesses of saving homes from foreclosure.

In case you haven't noticed (are you living in a bubble?) there are a lot of folks in trouble out there - financial trouble. People are losing their American Dream of owning their own home. Imagine having to tell your kids that you are moving out of the only home they have known!
So what I do has a tremendous amount of value. So, if you know of anyone who is in that situation, let me know. I would love to be able to help them save The American Dream. Or they can go here for advice and help.

Be very leary of scam artists out there who say they want to help.


Here's a quote from The Center For American Progress:

The New York Times recently reported that the average CEO made nearly $10 million last year. That's the average salary for CEOs at 179 large companies. The average worker, on the other hand, earns just under $30,000 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This means that CEOs now take home upwards of 250 times the average worker's wage.
What is it about the American labor market that produces such massive inequality?
The problem is not that a few fat cats are pulling ahead of the pack. The rest of us have seen little change or even falling income, in inflation-adjusted terms. In the past three decades, economic growth has generally benefited only those at the very top of the income ladder.