Ed Icionsub

Some people have a great way of looking at things as an optimist. They have and project a confidence that everything will be OK. Athletes and salesmen have this character trait.

A set back is an opportunity for a comeback.

My father always had something good to say. He was an endless source of encouragement and comforting words when I needed them. Even the most difficult situations brought out something positive from my father, if nothing else he would say, “It could always be worse!”

When my nephew wanted to go out to California and start his adult life, I gave him one of my old cars that has been sitting around, my 1986 Ford Explorer. I used to love that car, but I found that over the years I drove it less and less. Eventually it was sitting in the back of the driveway for months and I decided that it made more sense to give it to my nephew so he could get some use out of it rather than have it waste away.

So he drove it all the way across country without incident and has been driving it for two years. But as any older car is likely to do, it eventually needed some repair work. He took it to a Los Angeles auto repair shop that he found on the internet. They’ve told him it needs a new head gasket , so he called to ask my advice about whether he should pay for that type of repair or should he give up on it and buy a replacement vehicle.

Of course, I have a lot of fond memories of the car and would hate to abandon it, so I told him to go ahead and get it fixed, and that i would help him pay for the repairs. After it is fixed, he can drive it a little longer, and start saving up for a down payment on a replacement vehicle.

Also according to Petfinder.com, the top 10 names for cats in 2009:

1. Lucy
2. Smokey
3. Midnight
4. Bella
5. Molly
6. Daisy
7. Oreo
8. Shadow
9. Charlie
10. Angel

As a reflection of the huge hit movies and books about vampires, the” Twilight” series, “Bella” made the top 10 list for both cats and dogs – a first for that name.

According to Petfinder.com’s annual survey, for the third year in a row, the Number 1 and Number 2 most popular names for dogs in 2009 are “Buddy” and “Max.” Here is this year’s Top 10 Dog Names:

1. Buddy
2. Max
3. Daisy
4. Lucy
5. Charlie
6. Bella
7. Molly
8. Jack
9. Sadie
10. Lady

As far back as I can remember, my parents and teachers have always talked about gold and the value of this precious metal.

My father always bought gold jewelry for my mother as special gifts, such as anniversaries and Christmas. She had a jewelry box on her bedroom dresser filled with beautiful gold necklaces, earrings and rings.

Mt father also bought gold coins as an investment and as a collector. He kept his collection in a safe in his home office until he became elderly, then he moved them to a safety deposit box for safe keeping.

I inherited his gold collection and have added to it from time to time, over the years. I don’t really think of it as an investment strategy, but then again, if the world came to a crisis I suspect that real gold will become worth much more than the paper money and silver coins that we use today.

I would like to teach my children about gold and how to find valuable pieces to add to a collection. But to be honest, I don’t think either of them are in a good place in their lives to appreciate that yet. So i will wait until things settle down for them and then share some of what I’ve learned about this alternate investment and interesting hobby.