Today is a beautiful day and I wish you all a super month and an exceptional 2019.

I was having some trouble with this missive this month and was looking everywhere for inspiration in order to get started. I can’t even believe that I have been writing this column now for the better part of 3 years and that got me thinking about where the idea even came from to write the way I do because this particular format was kind of an accident. My original idea was to create a forum for informative but entertaining Real Estate statistics (sadly, not possible). And so, the first newsletters combined some basic real estate news with the usual request for referrals but not much else. At some point the kids or a kid or maybe just life did something that demanded an airing of the hair-pulling frustration of said insane affair and so, in the re-telling of the tale, somehow the event transformed into something mildly funny and thankfully for me, less calamitous.

Which reminded me of Erma Bombeck. She was the first writer I discovered who could exactly describe the obvious in all its absurdity. I will admit, I initially read her musings about family life and appreciated the spot on account of the kids and how we each act strangely typical in relation to our birth place and age. But now, I so connect with her interpretation of life as a Mom and I cannot believe how we still face the same ridiculous issues with raising kids and keeping the household running smooth-ish as in her day. We might not have to follow the telephone cord into the hallway closet to find the chatty sixteen year old or worry about our son looking like a hippy and marching for peace but we still have to endure the family vacation, holiday togetherness and same cherished off-spring who look at us like we are speaking some ancient dialect of an endangered rain forest tribe whenever we ask them to help out. It seems the madness of raising children, getting along as a family and trying to live a life of purpose remains unchanged and endlessly amusing if you look at it from the right point of view.

I hope I have been able to write that point of view over the years and I do appreciate the kind feed back from many of you who have provided encouragement and sympathy over the strange and wondrous chaos that is my life.

I look forward to another year of ‘influential occasions’ that I may be able to spin them for your entertainment and enjoyment if not for my own therapy.

Here’s to another shiny New Year, make the best of it you guys!

2019 Salutations!