Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Bonding with Sun City West


I'm still having flashes of "what was I thinking", particularly since we are still in triple digit temperatures. That being said, I am doing my best to get involved with the local community and take advantage of all SCW offers. I did join the Westernaires singing group and I am loving it. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to be surrounded by harmony. The group is very good and I am looking forward to the Christmas Concert. We are doing some lovely music. So fun. I have also signed up for beginning Spanish, a writing class and landscape painting. I'm doing a volunteer project at Church and continuing my phone calls for Obama. All this reaching out is not easy, but I'm determined to give Sun City West and Arizona a chance.

I have to admit I have been "Seattle Dreaming" since I've been home. I'm missing my Tribe, especially with this election looming. Also miss the water and trees and I guess, just the familiarity. It takes time to settle into a new life in a new place and I am definitely a "work in progress".

I have been watching, with great concern, the financial crisis our Country is in. I will suggest to anyone reading this....put your cash in a federally insured account. I moved my money market out of a money market mutual fund and into a bank money market account. With all my years in banking, greed does not surprise me, but where were the Regulators??? They are suppose to keep us honest and protect us from flim-flam. The proposed bailout by the government looks like the only reasonable choice if we want to avoid a complete meltdown that could look very much like another great depression. I'm most worried however, about the incredible deficit we face. Since the US is technically bankrupt, let us hope that China and others want to continue to buy our paper and keep us in operating mode. No matter what both candidates say, tax increases are inevitable.

The USA may be down but I believe we will recover and rise again. For me the best chance for leadership is Barack Obama. But what a mess he will walk into. Stay optimistic out there but wear a life preserver.

P.S. The sunset view is from my back yard. Nice.