Ok, Jim, its finally time to go to your place. I want to see what you have done. I have nothing but time now. I will be in Rockport in two weeks and will stay a week or two, so please email me, and I will drive down to meet you. I can't wait to see your oleanders, I know you have been working on making the perfect oleander for down there. Have you created it yet? Did you loose any palm trees? We lost all our Cuban Royals, Alexander and Bottle palm trees. Russ, I lost all my daylies to rust about 3 years ago, it made me sick. I had to wait 3 years, replaced all the soil to make sure that there were no signs. I am starting again in October, I have a hugh order coming in from Maryott's Gardens. What do you use to control the rust. Everything that I have been told to get by Maryott's I am not able to find in Texas. I brought the rust to my garden, but ordering from a nursery that was not rust free. I think I will be ok, I will just order from Maryott's, I never had a problem when I ordered just from them. Barbra

Hi glavinsolo, When you buy your home, do you plan to cash in your MFs in order to achieve a down payment? You don't say what kind they are, but with expected rate of return of 8% I assume that they're equity-based. The expense rate of 0.5% makes me wonder about that, though, as few charge that low. If you plan to liquidate within a couple of years, if the markets go down, you may be an unhappy camper when it comes time to reclaim the investment. On the other hand, if you have the certificates issued, you can take them to a financial institution to use them as collateral for a loan ... ... which will work if your growth rate on the investment is greater than the rate you pay on your mortgage, after allowing for income tax cost and deductibility in each case. That way, you convert that investment from being a short-term one into a longer-term one, which reduces your short-term risk. Be aware, though, that a financial institution will be unwilling to loan you more than 50% (or at most 60%) of the value of the asset. But you carry some risk if you draw near the limit of what they'll allow, for if the value of the asset goes down and slips below double the value of the loan, the lender will want either some cash to reduce the amount of the loan, or some other assets to underwrite the support for the loan. And they'll want it today ... tomorrow at the latest. With regard to the cost of homes, I'm not familiar with the U.S. markets in general, let alone the ones in your area. But some calculate that the tough times in the housing markets are far from over. I think that it would be well for you to carry on some study of what house prices are doing in the area where you prefer to buy. If you buy early, and house prices continue to reduce, you'll be an unhappy camper, then, as well. Mortgage lenders get quite unhappy if the valuation of the house comes rather close to the amount of the mortgage still owing. If the value goes too low, they'll require that you sell it ... at a loss, of course ... ... or they may choose to foreclose, in which case there'd almost surely be more costs if they sell it than if you do. Which could well mean that they'd be notifying you that you owed them the difference between what you owed on the mortgage, plus costs of repossession and sale, less the amount that they sold it for. Not a pleasant scenario. But one that many who accepted those low-rate mortgages a few years ago will be facing. My feeling is that if I wanted to buy a home in the U.S. these days, I'd be keeping my money in my genes (sorry, "jeans") for a while. There are those who claim that I have some frugal chromosomes in my genes, as a matter of fact. As a matter of fact, my daughter is considering buying accomodation in Arizona, these days. Good wishes as you make your plans. ole joyful

Well, first of all let me congratulate you on your retirement! 36 years of teaching is quite an accomplishment! I like all your menu items, but I agree with Linda C. To me there are too many, and that's an awful lot of food for a luncheon-type party. I'd be ready for a long nap after that much food! LOL I categorized them below, as I see it. APPETIZERS Chex Party Mix Pretzels Chunky salsa and chips Spinach artichoke Parmesan spread w/assorted crackers Italian salami and crackers Chicken & apple sausage bites Meatballs (crockpot) SALADS Fruit salad Tossed green salad Vegetable "primavera" salad Mozzarella, basil, and Roma tomato "stacks" ENTREES Meat Lasagne Vegetarian Lasagne DESSERTS Peanut butter rice krispie treats Cherry cheesecake Chocolate mousse cake Key Lime pie I think I'd narrow it down to: *4-5 appetizers (Somehow the salsa and chips don't fit with the rest of menu) *one veggie salad and a fruit salad *two lasagnes as main dishes *two desserts I would also add some type of rolls and butter. Just my 2 cents because you asked. I am sure whatever you decide, it will be a wonderful party! Linda

Hi cheery one, I'm pleased that you're happy with the "pro"s of your retirement. And somewhat sad that you're feeling that you're not keeping up to the mark of what you'd hoped/planned to do. If you feel the need to beat yourself over the back about that - make sure it's with a wet noodle ... and only five strokes, O.K? As for the "average" retiree, I don't feel that I have too much of a handle on that ... and wonder what level of expertise you may claim in that department? I think that it's important to do things that we can be pleased with ourselves for having done, at the end of the day ... week ... month ... year. Something that I note to have been scarcely mentioned in this thread so far is the need that all of us retirees have to concern ourselves about (as well as people in the workforce) is the erosion of the value of our income (and, for us retirees, our assets) due to inflation, every year for about the last 80. There hasn't been much increase in incomes in recent years, except for the wealthy few ... but the prices keep going up ... and for most of us, those prices of much of the goods and services that we buy have been and are going up faster than the official rate of inflation. When we put money in the bank, or buy bonds, etc. which pay us the same number of dollars after several years that we gave them in the first place, apart from the "rent" on the money, it isn't only taxes and living expenses that much come out of the earnings ("rent on the money"), but an allowance for inflation, as well, in order to keep the purchasing power of those assets equal in ten years to what it is now. Good wishes to you for dealing well with the days ahead: may they be as many as please you, with good health, friends, enough bucks to meet your needs, things to do and a few challenges, here and there. ole joyfuelled