Everyone must remember it will get worse before it gets better. It may take President Obama the whole four years to even make a dent in what he is walking in to. It is up to each of us not to make the situation worse. Pay off and cut up those cards. Pay cash and buy only what you need. We did that over twenty years ago. Our home is paid off, we have no car loans only pay our monthly living expenses. We also cut out eating out. Making meals is our family time from prep to clean up. We laugh, sing, dance and discuss our day. This is the time of day when there is no TV, phone or other distractions. We also have a garden. Gardner’s we are not. But we try. Each year we do a little better. Christmas is an easy time of year to go over board. Have found a way to cut back on this. I make gift baskets tailored to our family and friends needs and wants. My one friend has three little girls who each like a different brand of peanut butter. So always make sure in this basket three huge jars of favorite peanut butters. It is not how much you spend but that you care enough to give. Just think before you spend and spend wisely.

Brilliant, that is funny. His statement caused an uproar in our home. My husband thought this was the perfect excuse to get the huge truck of his dreams. So I smiled sweetly grabbed my car keys and off we went. Oh, what a happy man he was on the way to the dealership. We get there and he sees what he likes. I suggest a test drive. They get it ready for us. The gleam in his eyes were like a child’s on Christmas morning. Time to get in. Now it dawns on him. He is only 5’3 and I am 4’11. He made our excuses and we jumped in my hybrid and laughed all the way home.

Knowing nothing about lap tops figured I would be safe with an Apple. I bought the MacBook Air. Just love it. My grandkids said they had the coolest Granny. Apple is what they are learning on in their grade school. Now I have grandkids everyday after school.

Just keep being Whoopi. That is what keeps us coming back for more. You are an inspiration for all women. You are living proof you can be yourself and not worry about what others say. Tell your mom she did a great job in how she raised a strong, intelligent and caring woman. God bless your mother.

My attitude towards life. I keep a song in my heart no ill thoughts. I top that off with plenty of water and Palmers Coco Butter.

I never knew this until today but I am older than you Whoopi by 6 months. Have a wonderful birthday. No more cupcakes.

No you’re not. Start with something small and won’t take longer than a day. Try changing the knobs and pulls on cabinets in kitchen or bathroom. Change the light switch plates. Just remember to turn off the breaker to the switch. If wowOwow doesn’t hear from you in a few days they will blame me.

To fix your house up or how to get your husband to head to the hills?

This Old House is the only cover I would like to be on. I would dedicate it to Bob Vila. If it weren’t for Bob I would never have learned how to pick up a hammer. I have been a Bob fan since he first went on the air. Taped all the shows from the 1970’s on. When I purchased my 1912 Sears house and started getting quotes for repairs I thought why spend all this money will put those tapes to work. Bought my tools bought my supplies and got to work. Installed floors, refinished floors, jacked up a garage and was able to keep the integrity of the house and money in the bank. Now when my husband sees me looking at paint colors or saying I am going to hardware store he grabs his fishing pole and runs for the hills.

Years ago we did a smart thing. We cut up all our credit cards. So if we don’t have the money we save for what is on our wish list. For Christmas I started early. For certain gifts I actually found what I wanted to give at garage sales this summer. I found pink depression glass for a friend who collects and vintage jewelry for a daughter. For my grandson I have saved things from the election ie: Obama button, t-shirt, yard sign and yesterday I went out and got a couple of newspapers to add. All will be placed in a decorative storage box. No longer buy books but go to the library. My husbands passion is fishing. He found a way to be able to afford the gas to drive to his favorite fishing spots. When he gets back in town he sells the fish he caught for the day. Here’s a hint for Rainbow Power. Have copies made of favorite pictures of you with your grandchildren place in frames and give to them. Years from now that will mean more to them then some long forgotten toy.

He can have as much pie as he can handle. If the crust gets a little burned along the way so be it. Just pick the burn off and keep enjoying the pie. Life is too short to give in to other peoples weakness and insecurities. Hopefully we have taught him enough to go forth in life and enjoy each taste of that pie.

Last night is just the beginning of great change. My change started in my teens in the 1960’s and 1970’s. My mother was a free thinking full of life little Irish woman. She would take me to Angela Davis speak get us books to read ie: Letters to a Black Boy, Autobiography of Malcom X. Many times we would be the only white people at these lectures. Within 5 minutes my mother had made friends that lasted her lifetime. My mother got sick in the early 1980’s and had to go to rehab for a couple of months. Every evening when I would go visit her after work she would tell me she had met the man I would marry one day. At 30 I was horrified my mother was trying to marry me off. My brother even agreed I would like him so I said OK I will meet him. The next evening in walked the cutest little black man. He has not left my side in these 25 plus years. I also had the honor of helping to raise his children. And now his grandchildren. When our grandson was 4 we were having a talk about what he wanted to be when he grew up. The list was mighty long so I ended it with you can even be the president some day. That evening we had one of few arguments of our time together. He told me I shouldn’t have told him he could be president. That it would not ever happen. Last night 13 years later my husband told me he was sorry with tears dripping down his cheeks. I asked him why. And he reminded me about the president argument. We finally got our tears under control and at 11:30 our grandson called to speak with his grandfather. The tears are flowing again while he is on the phone and he couldn’t speak after getting off. Finally he turned to me and said you won’t believe what he said to me. He said Grandad Granny was right I can be president if I want. He remembered all these years later also. I will close this now with God has blessed America already it is up to us to keep the blessings coming.

I was able to retire at 53. I had always complained I didn’t have the time to do everything I wanted. Have done all those things now. Finished remodels to house, spent time with the grandkids(now they won’t go home), took weekends away with my husband. Had a wonderful, exhausting time. Thought to myself I must get a job before I turn 54 or I will die from exhaustion. The lesson I learned was I am the keeper of my own time whether I work or not. I need to say OK time for me now. So I found a part time job that will work around me. My husband,grandkids still happy. Most important I am happy.

Stephen King is tops. Whoopi if you get me a size 6 clog from Melissa Plastic Dreams I will trade you a piece of Roseville. You won’t believe this but in the 1960’s my mother and a friend used to go through the trash at Roseville factory in Ohio. I have thousands of pieces.

Saw a ghost when I was seventeen. It was like looking at a white vapor that formed a human shape. Knew right away what it was had no fear of it. In the 35 years since have never seen it again. I would rather discuss this again than hear anymore about Palin.