Cigars and Single Malt Scotch Whiskey

Cigars and Single Malt Scotch Whiskey--

There are quite a few recreational golfers who do not consider the days match complete
without spending a while in the club house lounge enjoying a good cigar and a glass of
fine old single malt scotch whiskey.  Myself, I do not care for the cigar part of the
tradition.  I do not smoke anything anymore and especially not cigars unless I am already
sick.  It would be a shame to end a beautiful day on the links on a sour or sick note.
The few times I have smoked cigars I was left with a foul taste and feeling the
next morning like a parrot had slept in my mouth.  However, I do partake in a bit
of single malt scotch whiskey.

I read in a Spring edition of Golf Digest an article by Sarah Max that it is possible
to have your own cask of single malt scotch whiskey.  Tullibardine distiller has taken the distinction to a
new level.  Casks come in three sizes.  The smallest, a bourbon barrel, holds the equivalent
of 350 bottles of 10 year old scotch and costs about $1,700.00, including 10 years of
insurance and storage in Tullibardine's bonded warehouse.  A hogshead holds about 455
bottles and costs $2,900.00. A butt holds 870 bottles and costs about $5,000.00.
The owner's whose names are stenciled onto their casks, have visitation rights and can
sample their whiskey at various stages while it ages for a minimum of 10 years.  That is
probably more than you wanted to know about scotch whiskey, but now you can have something
else to talk about if you played badly.


I am leaving for a few days of 'honey do's so I may pick up on this next week and relate
more about a fine cigar.  If you cannot wait, I suggest going to the news stand or the
doctor's office and pick up a copy of Golf Digest INDEX 2.  It is a good read.  Think long
and straight.  FL

Do You Get Smarter When You Get Older?

Unbelievably, I became three quarters of a century old today!  I do not think of myself as 'old,' but it becomes apparent when I try to do things I used to do.  Even looking in the mirror is not the same as it once was.  However, I still try.  You would think that with this much age there would naturally be some intelligence come along with it.  I am not certain I am any smarter, but I have learned several things.  I saw a web site recently which prompted me to do likewise.  My children and grand children are much the same as I was when I was their age, I wouldn't listen to my mom and dad, but I hung on every word of others thinking they were the smartest people on earth even tho' I had heard the same words from mom and dad.

I've learned...

that you can do something in an instant

that will give you a heartache for life.

I've learned...
that you should always leave loved
ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned...
that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel. 

I've learned

that the Canadian side of Mt. Rushmore

may not be as inspiring as the American side.

I've learned... 
that either you control your
attitude or it controls you.

I've learned...
that heroes are the people who do what has
to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.                                                   

I've learned...
that my best friend and I can do anything
or nothing and have the best time.  We have!

I've learned...
that sometimes the people you expect to
kick you when you're down will be the
ones to help you get back up and vice versa.

I've learned...
that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.

I've learned...
that just because someone doesn't love you
the way you want them to doesn't mean they                    
don't love you with all they have.                                                    Bending over backwards!

I've learned...
that maturity has more to do with what types
of experiences you've had and what you've
learned from them and less to do with how
many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned...
that no matter how good a friend is, they're
going to hurt you every once in a while and
you must forgive them for that.

I've learned...
that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by 
others, Sometimes you have to learn to forgive
yourself. Even if you bend over backwards.

I've learned...
that our background and circumstances may
have influenced who we are, but we are
responsible for who we become.

I've learned...
that just because two people argue, it doesn't
mean they don't love each other. And just
because they don't argue, it doesn't mean
they do.

I've learned...
that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.

I've learned...
that two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different.

I've learned...
that even when you think you have no more
to give, when a friend cries out to you,
you will find the strength to help.

I've learned...
that credentials on the wall do not
make you a decent human being. 

I've learned...
that the people you care about most
in life are taken from you too soon.

I've learned...
that family and friends are what make
us who we are today, and without them
we would never be complete.

I've learned...

that you cannot make someone love you. 

All you can do is stalk them 

and hope they panic and give in.

I've learned...

that you only get one chance to make a good

first impression.

I've learned...

there is more to fishing with people you love
than catching fish.

Some of the things I have learned in my 75 years are from my own experience and some are from watching others.  

Cause Joy!

What Is Your Investment Growth Strategy?

Investing is not a sure thing in most cases, it is much like a game - you don't

know the outcome until the game has been played and a winner has been declared. Anytime  

you play almost any type of game, you have a strategy. Investing isn't any different -

you need an investment strategy. Keep in mind, however, having a stratedgy is not the same

 as wishing or dreaming.  A good strategy can be overturned by a trained manipulator of the

stock markets.  Even so, the long term investments and re-investments in a particular stock

or index fund, has proven to garner the highest yield.

An investment strategy is basically a plan for increasing the value of your money in various 

types of investments that will help you meet your financial goals in a specific amount of time.

Each type of investment contains individual choices that you must make. A

clothing store sells clothes - but those clothes consist of shirts, pants, dresses, skirts,

 undergarments, etc. The stock market is a different type of investment, but it contains

many types of companies and corporations all wanting you to put your faith and money in them.

Some of these companies are considered 'growth' stocks which means that their plan is to

grow that company within their niche.  Others pay dividends periodically based on how much

money you have bet on their success or continued success. "Bet" is the proper word to use

because the stock market is a gamble controlled by market makers and the economics of the time.

You may be a shareholder in British Petroleum and you likely have lost much of your investment in the

past several weeks.  No one could have predicted such a tragedy, it was a gamble that paid off

for a long time.  The trick is knowing when to hold them and when to fold them.

If you haven't done your research, it can quickly become very confusing - simply because

there are so many types of investments to choose to add or remove from your portfolio.

 This is where your strategy, combined with your risk tolerance and investment style all

come into play.

If you are new to investments, work closely with a financial planner before making any

investments. They will help you develop an investment strategy that will not only fall

within the bounds of your risk tolerance and your investment style, but will also help

you achieve your financial goals.

It is not too smart to invest money without having a goal and a strategy for reaching that goal!

You should also have an exit strategy and be familiar with stop loss orders. Nobody hands

 their money over to anyone without knowing what that money is being

 used for and when they will get it back! If you don't have a goal, a plan, or a strategy,

that is essentially what you are doing! Always start with a goal and a strategy for reaching

 that goal!

Cause Joy!