To My Fellow Passengers in Life

Passengers
December 2, 2015

At birth we boarded the train and met our parents, and we believe they will always travel as passengers by our side. However, at some station our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey alone As time goes by, other people will board the train; and they will be significant i.e. our siblings, cousins, family (chosen family), friends, children, and even the love of our life….

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If You Hate It Set It Free

green parakeet
April 13, 2015

I really and truly have and do love all our pets–except for one. Our dogs are named family members and so have been our birds–namely parrots and parakeets. Many years ago, our two younger sons acquired their very own parakeets at the same time. Eric nurtured his bird, played with it, taught it tricks and called it Puff–who went on to live 14 wonderful years. Mark-the-Younger at the age of…

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Obamacare and Mortgages

Home Buyers
January 3, 2014

by Roberta Murphy This blog is supposed to be about luxury, but lately I’ve been wondering about other things: Like, will health insurance costs become a consideration in qualifying for a mortgage or refinance? Currently, health care costs are not a real consideration when lenders are considering one’s ability to pay for a mortgage. Was this another unintended consequence of Obamacare and the Affordable Healthcare Act? We have several clients…

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The Luxury of Losses

Losses and Conflusion
June 11, 2013

Losses…. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a loser when it comes to sunglasses, pens and keys. Call it distraction, absent-mindedness–or as my ex-husband and shrink used to say, “non-thinking beahvior patterns.” These are losses I’ve come to endure–sorta. But I’m the one who pays–in time lost searching and sometimes with money. But what about our government? I understand “they” operate on a grander scale and that some…

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A Just Solution for Jodi Arias

Jodi Arias
May 23, 2013

by Roberta Murphy Let me start of by saying I am no Jodi Arias fan and I would be happy to never hear her name again as long as I live. Or see her face. So here’s my two cent solution for the judge in this case: Give Jodi the “lesser” punishment. Jodi Arias should be sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole (perhaps under supervision of…

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The Luxury of Voluntary Budget Cuts

December 4, 2012

by Roberta Murphy I recently heard New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez explain how she had, after taking office, eliminated one chef, one jet and several other aircraft from the governor’s beck and call. She figured that if the budget had to be trimmed/decimated, the job started at the top. Susana Martinez is a woman after my own heart. Like the rest of us, when times get tough we shed the non-necessities…

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Is Peaceful Death a Luxury?

Leonardo da Vinci
December 1, 2012

While I thought I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.  ~Leonardo Da Vinci I’ve been haunted, disturbed and perturbed by an article I read a couple of days ago about sick babies being starved and dehydrated to death in Britain–per physicians’s orders and government encouragement.  You can read the article there as I don’t have the stomach to share all the painful details here. We’ll…

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The Luxury of…Privacy

October 31, 2012

by Roberta Murphy Years ago, when we put our first home on the market, I insisted that the Realtor put NO SIGN in our yard. I did not want neighbors to know that we were selling or cause any disruption in our neighborhood. Our agent tried to explain the importance of a sign, but I was the incalcitrant client–and we ended up selling the home with NO SIGN. This of…

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Tourism in Egypt Implodes

September 15, 2012

by Roberta Murphy Travelers from all nations once had the luxury of cruising Egypt’s Nile River, exploring the country’s ancient pyramids and steeping themselves in the mystery and intrigue of Ancient Egypt. But that was before the Great Recession and recent political and civil turmoil. Egypt had been planning on a tourism rebound in 2012, but it appears those plans have gone up in flames as Royal Caribbean International cancels…

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Trash Journalism: US Weekly

by Roberta Murphy Luxury Home Digest is neutral politically and generally focuses on luxury homes and real estate issues. But with a journalism background, there are several things I abhor–including mean-spirited personal attacks, hackers, shoddy reporting, and abuse of publishing power. Not that we expect great things from grocery store rags like US Weekly, National Enquirer and Star Magazines, but I think we expect more from the glossy mags than the cheapie newsrags. …

September 4, 2008
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