Smile Away
October 26, 2017
I was going to work this week
I stopped at Starbucks
The girl behind me yelled to her friend….
She was sitting there
Staring out the window
Linda…You okay….
Linda snapped out of it and said….
Sorry…
You caught me zoning out
I was on the speedline
Heading to a client
I saw all these people
Just walking in
Blank stares on their faces
No….
Good Morning…..
Hey…How ya doing…
Have a nice day…
Not even a smile…
Caught up in their own little world
Blank Stares
Why the disconnect….
I know….
Sometimes we want to be alone
We may need to be alone
Disconnected from the buzz around you
However…
Always remember
Your smile is the window to the world
“Let us always meet each other with a smile…
For your smile is the beginning of love”
Mother Theresa
The Gift
October 16, 2017
What we are is God’s gift to us….
What we become is our gift to God. – Eleanor Powell
Just take a moment to read that once again…
Let it breath thru you
What we are is God’s gift to us….
What we become is our gift to God. – Eleanor Powell
I find that to be a very powerful statement
My life has been a true blessing
I grew up in a close-knit
Loving family atmosphere
Attended great schools
Married my best friend
We were blessed with 4 beautiful children
Who have now gone on to bless us with…
5 beautiful grandchildren
I have been able to grow a business
Doing the things that I love
While building lasting friendships
Reflecting on my life
I realize….
It is all a gift
I have heard some people say….
Nobody ever handed me anything
I worked hard for everything I have
I deserve all this
What they fail to realize is…
Everything we have is…
Just a gift
Why was I born in NJ…
Why were so many opportunities…
Made available to me…
During my lifetime
When I stop to reflect….
I am filled with gratitude
We are all blessed
Someone is praying for
The things we all take for granted
Don’t take your life for granted
Our life is our message to the world
Make sure it is inspiring
As we express our gratitude…
we must never forget
that the highest appreciation is
not to utter words…
but to live by them – John F. Kennedy
Get Your DNA Here
September 12, 2017
If you have been watching tv at night lately
You have probably seen the commercials…….
“I found out I was 20% Native American….
I thought I was Italian but I’m actually German”….
(I find myself saying……
Ya vol herr Kommandant….
For no apparent reason)…
That is for you Hogan Hero fans…
Contact Ancestry.com and get your DNA results today
I was thinking…
This might be a great gift for my wife’s birthday
So I contacted the company and ordered 2 DNA kits
Wellllllllllll……..
The results are in
When people ask
So what nationality are you….
I would normally say Irish and English
My mother was 100% Irish
My Pop….75% Irish and 25% English
My wife is 50% Italian from her father’s side
A mix of Irish and Scotch from her mother’s side
When the results came in
My wife was shown as…..
38% Italian
26% Irish
20% Great Britain
6% Western Europe
What happen to the Scotch…..
Is that filed under Great Britain….
My results came in a couple days later
I am……
Drum roll please…..
92% Irish
4% Italian / Greek
2% Western Europe
Not even a trace of English blood
Or as they say Great Britain….
Hey hun….I’m 4% Italian
You’re not Italian
It says here I am 4% Italian
That means I am only 34% less Italian than you
That got her blood pumpin….
You’re not Italian
You’re gonna deny me my 4%
Well….I have had a lot of fun knowing the results
I still can’t believe….No English
But 4% Italian….
Those Romans really gotta around
What does your DNA say….
It may makes for good conversation…
Treasure
September 12, 2017
Seems like only a few weeks ago
We were saying
Here comes summer
Where did it go…
I know I have been busy
But…..
Did I blink and miss it
There were a lot of great memories
Packed into a short period of time
Heck…
It seemed like we were just getting started and…
Poofffff….
It’s Labor Day
It’s…..Back to school
Fall football….soccer…field hockey
Don’t forget to do your Homework…
All eyes turn toward the Eagles
While the Phillies fade into the abyss
My Pop used to say
4th of July….Summer’s over
The older I get
The more I see
The wisdom in those words
Who knows where the time goes…
Just be sure to treasure the time…
We all have been given
Odds are Even
April 4, 2017
I was driving down the street the other day…
That sounds like a great opening line to a song
It is amazing how we take things for granted
You are driving down a street
Looking for an address
The even numbers are on your right
The odd numbers are on your left
Depending on which direction you are driving
This could flip…
Odd numbers on your right
Even numbers on your left
I always noticed that people were having trouble finding our house
Or any house on our street
Cars are always crawling by
Looking at house numbers
They even stop and ask
Where is 827…
Today I found out the reason for the confusion
Our block is actually a horseshoe
It starts off South EPD
With even numbers in the 600s on your right
At the 1st bend
The street turns into EPD and becomes odd numbers in the 800s
On your right
At the 2nd bend
It turns into North EPD and jumps back down to the 600s on your right
Yet it continues as odd numbers
Now…Did you get all that…
Even if it’s odd… it’s odd
Who was the town planners who designed this…..
I never noticed this before
I always wondered why people could not find our house
Or any house on our street for that matter
Was this a design flaw…
Or just someone trying to play with our minds
I actually spoke to a neighbor at the bend
Regarding this Phenomena
They tried to offer a reason for the numbering system
Yea…this is even right here
But at the bend it is no longer South EPD
It is just EPD
So it has a different name
Yes….
You are correct……
But….
You are 652
And it goes to 801 at the bend 2 houses away
The only difference in the name of the street is that…
Yours’ says South…
What happened to the 700s…
Why does it go from the 600s to the 800s
And why does it turn from even numbers into odd numbers
Well…
That’s just the way it is…..
Well…
That’s just the way it is…..
If you have trouble finding me
Just give me a call
I will be on the left or right
Depending which direction you are coming from
Get your DNA Here
March 20, 2017
If you have been watching tv at night lately
You have probably seen the commercials…….
“I found out I was 20% Native American….
I thought I was Italian but I’m actually German”….
(I find myself saying……
Ya vol herr Kommandant….
For no apparent reason)…
That is for you Hogan Hero fans…
Contact Ancestry.com and get your DNA results today
I was thinking…
This might be a great gift for my wife’s birthday
So I contacted the company and ordered 2 DNA kits
Wellllllllllll……..
The results are in
When people ask
So what nationality are you….
I would normally say Irish and English
My mother was 100% Irish
My Pop….75% Irish and 25% English
My wife is 50% Italian from her father’s side
A mix of Irish and Scotch from her mother’s side
When the results came in
My wife was shown as…..
38% Italian
26% Irish
20% Great Britain
6% Western Europe
What happen to the Scotch…..
Is that filed under Great Britain….
My results came in a couple days later
I am……
Drum roll please…..
92% Irish
4% Italian / Greek
2% Western Europe
Not even a trace of English blood
Or as they say Great Britain….
Hey hun….I’m 4% Italian
You’re not Italian
It says here I am 4% Italian
That means I am only 34% less Italian than you
That got her blood pumpin….
You’re not Italian
You’re gonna deny me my 4%
Well….I have had a lot of fun knowing the results
I still can’t believe….No English
But 4% Italian….
Those Romans really gotta around
What does your DNA say….
It may makes for good conversation…
Thankful
November 4, 2016
I went to the doctor the other day
For my annual physical
After reviewing all my vitals
He said….
You’re pretty healthy for 64
Everything looks good
Based on your medical history
And statistics
You will probably have another 21 years
You should make it to 85
Was that a right or left handed compliment…
I didn’t know whether to be….
Happy
Excited
Or
Worried
21 years……
Growing old
Always seemed so far away
We all feel invincible
Nothing is ever going to happen to me
It happens to everyone else
So maybe I eek out 25 or 30 years
I have placed my life in the Lord’s hands
It reinforces what I always say
Every day is a gift
I am thankful
On Budget
November 2, 2016
I have spoken with many clients recently
Many of them tell me….
This is the most dreaded time of the year
I have been busy working on the budget for next year
How do you budget…..
Many people admit to budgeting by…
How much did we spend last year
How do you know what you spent last year was the correct amount
It may be a comfort level amount…
In today’s growing market it is good to look at all your costs
Do not take what you paid last year
As the cost of doing business
HBS leaves no stones unturned in our search for savings
We find ways to save you money
Contact us for a free consultation
Every Day is a Gift…..
On The Lamb
September 21, 2016
I would consider myself
To be a morning person
Although I admit
I need that first cup of coffee
To help bring everything into focus
Last week
I was going thru my morning ritual…
Pour my coffee
Turn on Morning Joe
And slowly bring the day into focus
I was sitting in our den
I glanced out the picture window
All of a sudden I saw something white
Out of the corner of my eye
What is that….
I stood up
Walked over to the window
Is that a goat in our backyard….
The goat walked down thru my backyard
Stopped at the sliding board
Sniffed around
Then moseyed off into the woods
I went upstairs and woke my wife
Janet
There was a goat in our backyard this morning
You’re crazy
This is Haddonfield
You must be seeing thing
I’m telling you I saw a goat in our backyard
George….
We’ve got a cat that hangs around our house
We’ve got geese…deer…raccoons…squirrels…foxes
Almost every animal on the planet
Now you are telling me there is a goat…..
The next day
I get up
Pour a cup of coffee
Turn on Morning Joe
And there it comes…
Walking up my backyard
Right past our house
Where did this goat come from…
I go upstairs to wake up Janet
He’sssssss Backkkkkkk
What’s back
The goat
You’re telling me you saw the goat again this morning
Walked right past our den window
I don’t know how it got here
You’re crazy
There can’t be a goat walking around
I am at work later that morning
And I get an alert on my phone
Lamb is on the lamb in Haddonfield
It wasn’t a goat
But a Lamb
That had been sheared
It apparently had escaped
From the owner’s pen in Cherry Hill
And had been wondering
Thru the woods
For the past couple of days
Look Janet
Here’s an article
About the goat…
I mean….
It’s really a lamb
It was sheared
So I did not know what the heck it was
It even has a picture of it in the paper
The story gets even better…..
Friday morning I receive a call from my son
Who was staying overnight from Union City
Hey Dad…
You’re not growing anything illegal
In our backyard are ya
Grant….
What the heck are you talking about…
I woke up this morning
And there were 3 cops
Walking around our backyard
I go outside
And ask them if I could help them
They are telling me they are looking for a lamb
That was loose in the area
They asked if I had seen it
I said…
This is my parents’ house
I am just here staying overnight
I don’t know anything about a lamb
Dad….
Is there really a lamb
Walking around our neighborhood
It eluded capture for a couple more days
And was finally rounded up last weekend
Birds Do It
August 29, 2016
This has to be
One of the hottest summers
We have had in a long time
Believe me
I love the beach….
So I’m not complaining
As of this past weekend
We have had…
3 prolonged heat waves
I recently saw a posting
July….
Was the hottest July
Since they began keeping records
I am sure we’ll see
That August
Will also be in the running
The heat has been brutal for my garden
Only a few cherry tomatoes
No regular tomatoes
And not 1 pepper
Normally, I am giving away
Tons of tomatoes and peppers
This year….
I can’t even trim a salad
For those battling this heat
There is good news
The heat will be ending
I walked to my kitchen window
At the shore this weekend
And….
Saw a string of birds
Starting to line up
On the telephone line
Across the street.
Each year
This has been a tell-tale sign
That the weather is changing…
And fall is on the way.
How do they know?
Just like clockwork
The temperatures
Will start to cool down.
My wife, Janet
Was the first to notice this phenomena…
A couple of years ago
Apparently….
She spends more time
At the kitchen sink
Than I do
The birds must be in tune
With the weather
And they have never
Been wrong
It is sad
That summer is coming to an end
We find ourselves
Talking about it
Thru out the year
And then….
Puff….
Another one slides by
Hope you enjoyed your summer
Happy Labor Day
Every Day is a Gift
Thank you for your referrals
We’ll do it again real soon
