All this week is the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. There is a wonderful story behind this festival. America was given a generous gift of treasured cherry trees from the government of Japan. The cherry trees were planted along the Potomac River and the Tidal Basin, and every year when they bloom we have a festival with parades and ceremonies to honor our friends across the Pacific.

This photo of the cherry blossoms shows the view of the Jefferson Memorial and the tidal basin that lies next to the Potomac River as you stand on the Virginia shore and look across to DC. I’ve been there many times and this is a beautiful view.

A recent article on one of the Forbes Companies web sites listed some industries that they claim to be the ones that will thrive during a recession. I think a lot of people who have lost their jobs or their homes are looking for a magic, bulletproof financial vest and are grasping for articles like this. They are desperate for ideas on what to do to make money, pay their living expenses, and take care of their families.

According to this article, these are the industries that will thrive over the next year or so until the economy improves:

• Discount Retailers
• Sin Industries
• Selected Services – the opposite of which businesses were doing well in the healthy economy. For example, new cars were selling well but now used cars will be the ones that sell.
• The Statics:

• pharmaceuticals
• healthcare companies
• tax service companies
• gravediggers
• waste disposal companies

My next door neighbor, Jane, came by today to chat for a bit. We have both been working out in the yard and it is nice to chat for a few minutes when you need a break from raking and digging.

Jane has a ADT security sytems at her house and her office, and she mentioned that she is concerned because I don’t appear to have a security system. Well, I assured her that I do have one – I just don’t have one of those little blue signs out by my mailbox. Someone stole it. Oh, the irony!

But that reminded me that when I am working from home and alone during the day, there are people who come through the neighborhoods looking for someplace to break in. I think those little blue signs really do deter many thieves. So I should call the company and ask for a replacement sign.

With my dogs here and my security system, I feel that I have a relatively safe home. But I don’t every take that for granted. I am careful about opening my door to unfamiliar people, I lock the doors, and I pay attention to safety concerns.

Jane told me about a family blog that she’s been reading that has safety tips for everyone. I’m glad that she is paying attention, too. It makes me feel a little more secure knowing that I have an aware and caring neighbor beside me.

I’m going to collect special sayings and phrases and look into having custom tee shirts printed up so I can sell them online. I have some great ideas. Some would be motivational and some would be just humorous.

Check out this one:

Have you ever played a practical joke on someone? We have April Fool’s day right around the corner and I am looking for some ideas.

When I worked at the computer company we would have someone in our work group playing a joke on another team member every few weeks or so. We had a lot of fun at that company, thanks in large part to a boss who had a great sense of humor and who like to have fun with us.

He often threw parties at his house for the whole department and we had a lot of fun after work getting to know each other better. Sometimes we went out for happy hours and I could watch him in action, using his smooth pick up lines on the women at the bar. That man never went home alone!

We used to have meetings in his office and trade political jokes during the elections. When you live outside of Washington, DC there are always politicians in your life – they live next door or down the street, they work out in the same gym, they go to the same restaurants. Between politicians and the military, my neighborhood in Washington changed out at least 50% of the households every 4 years.

Gas cans in the back of the car always seem to make my car smell like gasoline for days or even weeks after I make that one quick trip to the gas station each spring. I have to buy gas for my lawn mower and I have never figured out the secret for transporting gas from the corner station back to my house without getting my car stinky. I’ve tried setting the can in a plastic bucket, putting newspapers underneath it, and even putting it on the floorboard instead of the trunk. Nothing works.

I hate the smell of gasoline and hate paying these ridiculous high prices for it, too.

Over the weekend, Bruce Willis married his model girlfriend Emma Heming, but the big surprise was when 61 year old David Letterman married his long time girlfriend and mother of his only son.

David Letterman and Regina Lasko got married last Thursday in a secret and surprise courthouse ceremony near their Montana ranch.

The newlyweds, who have been “dating” since 1986, were accompanied by their 5-year-old son, Harry. Regina worked for Letterman in the mid 1980’s but gave up working and most of a social life when their relationship got serious. Letterman is notoriously private and guarded about his personal life. Here’s a rare snapshot of them on holiday last year.

This is Letterman’s second marriage. He was previously married for seven years to his college sweetheart Michelle Cook.

Congrats to both couples!

What a beautiful day we had today. The sun was shining and there was a light breeze. Instead of going to the mall I decided to spend the day outside with my dogs and do some yard work.

The problem with not going shopping is that I was supposed to pick up a bridal shower gift for Hollie. The shower is the Friday after the dreaded April 15th tax deadline. So hopefully most of us will be in a better mood after taxes and it will be a nice party.

So instead of shopping at the mall I decided to check a few favorite places online. I really like the upscale and modern style of home decor, and Hollie has a beautiful home and modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances. I’ve been to her house many times and I have a great idea fo what to get for her gift – a Blomus stainless steel pepper mill and a matching stainless steel salt mill for sea salt.

I’m in luck because these gorgeous mills are on sale and are in stock, so I can order them tonight and have them delivered this week. Don’t you just love the sleek lines and modern look of this pepper mill? I know Hollie will love the set.

This is the same site I used to order the Blomus stainless steel business card holders that I give as gifts to corporate clients. These are affordable but very classy gifts to give after you close on a big deal or as a thank you for a large order. I just love them!

This morning I put a blanket on the window bench and little Diva decided to sit in the window. She loves to sit on the bench and look out into the front yard where the squirrels and birds entertain her.

Diva also loves to burrow under the covers and keep snuggly warm. At night she is the one who goes under the wrong layer of blanket so that she gets trapped between the blanket and sheet, instead of getting under the sheet like everyone else.

When I looked at her in the window this morning I had to laugh at how she had burrowed under the blanket and made a little shawl. She looks like a contrite catholic about to make a confession! But she doesn’t have much to confess – she is a good girl.