by Roberta Murphy I may dream of disconnecting from all things electronic, but fly into a panic when wifi goes down or more frequently, can’t find my phone. And I know I’m not alone. But there’s a persistent fantasy that I will one day deliberately land in some remote (and beautiful) location where there is no wifi, no television, no internet–and no clocks. I would be with my soulmate and…
7 Luxury Home Trends for 2019
Wondering about Luxury Home Trends for 2019? Here are some things you might want to consider in your purchase or remodel of your luxury home. By Jennifer Karami While the average sale price for luxury homes nationwide rose 4.7 percent annually to $1,772,000 in the fourth quarter of 2018, a few things remain constant: the kinds of features and luxury home trends associated with high end residences. Money can buy you a…
Alzheimer’s: Inventing a Possibility
Years ago, our oldest son Scott and I attended a long weekend with the Landmark Education Forum. I was challenged to take up a personal issue that I was willing to share with a thousand or so people the next day. I couldn’t help but consider Alzheimer’s, the disease that had rocked our family. I went home that night and wrote a letter to my mother, Edith Michelson. It was…
Luxury Home Sales Hit by New Tax Laws?
by Roberta Murphy Realtors in California were groaning when the new tax laws hit this year. Luxury home sales were sure to crash and burn. You see, the new tax code puts a limit on how much one can deduct in state and local property taxes–as well as income or sales tax–up to a measly total of $10,000. So when new tax laws went into effect, high profile experts were…
Cryotherapy: Freeze Your Face and Turn Back Time
by Roberta Murphy Last Christmas, son Scott gave me a series of passes to a cryotherapy center in Del Mar. I would strip down to only underwear, special mittens and insulated socks. Then, I would step into a cubicle and freeze my patootie off for 3 minutes in swirling gases that registered like 180 degrees below zero. It felt like my frozen skin was going to crack and fall off…
Garden Dirt as Anti-Depressant?
by Roberta Murphy I have always felt such a sense of peace when I am in the garden fooling around with dirt and plants, but never gave it much thought until this morning. I read an article today relating research that confirms my senses: Garden Dirt actually serves as an anti-depressant. And could take the place of Prozac. I don’t suffer from depression and have never taken Prozac, but I…
The Luxury of Weight Loss with HCG Diet
Weight Loss and HCG Nothing tastes as good as thin feels, have said Kate Moss, Tony Robbins and Stephen Covey. Some might also add that Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels. Lately, I’ve been feeling pretty good. Weight loss shows me down 12 pounds after 13 days, following the HCG regimen as part of a 30-day program that limits me to 500 calories per day. The following are some…
It’s a Buyers Market for Luxury Homes
Now may be the time to grab one of those luxury homes you’ve been watching. The price of luxury homes varies from market to market. In some, it could be $700,000 and others over $2 million. In the San Diego luxury home market, we see luxury homes priced north of $2 million languishing on the market a little longer than ones priced below that number. On the other hand, that…
Luxury of a Comfy Stiletto
I demand comfortable shoes, can’t stand anything pinching my feet, but love the idea of the stiletto. Especially ones that are comfortable! Fast Company recently reported on a stiletto designed by someone who put comfort first. It seems Christopher Dixon, an aspiring designer, was hired by Serena Williams to design a clothing line. He asked about the comfort stilettos in Serena’s closet, and she responded as most women would and…
Sultans of Swing Revived
Was the song Sultans of Swing really written in 1978? It was–and performed powerfully by Dire Straits. I recently ran across this fabulous video of 3 master guitarists, Tommy Emmanuel, John Jorgenson, Pedro Javier González who are jamming Sultans of Swing in a way I’ve never heard–and can’t resist sharing. See it here–with the lyrics below. You get a shiver in the dark It’s raining in the park but meantime South of the river…
