discredit this thinking. As long ….

discredit this thinking. As long as we have naysayers, the virus will still have willing human subjects to jump aboard and mutate—and it will keep on killing us.

We have to live with the fact that there is little we can do to convince people to get their shots, but things are better now with businesses are opening up, and it is so good to see that little light flickering at the end of the tunnel.

I would truly like to go out to lunch occasionally and visit museums, but I listen to the doctors and scientists on TV who tell us that it is prudent to still be cautious because the virus is still out there, and it is mutating.

I still don’t feel comfortable around crowds of people, so I am staying mostly in the safety of my home for the time being, but I am looking forward to the day when we can all be comfortable and confident going out in public.

If you are looking for something to do while we are playing this waiting game, don’t forget that there is one thing we can all do with very little effort and that is to day dream!

I love to look at real estate ads for mansions and estates, and I often dream that I can (1) afford one of these luxurious homes, and (2) that I could even afford to pay the taxes!

Ah, but even if I know it is something out of sight, that doesn’t keep me from dreaming of better things for me and my family.

Last year, those famous wandering royals, Harry and Meghan, abandoned chilly Canada for the welcoming and warm arms of a plush Santa Barbara community.

Obviously these kids are on a strict budget, since the ninebedroom estate they bought was a steal at only $14 million dollars. Seriously? 14 million?

Ah, it’s true that the rich are so different from you and me. They have money!

But you have to give the couple credit for being brave. I can see that they are watching their pennies (or pounds) since they actually have a mortgage on the place.

They paid a third down (let’s see, that was probably just pocket change at around five million) and I guess they will be making monthly payments, like the rest of us mere mortals.

My granddaughter Anastasia has a large family, and although they are comfortable and her husband Sheldon makes a good living (and still has a job), Sheldon is not part of the royal family.

But what if he was? Or at least had a fraction of the royal purse. Then I would send Anastasia an e-mail advising her that I had found the perfect house for them, and my note would probably read as follows: Hi, Anastasia! Since your house is rapidly filling up with kids, you and Sheldon might be in the market for a bigger house. I saw a real estate article in the paper, and I thought you might be interested in this estate.

It is certainly big enough, what with eight bedrooms and six bathrooms, a den, a wood-paneled library and a great room with a huge fireplace, and so much more.

Located on 10 acres, Villa del Lago is a two storied home on the shores of Lake Wampum with a private beach and dock. Lavishly landscaped with Italian cypress trees, fruit trees and formal gardens, the 2 story great room has several floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the gardens and the lake.

The villa also has a state of the art kitchen, central air and heating, a formal dining room, a movie theater, a media room, separate maid’s quarters, a butler’s pantry, a front entrance fountain in the foyer and that’s only the inside!

Think of the fun your family and friends would have while swimming and boating in the lake, riding horses you kept in your horse stables, using the putting green and playing tennis on the clay tennis court.

Long summer days could be spent at the tiled swimming pool, or lounging in the pool pavilion and guest house. Along with ample guest parking space, the estate boasts a twelve-car, climatecontrolled garage.

Of course, you would need a couple of nannies, a cook or two, a few housekeepers, several gardeners, grounds keepers and tree experts, and pool, fountain and lake maintenance crews.

Oh, I know, I know, you think that something like this would put a lot of demands on your time. However, with a big enough staff, you wouldn't have to worry about maintaining the home and you would have a lot more time which could be devoted to your kids and fun things that you and Sheldon wanted to do.

The price of the estate is somewhere around the 12M mark, but the seller is willing to negotiate. Well, think about it and if this is something that sounds doable, call the Realtor, Mr. Whiny, at 1-800-SNOOOTY.

I can just picture how happy and excited you and Sheldon and your big family would be, living in Villa del Lago.

Love, Grandma