Changing horoscopes offer a variety of futures

-Oh my goodness! Have you heard the news? You, my dear, might be barking up the wrong tree or “sign,” as in horoscope. One of the first things I read in the paper is my horoscope for the day. Now heaven help the poor soul who has had his or her horoscope or path for the year laid out for them by a person with a crystal ball ... for a tidy sum I imagine.

You may no longer be a “goat” or a “lion.” In the original zodiac, there were 13 constellations. The plan for the signs of the zodiac were drawn up 3,000 years ago so the signs would correspond with the months of the year. There was already a 12-month calendar that the Babylonians had drawn up, so they left Ophiuchus out. Mix all that together with the fact that the Earth’s axis no longer points in the same direction and poof — the signs are now all different.

Is your world shattered? I think not, because now I give you permission to pick out the best horoscope you read and act accordingly. What fun we can now have starting our day. We can think in a positive light. Soothsayers be gone. We will all be as happy as clams. It’s worth a try, don’t you think?

Looking for something to read?

I discovered a collection of letters in book form written by famous and ordinary people which is very entertaining — “Letters of Note: Volume 2” (there is a Volume 1, too — by Shaun Usher. This book contains letters written on all sorts of unexpected thoughts. There is a charming one written to President Reagan by a 7th grade Irmo student named Andy Smith. It seems Andy’s mother declared the boy’s room a disaster area, and he wrote the president a letter asking for federal funds to hire a crew to clean his room. The president’s answer to Andy is marvelous, and when you read it you will agree.

The book includes letters spanning many years from such people as David Bowie, Richard Burton, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Janis Joplin and Beatrix Potter. There is one from Edward Davis, who rightfully earned the title of the “World’s Grumpiest Boss.” Mr. Davis was an oil magnate with a very blunt style, to put it mildly. One of his memos to his workers on notes that weren’t typed reads: “Handwriting takes much longer than a typewriter. You’re wasting your time, but more importantly, you’re wasting my time. If you don’t know how to type, you’d better learn.”

Can you even imagine the lawsuits that would sprout up if that happened now. I put both of these volumes on a must-read list.

Site polishes pieces of silver

I have a collection of old silver-plated flatwear that looked pretty sad.

Some of the pieces have monograms on the back of the handles which was — and still is — a style used in Europe. I had wanted to have some of my collection re-silvered but thought it might be too expensive, so I tucked them away. I checked on many websites and found one that looked promising called Silver Restoration — www.thesilverpeople.com. I emailed them asking about prices, etc., and was quite pleased with the quote.

I wrapped the pieces up and sent them via UPS as directed. I am so happy and pleased to report that I got them back, and they look beautiful. The monograms are still very visible, and the work is top drawer. I just thought I would mention this because you might have some old pieces that are in need of sprucing up. They also repair dents and are very forthright in telling you if what you have is worth the effort.

‘Evening by the River’ helps VIM keep shining

The Greater Bluffton Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine invites you to “An Evening by the River,” a fundraising event featuring a cocktail buffet and silent auction that will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at The Pine House, the home of Joanie Heyward, at 95 Boundary St.

Tickets are $100 each and may be reserved at VIM, P.O. Box 2653, Bluffton SC 29910.

This is a very worthy organization that provides necessary medical help to the less fortunate among us.

This story was originally published September 28, 2016 at 10:18 AM with the headline "Changing horoscopes offer a variety of futures."