Day 170: Remembering Fred

The Mother's Little Helper portfolio was up today +$666.06 (+0.09%).

Overall GAIN YTD: +$145,791.45 (+24.97%)

According to CNN Money our benchmark index, the S&P 500 is up +8.89% Year To Date (http://money.cnn.com/data/markets/sandp/).

Yesterday, and the events in Virginia today, reminded me that there are things more important than investing, blogging and prophesying about the future.

Yesterday my friend Fred passed away. You probably didn't know Fred, but stay with me for a minute, he had something to say to you.

Fred and I met through our mutual passion for woodworking and found that we had a number of other connections, not the least of which is his amazing wife Susan. But I think we stuck together because of how we made each other laugh. While we were both accomplished woodworkers we continually found ways to learn from each other. We weren't always civil with each other, but we would find our way back to the middle without grudges. Our personal tastes and interests were as far apart as the Grand Canyon is wide, but we always found common ground. Neither one of us were always easy to get along with; I think we were just two guys who understood each other and appreciated the things we each cared about. And that simple chemistry was enough to sustain a friendship for over 20 years.

On a recent visit I found Fred confined to a hospital bed with oxygen tubes for breathing and round the clock hospice care; yet he still made me laugh. I didn't know it at the time but he was giving me one more life lesson. Maybe it was for all of us.

Stay Invested....In Each Other,

Clay Baker

Disclosure: I am personally invested long in these stocks that appear in the MLH portfolio and may purchase or sell share withing the next 72 hours. I am also invested in other stocks that do not appear in the MLH portfolio: BA, BRK.B, CELG, CSCO, CTXS, CVX, DOW, DVAX, FB, IBM, NTES, NVDA, OMER, PFE, PG, RDHL, SCHW, THO, TWX, VEEV, VZ, XLNX, XOM

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

This article is not intended to offer investing advice, guarantee 100% accurate predictions, or to be interpreted as providing a personal recommendation.