Death and Taxes

 What a beautiful day THAT was!  Warm and sunny until it turned cold and dark.  I thought the rains would fall any second.  Even got a warning or two on my phone about an "event", whatever that was, but like me, it ghosted the crowd and went home.  They say the same will happen today.  It amazes me how many times they are incorrect around here.  It's okay though ... that's one less day of rain.

My roses think it's lovely.  They are covered with buds and beginning to blossom.  Weird roses ... they have the color and the thorns, but just don't look like roses to me.   

We didn't spend much time outside however ... there was sewing to be done.  When I'm on a roll, I try to keep going.  Otherwise I'll stop in the middle and procrastinate!!

This one for an Air Force Vet is ready for the longarm.  Gee ... only nine of these to go!  

These on the other hand, not only take longer, but take a lot more calculating.  Turns out the center squares are not square.  For example, 17-1/2 inches wide and 17 inches tall, or 18" wide and 18-3/4" tall.  That means lots of math trying to figure out exactly how big to make the squares before cutting and sewing.  I could make them really big and just cut them down, but that wastes expensive fabric.  

I hope to have five of these quilts with names, places and rank embroidered on them ... if I can find someone to embroider.  At this point, they may end up generic because so far I haven't found anyone for that task.

So much to do ... so little time.  Return to Walmart, return to Home Depot, company coming, drivers license renewal, none of which got done on this day.  Oh and groceries.  Seems every time I look in the fridge I'm out of food!

To make my day, I got my tax returns back from the accountant.  Though I wish I could do it myself, I have these investments from 30 years ago that are overseas.  I suppose the good news is they have always made money.  The bad news is I have to pay taxes on money I never see.  I'm taking withdrawals, but for some reason I always seem to have to pay MORE tax on it.  

I admit, I have a good retirement.  Bought and paid for by 58 years of hard work in a time when you didn't get paid the BIG bucks, but the benefits made up for it.  The trouble is, the more you make, the more you pay.  It makes me really happy that much of those government money laundering schemes are being killed off by DOGE.  I'm all for helping out people in OUR country, but it seems we've been helping out people in other countries more than ourselves.  I won't even get into that part.

Even writing off my little quilting business gets me nothing.  I suppose I should be thankful I have enough to buy food, make my house payment and buy diesel at the end of the day.  Single people have to pay for everything by themselves and still pay all the taxes with fewer deductions.  

Elva says I should get one of my single friends to marry me on paper, NOT live together, and see how much taxes I could save.  That just might be an idea worth investigating!!!   I won't say how much I have to pay, but I could easily buy a car with it.... or TWO longarms!!  Sadly for the folks doing my job today, they receive basically NO benefits and get paid less for the same work.

Anyway ... death and taxes are inevitable I guess.  After stitching up two more quilts, they are ready for quilting.  This one is loaded and will be done this morning.  As for the other two ...  company called and needed a place to stay, so I don't know how much I will actually get done.

My poor scroungy kid slept like a baby next to me for the remainder of the night.  He's such a snuggle bunny ... but only when he wants to be!!  

Just for fun, I put the game camera out last night to see who has been coming around.  Mr. Cooper thinks someone is trespassing on HIS property.  There are WAY too many smells on his backyard route.  Maybe we'll find out who it is today.  In the meantime, I have a 4:00 function to attend ... which will include good food and a dessert auction!!  OH YEAH!!!