"All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse, and a good wife." ~ Daniel Boone

Hey. It's a beautiful day in a neighborhood, somewhere, and it's not so shabby right here in my own little GPS location on the map. I'm trying to keep a positive thought flow here on this Thursday, March 13, 2025. I say that because the wife has left me again. With good reason. She is headed over to Louisiana to help care for her 89 year old brother. She and her twin sister, born 18 months apart, try to go over when they can to give our nephew, an only child, a break since he is the full time caregiver for his dad. Her brother is a legendary man of many talents who has a reputation for being a wonderful friend and neighbor. Sadly, his dementia has taken its toll but he is in reasonably good physical shape and the girls, as they are called, always enjoy their time with him. Meanwhile, back at the ole blogger ranch, it's just not the same when she is not here. As we continue our journey together into our 61st year, well, it typically takes all hands on deck to keep everything headed in the right direction and out of the ditches. Our days are peppered with "Did you remember to ...." or "You do know you left that running...." or "Isn't it time for your medications?" Stuff like that. I feel blessed in that I know how to do basic cooking and I also know the way to complete a transaction at the drive through window. So, I will not starve. But, she is a worker. I tell her she can do more than me since she is a handful of months younger. At any rate, I will miss her over the next 8 days but I will stay in touch and always and forever thank God for the help meet He provided to me. Amen. (In case you wondered, the 1611 King James translators rendered the phrase as "help meet", Genesis 2:18. In 16th-century English, "meet" meant "fitting" or "proper".)

 

I am getting ready to get ready to think about thinking about doing our federal tax return. I typically download a new version of the tax software I've used for years, TaxAct. I'm told often there are better packages available, some at a lower cost, but, I've learned how to use it, therefore, it works for our return. The wife and I work together on it. Here's a recommendation: You better have a good marriage if you work on your joint return together. And, be prepared for some loud fellowship as you work through the various documentation and other materials needed to complete the return. Since we are professional Christmas entertainers, Santa and Mrs. Claus, well, we have to fill out all the documents for that business, if you will. We do our best to render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar but I do say that doing the taxes is a very taxing experience each year. Why not use outside help? We could do that but it would be somewhat of a throwing in the towel since we've been doing our own for our entire time together. While I do have the rendering part down pat, I can tell you there are things about taxation that does tend to get one stirred up. Total taxation on average in the United States including local, state, and federal was just under $18,000 per year per tax paying family in 2021. I hear this one quite often, do you ever really own the home you live in and have paid for? This speaks to the variety of taxes allocated as connected to residential property. For some reason things like this become more glaring as one gets older. I thought I would pass that on so you won't be surprised later on. You can thank me later. 

I will try to get some of the preliminary stuff done while she is away. Sorry if talking about taxes is a downer to some. One thing we should all be reminded of when taxes are discussed: We live in the greatest country on the face of God's created earth, period. And, because of this, I will gladly pay my taxes while being very opinionated about the process itself and how the funds we pay are misused. That's the way I see it. Feel free to see it your way. My way. Your way. What could be more American than that? Now, get out there and see what you can do to help reduce the tax burden on old people, and, know that I are one. May God add His blessings. Amen.