Look! There she is, back in her summertime spot, sunbathing on her bed in the garden. It gladdened my heart when the weather was warm and sunny enough yesterday to make this appealing to Olga. The temperature was in the high 50's and I loved seeing her warming her old bones in the sun.
This hasn't been a particularly cold winter, and we got virtually no snow -- maybe a couple of flurries. But the coming of spring still feels like a release, a time to ease and bask and open the windows and breathe. I left the back door standing open yesterday as I worked in the garden, and it was good to get some fresh air in the house.
I repotted one of those foxgloves just to the left of Olga. Neither of them are doing too well -- we always have a few that get scraggly over winter and seem to struggle into spring. I'm not sure they'll survive but I'm trying. (We have many others that look fine.)
Here's another project. The squirrels have been digging into my Asiatic lilies, uprooting the bulbs and causing a mess. I got out this old hanging basket, removed the liner and used it to cover them like a cage. (It's tied on beneath the pot.) I'm not sure the squirrels couldn't get through it if they really wanted to, but I'm hoping it will be enough of a deterrent.
Inside, I vacuumed and did laundry, and I started on our taxes. Right away, though, I realized we are missing a crucial document -- Dave's W-2! It was a bit like starting to make beef Wellington and realizing I had no beef. I could have sworn he'd sent it to me, but he couldn't find it in his e-mail and I couldn't find it either so I guess he never did. He has to download it from work and he doesn't have the necessary passwords here, so that will have to wait. I did get much of my income entered, at least, including some that came from my mom's pre-tax investments like IRAs and such. I'm dealing with 1099-R forms, which I've never dealt with before. It's a whole new world, and not a particularly fun one.
I'm using H&R Block online tax prep and they want me to pay someone to review the taxes after I'm done because of their complexity. I've never done that before but I might just go for it this year. It costs about $125. I'm on the fence.
After wrestling with Uncle Sam for while, I took Olga for a walk. We passed the new apartment buildings going up near the railroad tracks, where this big photo mural tries to entice prospective buyers. I was amused because someone drew a huge yellow mushroom cloud on the horizon beyond the windows. Dark humor! And yet, it does seem to say something about the way humans are treating the risks to our survival, whether related to conflict or climate -- we're burying our heads in the sand and shopping for well-appointed apartments. The proverbial fiddling while Rome burns.
The mushroom cloud is well done. Clever and appropriate.
ReplyDeleteI await the next photos/videos of the squirrels with their heads poking through their new feeder.
It is a relief when leaving a door open to let the fresh air and sunshine in is possible!
ReplyDeleteYes, get someone to check the details before you file the tax accounts..worth it for peace of mind.
Sometimes the bureaucratic things like tax payments seem scarier than anything to me, and also this yellow cloud.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't entirely sure that "scraggly" was a real word so checked and it is! Consequently, I cannot yell "Gotcha!" like Mr Smug. A synonym search yielded some interesting results: bedraggled scruffy unkempt. Weak matches. badly dressed badly worn dilapidated dingy dirty disheveled frayed frazzled full of holes grubby grungy in tatters messy moth-eaten shabby sloppy tacky tattered threadbare torn unclean uncombed ungroomed worse for wear. There must have been a comma shortage at the time the list was created.
ReplyDeleteThe sun shone here yesterday too but being in the East with a really cold East wind it wasn't sensible to let any spring fresh air in - hopefully soon.
ReplyDeleteSeems mushroom clouds might be on the horizon anywhere soon but my head is firmly in the sand.
Hope the squirrels cant get through
I love Olga enjoying her sun bath; makes me long for those warmer days.
ReplyDeleteAnd the mushroom cloud was a brilliant idea. Fiddling, indeed.
I love having the doors open on temperate days. at those times I wish I had a screen door to keep the flies and mosquitoes out though they aren't really a problem yet. but it is good to get fresh air in the house. we're having another day or two of winter which completely foiled my plans for outside yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThat mural picture was totally confusing until I realized it was a mural. The presence of Olga threw me.
ReplyDeleteI've always done all our taxes including complicated ones. Just keep calm and read the numbers! I wouldn't pay anyone to check If the tax people owe you they'll pay you, if you owe the tax people they'll bill you. In 60+ years I've only had one argument from them, and they conceded we were both a bit wrong, knocked down the bill considerably.
i like the photos of Olga laying out in the sun. Looks like a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteI have to work on my taxes also but it has gotten so easy to do it myself with an online program. Gathering all of the paperwork takes longer than filling out the forms.
Geez ... I thought that was an ineptly drawn big yellow tree! Well, it's still early here and the first day of DST!
ReplyDeleteOlga looks like a pup laying out in the sun 🌞!
This is the first year I haven't had to file taxes! Good luck with yours ... no comment regarding H&R!
I love seeing Olga sunning in her new bed! What did you do with her old Union Jack cushion?
ReplyDeleteIt always amazes me that you can leave doors and windows open. You lived long enough in the southern US to know that isn't an option here. (bugs, bugs, and maybe a critter)
You might want to pay since it is complex. Here in Canada, inheritances aren't taxed which is nice as I got a sizable one from my father in 2017.
ReplyDeleteA private guy does my taxes for $100.00.He sends it in after I've checked it.
ReplyDeleteTaxes. Aargh. I'm considering filing electronically this year, after last year's fiasco with the post office. I hate doing taxes.
ReplyDeleteWhen I did my own taxes, I used Turbo Tax. After the software purchase there were no other fees. Turbo Tax also prompts you line-by-line and flag errors as necessary. I always found this easy to work with. I wish our weather would warm. Olga looks very comfy in the sunshine.
ReplyDeleteMike uses Turbo Tax too - it really does help a lot. However, our taxes aren't very complicated. (Says the one who doesn't do them - ha!)
ReplyDeleteIt's gorgeous here today. I just got home from church (60th birthday celebration for the church - my 60th birthday celebration was last Sunday) & I think I'm heading outside to clear out last year's wildflowers. Any minute now. Yep.
Oh wow, that looks like perfect weather. Makes me wish I was there to do some more exploring. Olga looks quite content with the sun warming her up.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what to tell you about the taxes. I use TurboTax and they do the checking for the cost of the software. However, my taxes are not very complicated.
Those American tax forms are a pain. I receive book royalties and they deduct tax on US sales. I could send in a form (W1A?) so that they don't, but it's not worth the bother.
ReplyDeleteThat is a clever addition to apartment advertising. I do like clever protests and aren't we all fiddling while Rome burns.
ReplyDeleteGetting our taxes done is always a huge relief. It's definitely not a fun job! Olga looks so happy. Our dogs spent a lot of time outside today, too.
ReplyDeleteI use the word scraggly a lot, usually for my hair when it hasn't been trimmed for a while. Hope you can get the taxes figured out. I have many forms and pages due to retirement and investment income, plus a rental. It's $$$.
ReplyDeleteMitchell: If they do I hope I'm lucky enough to catch them in the act, because that would be amusing.
ReplyDeleteGZ: It really is such a relief to be able to "let the outside in" again!
Yael: Yeah, the yellow cloud is scariest of all, I think!
YP: Is "scraggly" not a word used in England? I had no idea that it's an Americanism.
Sue: I think we're a a few degrees warmer, being in the city.
Bob: Wasn't that brilliant?! Such effective commentary.
Ellen: Fortunately, England is a mostly bug-free zone!
Boud: I know, it is confusing. A picture of a picture is always weird-looking. I included Olga to make it more obvious that that's what it was, but I guess it didn't work. LOL
Ellen D: I also use an online program. I can't imagine having to do it all on paper -- and yet, I did, every year!
Marcia: Lucky you, not having to file! That's a milestone for sure.
Kelly: Her Union Jack dog bed bit the dust, sadly. We finally threw it away. It took her a while to warm to this new bed.
Karen: My inheritance isn't taxed, but the income from that inheritance is, if that makes sense.
Red: Well that's a good price for a professional (or even amateur) preparer!
Allison: Electronically is definitely the way to go. I've filed electronically for years and I love it.
Susan: I've used Turbo Tax before too. I only got onto H&R Block because my mom worked for them as a tax preparer (YEARS ago).
Bug: Isn't it great to get some beautiful spring weather?
Sharon: H&R Block does the same thing, but when I started entering certain kinds of forms they recommended this special check for extra money. I may or may not do it.
Tasker: Well, I don't know how much your royalties are, but I'd send in that form! You should get your money!
Andrew: It really is spot-on!
Jennifer: She was happy, and I was happy to see her happy. :)
Margaret: Yeah, at least I don't have rental income! "Scraggly" is a great word. I'm surprised YP wasn't familiar with it.
After I paid someone to do my taxes, my refund improved by about 25 percent. Worth the money to do it! I thought about Olga today as we were saying what might be final goodbyes to our kid's dog, Charlie. Rick took Charlie for a walk and let Charlie decide where to go, when to turn back -- and I was thinking of your walks with Olga and how she lets you know.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to combat the squirrels.