FRIDAY CONGA

[Nancy]

I have a q. About tax - how much do I need to put in a saving acct. To avoid payong taxes next yr. I am thinking apx. Amount Does any one know?

Wa. Does not do those but Idaho neighboring state does. Drat.

[Harmony]

Nancy, I don't think that's a one-size-fits-all question...isn't the amount one must save different for everybody and depend on what tax bracket or adjusted income figure you end up with? Also, can your DH change his W4 and have more $ withheld from his checks weekly?

I've got my fruit hat on today. Hit the ground running to make up from yesterday.

Bunch of desk chores done. All dailies done. A LOL washed and hung up, this one's my longest chore for laundry as all the little stuff, socks etc. go on a rack and I hang up a busload of white tshirts to dry on plastic hangers. I made a whole big crockpot of beef stew, lotsa chopping and ran out to garden to bring in 2 big green peppers to include. Took the compost out when I went out.

I'm tethered to the house today as we're waiting for a/c guy to stop by for key to jobsite...

Oh, I remember those mimeograph machines. I did a club newsletter on one, ours was the hand-crank variety, and oh, yes, a manual typewriter too!

I have some more conga to do around here but I am going to slow down a bit and take breaks.

I hope blessed is ok and did not have any ill effects of the tornado yesterday.

Kathryn, did your itchiness come from the salt air? Salt on my skin from the beach makes me itchy.

[Nancy]

I called the bank and you can start a med acct with $5 & a $ 2,000 max. For Ida. Not wash.
so I got some info. Harmony thanks for the good thoughts I already mentioned to h to change deductions.( Everyone is scrambling. ) It is tax season this is the latest we have ever done this. It goes up every year too so the med acct. Seemed like a solution that was simple quick and the most painless.

Unfortunately h. Thought emergency $ was ment for property taxes! So I need a diff. Plan for my meds. He can do his. We have never had to pay in so wonerering if they can do e check instead of snail mail, h is going to have to take some time off work mon. To deal with this as I am not so good at getting the explaining part accomplished. We are getting some back from state but they are so slow! We knew this was coming so we were prepared.

[Harriet]

Noon CCI challenge check-in
Sweeping and pick-up through the house, additional cleaning of the soda-pop-spin surprise spots, Morning Dailies. Kidney Foundation called and says they'll be here Tues a.m.

HRH is at home today, mowing the yard.

[blessedw2]

hi! thanks for thinking of me... makes my heart warm.
We were hit with tons of rain and lightening but not like Fairfield which is 1 hour away from us. So we were in the safety area. My niece goes to school right between Rochelle and Fairfield and it missed the university there. So she was safe and the school was so good about watching out for the kids.
It was really bad in Fairfield - no one is allowed back in their town and they don't have a tornado warning system. I called my brother and his family was fine - no damage - he is an hour north of Rockford in Wisconsin.

Wishing you all a wonderful day.

[Harmony]

Nancy, I have more questions than answers about all this tax stuff. We're a corporation and have to do that and personal income tax. No state tax here. That's why I get everything together and dump at CPA's. Cheap insurance to keep us out of trouble! When we had more income I made quarterly estimated payments. Sent in a coupon and a check. I had thought the Health Savings Accounts went by-by with Obam. Care. I thought they did away with the tax deduction for that. Perhaps I'm wrong, I hope maybe Twins can weigh in on all that.

More tidying up around here. Mail had a big fat insurance bill in it. Yuck.

Blessed, sure glad to read you and your family are all ok.

[Elizabeth]

Hi everyone! I am so COLD. Cold outside, cold in my office, cold cold cold. Just sent an email asking how to get the heat back on. And gosh was that fast! Apparently the state of NM buys us under the desk heaters and they are kept with the pens, pencils, paper, and other office supplies. Strangely, they will buy expensive heaters, but not kleenex.

Last night was Girls' Night Out with DD13. It consisted of dinner and homework at the Chinese restaurant. Her other family is going to the chicken keeping friend's house for dinner this weekend and she is dreading it. She witnessed the attack (and others) and does not want to go into the yard. Which would be ok, except the hostess insists on everyone eating on the patio to enjoy the yard (barnyard?). I do NOT enjoy eating there and will suggest restaurant dining in the future with her.

I should have worked on the church website after that. Did I? Nooooo. Got sidetracked by computer Scrabble. Better than mindless reruns, I guess. I have so much work to do on that, plus many other pending household chores. The weeds are returning. I didn't order those, send them back.

Booksaver: I am sure that everyone in our village can do the roof work I did. Re-tarring is exactly like icing a cake, except that you don't have to be concerned with how it looks or how it tastes. Applying silicone is the same as using a large glue gun. Can't change the fact that it's high up though.

Kathryn: Word of warning on those non-drowsy antihistamines. They make my stomach queasy, though the regular formula causes no problems. Don't know if this is common.

[DeeClutter]

Remember the mimeograph machines, and the worksheets for school and the smell of them?

Oh how I remember them, Twins. I worked as our church's (up north) secretary for 27+ years. Back when I started, for many years, that's what I had -a mimeograph machine and stencils. My addressing mode was a Dick addressograph which was cranked manually for each address card. Used to take me hours to do a newsletter and other publications. Moved 'up' to a commodore 64 in the late 80's and that again took me forever. Then thought we'd moved to heaven when we purchased a gateway 2000. None of them anything like now.

[Nancy]

Idaho where h. works across the river has med savings but not where we live. So will be brainstorming other ideas like changing deductions @ h's work.

Back from town store run done. We walked at the fishing hole.
ToddlerN is now with her other granny. She was impressed with the potty -hand washing bell ringing routine I came up with for here.
Lunch is done.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Elizabeth: I've been on non-drowsy antihistamines since they were developed and never had tummy troubles. I commonly take one on arrival in any new place since I'll probably be allergic to something, I just don't know what. This protocol is after a bad trip to Austin where pollen levels were way high and I didn't know and couldn't figure out why I couldn't walk a block without having to stop in an A/C business. Now, as I arrive by plane or ship, I take a pill.

That being said, I've forgotten to take one yet today.

Working on the sermon but it is pulling teeth right now. Service is 1/2 done (major prayers to write, music and minor prayers picked/written.)

The hockey game tomorrow is significant so is being broadcast at our arena (it is an away game for the team.) We'll be going to that so I don't have tomorrow to write the service. I'm also doing the readings and pastoral prayers at the morning service (since I have to do it in the afternoon, it is little extra work and helps out the lay-leader at our church.)