SHEs Organized

The hot tub room is now officially decluttered and deep cleaned. DS52 and I have been having fun, lively text exchanges about all the "treasures" we've managed to discard each day. I even sent him pictures of items being tossed into the dumpster, letting him know they won’t be part of his inheritance anymore. LOL My gift to him is that he doesn't have to deal with this STUFF someday.

Over the past couple of months, I've been wondering why I can't seem to get things done like I did during the summer. I questioned if I might be getting sick. Fall break made it clear that my energy and motivation are fine. The real issue is that homeschooling and public school take up so much of my time, focus, and energy that there's not much left in my mental and physical reserves afterward. Reminding myself there is only 7 more months until DS17 graduates. >>>>tying a knot in my rope and hanging on>>>>

If you liked Blue Bloods, check out Boston Blue. I just watched the first episode and it was awesome!!

Can't wait to see Boston Blue, Cathy! I've been to a football game and just got home, so it'll have to wait (at least a few more minutes!)

Decluttering, LadyM... I STILL cannot find those folders with sad poetry, most of it in reference to OG... some to DH... oh my goodness... I do NOT want ds to have to read all that...
But if I ever do find it, I won't be able to discard it either, I fear. It brings back some good memories also. WHERE CAN IT BE???

JOY!!!
I told y'all about property tax being over twice as much as last year, right? WELL... today, eating lunch with dfriend, I was complaining about it to her, asking if hers was higher than before... and she innocently says, "You do have your homestead exemption, don't you?" (If your state doesn't do this, this is a sort of credit for the house and land where you actually live. Rental property or business property would not have this deduction.)
I said, "Well... I should, of course, I LIVE there, and I have for 40 years..."
But I came home and compared this year's tax notice with last years and guess what --
LAST YEAR -- the three parcels where I live ALL had "H4" beside "Exemption."
This year -- NOTHING.
So I went straight to the courthouse and asked about it, telling them that I was afraid it was too late to change it... but they said, no, we can run that through again.... and I left owing approximately $1700 where the original bill had been almost $4000!!!
I immediately called dfriend and told her THANK YOU!!! That an angel put her in my path today.
I knew we had an (extra) exemption while dh was living because they also give you an exemption after you turn 65... but I just assumed that they "knew" I still LIVED here, that that part was automatic. However, when the name changed to mine instead of his, the computer dropped all his exemptions.
Wow. I was so thrilled. I went ahead and paid it today. I was planning to wait until some money came in at the end of the month (savings bonds that will mature) but I thought, I've got it, I'm here, let's get this over with! WHEW.

LucyLee, I'm so glad your DF was able to help you. I'm interested in property type taxes ATM, as there is talk of our government abolishing the council tax (based on property values in 1990) and changing it to something based on the price when it was last sold. As ever, they really haven't thought it through. My DT PM lives in a Victorian terraced house that was bought by her great grandfather for around £500 (yes, you read that right!). Since then it's been passed down through the generations, but has never been sold. It's probably worth about £270,000 today. So under the proposed scheme, the difference between what she would pay and someone who just bought their (identical) house in her street would pay would be watering. It's would be similar but not so extreme in our street, between those who have lived there almost every since the houses were built around 45 years ago, and those who bought their houses in the last year or so.