Tax news, Mama’s overnighter, my flight and more

I met with the accountant yesterday as planned and on the way over I was praying for wisdom to pay what I thought we would owe. I was floored when he showed me a $750 return from the Federal government and almost $500 from the state of New Jersey. There was equally good news for Maggie and Victoria’s taxes. Because each of them claimed themselves and I claimed them as well – to keep them on my insurance – they each received a letter from the IRS stating that they would each have some additional taxes to pay for 2009.


Maggie’s portion is $780 and Victoria’s is $814. As it turns out, Victoria would have gotten a refund of almost $800 and Maggie would have gotten a refund of almost $500. In all, the penalty for the mistake we made will cost each of them the refund, but it will lift a burden of almost two thousand dollars from my shoulders. Thankfully, each of them is willing to forego their returns to help me correct the mistake. Ouch and Yeah at the same time!

Mama and Maggie are off with the ladies of the church on an overnight women’s retreat. Fortunately it is only a couple hours from the church so they will be away only overnight – literally. You know Mama. She agonized over the trip for days but I have the suspicion she will be glad she took the time to go after she gets there. She had the little ones all night last night so her fix is in until Monday. Victoria is keeping the three boys until their mother comes to get them this evening. So she’s doing okay too.

I am in Indianapolis tonight and will be here until Sunday the 10th. I had great flights on both legs of the journey. I only had a twenty minute layover in Dallas and I was a little worried about that flight since I had been assigned 31B. You kind of know what that means and I was praying that I could get a seat with a woman and a young child or something – anything to not be in between two “big-boned” people.

As it happened, row 31 was at the very back of the plane; the next to last row. It is right by the station used by the attendants to load their service carts. It was like having the first seats behind first class or like the exit row seating. It was great! To make it even better I was sitting by a twelve-year-old boy.

I walked about a mile and one half tonight to eat at Chipotle’s. It was sprinkling lightly as I walked but the Lord held off the rain. On the way back I stopped at Kroger’s; about ¾ mile from the hotel to get some breakfast things rather than pay seven bucks for a buffet here at the hotel. When I came out it was raining very hard with huge flakes of snow mixed in. Not good walking weather.

I waited and prayed for about half an hour and the rain stopped, the snow tapered off and I walked back without getting wet. As I look out the window, it is raining hard now.

Ain’t God good!