Coffee, Taxes and that Darn Book Review

Thanks to the wonders of tax software, Lynn-nore and I e-filed our taxes last night. Wow, it is good to have that done! When Lynn-nore started her Pampered Chef business oh-so-many years ago, we started going to H&R Block every year, but, after awhile, we began to notice that the people we were paying to ask us questions et al., were just plugging numbers into this handy database software: software we could buy for 1/8 of the cost! It even has a name: Tax Cut (and there are lots of discounts and rebates that come with it.) If you aren't filing your taxes using software, I'd recommend it -- and for those of you with money and property, there are packages that handle all the special (obtuse) deductions and stuff.

I was up late last night reading on my book-review subject: Recovering Theological Anthropology(pictured in the lower-left-hand corner of the blog.) I'm getting old. My eyes just won't stay upon past 12:15 or so these days, no matter how great the demand to "get a few more pages done." Given my emphasis on goal setting lately, I sat down and created a work-flow diagram for this review, only to discover I'm already 160 pages behind schedule! See, the thing is, I always am pushing things to the last minute, and, frankly, I hate doing that! Age is slowly making it not only more irritating but also physically impossible to put in a 2 or 3am push before a deadline. Not only, but the work really suffers. This book is a wonderfully written, beautifully argued first-work by a new professor: it could be me. I would want someone reviewing my work to care about it, at least a little. Therefore, I'd really like to avoid the sophmoric-crunch come the end of March.

On a different note, Kara has taken her first steps toward reading this week. She is beginning to recognize short words, and her mind is beginning to behold the miracle of phonics! She loves making letters, and is always asking how things are spelled. Yes, she has begun to glimpse reading as a possibility for her, and that is really exciting.

Finally, a note on the nature of giving. This morning it occurred to me how much I'm blessed by being surrounded every day by things people have given me. Whether it is pulling some socks out of a dresser given to Lynn-nore and I by my Schwegereltern (sp?; Mom & Dad Rives); putting on a shirt that Grandmother gave me for Christmas; wearing shoes Dad bought me when he was here last; preparing and enjoying some coffee on the way to work thanks to John and Kara Williams gift of their extra coffee maker and a grinder; or eating leftovers for lunch made by the hand of my sweet wife: I'm surrounded by love, good things and good people. It is a blessed thing to start out the day with the remembrance of so many!