Gratitude Sunday

Nicky2 Comments

Today:

  • I’m feeling: great.
  • I’m listening to: the soundtrack of the Tudors’ series.
  • I’m thinking of / wondering why:  new things, new opportunities.

 I’m looking forward to: seeing my friend who’s visiting from home on Tuesday.

  • I’m learning to/practicing to/working on/embracing: accept that I can’t do every single thing but I can do something.  Whatever that something is, I must do it with all my heart.
  • I’m enjoying: working on HPKCHC project.  It’s not a hard project, but as a lace newbie, it’s teaching me patience.  Growing okra on my fire escape.  Flowering succulents (never mind the dirty window; building management is working on the building facade).  Just being.

 

Okra

 

Flowering succulents

  • I’m creating: socks, a baby blanket, flourless cookies and a lace scarf.
  • I’m grateful for: the two people at the NY Office of Taxation and Finance who helped me with this issue last week.  I’ll know next week what the outcome is.   A surprise thank you gift from a co-worker.  He gave it to me as a “thanks I appreciate all you do” type gift.  It’s an over the shoulder Ghanian print bag.Ghanian print bag

My baby brother celebrating another birthday.  My mom feeling better from her emergency room visit.  An invitation from my cousin to visit her in Philly two weekends from this one.

  • Around the house are: balls of yarny goodness everywhere.  I want to craft all the time now so I have yarn in my bedroom, living room and if you let me at it, I might put a basket outside my kitchen.  LOLOL!

In my kitchen: baked catfish,  roasted sweet potato and kale.

  • I’m planning later in the coming week to: finish my Big Lace scarf.  Spend a day with my friend visiting from home. Make a trip to the library. Transplant my aloe vera plant.  It’s too big for the pot it’s in.  Continue watching the Tudors’ series.  Re-read one historical account of the development of the Christian church.  The reviews are mixed so I’m interested in really coming to my own conclusions.  Really putting in some workout time.
  • My quote/verse for the upcoming week is:

source

  • I’m wishing you: the very best of Sundays and a wonderful week ahead.

 

$3882.90

Nicky11 Comments

…. that’s what I came home to yesterday.   A bill from the NYS Office of Taxation and Finance.

I tried to be good.  I really did.  But when I looked at my return, I lost it!  I filed late (as usual) and was happy to see that I didn’t owe.  As a matter of fact, they owed me $175.00.  But in the typical scare tactic way they operate, they ignored $3421. of the $5700 I paid in taxes, slapped me with a penalty and interest to say that I owed them close to $4000.00.  Then on top of that gave me two weeks to pay the total or incur more charges.  They ignored my total taxes paid on my return and on my filing application.  So now it’s time for me to do the song and dance with them to get them to reverse the charges and pay what they owe me.  That should be interesting.

I’m not going to lie, I wanted to cry.  So badly, I got a headache.  But I was more angry than my need to shed tears.  Especially since I felt singled out for no reason.  A mistake they made turned around to be a tax liability with a fight I don’t need for me.  On top of all the shenanigans I have going on at work already.

I remembered part of Kate’s comment on this week’s selection for Music Monday — “a simple message and hard to follow!”  Yes indeed.  I felt crushed and just all around ticked off.  My first thought really was — where would I get $4000 to pay them in two weeks?  I felt that despite my efforts to maintain a positive attitude it seems like life is determined to keep relentlessly sucker punching me.  Then I was gently reminded of  — Phillipians 4:6 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;”   Well okay then … I got told.  😀

So I asked for forgiveness for the not so nice words I said aloud and in my mind, then I sat down to do what I know would calm me down — knit.  Me on the couch, still in my work-clothes, 160 stitches of garter, adding to the rows I already done on the train ride home.

388290

This is the beginning of the Purl Soho Easy Baby blanket I’m doing for my coworker’s son.

I breathe deeply, then felt God telling me that everything is going to be okay.  Because a tax bill of $3882.90 that I don’t owe ain’t nothing for God to handle.  Shoot, even if I did owe it, He’d find a way to help me pay.  So there NYS Office of Taxation and Finance!    Take that, you dirty rat!  😛