Life After Taxes

Benjamin Franklin said "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." I am sure glad about the taxes part.

For 10 weeks I worked 4 days a week volunteering in Tumwater and Yelm doing taxes for AARP. I absolutely loved it! I understand that many of you may think I am crazy, and maybe I am a little. Now, I do send mine in to an accountant and I am usually mailing it to him in just enough time to do an extension! I had such a great time meeting people and spending some time getting to know them.

I learned something new from every return I did. Next year I will join forces with another volunteer and we will be Co Local Coordinators in Yelm. I will also be helping out with publicity in the District.

In both places I worked with some incredible people. We all come from such different backgrounds, and yet when we are doing taxes we have something in common.

In Yelm it was the first year in several years that we had a site for AARP. Well, the IRS sent us a "secret shopper". When the return was over she told us who she was and we were all surprised. She was such a nice person and helped us a lot. So, should I bet that lightning won't strike twice in the same place?

If anyone out there is interested, I highly reccomend trying it next year. I learned a lot about my own taxes and I have been recommending credits and adjustments to all my friends.

Now that tax season is over I have a lot more time on my hands. Tomorrow I will tell you about my next "mission".

Photo Tag

1. Go to your picture folder on your computer. Go to your 6th folder and choose the 6th picture.

2. Post it on your blog and tell the story that goes with the picture.

3. Tag 6 other lucky people to do the same thing.

April 26th, 2008

We were all in Provo, Utah, for Michelle and Derrick's Graduation from BYU, so we took some family pictures. Daphne was just 4 weeks old. We each wore a shirt from the college we personally attended.

Gary: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Kirsten: Pacific Lutheran University
Jenny and Trevor: University of Washington
Michelle and Derrick: Brigham Young University
Laura: Art Institute of Seattle

We thought it would be great to pose by the bike racks because we wouldn't be a family today if it wasn't for bikes!

I tag: Jenny, Trevor, Laura, Blane, Dayton, and Daphne.

Visit from Michelle and the Kids

Michelle and her kids spent a week and a half with us here in Chehalis. I let Michelle sleep in EVERY morning, and did plenty of bonding with my grandbabies. Daphne REALLY warmed up to me this time. She spent lots of time with me, and only wanted her mommy if she saw Michelle walk by. Dayton loves our house, toys, and pets, of course.

Nana and Dayton

Our whole family journeyed to the Great Wolf Lodge near our house. We were very impressed with the lodge, and everyone enjoyed the waterpark. Jenny and Trevor came, too, but they're not pictured here.

Derrick, Dayton, Gary, and Laura
Kirsten, Michelle, and Daphne

Gary taught Dayton how to play tee-ball (a sport all my girls played when they were little). Dayton really got the hang of it!

One day, Michelle surprised me with this lovely gift! It may seem odd to you, but she knew just what I wanted. I love this new kind of Nasogel, so she brought me her extra bottle of it. Plus I've had trouble finding butter beans at all my local grocery stores lately, so Michelle brought me 6 cans from Chicago. I need these beans to make Beanslop!

I flew Michelle and the kids home last week, and I'm flying back to Chehalis today. I'm already planning when I'll be back to see them again. I love my grandchildren so much; they are so special.

It Pays to Exercise

I have been doing a lot of walking lately. Sometimes I go in the morning with a neighbor/friend of mine, and sometimes I go with Gary and the dogs.

The other day as I bent over to pick up a penny I saw laying in the street, I realized that I am up to about 75 cents and a ratchet socket wrench. I have found pennies and dimes and I just put them in my pocket; it adds up! Walking near the airport a week ago I found a wrench for Gary. He seems quite tickled to have it.

So, it pays to exercise, literally. You might not get rich doing it, but it is better than staying home, eating bon-bons and watching soap operas.

GENEALOGY

This morning I received an email from my cousin Bev Laseke in Illinois. She has been corresponding with a distant cousin in Germany, a Laseke. She sent me a copy of our Family Crest. A month ago my nephew Sam Laseke asked if I had the family crest. I thought I had it but when I looked at it I realized it was just an imitation of what a family crest would look like. If anyone has any ideas what the crest stands for let me know. Michelle thinks it is a warrior with a feather duster, meaning Laseke's are great house cleaners.

I also came across some very interesting information. The Klein Family and the Laseke Family are both from Hohnhorst Germany at about the same time. Maybe we are related! That would explain why our daughters are a little "different".

I have been on the computer a lot the past few days and I have been working on a lot of genealogy. I am trying to update the information I have as it is very easy to have a wrong date or place. I received a Family Tree from my cousin which was given to her by our cousin in Germany and she has my mom married to a Daniel Laseke, and my niece Jill as a Laseke. If you Google Laseke there is a Jill Laseke that is a realtor but it is not my niece Jill Bradley. It is a lot of fun to work on and to try and piece it all together. I have come across many Laseke's and Laeseke's that I don't know who they belong to.

My favorite part of working on genealogy is to look at the census records. They have a lot of information on them. In the early 1900's they went door to door so you could see who lived next door to the person you are looking up. It also tells where the people were born and where their parents were born. If you ever get a chance, go to the Library and look at them.

I PASSED!

On Saturday I turned in my test to certify to do Income Taxes through the IRS and AARP for the low income and elderly. I got 100% on the Basic portion and 100% on the Intermediate portion. I passed the Advanced portion, I had an inherited stock in the Short Term Capital Gain section and because it was inherited it always goes in the long term section. So 3 of my answers were wrong, but if I had it in the right place the calculations were correct. I was very nervous turning in the test because I had been studying for almost a month. I even spent a lot of my time in Chicago reading my manual and practicing on the computer.

On Monday I thought I would go to the Tumwater Library and watch someone else do tax returns. As it turns out they were short a couple of Counselors so I got to do a few tax returns. I was so nervous with the first lady. I decided I wasn't going to tell her she was my first customer or she might ask for someone else. After a few minutes I relaxed and it was just like the Practice Lab we worked on. I am working again in Tumwater on Wednesday, and Thursday and Saturday I am in Yelm. They need help in Salkum so I might go out there every other Saturday.

This is a picture of the logo on the shirt I get to wear. I am easily one of the youngest volunteers.

January Updates

Sorry, no pictures to post. If you want to see any look at Michelle's blog. I spent 2 1/2 weeks in Chicago and it was cold! It was 25 degrees below zero one day. I had a wonderful time with Michelle, Derrick, Dayton & Daphne. I also had a chance to see my sister Greer and her family, my sister Tam and my sister Jeanne. Just before I left I was so happy when I reached out my arms and Daphne reached for me. She is such a mommy's girl but I got some hugs in. I had some famous Chicago pizza two nights and I had Vienna Red Hots. For those of you that have never had those you don't know what you are missing. Greer cooked us a Laseke Family tradition meal of Rinderwurst.



We do have some good news, Gary had a sleep study while I was gone and they found he has Severe Sleep Apnea. I think I have been telling him that for a couple of years but now he knows it. He uses a CPAP machine at night and in the morning he is much more rested. I have to say that I sleep a lot better as well because he is not snoring. His blood pressure is down and everyone is happy.

I have been studying day and night to volunteer to do taxes for the Elderly and Low Income people in Olympia. I am learning a lot about deductions, IRA's, Social Security, credits etc. I have been telling my daughters about all the great credits they can take this year. I am having so much fun with it, keep your fingers crossed on Saturday when I turn in my test.

Jenny & Trevor were down for a visit last weekend, Laura and Blane are coming this weekend. It's nice to have some relaxing time with them, when they are here for the holidays it is always so busy.

THE BABIES ARE COMING! Michelle and Derrick (and Dayton & Daphne) are coming for a visit in February. They will spend the first week in Kennewick with Derrick's family, then Derrick will fly home and Michelle and the kids will stay here. I had to agree to fly home with Michelle to help with the kids so I will be back in Chicago.