It just goes to show, it's always something...(Roseanne Roseannadanna)

Like, for example, taxes. It should be simple enough, right? We don't itemize, so how hard can it be?? Well, if last night is an example, pretty darned hard! We went over to Rocky Mount to get our taxes done and arrived pretty much right on time, only to be stopped by a locked door and a sign that said the place was "full". Since we were only 10 minutes past opening time, we had a difficult time believing they were full already. After checking back with the receptionist (twice), we finally got in, filled out the preliminary paperwork, and settled down to wait. We had no idea how long it would take since the place was having Internet problems...not a good sign...but hey, we'll wait, it should be up any time, right? Finally, a gentleman came in and fussed around with the computers and the routers and the what-have-yous (don't want to get too technical here), and TA-DAAAA, they had Internet! Why was it down? you ask. Well, apparently someone "moved something" and it messed things up. Go figure.

Now understand, it was already about two hours later that the Internet was restored. We were assured they would get to us "any moment now". About 20 "any moments" later, we were called over to the magic computer! Over we troop with all our paperwork clasped in our hands, we sit down, our info comes up on the screen, and we just KNEW we'd be outta there in no time! YESSSSS!!! They started entering our data, when a major snag came up about our investments. Long story short, we were unable to complete the process and our taxes STILL ARE NOT DONE. To say the least, we were not happy campers going home.

The moral of the story, ladies and gentlemen, is KNOW your investments! We thought we did, but nooooo. It didn't help that the person trying to help us didn't really know what she was doing. I think she's used to very simple tax filing and we weren't it. Hopefully, this will all be over and done with by April 15. OY.

There are some great young people in this world!

For a great example, look no further than one of the elementary schools for whom I am a substitute teacher. I was assigned to a very special girl in the 5th grade who happened to have PE on the day I was with her. The 5th graders were being given another chance to qualify for a track-and-field trip to the 4-H Center later on this spring. This girl was having trouble meeting the mile qualifications. A 5th grade boy ran with her for the ENTIRE time and helped her qualify for the field trip! It made her day, my day, the PE teacher's day...you name it! I don't think she stopped smiling the rest of the day and she told everyone she met that she was going on the field trip! What really warms my heart is the fact that a boy of this age would voluntarily help a girl meet a goal such as this. I made sure to tell him how wonderful I thought it was that he helped her. He had already met his goal and had no real reason to run again except to help another classmate realize her goal.

Another boy in this same class ran the entire mile with a fellow classmate (boy) and helped him qualify as well. I don't know if I'd be able to run a mile for myself, much less to help someone else!!

Later that same day, my special girl and I had to leave class to see the nurse. When we got back, the person sitting next to her was writing down notes from the board on this girl's behalf. She had to catch up on her own notebook after we got back. I made sure to tell her how much I appreciated her doing this.

It warms my heart and gives me hope for the future to see examples such as this. I know for every good example there are probably two bad...but let's take time to recognize and appreciate the good that all too often goes unnoticed or under-appreciated!

And that is my sermon for today, folks...

Well, here I go....

Here I am, trying to join the rest of the human race, all of whom appear to have a blog of some sort. I wanted to name mine "The Farmer's Wife" since my husband, Gill, is one...a farmer, not a wife! but naturally, that name was taken! DARN! So I picked a phrase that I saw on a bumper sticker back in the 70's - "Oboe is a four-letter word". Boy, is it ever! Try playing one sometime! They don't call it the "agony tube" for nothing!

A little background...I grew up in this farmhouse and on this farm on which we are now living, but left in 1975 to get married and move to Richmond. My sons, Jason and Justin, were born, I got divorced, and lived in Richmond until 2000, when my second husband, Gill, daughter, Carrie, and I moved back to the farmhouse. And they say you can never go home again! The boys declined to move back with us as they were in their late teens and fond of Richmond. I miss them a lot! but they are good about visiting us on a regular basis. Carrie was only 2 when we moved here, so she doesn't remember Richmond, although she's pretty familiar with it since we take her there as often as possible.

It has been an interesting experience living here after so many (25) years away...some good, some bad. It has been great living near my mother and aunt these past 10 years. It's been a surreal experience living in a house I never thought I'd live in again! We have tried to do some work - updating, redecorating, etc. - but it has been slow. We are in the process of raising chickens and we have a horse as well as the usual dog and cats. Gill has at least 32 projects he wants to do so that keeps him busy outside of the house. My current project is that I'm repainting the "old" kitchen (we have two) so we can eventually use that as the main kitchen...more room in there.

The bad part is that I still miss Richmond and my sons and friends who live there. Carrie misses her brothers as well! Twenty-five years is a long time to live somewhere and it's where I "grew up" as an adult. I also miss the shopping, my old church (the way it used to be) and just...Richmond...I know it better than Roanoke even now! I've talked to others who live here who feel the same way, which helps. I love it here, but....remember the Neil Diamond song "I Am, I Said" and the line that talks about being torn between two shores? That would be me!

Well, enough of the maudlin. I think this post is long enough for a first time - everyone is probably asleep by now. Will write more later.