Tax Time

Many people seem to dread tax time.  Sure, it’s a lot of work, but it’s also a chance to Count Our Blessings!  When you sort your receipts and bills, do you think “there’s the bill for when the sink line was clogged” or do you think “how great it was the serviceman responded so quickly and we were only inconvenienced for a little while?”  When you see a charge for a special meal, does it bring you smiles to reflect back?

There is a new display at the Penny Palace mailbox.  The theme is : Counting Your Blessings.

For a year I have been wanting to create this mailbox display, just could not figure out how to do it.  I asked at least a dozen people for ideas and for their help.  They pretty much wished me good luck with MY project.

So finally last week I told (I was too frustrated to politely request help) the Angels I needed some divine help and it was time for them to take over.

I was walking toward the grocery store, but “nudged” to detour into a UPS store.  The owner, Lori, asked if there was something she could do for me?  I shared with her what I was trying to create and she agreed to help with the printout portion of it!  She was super nice.  Kim at the sign shop helped with the fine tuning of my 5421 Tax Form Banner when I couldn’t make it look right.

Doc and I went to Home Depot to obtain wind weights for the banners.  Had originally thought of PVC pipe filled with sand and capped.  Then decided lengths of galvanized pipes would be simpler.  I asked the sales attendant the price of the pipe pieces.  It would be around $20 for those weights.  Ugggg… This already has been the most expensive display I’ve assembled.  I was standing in front of the pipes and asking the Angels what to do.   There was a closed 5 gallon bucket being used as a trash can.  Doc opened the bucket to toss his Starbucks coffee cup.  Guess what was inside?  Yup, you guessed it – four pieces of galvanized pipe in lengths I could use!  I explained to the sales guy that I was doing a Neighborhood Joy project and asked him if I might have that “trash”?  It was “trash” in the store, but “treasure” when I got home with it!

The mailbox display must resist nightly sprinklers, winds up to 80 mph, and rain.  Thus, it is fairly heavy.  Since Doc is still in no condition to do much lifting, sons Brian and Steve erected the contraption.  Note the First Blessing on the Banner – FAMILY.

Take a look at this Tax Form 5421.
See how many Itemized Blessings YOU can claim.