TAXES

I put off doing my Income Taxes until the very last minute. Usually I had a CPA do them for me, but this year I thought how difficult can it be? So, I got the blank forms and started to fill them out.
This is the first year I am filing solo. Up until now I always got a refund, so I thought I would maybe break even this year. WRONG!!
I was in for a rude awakening.
The IRS hates single people. I thought I could file as a "Head of Household;" after all I still have the same mortgage to pay.
Problem is, Maggie the Cat doesn't qualify me.
I was appalled at how much I would owe this year and hoped I made a mistake; like maybe computing how much of my Social Security I will have to pay taxes on. So, I went out and bought Turbo Tax Deluxe, to the tune of 50 bucks plus tax. The Standard must be for 1040EZ which anyone can fill those forms out, no problem. But if you have mortgage interest to report, or more deductions than you're allowed with the standard deductions, you can't use that form.
Turbo Tax is easy, when I got through, it came up with me owing $6.00 less than when I did it myself. Turbo Tax may be more accurate, but I really didn't save anything.
This year, instead of a $500. refund, I have to pay $1,700. to the IRS. I have to pay a little to the State also, instead of my usual $300. refund. Somehow that didn't seem right, but I guess I have to trust Turbo Tax.
What a revolting development!!!

LIFE GOES ON
A couple of new Irises are in bloom. Too bad it's windy out again, not good for the flowers. Here is a picture of Captain Hook that I bought last year from Superstition Iris Garden in Cathey's Valley. I didn't see it in their garden, but picked it out from their website. I really like the color on this one. To see more pictures of my Iris flowers, see this set at flickr.

Do you have a nice wedding picture of your grandparents, parents, or other relative?
I was surprised the other day to find a note by a great-aunt's wedding picture at flickr. The note said: "The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has just set up a site for wedding fashion: www,vam.ac.uk/wedding. We would be delighted if you added this photograph." So, of course I uploaded it and you can see it at the "Museum in London" here.