Weather was very warm and on Wednesday the high was 92°. People were out raking their yards and enjoying the warm weather. Friday was another hot day but Saturday we were in for a change when the high was 40° and risk of snow flurries. Yes, it was snowing when I went to church on Sunday morning, enough to leave snow around the daffodils that had been a sign of spring!
Steve and I went to Linda Spieler’s birthday celebration on Sunday afternoon. It was good to see all the people that came to help her celebrate!
Bethany and I were invited to a baby shower at Gina’s on Saturday morning. Thursday I had worked on a baby quilt starting at 1:15 a.m. and until 6 o’clock that Friday morning. When I had an interruption that I knew I wasn’t going to be able to finish the edges off, I called on a friend to see if she could help. The quilt was finished before 5 o’clock Friday and ready for the baby shower the next day. (I really appreciated the friend’s help and THANK YOU friend.)
This quilt was meant for this winter and thinking it would not be a good idea to give it on Saturday if it was going to be in the 90’s again, we stopped off and purchased a receiving blanket that could be used in warm weather. (I was going to make a couple of them but couldn’t find any flannel—so bought instead.) When Saturday arrived, the quilt I had made would have been okay because of the weather change!
We were supposed to bring a book instead of a card. I found Dr. Seuss’s “Are You My Mother?” My kids always thought the mother bird looked so stupid wearing a headscarf! Anyway, the bird hatches, falls out of the tree, and goes looking for his mother. He stops many animals and finds out they are not his mother. He does get back to the nest in time to finally see his mother!
Saturday afternoon I went to the Northwest Iowa Genealogical Society’s meeting at the Plymouth County Historical Museum with Ray Scott from Darlington, Wisconsin giving the program on the Shade family in Kingsley (relatives of his). This was the second time in spoke to this group. COVID put this presentation on hold until April 15, 2023. He brought along two of his cousins. I asked him how his milk business was coming along. He milks cows but in July is selling his herd and is just going to farm instead.
I am able to get Sioux Falls, South Dakota television stations (unless the wind is blowing too much). I was looking at “Little House on the Prairie” when the program was similar to what we are experiencing as far as assessments and taxes are concerned. There was a Russian family that had purchased land (in Minnesota where the Ingles family lived). A boy of about 10 years old could speak English while his father couldn’t—so he interpreted for his father. The father received a letter from an assessor stating that the taxes due in 30 days would be times two. If it couldn’t be paid, there would be a tax sale on the farm. All the other farmers received a similar letter. Mrs. Olson (Harriet, Little Nell’s mother) believed it was not wrong for the farmer to pay this increase even though her husband, Nels told her that their business depended on the farmer.
He handed her a letter concerning this raise even for their business. This infuriated her and when told there was going to be a meeting the next night, she told Nels they were going and she would do the talking. Very conveniently the assessor couldn’t make it to the meeting but did send a smooth talking person in his place.
The person sent called each one in separately. The Russian father was told that just because he had bought the land, he still owed taxes, no matter how much. Father and son walked away upset. Mr. Edwards was called next. He had just taken on three children that a dying mother had left behind. He couldn’t afford the raise. Mr. Ingels was next and got no where with the smooth talker. The talker said he really didn’t know much about taxes but would take down the complaints and give to the assessor. All he knew was that the land was to be re-assessed and that this shouldn’t raise anyone’s taxes—sound familiar?
Nels and Harriet were next. Harriet poked Nels and said, “Remember, I will do the talking!” She registered her complaint saying that the farmer was the one to tax, not her business. On and on she went as the smooth talker was listening and writing down. When they left the meeting, she hollered to the crowd, “If he wouldn’t listen to me, he won’t listen to anyone!” There was about 10 minutes left of the program when I was called away from the television. I wish I could have heard the last of this program to find out what happened.
It was ironic that this came on just when we are having the same thing happening to us. I guess when money is handed out to some, this money has to be replaced from some other place—like the taxpayer. The lady in Morningside had her assessment go up over 50%. When she complained that only two houses in her neighborhood had been sold, she was told that 1,200 houses are considered “neighborhood”. (That would probably be like all the houses in Marcus that would be considered a “neighborhood”.)
Iowa lawmakers are closing the gap on dueling proposals to lower Iowans’ property tax bills after a House committee advanced a property tax reduction bill on this past Thursday. A residential or agricultural property tax bill could not increase by more than 3% over the preceding year in most cases under the bill, while a commercial or industrial property tax bill could not increase by more than 8%. Improvements or new constructions on a property would lead to a higher tax bill.
Both parties are supporting this bill. The bill would not affect property assessments, but instead require local officials to lower a person’s property tax bill if the total tax bill based on the assessment rises above 3% higher than the previous year. Property owners all over saw high increases in their property tax assessment letters this year, owing to a hot real estate market and rising property values.
The bill would also lower by a dollar a property tax that funds public schools. This is from 5.40 to 4.40 per thousand dollars for most schools and direct the state to make up the $204 million difference. Lawmakers don’t want to see any artificial means of suppressing values of Iowans’ homes, but believe that there has to be some limits on the increases for people’s taxes.
Dear Abby had a writer wondering how to tell her mother to keep her comments about “tattooing” to herself. Rules at home were no piercings (other than ears) or tattoos while living at home. Writer got her first tattoo at age 22 while at college. She is now 32, has an above-minimum-wage job, and husband and she own their own home. She is planning on having more “inks” this summer.
She was advised to tell her mother that she loves her and thanks her for the beautiful body she gave her—am sorry what I have done with it, but please keep negative comments to yourself because they are hurtful.
Someday she will look at her “inks” and wonder where they have gone to. That is when someone will say, “Maybe they are those wrinkles.” I once told the kids what I thought of tattoos and added, “I was thinking of having my belly button pierced.” Their answer was, “Go for it!” I replied, “No way. I don’t want the undertaker to have his last laugh!”
I do know that if a baby had a “stork mark/track” parents were worried. I had a cousin that had to have a facial stork mark lasered to get rid of it. Then there are those don’t care how many marks they have on them. Some day they might have to think of how much money was spent that could have been used for something more useful. (Don’t think the worst of me because I don’t like tattoos—some day you might regret having your body all inked up because you wanted to have more than someone else.)
Remember in your thoughts and prayers those who have lost friends/loved ones to death, have had their lives changed, are struggling to make ends meet even though they have a job, help those who desire “wants” rather than “needs” that prestige isn’t everything and be with those who are still trying to shorten the distance between family/friends to build a bridge instead of a wall. Count your blessings.
I will close with this quote from Mother Teresa (1910-1997) Albanian Saint: “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”