Drenched . . . Dry . . . Drained

For the last few days, it is true -- we have been drenched. Here in Sonoma County, we have received multiple inches of rain -- which we are so glad for, but, is it enough to ward off the other "D" word for this year? We'll see, at least for this week, we did not need to water the lawns or to fill the pool.

The signs of Spring are all around us. Because of the recent rains, Dino spent endless hours longingly watching outdoors for any sign of a break in the downpour. Today it appears that there is a break and the skies are filled with fluffy clouds. The birds are relentless in their attack on the suet and seed feeders outback. Blossoms are everywhere and at times giving the pool a blanket needing to be swept clean. And the fields of mustard are in full bloom throughout the Healdsburg area. What a nice cycle!

Inside, a different story was taking shape -- the finalization (finally) of the yearly Federal and State Income taxes was taking shape. Whatever happened to the notion that with tax reform we would be sending a 5 x 7-inch card with our complete tax story intact for filing . . .

We filed on the 5th, about 12 days earlier than the deadline of the 17th this year.

When I pushed the button to "print" a copy for the records it said there were a total of 63 pages in the Federal & State returns.

I then requested just the copies of the actual forms and the total was reduced to 36 pages, a far cry from the one-page 5x7 . . .

Hopefully, the ever-present feeling of doom will be removed until the next filing season next year. The whole process never seems to get any better or less intimidating.

Another process looming in the next couple of years is the "every ten-year Federal census". There was talk at one point of having the USPS conduct or aid in the collection of information -- can you imagine loading the postal workers with that task and having a census that was accurate.

The other controversy has to do with asking a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.

The last time that a citizenship question appeared was in the 1950 census when folks were asked "where they were born" and if foreign born -- were they naturalized.

In the 1960 census, the question merely asked about "place of birth".


It will be interesting if the census does include a citizenship question -- and for what real purpose.

I look forward to two years after the 2020 census -- for the release of the 1950 census which would be the one that Gail and I would first appear. The current law does not allow for the information to be released for a census until after 72 years have passed. Two of my siblings made it into the 1940 census -- they know who they are . . .

DNA analysis and testing have been in the news a lot lately and I presume will continue to be prominent for a long time.

You know it is "hot" when the following appeared in one of my searches for DNA information:

Not only can DNA help find and identify long-lost family members and ancestors -- it could now play a role in possible future family members . . .

What other commercial uses of DNA will we see in the coming years. When I think of it this could be more controversial than any citizenship question on the census . . .

And speaking of long lost family:

The third season of this program will premiere this week, on
Sunday, on TLC.

While it mostly has to do with adoptees or biological parents searching for each other -- the process that they go through and certainly the results are great to view.

There can't be enough genealogical type shows on TV -- for me anyway.

And lastly, it was a perfect "soup week". And while we did make and consume some "from scratch" soups this week -- we did give some thought to the possibility of a "store-bought" product:

Mmm mmm good . . .

That is a bit of our week, See you all "in a few" !  😅