Tax Day

This morning I mailed the tax returns and a check for the amount due to the IRS office in Fresno. I would just like to comment that I don't understand why nearly $17,000 of out-of-pocket medical expenses only reduced the total amount due by about $3000. But at least it is a smaller amount, and it's done for another year.
In addition to today being tax day, it is also prep day for our trip to Montana. Celestina is turning 5 next Monday, so we are going to celebrate her birthday with the family. I'm excited to go to Billings, in spite of their weather report today - snow! Haven't we had enough of that this season?
I have finished the laundry, cleaned out the van, pulled the suitcases down from the shelf in garage, and managed to take apart the extra wheelchair and stash it behind the back seat in the van. We probably won't need it, but just in case...
The sun is shining! It surprises me how that simple event affects my mood. Before I moved to Seattle, I never really noticed the sun - it was just there. But here the endless march of long winter days with clouds and rain and gray skies have conditioned me to react to the yellow ball in the sky like we do with Mt Rainier: "Look! The mountain is out!" Now we can add, "Look! The sun came out!"