Puffs

Gosh . . . what a week!

Everyone says a person gets busy around Christmas time.

That I believe, but I have done very little Christmas related so far. I’m not sure just where this week’s letter will go, but I’ll get started with a few comments concerning the acquisition of a certain virtue, called patience. • Had a question concerning the operation of a new kitchen appliance. Called in and waited about 1 1/2 hours to even talk to someone. • Another trip was to the E R at the hospital over the weekend. Doctors and nurses were quick to see us, but then nothing for about three hours when a nurse came in to say they forgot the blood tests. Then we waited another hour and no one came in until I went out to inquire what was happening. • I know doctors are well educated, but maybe some lack a little common sense. When released from the ER, the doctor prescribed medicine and said the order was sent to the pharmacy. It took five minutes to drive from the hospital to the pharmacy, but that pharmacy was closed when we got there. A trip back to the hospital to see if we could change where we got the medicine, but all other pharmacies were also closed. (I would think the doctors might know when pharmacies close on the weekend, so maybe the patient could obtain medicine from the hospital pharmacy.) • So a trip back to Hastings on Sunday morning to the first pharmacy only to find out they had no record of receiving the prescription order. • A trip back to the hospital and after a half hour or so, it was straightened out, but . . . we had to wait for another hour as there were 34 orders in front of ours.

Patience . . .

It is a virtue a person has to work on every day.

A O

Another type of patience is earned (maybe ‘learned’) from doing picture puzzles.

I enjoy working on them and the 1,000 piece puzzle is my favorite. The one I just completed (???) was unique to me. The pieces were cut in ways I never saw before.

However, I spent a good deal of time working on it and a week ago, I felt so very good that I was down to the final three pieces.

I had two holes left out of the 998 I already put in place.

None of those three pieces fit into the two holes I had left.

However, after some searching, I found out those three pieces were exact duplicates to pieces I already had in the puzzle.

I’m usually very careful to not lose any pieces and after a careful search, I could not find any other pieces . . . any place.

This was a brand new puzzle and I never had a manufacturer send duplicated pieces. I checked with the manufacturer and found out they don’t send duplicate pieces.

Patience . . .

A O

Patience and politics ? ? ?

I’m not sure they even go together in the same sentence. As many of you might remember, I was a Democrat growing up and still have a soft spot in my heart for them.

However, I enjoyed that little bit of information released last week by former governor and senator, Bob Kerry. I understand Mr. Kerry suggested that Nebraska’s Democratic Party should search for a new state leader.

In the process Kerry asked that his name be taken off the annual fund raising banquet the Democrats hold every year. If I understood Mr. Kerry correctly, he thought the Nebraska Democratic leadership was out of step with normal Democrats in Nebraska as they embraced too many far left liberal ideas. And, the failure to elect any Democrats to state or federal offices was proof.

I wonder how poor Ms. Jane Kleeb of Hastings took that.

I’m not a fan of Mr. Kerry, but I’m less of a fan of Ms. Kleeb.

There are literally hundreds and hundreds of example of why so many Nebraskan’s may be fed up with Democrats.

One example was made known just last week. Consider all the suffering and pain caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our benevolent government authorized $1.9 trillion for coronavirus relief.

I never liked the way this was done, but it did reflect the American philosophy of caring for its sick and poor.

I wondered just how the government would be able to handle such an outlay of cash. I got part of the answer last week in a news article that said: “Nearly $35B to go toward pensions.”

Seems the Teamster Union’s pension plan was painfully short of funds to continue paying the required amounts to retirees. The Teamster’s seemed to “underfund” their program and in recent years fewer members joined the union which resulted in projected pension payment being cut by as much as 60 percent in coming years.

I don’t wish bad things on anyone, but this is similar to our president wanting you and me to pay the college expenses of so many other kids . . . other than our own.

Do you wonder why Mr. Kerry wants his name taken off the Democratic fund raising banquet?

Patience . . .

Another reason to question the need for patience, especially with the Democratic Party.

If I were going to “bargin” with the United States for any reason, I’d wait until the Democrats had control of the government.

I certainly do not bear any ill-will to the woman’s basketball player released from a Russian jail last week, but it was certainly not an even trade when the U. S. released a man responsible for more killings and mayhem in the world than most of us even know about.

And, consider back when the Democrats were in power before President Tump. We traded one U. S. soldier who had left his military position in Afghanistan and was captured by the enemy for five (5) enemy soldiers who are presently among the top fighters of the enemy.

Patience . . . if you’re is running low, I understand it. (Just how many more idiotic things is our Democratic government going to do?) However, now is not the time to give up on it. Patience is worth praying for.

A O

My final item this week considers the income tax return you will soon have to file.

This concerns retirees avoiding taxable income and is from the Lincoln newspaper:

“If you’re over 70 1/2 consider a qualified charitable distribution which allows you to gift up to $100.000 directly from your IRA to a public charity (not a private foundation, a charitable supporting organization or a donor advised fund) without having to include the distribution in your taxable income.

If you use the qualified charitable distribution, you can’t deduct the amount as a charitable contribution, but if you are lucky enough not to need the money for cash flow, a qualified charitable distribution will allow you to avoid paying taxes on the distribution, and it may also satisfy your required minimum distribution.”

If you are able, I would encourage you to consider this act to benefit the Lawrence Community Center building fund. Make the arrangements with your financial advisor or whoever is holding your IRA. Make checks payable to: Nuckolls County Foundation; on the memo line put: “Lawrence Community Center;” mail to: Lawrence Community Center, PO Box 62, Lawrence, Neb. 68957.

A O