I will say that going ….

I will say that going through those tax return files as I did was like sitting in a time machine. It was so great to relive the moments when I bought my first house.

I was working in an office and making fairly good money, but Uncle Sam was taking more of it than I would have liked, so I asked my tax lady what to do.

She said, “Buy a house and live in it. Then you will have a deduction!” So that’s what I did, and I learned a lot about buying a house.

In the 1980s, I got a commission from a local construction company, and I painted a mural on two of their office walls.

They paid me $800 for the job, which, at the time, I thought was a fortune.

The mural was a huge job, and took me a month. I should have asked for twice the amount, but who knew?

It was a learning experience, and of course, I listed it on my tax return as income. It was fun to think of it again.

I strolled down memory lane as I shredded each file.

The rest of the files in my old filing cabinet pertain to the selling of my mom’s house after she died (which was 20 years ago) and other files that I can’t bear to throw out.

My daughter will have the joy of throwing all these files into a dumpster when the time comes. I am glad I won’t be around to protest.