Columns/Opinions

By Jo Price

This is no April Fools joke. . . it is cold outside this Monday morning.

Guess old man winter is not entirely through with us yet. The pecan trees have really been putting on leaves, but the old mesquite trees are just now beginning to put on some green, but not all just a handful, so we could still be in for some more cold. Keep your fingers crossed, hoping to not lose fruit on some of the early blooming fruit trees.

Bonnie Millican reported that the bluebonnets and the wild flowers are outstanding this year, even some of the yucca are blooming, but could use some rain. She reported that people all along the road to Fredericksburg were stopping and taking pictures. The flowers around the churches and hills are beautiful.

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After fighting a battle with eye surgeries and the Shingles (not the kind you put on the roof), but the kind that make you want to climb the walls, Jo has decided to pick up the pen again. So if for any reason you have a visitor, or have gone on a trip, thinking about planting a garden, throwing someone a birthday party, or just a party, have a thing about your neighbor (heaven forbid), send me an email at joretta@centex.net or call the only Price in the Bend Phone book.

Any kind of gossip will do. You would be surprised how many people like to know what you have been up to or have done. Can’t write it if you don’t tell it! For lack of news, it is sometimes better to just make up some sort of wild story--heehaw!

I hate to say it but I spent most of my spring break huddled up on the couch under a blanket. I had so many plans, but none of them came to pass. I did clean out some closets, wash floors and get rid of clothes that I had not worn in some time.

It was not until Saturday that I was able to get out and get some yard work done. It’s amazing how quickly weeds grow. Grass is an entirely different story.

I went and had my last colonoscopy done on Friday. It is done; I have a clean bill of health.

It’s time to put out the hummingbird feeders. I saw a post from the birders that someone had already had a visit from one of the little fellows. I bought a really cute glass one that I am anxious to put out.

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A lot of folks seem to think that the natural landscape or habitat isn't beautiful enough or interesting enough or different enough so they "improve it" by introducing exotic or non-native species. Some of these introductions are indeed harmless and create no significant problem in the native habitat other than taking up space that native species might otherwise occupy. And, here I am talking about both plant and animal species.

But the problem is that we usually don't know enough to predict the effect a given exotic species will have on a particular native environment. Here is an interesting story to illustrate the point.

You probably know that several years ago wolves were re-introduced into Yellowstone National Park. Until wolves were exterminated in the earlier part of the 20th century, they had been part of the Yellowstone natural habitat for hundreds, probably thousands of years.

I sprang all my clocks forward, but I didn’t notice a spring forward in my steps. I am intending to accomplish a multitude of chores that have needed help for months now. The Indian Wells tournament is underway, and I intend to watch as much as possible and still get the tasks done. I can wash windows while watching tennis through the clean glass.

My chickens have arrived thanks to Donna Taylor. They are lovely black and white striped creatures. I remarked to Donna that they were big enough to escape the hawks, but she laughed and said they were no match for the big hawks. That puts them in danger for sure. Of course, the more immediate danger is old Fuzzy. I’m not sure how that is going to work at all. They may have to be removed to the orchard, or he may have to be penned up during grasshopper season.

Lyndon Johnson said that back in 1947, before he ever went to Washington. He was right back then and it is still true today. And, where does the first raindrop fall? On the land. And, in the Hill Country, the land generally means rangeland.

So, what is on the land, or what is not on the land, and its condition makes all the difference in the quantity and quality of the water available to us all. Here is why that is.

If you are not self-employed, Social Security taxes are typically taken out of your paycheck automatically. You and your employer each pay a 6.2 percent Social Security tax on up to $132,900 of your earnings and a 1.45 percent Medicare tax on all earnings in 2019. You don’t have to do anything extra for the coverage you will one day receive because your employers handle the deduction as well as matching that contribution. Then they send the taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and report your wages to Social Security.

If you’re self-employed, the process is a little different. You report your earnings for Social Security and pay your taxes directly to the IRS when you file your federal income tax return. You pay the combined employee and employer amount, which is a 12.4 percent Social Security tax on up to $132,900 of your net earnings and a 2.9 percent Medicare tax on your entire net earnings in 2019.

The IRS reminds taxpayers to look into whether they need to adjust their paycheck withholding. Taxpayers who do need to adjust their withholding should submit a new Form W-4, Employee’sWithholdingAllowance Certificate to their employers. Taxpayers can use the updated Withholding Calculator on IRS.gov to do a quick “paycheck checkup” to check that they’re not having too little or too much tax withheld at work.

Among the groups who should check their withholding are:

• Two-income families

• People working two or more jobs or who only work for part of the year

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Hello dear San Saba friends! Well I survived mom’s weekend away! I actually had a fairly decent time with dad and he pretty much devoted his time to me as if he had turned into mom! If I did go out to dachshund jail, he came right out there with me; yep, he imprisoned himself! Of course, there we were in dachshund jail while mom was enjoying gorgeous NYLO Hotel in Irving. . . having an outrageously luxury experience with an amazing, accommodating staff and incredibly great amenities!

I have to say I did miss being hand fed my boiled egg, but if I am being honest I am nitpicking the point of eating my egg is to get things in my mouth and into my tummy. Dad slices it up and puts it in a bowl; whereas mom and I sit on the couch and she breaks off little bites and I eat it over a paper plate from her fingers. I suppose I feel a bit of a king with mom's way.

Dear Editor:

I am writing to thank San Saba residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season.

Because of the generosity of donors in San Saba and across the United States, Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse, collected more than 8.8 million shoeboxes in 2018. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2018, the ministry is now sending more than 10.6 million shoebox gifts to children suffering from poverty, natural disasters, war, disease and famine.

These simple gifts bring smiles to the faces of children around the world. Packed with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items, these gifts bring joy and are a tangible expression of God's love. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 157 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.