Ireland: You'll never plough a field by turning it over in your mind.
Ouch!! When I discovered this Irish saying, it was like looking in a mirror while a truck hit me. I am a planner by nature, but that attribute can be a serious character flaw when the planning takes the place of work.
I like to visualize my actions in advance of performing them, as long taught by everyone from athletic trainers to psychologists to self-help gurus. Your thoughts become reality, as they say. Well, yes... but, at some point, thinking over how you'll plant flowers, clean up your yard, and mulch your beds must translate into three-dimensional labor.
We are now in very late March. By this time, I should have accomplished many early-spring duties that I have merely mulled over in my mind. I know where the new astilbe will be planted. I have selected spots to seed poppies now so that they'll bloom in August. And the famous March wind has died down, so there is no excuse to delay spreading mulch in fear that it will be "blown away."
The mental weight of these tasks has grown too great. Hence, I will be out in our yard tomorrow afternoon to address some of these chores IRL. Dreaming only goes so far. Please honk in solidarity if you drive by!!
States with an Estate Tax, States with an Inheritance Tax
We are just over two weeks away from tax day here in the U.S., so I thought this might be a good time to cover the taxes no one ever talks about: estate tax and inheritance tax.
In my live presentations, I like to jokingly bring up the adage "there's no escaping death or taxes." Then I smoothly transition into a discussion about: death taxes! Real crowd pleaser, let me tell you. It makes me endlessly popular.
I am neither an attorney nor a CPA. However, I would like to share this information for your own estate planning (AND so that you are not unduly surprised if/when you are responsible for a loved one's estate).
The state estate tax is usually charged based on the state an individual resides in at the time of their death; it is paid on the total estate. State inheritance tax is paid by the beneficiary, not the estate. The amount of inheritance tax is based off the relationship of the deceased to the beneficiary, with spouses and children paying less and more distant relatives paying more.
See if your state appears in the list below. The good news is that exemption amounts for estate tax are usually multi-million; the bad news is that exemption amounts for inheritance tax are rarely more than $100,000:
-Connecticut: Estate tax
-Hawaii: Estate tax
-Illinois: Estate tax
-Iowa: Inheritance tax
-Kentucky: Inheritance tax
-Maine: Estate tax
-Maryland: Estate tax AND inheritance tax (oh my!)
-Massachusetts: Estate tax
-Minnesota: Estate tax
-Nebraska: Inheritance tax
-New Jersey: Inheritance tax
-New York: Estate tax
-Oregon: Estate tax
-Pennsylvania: Inheritance tax
-Rhode Island: Estate tax
-Vermont: Estate tax
-Washington: Estate tax
-District of Columbia: Estate tax
The Location: A Square in Split
The Dish: Shrimp Risotto
In our current season of life, my husband and I are not able to travel as much as we would like. However, we get a TON of mileage from reminiscing about trips we have taken in the past. We can talk for hours about the places we've been, locals we've met, but most of all, meals we've had.
A favorite dining experience was a memorable dinner in Split, on Croatia's Dalmatian Coast. I freely admit that the ambience likely affected my perception of the meal. Picture this: an early evening in late May. Seated at an outdoor cafe table in a cobblestoned square by the famous Diocletian's Palace. Enjoying a glass of local wine while recounting the day's sights across from my bronzed husband (he tans for both of us). Swallows dart overhead as they perform their daily dusk activities. Church bells peal to mark the hour. People at neighboring tables chat in Croatian, German, and English. My meal arrives, brought by a tall, handsome waiter: a bowl of shrimp risotto, featuring fresh, local seafood. I rarely order risotto, usually finding it too heavy. But not this time! It is... simply perfect. A hint of parmesan, a light arborio rice, Goldilocks shrimp neither too large nor too small.
As the sun sets, my husband and I smile at each other. A moment of pure bliss in Eastern Europe with my favorite guy.
Come back next month for a new installment of “Best Thing I Ever Ate.”
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