My family is going through a scandal and it's ugly.....
Timeline:
1997(98)--I met my dad, T. Shaw Sr. I had prayed for a year to meet my dad. I'm not absolutely sure why I was praying to meet him, but I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that my stepdad was an alcoholic and he couldn't take care of my family. So I was searching for a real father and a friend. So I prayed to God and He answered my prayers.
It was during the summer when I was home from college. My aunt asked me if I wanted to go with her and her children on a school fieldtrip to a carnival way out past Jefferson Barracks (St. Louis area). I just said yeah, not thinking much about it. I got there and there were children everywhere. Then a man came up to me, "Do you know who I am?" I told him that I didn't know who he was. "I'm your father," he said. For a minute I didn't know what to say, so he called two children over and introduced me to them as my brother and sister. I guess that broke the ice because I started telling him that I was in college and my other sister was going to the military. My aunt was watching me the whole time. She knew who he was.
He gave me his address and phone number and I told him that I would come to see him. When I got home I told my sister and we went to see him. When he opened the door, it was like looking in a mirror. I saw my sister (my sister and I look like twins, so it was like looking at myself). He could not deny that we were his. We looked just like him. We hung out with him, his wife (girlfriend, they never formally got married). He called his mom--my grandmother and we talked to her. I made plans to visit her that summer.
Summer 1997(98)--I met my grandmother B. Manning. I had to work that summer at a summer camp on campus. I was supposed to be there on Sunday, but I told my family that I was going a few days earlier. Instead of going to campus, I drove right past to Freeport, IL. Where my grandmother lived. I spent the weekend with her. It was great except for the fact that she was a chain smoker. We played dress up. It was like I was a little girl and my grandmother was dressing me up, except I was 19. She dressed me in her clothes, dresses, and even fur coats. We made plans to see each other again later that year.
November 1997(98)--I went to see my grandmother after Thanksgiving. It was CCCOOOLLLDDD outside and the chain smoking was killing me. But, I suffered through it. I remember riding in the car with her and cracking the window so that I could breathe some fresh air. While visiting her I gave her some pictures of my sister and me. She then told me that my grandfather left and inheritance and that she wanted to make sure that me and my sister's name was in the will. I just told her okay and when the time came, I left and went back to school. I would call her periodically and we'd chitchat. Time went on and we lost touch. I moved, my dad moved, and she stopped answering her phone (darn caller ID, she didn't know my new number, so I don't think she was answering my calls because of it).
2000-2006--I would periodically use the internet to look my dad up. Whenever I would go home I would drive around to a few places that I knew my dad would hang out at. I also would go by their old place and ask around if anyone knew him. I had no luck.
August 2010--I continued to do a search on the internet using my dad's name and I came up a hit on facebook. It was my brother. I explained to him who I was and we connected. When he called me told me the bad news...grandmother died in a house fire, his mom died of a stroke a few years later, then dad when crazy, left and no one knows where he is. WOW. I was so shocked and overwhelmed with all the information I didn't know what to think or ask. We stayed in touch and I went to visit him a few months later.
August 2012--I get a call from my brother. He tells me that there is an inheritance that was left for the grandchildren. He asks for our addresses and he lets us know that the lawyer would be sending us some paperwork soon.
December 2012--I get a letter in the mail from a lawyer with information about an estate that grandmother had and a court date. The court date was in a week or so, I didn't get the letter in time because my address was wrong. I call the law firm to correct my address.
January 2013--I get another letter in the mail, but this time it has someone else's information in it. It also has my grandmother's will and some other documents. I call the law firm, tell them that I think I was given the wrong information. They said to either disregard or send it back. I copied it and mailed the paperwork back to them. I was sent information with the correct paperwork.
February 1, 2013--I decide to write a letter to my other family members that was listed as a beneficiary. I didn't know who this person was and I wanted to reach out to my family. In addition to the letter I sent two pictures of myself.
February 5, 2013--I recieve a call from my cousin as a result of the letter. I call her back and leave her a message.
February 6, 2013--I call my cousin back and she returns my call. All of the information that she gave me is a little jumbled in my head and I'm trying to make since of it all, but this is what she told me.... The house fire that grandmother died in was started in the garage (whew, I though maybe the house fire was from her smoking and falling asleep with a cigarette). My brother was possibly there at the time the fire started. The neighbors say that they saw him there, but when the police and fire department arrived he wasn't there. After the funeral, my dad too his family and left town....didn't stay around to hang out with other family members....just took his $50,000 from the insurance settlement and left town and didn't talk to the family again until years later when he moved up there. When he did move up there, he lost his mind and ended up in a psychiatric hospital. My cousin went on to tell me that my grandmother had over $200,000 in her estate and the executor of the estate (my aunt) had a gambling problem and my dad had a drinking problem. She believes that there something is being covered up and she wants the truth. She has nothing financially to gain because she's not in the will, but she said to me that my grandmother took care of her from the time she was 15 when her mother died, so she knows that there is money somewhere and someone is hiding it.
WOW
I didn't know what to say.
I told her that I would come to visit her soon. She said that there is another court date tomorrow.
I was a little rattled and shaken....
I've been planning a trip to Rockford anyway to visit a friend of mine, but I guess it's gonna be sooner than later.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
I WILL NOT DEFRAUD THE IRS
What is wrong with people??
A young girl that I mentor said that she claimed her boyfriend as a dependent on her taxes last year. She said that she told the tax preparer that he was her cousin and that she took care of him. This man was older than her. WHAT????
What tax preparer, in their right mind, would file a return for a person who made less than $3000 and that person said that they took care of all of the expenses for a grown man who was locked up for part of the year?? Who does that??
OMG, I am amazed at what people will do. I know people lie and cheat and there are bonafide thieves. But, do you realize that lying on your taxes is stealing.
Okay, Okay....
As I'm writing this, I'm thinking about how I itemized my deductions and forgot to file a certain form for my charitable deductions (it was property that I donated to local charities and I was supposed to file a certain form for property over a certain amount and I didn't realize I had to until AFTER I filed and I didn't feel like doing an amended return). I donated all of the property to lower my tax liability, but I did that legit. Of course I approximated the fair market value. I mean, how do you find out the value of a computer, two sofas and a desk and chair and television and bed?? So, I guessed and it lowered my tax liability.
But, to blatantly claim someone who is clearly NOT related to you and who WAS IN JAIL for most or part of the year is BOLD.
I say all this because I just had another girl that I mentor ask me if I could claim her. WHAT???
She's white and she just got out of jail in October. AM I A FOOL??? How in the world can I prove that she lived with me?? As a matter of fact I CAN'T have anyone live with me because of my contract as a resident manager. And spending most of the year in jail doesn't constitute you taking care of a person for more than half the year.
Yes, it would lower my tax liability, but I'M NOT STUPID!!
As a matter of fact, I AM certified by the IRS to do taxes. I will go to JAIL if I did something like this. Another thing...I was just reading over the weekend about how tax preparers are abusing the power and authority and spending years in jail and paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution to the IRS and federal government.
These people are crazy!!!
A young girl that I mentor said that she claimed her boyfriend as a dependent on her taxes last year. She said that she told the tax preparer that he was her cousin and that she took care of him. This man was older than her. WHAT????
What tax preparer, in their right mind, would file a return for a person who made less than $3000 and that person said that they took care of all of the expenses for a grown man who was locked up for part of the year?? Who does that??
OMG, I am amazed at what people will do. I know people lie and cheat and there are bonafide thieves. But, do you realize that lying on your taxes is stealing.
Okay, Okay....
As I'm writing this, I'm thinking about how I itemized my deductions and forgot to file a certain form for my charitable deductions (it was property that I donated to local charities and I was supposed to file a certain form for property over a certain amount and I didn't realize I had to until AFTER I filed and I didn't feel like doing an amended return). I donated all of the property to lower my tax liability, but I did that legit. Of course I approximated the fair market value. I mean, how do you find out the value of a computer, two sofas and a desk and chair and television and bed?? So, I guessed and it lowered my tax liability.
But, to blatantly claim someone who is clearly NOT related to you and who WAS IN JAIL for most or part of the year is BOLD.
I say all this because I just had another girl that I mentor ask me if I could claim her. WHAT???
She's white and she just got out of jail in October. AM I A FOOL??? How in the world can I prove that she lived with me?? As a matter of fact I CAN'T have anyone live with me because of my contract as a resident manager. And spending most of the year in jail doesn't constitute you taking care of a person for more than half the year.
Yes, it would lower my tax liability, but I'M NOT STUPID!!
As a matter of fact, I AM certified by the IRS to do taxes. I will go to JAIL if I did something like this. Another thing...I was just reading over the weekend about how tax preparers are abusing the power and authority and spending years in jail and paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution to the IRS and federal government.
These people are crazy!!!
Monday, February 4, 2013
Job Searching
I'm strapped for cash....Bills are not going anywhere and my income is not increasing to meet my needs.
Clothes are piled up because I don't have enough money to do laundry, my cupboards are slowly emptying, and my car is on it's last leg if I don't get some money to get it fixed. So, I've been looking for a new job. I want to stay where I am because I like it, but it's not enough money. So, I found a teaching job that will pay about double of what I make. The only problem is that my teaching certificate is expired and I have to pay $500 to get it reinstated and I have to have it reinstated before I can apply for the job. Even if I did have the money to pay for the reinstatement, it would take up to 10 days and the application states that I have to have my license expiration date. *SIGH*
Clothes are piled up because I don't have enough money to do laundry, my cupboards are slowly emptying, and my car is on it's last leg if I don't get some money to get it fixed. So, I've been looking for a new job. I want to stay where I am because I like it, but it's not enough money. So, I found a teaching job that will pay about double of what I make. The only problem is that my teaching certificate is expired and I have to pay $500 to get it reinstated and I have to have it reinstated before I can apply for the job. Even if I did have the money to pay for the reinstatement, it would take up to 10 days and the application states that I have to have my license expiration date. *SIGH*
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Pink and Red Puke
IT'S EVERY WHERE!!!
I can't go any where and not see it....all the PINK and RED PUKE!!!
In about 10 days it will be Valentine's Day and for some reason, this year I am sick of it all ready. Usually for Valentine's Day, I treat myself (as with my Bday, Christmas, or any other gift giving day) but I'm sick of it. As a matter of fact I can't remember a time when I've had an actual Valentine ON Valentine's Day. Even when me and Mister were together, we seemed to miss THAT DAY (we got together in March 2003 and was broken up before Valentine's Day 2004). UGH!!!
What in the world am I going to do? I'm NOT desperate, just a little lonely. And I want a nice date for Valentine's Day!! I don't want to look at all of the pink and red puke and be disgusted, I want to see all of the big giant stuffed gorillas and bears and be in love with LOVE!!
God, WHERE IS MY VALENTINE? WHERE IS THE MAN THAT LOVES ME?
I can't go any where and not see it....all the PINK and RED PUKE!!!
In about 10 days it will be Valentine's Day and for some reason, this year I am sick of it all ready. Usually for Valentine's Day, I treat myself (as with my Bday, Christmas, or any other gift giving day) but I'm sick of it. As a matter of fact I can't remember a time when I've had an actual Valentine ON Valentine's Day. Even when me and Mister were together, we seemed to miss THAT DAY (we got together in March 2003 and was broken up before Valentine's Day 2004). UGH!!!
What in the world am I going to do? I'm NOT desperate, just a little lonely. And I want a nice date for Valentine's Day!! I don't want to look at all of the pink and red puke and be disgusted, I want to see all of the big giant stuffed gorillas and bears and be in love with LOVE!!
God, WHERE IS MY VALENTINE? WHERE IS THE MAN THAT LOVES ME?
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Vacation in Puerto Rico
I was in a meeting with my boss yesterday. She asked me how I was mentally. I told her that I need to rest, like I need a vacation. She then told me to take a few days off and go somewhere ON HER DIME!!
WOW, GOD IS GOOD!!
She went on to tell me that she "felt" me and she knew that I needed to rest, so she offered to pay for the hotel room and something to eat if I took a few days off. It was interesting that she was saying this because just yesterday I looked at how much time I had to take off and currently I don't have any vacation days because where I work, I don't get any vacation days until a year of service. My year doesn't mature until March, but I do have Flex Time...about 16 hours that I can use. I think I'm gonna take her up on that offer during our next holiday which is February 12. But, that's on a Tuesday, so maybe the next holiday which is February 18 which is a Monday. Maybe I'll take that Friday off so that I could have a 4 day weekend. If I did have a 4 day weekend, I'd go to Puerto Rico or maybe Niagara Falls. I wonder what the weather is like this time of year down south. I know up north, it's cold, but think Puerto Rico maybe nice and balmy this time of year. Hmmmmm.....
I'm making all these plans and I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY. Grrrrr. I know she said she would take care of the hotel and food, but I need to cover transporation and any other "vacation stuff" I may need. I HATE BEING BROKE!! How can I go on vacation when I don't even have money to wash my clothes or buy groceries or buy deordorant or, or, or....... *SIGH*
So, maybe February is out of the questions....let's look at March. I may be able to save up a few dollars by then. The only holiday in March is on March 29 for Good Friday. Can I last that long??? I'm exhausted. Like, I don't need to be driving, exhausted. I doped up on caffeine this morning, but now the sleep is hitting me and I'm going to be working until 9 tonight on a project for work. UGH!! What am I going to do??
I REALLY need to sleep. At least I'll have Saturday so that I can spend all day in bed. Which I WILL DO. I'm not gonna answer the phone or nothing. I will be MIA on Saturday....
So, I guess a Staycation it is...
WOW, GOD IS GOOD!!
She went on to tell me that she "felt" me and she knew that I needed to rest, so she offered to pay for the hotel room and something to eat if I took a few days off. It was interesting that she was saying this because just yesterday I looked at how much time I had to take off and currently I don't have any vacation days because where I work, I don't get any vacation days until a year of service. My year doesn't mature until March, but I do have Flex Time...about 16 hours that I can use. I think I'm gonna take her up on that offer during our next holiday which is February 12. But, that's on a Tuesday, so maybe the next holiday which is February 18 which is a Monday. Maybe I'll take that Friday off so that I could have a 4 day weekend. If I did have a 4 day weekend, I'd go to Puerto Rico or maybe Niagara Falls. I wonder what the weather is like this time of year down south. I know up north, it's cold, but think Puerto Rico maybe nice and balmy this time of year. Hmmmmm.....
I'm making all these plans and I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY. Grrrrr. I know she said she would take care of the hotel and food, but I need to cover transporation and any other "vacation stuff" I may need. I HATE BEING BROKE!! How can I go on vacation when I don't even have money to wash my clothes or buy groceries or buy deordorant or, or, or....... *SIGH*
So, maybe February is out of the questions....let's look at March. I may be able to save up a few dollars by then. The only holiday in March is on March 29 for Good Friday. Can I last that long??? I'm exhausted. Like, I don't need to be driving, exhausted. I doped up on caffeine this morning, but now the sleep is hitting me and I'm going to be working until 9 tonight on a project for work. UGH!! What am I going to do??
I REALLY need to sleep. At least I'll have Saturday so that I can spend all day in bed. Which I WILL DO. I'm not gonna answer the phone or nothing. I will be MIA on Saturday....
So, I guess a Staycation it is...
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Her Dream
A young girl that I mentor told me this dream...
She was 8 months pregnant and she got into a fight with another girl. She really beat the girl up and the girl got mad and decided to take a knife and and start to slice her up. She was protecting her belly and in the midst of it, she called me on the phone screaming about this girl that was slicing her up. I hurried to her rescue and took her to the emergency room and was screaming to them that she was pregnant and bleeding all over. They hurried to get her treatment.
As they were taking her back for treatment I saw the other girl that she was fighting. The girl had managed to write an account of the fight in a diary and I went to get it from her to go to the police. As the girl was getting ready to hand me the diary, she stabbed me in the stomach and proceeded to stab me, but I started praying and as the girl was stabbing me, nothing was harming me because I was praying....
Then she woke up.
She was 8 months pregnant and she got into a fight with another girl. She really beat the girl up and the girl got mad and decided to take a knife and and start to slice her up. She was protecting her belly and in the midst of it, she called me on the phone screaming about this girl that was slicing her up. I hurried to her rescue and took her to the emergency room and was screaming to them that she was pregnant and bleeding all over. They hurried to get her treatment.
As they were taking her back for treatment I saw the other girl that she was fighting. The girl had managed to write an account of the fight in a diary and I went to get it from her to go to the police. As the girl was getting ready to hand me the diary, she stabbed me in the stomach and proceeded to stab me, but I started praying and as the girl was stabbing me, nothing was harming me because I was praying....
Then she woke up.
Leave That Church Girl Alone....
....She WILL break your heart!!
I wish I could tell Mister that. And any other guy who is not saved and/or interested in a relationship with God.
I grew up in the church. I was taught to pray, I was taught to read scripture. I was taught to believe in God and the power of the Holy Spirit. All of this in engrained in me. The Bible says to train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old, he will not depart. I was trained in holiness and righteousness, so as an adult, I am not/will not depart from what I've learned. I will marry a man who has been trained as I have and we will train our children.
So, when I meet a man who is not interested on God or has been taught differently from me, I know that the relationship will not prosper. I tried to tell Mister this. When we first met, I let him know that I didn't think I was interested in a relationship with him because he didn't believe like I did. As a matter of fact we would have major disagreements about what we each individually believed. However, despite this, our emotions got in the way and he fell in love with me and I claimed that I loved him. In the end he was heartbroken and I was praying to God that I could move on with my life. I loved God MORE than I wanted to be with him!! I'm still trying to tell him this now. Even though the lines of communiation are open between us, there is nothing, NOTHING, that will cause me to get back with him. There is no point...I will waste my time trying to have a relationship with him. He will be heartbroken again, if I decided to let my guards down and date him.
I tried to tell Coach this too. I remember telling him that I was a church girl. Basically, I was saying that no matter what, I love God and if you don't love Him like I love Him, then you are wasting your time.
We see how that went.
So, if there is someone who you are interested in and that person loves God, but you don't. DON'T MESS WITH THEM because they WON'T LEAVE GOD to be with you. As a matter of fact, they might leave God for a little bit, but there is something about the love of GOD that always draws them back and if you aren't willing to go with them, then your heart will be broken!!
I wish I could tell Mister that. And any other guy who is not saved and/or interested in a relationship with God.
I grew up in the church. I was taught to pray, I was taught to read scripture. I was taught to believe in God and the power of the Holy Spirit. All of this in engrained in me. The Bible says to train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old, he will not depart. I was trained in holiness and righteousness, so as an adult, I am not/will not depart from what I've learned. I will marry a man who has been trained as I have and we will train our children.
So, when I meet a man who is not interested on God or has been taught differently from me, I know that the relationship will not prosper. I tried to tell Mister this. When we first met, I let him know that I didn't think I was interested in a relationship with him because he didn't believe like I did. As a matter of fact we would have major disagreements about what we each individually believed. However, despite this, our emotions got in the way and he fell in love with me and I claimed that I loved him. In the end he was heartbroken and I was praying to God that I could move on with my life. I loved God MORE than I wanted to be with him!! I'm still trying to tell him this now. Even though the lines of communiation are open between us, there is nothing, NOTHING, that will cause me to get back with him. There is no point...I will waste my time trying to have a relationship with him. He will be heartbroken again, if I decided to let my guards down and date him.
I tried to tell Coach this too. I remember telling him that I was a church girl. Basically, I was saying that no matter what, I love God and if you don't love Him like I love Him, then you are wasting your time.
We see how that went.
So, if there is someone who you are interested in and that person loves God, but you don't. DON'T MESS WITH THEM because they WON'T LEAVE GOD to be with you. As a matter of fact, they might leave God for a little bit, but there is something about the love of GOD that always draws them back and if you aren't willing to go with them, then your heart will be broken!!
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I'm so THANKFUL!! There was something really simple and seemingly small that reminded me how much God loves me and this reminder got m...
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My identity is NOT my feelings. So even though I FEEL a certain way I have to separate that from who I AM. This is important because for a l...
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I had a dream that I needed to get some copies of a form that a friend of mine was using at her job. We will call the place The Tradition Ce...
