Gardening is moving along

Yesterday the main garden underwent regenerative gardening techniques and the onions and green beans were planted. Chicken wire fence was constructed around the main garden. Today we will plant lettuces, spinach, herbs and sunflowers and that will complete the main garden. We also prepared the area where the tomato plants will be set out and that is ready. Started clearing the area where the peppers will be set out and will complete that today. The garden soil left will fill the berrybushes areas and by then we will have had enough of moving garden soil. I think my neighbour will take the rest which is not that much but still another five or six bags likely as the big yellow bag does hold a lot. I had thought I might build up the flower beds a little and grow more grass but this old person is finished with such deeds for the year. I will just enjoy what is done and next year can do the rest. This is a repeating process I think, regenerative gardening but the initial preparation does take time. Once some of it is done I rather think it will be easier the next year - time will tell. 

I have decided to no longer struggle with trying to reform the methodology of queue management at CRA and just go with the flow. You have two choices in actual fact - pay what is being requested by the 31st of May and I never could get an answer to our query which document has precedence (will the tax man demand the money on the 1st of June or shortly thereafter!) . Which has precedence -  the letter of assessment for this year which says pay your back taxes by the 31st of May or the exemption you can request every three months and this is a challenge in itself as the individuals that we have spoken to thus far actually ask why you don't just pay the taxes without looking at your case which sees this money returned to you once the re-assessment is completed.  The exemption is there if you have the desire to be calling every three months to re-enable this exemption. It is considerably less frustrating as it turns out to just pay the thousands of dollars that have been charged incorrectly all because a company hired to do the taxes did not upload the documents sent to them. I will say thankyou to CRA for contacting us that the company had failed to upload the documents but it has been a pretty frustrating for me seven months ever since trying to manage the entire thing (Imagine paying over $30,000 in US taxes and then being asked to pay nearly $20,000 on the same money here in Canada!). So we will pay and wait until the queue reaches her re-assessment (and they are working on last September apparently with her case being December) and CRA returns the money hopefully in time to buy RSPs (not too many people are made of money). Seems strange in this computer age that so little can be done. I think what amazes me is that we have a Tax Treaty with the United States that covers Canadians working in the United States and it should be easy and straightforward although the paperwork requested continues to increase  (has been so long as I was submitting the Income Tax for her (over ten years) but she was trying to save me the task and she is really busy in her job so hired a company since she is at work in the United States during tax time). There you go. I submitted 2022 and no problems just the problem from 2021 still lurking. It always involves three phone calls - one to the general line because that is the number in the letter demanding the taxes be paid by the 31st of May. Then they send you on (and this individual is very polite and understanding by the way) to the Re-assessment people who I suspect are overwhelmed by such telephone calls and perhaps somewhat blunter but when they look at it they become much kinder and they send you on to Collections to get your exemption which is as mentioned - they just ask why don't you pay your taxes without even looking. All of this is done on open cell networks where your personal information is shared because that is the only way to have the work reviewed (although they do warn you it is open and you can do something else which sounds equally provocative and rather lengthy to be honest; we didn't try that). Then you are asked where you bank at the end of the call (which feels very threatening) (all of this information is in your account at CRA already by the way and once again you share that on an open cell network)! Once the reassessment happens and if I survive all of this then life becomes normal. One remnant of the time that Prime Minister Harper was in power is the increasing attention to people claiming a foreign tax credit through the years (why go after these people? universities do not pay huge salaries!; I never could understand that and it continues under the present administration). More and more information is requested and we have a tax treaty. It shouldn't involve so much paperwork. I submit the Canadian Return along with the entire US tax return (which fortunately one has because their submission date is earlier) along with the payment slip received in the American system to CRA by courier in late April and really that should be adequate. She, probably like a lot of people, did try to find a job in Canada but that is another long story. 

It is so very important for Canadian Universities to hire Canadian graduates - I believe in diversity but how many do you need? Hire these young people coming out and don't send their talents which Canadian taxes paid to train outside of the country. My daughter loves her job and does it well and has great friends there but it should be able to happen here as well. Keep our new graduates in Canada; stop forcing them to go elsewhere to follow their dream of working in their field! It is Canadian tax dollars training them; hire them! Our universities are for the most part all public supported by our tax money. Once an individual becomes established in a research group at a university with their colleagues it is not really very easy to then leave that good working relationship and it is unlikely that you will be hired in Canada anyway it appears from stories I hear about others trying. Hire new graduates and stop wasting Canadian talent. The same thing happened in the 70s when my husband graduated with his PhD along with a goodly number of his class who also got their PhDs - not one of them got a University tenured position. Hire Canadians! stop hiring new graduates from other countries before new Canadian graduates are hired. A new graduate from another country isn't any better than our own new graduates. Hire Canadians we paid to have them trained. Universities are different as employment jobs because there is a feature of research groups and finding the best fit. I understand that; I did graduate from university but I am sure that one doesn't need to have done that to understand that it is essential to hire our own students first. I do understand the need to acquire "top" people but how many do you need? Hire Canadians first when they are new graduates; if you trained them they should be good, Right?. There off of my soapbox. On to the day.

More gardening; need to save our pennies to pay the tax man! It is a beautiful day and my daughter, who is my caregiver by the way even if she is more than a thousand miles away during her working time, and I shall do gardening. My other daughter, who is a family physician, hospitalist and emergency room physician is much too busy with all of her patients to have to worry about me at least I will not let her worry about me, should not have to have my responsibility as well. Perhaps a little less frustration will come our way as I continue keeping a home for my eldest to come home to during her research time. 

Perhaps it is the quietness of the leaves today and feeling a sense of God all around me that brings a calming feeling to me. Others in the world have so much else to worry about that my problems seem trivial and the solution, although burdensome, is there so we will move forward and put all of this behind us for the moment since it does not appear that anything can be done to speed up the system! If I was younger perhaps I would join the ranks of those seeking a Progressive Conservative party in the traditions of the party of old. Bring efficiency back and make life easier for Canadians. I did actually hear back from the Prime Minister's office and the Minister of Finance's office with regard to the idea of the CRA becoming much more computer driven (they forwarded my comments on to CRA)  to make this whole tax system more efficient (never did hear back from the MP but I am known to be a Conservative! although I have voted Liberal because I am not in favour of the descendants thus far of Prime Minister Harper). But I am old and I have a task at hand which I shall return to today once the gardening is in place! I do not like gardening for sure but it is something my daughter enjoys (as did her father) and I shall help her with that and try to make life a little easier for her as the pain of his loss still hangs heavy over her. Golfing, gardening, astronomy, bird watching and boating - all fun things she enjoyed with her Dad.

On to breakfast. 

And later in the day an email asking for money support for the Conservative Party with the sender as Past Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Although you always get a response back saying the email isn't monitored I replied anyway:

No, I do not agree. We need a restored Progressive Conservative Party to solve any problems in Ottawa. Thank you.