Am I Alone

Please tell me I am not the only person in America who has this look this week. You know, that desk is piled so high in papers and receipts you can hardly make out the person who is sitting there look. I hate to admit it but I let it happen again, and I swore I wouldn't, I waited until the bitter end to do our taxes.

Normally I am the kind of person who gets the jump on things early, and has the taxes done by February. However this year it just seemed like other things took priority. Family visiting from out of the country, medical maladies with some of the furkids, auditions, working on music, life, stuff, and then all of the sudden it was spring break and tax time was just around the corner. Yikes!

The Mr. and I had a trip planned to visit family in Florida for Easter and as much as I wanted to get them done before we left, it just didn't happen. Why is it that sometimes as good as your intentions are when you set aside time to do something, it just seems like something always comes up last minute to interrupt the best laid plans? So here I am, the week they are due and now it's crunch time.

It wouldn't be so bad except that it's not just personal taxes for us; it's for an LLC, which can be a bit more complicated. Especially for those of us who are not you know rocket scientists by nature. So I'll be sitting here with a hot cup of happiness in my hands for the next few days organizing and adding up all the activities of the last year. Thank goodness for Dunkins' because I know one Greek Girl who will surely be "running on Dunkins'" for the next few days.

I will say it is always interesting for me to see where and how money was earned and spent. One thing I especially like to do is add up what we gave away. Some people don't necessarily give often or a lot because they think they can't make a difference. When you add it all up though, it does. I find that for me anyway, one of the best parts of the yearly taxes chore is seeing how we were able to impact the lives of others by giving in the previous year.

Back to reality, back to the job at hand. Makes me hope one of the candidates for President actually will eliminate the IRS and make it so we can file our taxes on a postcard. That would leave more time for other things we all would like to be doing instead of burning up the calculators. Oh well, one can only hope. In the meantime, if you have this crazed last minute doing your taxes look about you like I do, here's to all of us finishing on time. Happy Filing.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Call of Duty

Help me help those who have sacrificed so much.

In life we all must at some point or another decide to answer the call of duty or not.  For some that call is to be a mother or a father.  For others it's to be a teacher or a doctor. Yet there are a special few who answer the highest call of duty and that is to put their life on the line each and every day.  Some we see every day in our city streets and others live in remote places on the otherside of the world.  They wear a uniform.  They cary a gun. Most are faces we vaguely recall or have ever seen before.  They are both men and women and are young and some are older.  Many have died.  Even more have suffered the disfiguration of their body through terrible injuries forged in battle.

These men and women are the most valued men and women we have in our lives yet so often they go unrecognized.  All too often they are not paid nearly half of what they are worth.  They suffer and die for us while we live in peace and enjoy the freedoms we so value.  Because of their immeasurable sacrifices we are blessed to answer other calls, calls that many of those who serve only dream to pursue and many will never have the chance.

Each year thousands of families across this nation are torn apart and children are left without knowing their mom or dad and for some their loved ones never return home.  It's because of these amazing heros and the wonderfully huge hearts of the people who run the non-profit group, "Operation First Response" I have decided to join forces and answer a different call.  I am answering the call of giving back.

Click here to learn more about OFR

Since I could remember it has always been my passion to be a blessing to people through my music and art.  Though the call on my life is not to serve on the front lines of a battle field, it is to use my gift to enrich the lives of those who are in need.  Music is meant to make you feel something and hopefully to be inspired.  It tells a story and connects with the audience.  My desire is in doing so, through my music I can be a positive influence.

That is why I am donating 50% of all CD sales when you purchase this exclusive offer of an autographed “Two-CD Combo” including my limited edition “We The People” single and 10-Song CD “Gone” featuring the award winning song, “I Carry You With Me” that I dedicated to fallen soldiers for only $15.  Each purchase will be sent directly from me to you and will go towards helping wounded soldiers and their families through OFR.

Thank you all so much for your support and helping this organization touch the lives of countless families.  What Operation First Response is doing and how impactful they are is simply amazing.  So help me celebrate these individuals and the sacrifices they all have made by clicking here to buy your donation purchase today.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xox
www.avaaston.com