Tara Paustenbach

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Tara Paustenbach

Affordable legal services for all. Protect your family. Protect your business.

10/06/2026

Biblical womanhood isn’t submissive. (Thanks, Megan Tschanz)

09/22/2026

To my friends staying quiet…

“Silence is complicity because silence is consent.”
— Maria Ressa

“The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
— Edmond Burke

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
— Desmond Tutu

“If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity.”
— Albert Einstein

I understand if you work in a field where your social media is monitored and you could lose your job by voicing your free thoughts — if you work in education, for example. I love bumping into teacher friends who whisper, “I love what you post and I wish I could like and share it.” I know I tend to put it all out there (maybe more than I should), but there are ways to let the world know that you’re not in alignment with “them,” without risking your position.

Being self-employed in sales, I followed the rule of never discussing politics or religion for “fear” of losing half my audience. In 2015, I broke my own rule because my FEAR of anyone even accidentally thinking I supported the hate, division, vitriol, racism, sexism and bigotry coming out of that guy’s mouth was BIGGER than the fear of potentially losing future clients. I value my integrity far more than commissions.

I feel we are at a critical point; to achieve critical mass going in the correct direction it’s going to take all of us speaking up and speaking out … so that our kids will have the ability to speak at all in the future.

09/20/2026

“The course of history is directed by the choices we make and our choices grow out of the ideas, beliefs, the values, the dreams of the people. It is not so much the powerful leaders that determine our destiny as the much more powerful influence of the combined voice of the people themselves.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt, 1962

Step 1:

If you’re not registered to vote, GET registered - in Texas, by October 5th (no online registration —do it now to get it in the mail on time, or better yet, do it in person with a voting registrar if possible). If you have moved, changed your legal name or not voted in years, assume you need to register AGAIN as voter rolls are being purged regularly.

Step 2:

Commit to vote by November 3, no matter what! Better YET, commit to vote EARLY so you just get it done and don’t have to wait in such long lines. 💙

VOTE (DOT) ORG is where you can confirm your voter registration, get details for how to register and find where early voting and voting day locations are near you.

09/11/2026

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was in flight - headed to LAX from JAX - when our Southwest Captain came on the intercom to let us know our plane would land at Love Field in Dallas, following direct orders.

The details as to why were sketchy.

We landed.

Thousands of us slowly departed from dozens of planes. There was no commotion.

As news of what had happened in NYC started to filter in, everyone was in a daze of disbelief.

Not a single person shed an ounce of attitude.

We all picked up our luggage, and had blank stares on our faces as we heard the televisions throughout the airport.

We were shuttled on buses to random hotels - there would be no more flights until further notice.

Passengers from our plane and a couple others were taken to a brand new Radisson that was a few days from opening. We checked into rooms to stay for an undetermined amount of time.

This day, I witnessed something I’d never seen before or since: everyone kept the door to their room propped open - no one wanted to be alone; strangers walking down the hallway stopped to embrace one another without saying a word ...they just ...held each other; every room had the sound of news reporting live from NYC, with interviews, footage and everyone trying to make sense of such a horrific tragedy.

It didn’t make sense.

It never will.

To all who lost a loved one on 9/11, I send you my love.

I’ll never forget that day.

I know none of us will.

09/09/2026

I’ve worked with LegalShield since 1998 and I’m a huge fan of their services. LegalShield’s provider lawyer network includes vetted, qualified and experienced lawyers in every state for all areas of law who are dedicated to working with our members to provide an array of legal benefits and to resolve legal issues.

One area often used first by our members is estate planning!! Our estate planning lawyers prepare your complete, comprehensive Will package — Last Will, Living Will / Healthcare Directive, Power Of Attorney, Financial POA, Minor’s Trust, and whatever else is needed. They also prepare family trusts at a significant discount (though you need a Will no matter what) and lawyers can consult with you to determine what you need.

PLEASE DO NOT confuse LegalShield with “legal service plans” like Mama Bear, Legalzoom, Rocket Lawyer, etc. where you DIY your legal — with LegalShield, you work with an estate planning lawyer (in Texas, the average lawyer has practiced law 25+ years) who prepares all your docs for you so they’re done right the first time.

Plans start at $29.95/month. LegalShield covers member, spouse/partner, unmarried dependent children (living at home or f/t college away from home) up to age 26, kids for whom you’re legal guardian to age 18, and children who are physically or mentally dependent on parents are covered for life.

Additional benefits include telephone consultation on unlimited matters, contract and document review, letters and calls on your behalf if someone has done you wrong, representation for defensible motor vehicle violations, civil lawsuits and IRS audits, 24/7 emergency access and more … all included.

You enroll for LegalShield and pay monthly for as long as you wish (get a discount if you pay annually). There are no contracts … only benefits.
Most folks who enroll for LegalShield and use it a couple times keep it long-term because the value is SO strong.

See all plans, benefits and pricing then enroll securely at GoToTara.com

09/05/2026

Luca (Lize’s oldest, who we were with last week) made the news by literally jumping in feet-first to combat a crazy lady swinging a stick in an In-N-Out, saving the employees and other customers. 🤣🤣😂.

I’m so glad no one was hurt and that his swift (gymnastic and spatula) wielding skills saved the day!!! Go, Luca!!
Watch the news story here: https://ktla.com/video/gymnast-disarms-violent-deranged-customer-inside-socal-in-n-out/12137571/

09/02/2026

When you have an aspiring chef who works in a scratch-ingredient Italian restaurant learning more daily, dinner time at home becomes a lot more fun! 😋❤️🤌

Night before last, Josh made homemade fettuccini with grilled steak, last night it was homemade saffron tagliatelle à la limon… ahhh!

08/22/2026

Woke up, Lisa was still sleeping and Lize was off playing pickleball, so I made myself a butter coffee, then the ocean and her perfect air, a blanket and me had a lovely hour just … being.

08/18/2026

“The left” hasn’t changed its position since Sesame Street, Electric Company, Mr. Rogers, grade school or old-school Sunday School. I’d even say that these values USED to be shared by most everyone:

Be kind, help people, don’t judge because you never know … and love all.

Not sure what happened to a chunk of this country, except maybe right-wing propaganda media combined with weaponized evangelical churches led by closeted white supremacists who focused a lot on otherism to eventually help normalize fascism. 😞

What would Americans in 1996 have said and DONE about this state of our government? Would we ever have allowed such craziness to rule? Nah. We’d have all been in THE STREETS!!

But, like when you put a frog in room-temperature water then turn up the heat, the frog will remain there even when it starts to boil - because it’s a gradual transition - we are just watching this happen from little machines we hold and stare at all day. Smart phones may have given us more access to info and more voice to our thumbs, but I worry they’ve taken power from our legs.

06/21/2026

Today our sweet, sassy, stubborn and oh so smart doodle bug, Jack, is 11. Double ones! 🐾❤️🥳🎂

Address

Austin, TX
78701–78705, 78708–78739, 78741–78742, 78744–78769

Website

http://www.gototara.com/

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