Don't Assume; Plan Ahead!

     The loss of a spouse is a painful experience.  No one knows that better than I.  However, while the loss of a loved one causes tremendous pain, it does not have to be devastating.  Knowing that one's spouse is with Jesus in heaven can alleviate the pain to a degree even while the sense of loss abides.  If one has had the forethought to plan ahead to avoid financial disaster, one can avoid the financial disaster that frequently strikes when one partner in the marriage is lost.  Whether the spouse stays at home to provide care for the family or goes to work to supplement the family income, the loss of that individual can be positively devastating.  In order to fill the gap either in income or at home, monetary resources are needed.     
      Planning ahead to avoid disaster in the event of death can reduce the financial pain at such a time.  The present is the best time to plan for such an exigency in order to get the best insurance rates.  Rates do not get any lower as the years pile up, and many times certain illnesses will preclude the possibility of getting insured.  I honestly thought that I would precede my spouse in death; therefore, I was not too concerned with insurance for her.  I insured myself and carried only a minimal amount on my wife.  Had it not been for social security and two gifts from the Lord's people, my family would have been financially devastated when my spouse died.  Twenty-three years later I have learned not to make such assumptions.  Preparing for the worst is always a wise decision.

Breaking my healthy eating resolution for the Super Bowl

Guest post written by Renee Sanders
 
           One resolution that I've actually been sticking to so far is healthy eating. It's always something that I try and do each year but I break about a week into it. Well, I decided that this would be the year that I'd stick with healthy eating. But I broke my resolution just for the Super Bowl party that I just hosted.
            I went all out with barbecue wings and all kinds of stuff like that. When I was online looking at some recipes, I ran across some info on debt settlement and I decided to consult that website to help settle my family's debt.
            I found a really awesome recipe for barbecue wings that I fixed and I think that everyone thought they were really awesome. But I also made sure to fill out the rest of my food spread with some football shaped cupcakes, some spinach and artichoke dip and all kinds of stuff. I also made sure to decorate my house in nice football decorations so that everyone really got into the mood.

Identity Protection

     Not too long ago the importance of protecting my identity and acquiring a periodic credit report was impressed upon me when someone tried to use my bank card number in a purchase all the way across the United States.  Although I have no firm evidence to pin anything on a given individual, I do have strong suspicions about who perpetrated this deed.  The important thing is that the attempt failed due to the alertness of an employee at my credit union.  This particular employee noticed a discrepancy in transactions where one took place on the East coast within hours of a second taking place in Colorado.  Thanks to the vigilance of this employee, that transaction was denied.  I was notified by my credit union and then I changed all my account information, including acquiring a new card.

     Since that event took place, I have come to understand the importance of being proactive when protecting my identity and financial affairs.   A simple solution to this problem is to take advantage of the availability of free credit score checks from time to time.  This is a simple means of alerting myself to any intrusions into my financial life.  Taking a few minutes now can save tremendous amounts of time, vast financial resources and a lot of emotional stress by protecting oneself from theft, either financial or identity.  My family's financial security is worth the effort to protect it completely.

   

Need an Attorney?

     Having never had a need for a criminal attorney for any matter whatsoever, I admit to thinking that criminal defense attorneys are only for those who are trying to beat a deserved rap; however, over the past year, I have rethought my position on that issue to a great extent.  I have watched many shows of "Dateline" and "48 Hours"in the last year and have seen several episodes where totally innocent people were wrongly convicted of a crime they never committed.  Most of these cases had one thing in common, the belief that this could never happen to me.  I could never be convicted for a crime I did not commit.  Unfortunately for them, they were wrong and were convicted wrongly and lost years from their lives, years they would never get back.

     A California criminal lawyer can provide protection from just that type of situation as well as help in other instances as well.  Sometimes, being innocent is just not enough; a good Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer is needed to assist in establishing that innocence.  If there is one lesson I have learned from watching some of these cases, it is not to assume anything.  Law enforcement agents can make mistakes just like anyone else, and there are even a few who will do anything to advance their careers even at the cost of another person's life.  The obvious answer to this type of situation is to retain a good defense attorney.

Renovate

traditional kitchen design by new york photographer Rikki Snyder

        One of my favorite rooms in our house is our kitchen, but my kitchen is somewhat small.  I always have problem with space, I do not have enough room for all my kitchenware and groceries; it is an agony to always re-arrange things in the cupboard and drawers.  Although I love my kitchen, I wish I had a spacious and more functional one. Since my kids are so fussy with their eating, I try to prepare a different menu every day; hence, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  As our boys continue to grow,  I have noticed that our kitchen seems to be getting smaller.  The counter is almost filled up.  My husband and I always wanted to have a nice, comfortable and roomy kitchen one day. I know that it is still winter, but spring is soon coming and then summer, a perfect time to plan to renovate the kitchen.

      Before remodeling our kitchen though, I wanted to get some ideas from which to choose.  Going online, I found a number of fantastic designs for a remodeled kitchen.  As a matter of fact, I found several designs that I absolutely loved.  Unfortunately, my kitchen's size will never lend itself to the spacious kitchen I would like, but several of the designs I saw would add a considerable amount of cabinet space and even some counter space with which to work.  The next step will be to match up with a reputable and reliable professional to do the job.  I am looking forward to my new kitchen!

Stress

It was the week of the final exam when I started to have a  throbbing headache. I took some medicine, but it didn't help much. I started to freak out  because I had books to study, word problems to practice, and papers to write. I went to school to study two days before the final. I felt okay for an hour, but after that, the headache became unbearable, so I decided to go  to the clinic to ask for two pills of  Excedrin.  The nurse in the clinic looked at me closely and started to throw some questions at me while she took my temperature and blood pressure. I heard her say,

Nurse: Your stress level is so high.
Me: Is the stress causing this headache?
Nurse:  Yes, you need to go home and take a good nap.
Me: I can't do that; I need to study. My final is in two day. 
 Nurse : You have to go home now and take a long bath. Play some mellow music that will help you relax and light some candles around the tub.
Me:  That would help lower down my stress?
Nurse: Yes.
Me: Thanks for the advice, but I just need some medicine and I will be okay again.
This time, she looked really so unhappy.
Me: The thing is, I can't take a nap.  I need to get  "A's" on my final exams.
Nurse: You will get a stroke instead of an "A" if you don't listen to me.

She was dead serious when she said it, so I just said okay. She gave me the medicine and let me go. She was probably hoping I would go home to  take that long bath in my tub with bubbles,  candles, and mellow music. I went to the library and tried to push myself to study, but the headache came back after the medicine wore off. I ended up sleeping sitting in a chair, which never in my whole life could I close my eyes in public places.

I took my final with the  excruciating headache, but I made it. It's funny because right after finals week, the headaches just disappeared. Yes, it was stress all right! I hope that I am able to handle my stress next semester.

A Real Lemon

A Real Lemon

     Eighteen years ago, I took my daughter shopping for a used car for her.  After a long search, I found what I thought would be the perfect little car, a gray Toyota.  The car was not the nicest looking automobile on the lot, but when we drove it, the car purred like a kitten.  The price was right, and I was ready to seal the deal when my daughter spied a very nice looking Hyundai that was newer and looked much nicer for the same price.  That did it!  She wanted the Hyundai, so we bought the Hyundai.  Buying that Hyundai was the worst decision I have ever made.  It was in and out of the garage and was a constant drain on my wallet.  After eight months, we gave up and traded it in for almost nothing.

     Today California has a law entitled the Lemon Law which enables a buyer to return such a vehicle as the one described above to the seller for another vehicle.  California Lemon Law attorneys will work with people who have bought cars that are "lemons" to help them get their money back or another car to replace the malfunctioning vehicle.  Certified Pre-owned cars are now treated as new cars under California Lemon law.  If I had one of these California Lemon law lawyers then who would have met with me and guided me through the process, assuming the same laws, I would have saved a bundle of money.

Your Local Pharmacy a Thing of the Past?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

     Over the course of the last year, Americans have seen corporate America constantly engaging in a money grab that is tearing away the fabric of the middle class and threatening our way of life.  As the rich grow richer and everyone else grows poorer, our citizens find themselves facing a situation never before encountered by Americans.  We have always had a vibrant middle class that has been the strength of our nation.  Suddenly, our middle class is finding options that made life easier being erased by greed.  A good example of this is what has been happening to a well respected chain of local pharmacies across our nation, Walgreens.

     Walgreens has for some years had a contract with Express Scripts that has allowed them to serve a vast number of Americans with their products and expertise.  Providing Americans with convenient locations to get their prescriptions filled and, in many cases, 24 hour service, Walgreens has filled a need for many Americans of all economic strata and ages, but this long time relationship with many satisfied clients is now threatened by Express Scripts. 

     Express Scripts acts as a middleman between employers and health providers and pharmacies.  For no reason other than the fact that Walgreens would not agree to giving Express Scripts cart blanche in determining prices and profits, they refused to renew the contract between Walgreens and Express Script, forcing many clients to leave their trusted Walgreen's pharmacist to go to other locations farther from their homes with unfamiliar pharmacists.  This has taken place despite the fact that Express Scripts already takes a much greater profit than the local pharmacies.  An ostensible reason for this action could be a gradual forcing of the American public to use Express Scripts mail order prescription service.  Eventually, this could put them in a position to dictate prices and profits at will while forcing local pharmacies into extinction.  I for one do not want to see this happen.  I take a maintenance medication that is absolutely necessary for me to function properly.  It is comforting to know that if for some reason I run out, 24 hour service is available just around the corner.  In addition to that, it has always been a benefit to be able to consult my local pharmacist to determine what type of OTC medication would best treat any given malady.

     The good news in all of this is that Americans have stood up with a resounding "no" to similar efforts by banking, phone companies and the entertainment industry with surprisingly  good results.  Walgreens is making it possible for Americans to stand strong once again by giving us an option. They are offering a special discount program,Walgreens Prescription Savings Club, on thousands of prescriptions to individuals and families at the low cost of $5.00 and $10.00 a year.  Some generic prescriptions can be purchased for as little as $1.00 for a month's supply.  We Americans need to join hands once again and let our voice be heard to bestow the American legacy upon our children by supporting our local pharmacies such as Walgreens.

     Support Walgreens and stay updated by liking them on Walgreens on Facebook and following them on Walgreens on Twitter. Encourage your readers to do the same.

2011

      2011 was a difficult year, but we saw and experienced God's amazing grace and provision. It was in the spring of 2011 when  someone broke into our home;  they took my new lap-top that was given to me the Christmas before as well as our digital camera and our one month old video camera. Two weeks later,  they came back and took our 42 inch flat screen TV. I was not bothered by what we had lost, but  I was bothered by the feeling of being violated. I knew in my heart that the people who broke into our place was capable of doing more than just stealing things from people. This  experience woke up some unwanted memories from the past, and I started to feel fear, anxiety and nervousness that was associated with my past experience. I grew up in a Christian home but was surrounded with a chaotic environment where killing, massacres and shootings were a normal thing. Seeing people carrying guns every day became a normal sight. Although I felt secure in my own home, I did not feel safe with strangers even if  I knew they were relatives. I grew up always on guard and not trusting  anyone. When I came to the United States, I started to loosen up a little bit until the year of 2011. It was dawn  when I heard a noise, a noise that I haven't heard for a long, long time. It woke me up, and I knew it was a gun shot. The shots sounded so close to our place. I got up to check where the shots had come from when I felt my husband's arm around me, and he told me to go back to sleep. I did. The next  day we learned that there were two dead men found in the street six houses from our home. Crime is everywhere, but that doesn't mean I wanted to stay in this area forever. I hope that this year is a better year. Although 2011 was a challenging year for me and for my family, we have experienced God's awesome  greatness and faithfulness in our lives. I know that my husband had struggled to make ends meet, but he did it with a lot of prayers and faith in God. God did not disappoint him. Hubby came out victorious and and overcame 2011 with a blast.

Changing Gender Roles

I attended the debate about changing gender roles. It was an engaging discussion, and the interaction between the participants was intense and lively. The first team presented their argument that women can have independence and don’t have to stay at home to take care of the kids while husbands are working to provide for the family; women can have the freedom to choose either to stay at home or to work. Women can get a job to help their spouse if they want to and should be treated with the same respect as men; after all, they are as intelligent as men,  as good workers as men, and can perform the same tasks as men. Equality works for couples, especially in this economy, helping each other hand in hand around the house like partners, supporting each other by contributing to expenses for the family. Furthermore, having two incomes makes life easier and less stressful for the husbands.     

The second team presented their argument opposing the first team. Men were created and designed to be the “MAN” and should act as such. Men should be responsible to take care of and provide for the family while wives stay home to cook, take care of the kids and support the husband.  Men don’t feel comfortable when wives are making more money than they.  It is not good for their ego as well as their image as man of the house.   A point stressed by the second team was that a woman was better at nurturing the children than a man, a point to which one man in the audience took immediate exception.  This is not necessarily true and probably hurt the second team’s argument.

I noticed that some female participants prefer their men to work while they stay at home, while others prefer to work to be able to help their husband as well as enjoy their independence.

In my observation, this is a matter of preference. There are a lot of American couples  who both work to help the family, and it is working for them; likewise, there are also many American couples whose sole provider is the husband, and it also works for them.