Durable power of attorney for financial

A financial power of attorney is a good document to make for yourself, but it can also be a great blessing for your family. If you become unable to decide for yourself and you haven’t prepared a durable power of attorney, a court proceeding is probably inescapable. Your spouse, closest relatives, or companion will have to ask a court for authority over at least some of your financial affairs.

A durable power of attorney for finances — or financial power of attorney — is a simple, inexpensive, and reliable way to arrange for someone to manage your finances if you become incapacitated (unable to make decisions for yourself).

A financial power of attorney can be drafted so that it goes into effect as soon as you sign it. (Many spouses have active financial powers of attorney for each other in case something happens to one of them — or for when one spouse is out of town.) You should specify that you want your power of attorney to be “durable.” If you don’t, in most states, it will automatically end if you later become incapacitated.

Or, you can specify that the power of attorney does not go into effect unless a doctor certifies that you have become incapacitated. This is called a “springing” durable power of attorney. It allows you to keep control over your affairs unless and until you become incapacitated, when it springs into effect.

When you create and sign a durable power of attorney, you give another person legal authority to act on your behalf. This person is called your agent or, in some states, your attorney-in-fact.

Commonly, people give their agent broad power to handle all of their finances. But you can give your agent as much or as little power as you wish. You may want to give your agent authority to do some or all of the following:

use your assets to pay your everyday expenses and those of your family
buy, sell, maintain, pay taxes on, and mortgage real estate and other property
collect Social Security, Medicare, or other government benefits
invest your money in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
handle transactions with banks and other financial institutions
buy and sell insurance policies and annuities for you
file and pay your taxes
operate your small business
claim property you inherit or are otherwise entitled to
transfer property to a trust you’ve already created
hire someone to represent you in court, and
manage your retirement accounts.

The agent is required to act in your best interests, maintain accurate records, keep your property separate from his or hers, and avoid conflicts of interest.

What follows is a form legal in Missouri:

missouri-financial-durable-power-of-attorney-form

Forms for other states can be found here

Psalm 107:9

Psalm 107:9

9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

Fried Rice Curry

Dressing up rice so we don’t get bored during the long haul

1 Cup White or Brown Rice (Cook this beforehand)
2 Tsp curry powder
1 Tsp pepper
1/2 Tsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp Oil
2 Heaping Spoonfuls of Peanut Butter
1 Egg
Vegetable (I use 1 lb fresh spinach. Since we’re moving to canned
vegetables, I’m going to use either 1 can carrots or 1 can green beans)
Meat (optional)

Add oil and half the curry powder, the pepper, and the ginger. Heat in skillet for two minutes.

Add cooked rice, stir thoroughly. Drain fluid and add the canned vegetable. Get the mixture hot and coated in oil. Add peanut butter and the rest of the curry powder. Mix.

Crack the egg on top of the hot rice/veg mixture. Add meat if you like (This is a good recipe to use for leftover meat)

Leave on medium/high heat till egg is cooked and meat is cooked/heated up.

Pine Needle Tea

If you are coughing, pine needles can help to make the cough more productive. They relieve congestion. They also support the immune system to do it’s job recovering from viruses and infections. Pine is high in antioxidant flavonoids including anthocyanins

Pine needle tea has significant amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, and flavoniods that make it a citrus-y flavored tonic drink to forage in winter.

Pine needle tea has a citrus-y flavor with a hint of resin. The flavor depends upon the pine or confer tree you harvest the needles from. Nibble on a few needles from several pine trees before you harvest and pick the tastiest for your tea. Save the more resinous flavored needles for making pine infused cleaning products.

Health benefits of pine needle tea

How to Make Pine Needle Tea

Prep Time: 5 minutes.
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 cup 1x

Description

Pine needle tea is a vitamin C and antioxidant rich tissane that is tonic and restorative in winter, with 4 times the vitamin C of fresh squeezed orange juice. It should be avoided, however by pregnant mothers and those who plan to become pregnant.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fresh pine needles
1 cup boiled, hot water
Honey to taste

Instructions

Remove the fresh, unblemished pine needles from the pine branches. Rinse the needles in cold water.
Using herb scissors or a sharp knife, cut the pine needles into smaller pieces. Discard the brown scale that joins the needles to the brand.
Place the pine needles in a tea strainer. Place the tea strainer in a mug. Pour boiled water into the mug, over the pine needles. Cover to inhibit the volatile oil from escaping in the steam. Steep for 5 minutes.
Remove the strainer from the mug. Add honey to sweeten the pine needle tea.
Drink while warm.

Notes

The needles of some species of pine can cause abortion in pregnant animals, including humans. Avoid drinking or eating pine needles if you are pregnant.

Be cautious drinking pine needle tea:

Some species of pine have been known to cause abortion in pregnant cattle, so if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant soon, avoid using pine needle tea.

The diuretic actions of pine needle tea can be irritating to the bladder. If you are taking other medication check with your health professional before drinking pine needle tea regularly.

Some conifers can be toxic so make a positive identification of the specific species before using it in this recipe. Avoid yew, cypress, and Norfolk pine as they are reported to be toxic.

A parable for our times

The weather soon turned cold. All the food lying in the field was covered with a thick white blanket of snow that even the grasshopper could not dig through. Soon the grasshopper found itself dying of hunger.

The Ants & the Grasshopper

In a field one summer’s day a grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. A group of ants walked by, grunting as they struggled to carry plump kernels of corn.

“Where are you going with those heavy things?” asked the grasshopper.

Without stopping, the first ant replied, “To our ant hill. This is the third kernel I’ve delivered today.”

“Why not come and sing with me,” teased the grasshopper, “instead of working so hard?”

“We are helping to store food for the winter,” said the ant, “and think you should do the same.”

“Winter is far away and it is a glorious day to play,” sang the grasshopper.

But the ants went on their way and continued their hard work.

He staggered to the ants’ hill and saw them handing out corn from the stores they had collected in the summer. He begged them for something to eat.

“What!” cried the ants in surprise, “haven’t you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?”

“I didn’t have time to store any food,” complained the grasshopper; “I was so busy playing music that before I knew it the summer was gone.”

The ants shook their heads in disgust, turned their backs on the grasshopper and went on with their work.

There’s a time for work and a time for play.