Keeping track is ABSOLUTELY essential

Bookkeeping! UGH!!!  However, you must know where your money is and where it is going.  Being casual about your finances is the road to ruin.  The scripture that changed my life about finances was
Proverbs 27:23-27:
Be diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.  For riches are not forever; and doth the crown endure to every generation?  The hay appeareth, and the tender grass showeth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.  The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.  And thou shall have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens."

I realized that I didn't live on a farm, so I would have to substitute other words to my situation.  We have covered a lot of ground since, but I really do wish that I had know this information at a much earlier age.  Too soon old - too late smart!

Fresh Salsa

Sometimes I have more recipes to share than financial information, but that's the way life is.  You never do the same thing very long.

Fresh (Mexican) Salsa

(I use a small mini chopper and it works well.  I have spent the time hand chopping everything small and it taste the same - but takes longer, sigh!)

4 Roma tomatoes (cut in pieces for the chopper)
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 c. chopped green or white onion
1/4 - 1/2 c. fresh cilantro
1 T. sliced jalapeno (jar)  use fresh if you like.
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Chop to coarse consistency and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste.  Since the ingredients are fresh and salt causes it to be soupy, I put it in a strainer to drain off the juice.  The juice is awesome -  like fresh V-8.

Hope you enjoy.  Es Westmoreland  Call if you have questions  713-898-0779

Fruit Salad dressing with OJ

Several years ago, I ate fresh fruit salad regularly at the office cafeteria because it was the best tasting I had ever had.  I finally asked the cook what it was and was astounded at her reply.  "Choose whatever fresh fruit you like and cut it up for salad.  Mix equal amounts of frozen orange juice concentrate with sugar."  (Of course you use more for big salad, less for small salad.)  The citric acid keeps all the fruit from turning and the flavor is wonderful.  Such an easy way to serve fantastic fruit salad or serve as dessert.  WOW!

Sometimes the truth is hidden

Several years ago, I had something wrong with me (don't even remember what it was) and prayed for healing. It didn't happen and I was really seeking the Lord about it because His Word says that He heals us when we pray. I asked Him what was going on? I had prayed and I believed His Word and I didn't understand why it hadn't manifested. He spoke to me: "Think about a Christmas tree, He said. It's so fresh, so green and so DEAD! It shocked me. He continued, "The evil energy source has been severed and although it is not apparent immediately, just wait until the sap has gone out to the branches as it will dry up and you will see that it is dead." He continued: "Many people pray for healing and when they do not see immediate results, reconnect the sickness to the evil energy source and it looks as though they were not healed."

God is our Healer

After two Dr appointments that my heartbeats were not recovering as they should, asked Pastor Hilley to anoint me with oil and pray for me. Today I saw the Dr and it was fine. God has so many ways for us to be healed because He wants us healed. After doing a search about some of the ways God heals us, I came up with 19. A few are: speak the Word only; the laying on of hands; the prayer of faith; anointing with oil, submitting yourself to God and resisting the devil; the prayer of agreement... God is our Healer if we will let Him be. He rarely heals us the same way twice.

Yes you need Term Insurance

Charlie Brown and Lucy are on the right track - although the cost is a little higher.  YOU NEED TERM INSURANCE if you are married or married with children.  No one thinks they might not be around to raise their children, but there are statistics out there that tell us that it is a possibility.  Do you know that you can buy Term Insurance for mere pennies and provide for your family if you are not there?  The younger you are, the cheaper it is.  Usually it is a level monthly payment for 20 years.    At the end of the 20 years, you may still have kids in high school or college and still need coverage in case of emergency.  You can renegotiate your policy but for a higher monthly payment.  Do you need other insurance too?  Maybe not.  With Wisdom,  you could save or invest and have the amount of insurance you need.  How much insurance do you need for a growing family, reports say that you need about 4 times your yearly income. Shop around and set up a fence around your family.  Your family will be grateful for the peace of mind.

More on dryer sheets!

In addition to the items I listed a few days ago, These dryer sheet uses work also:
Remove pet hair
Place in vacuum bag when using to refresh the air
Remove stale scent in old books.  Place sheets in some pages and place book in ziptop bag for a few days..
Clean car windshield or remove bugs
Discourage deer from eating your trees.  Tie strips onto the branches.
Sounds (and smells) good to me.

Guilty of people watching ...

I'm a firm believer of  having a will.  Many people shy away from them because they think that they are giving permission to die early.  Not so!  Pastor Hilley says that the mortality rate for the human race is 100%.  So a will tells your family and the court who gets what.  Uncle Louie wants Grandma's old chair even though it is rickety and no one can sit on it.  Another wants the keys to your kingdom.  You may want to share things way ahead of time to reduce your "clutter" and be able to give to whomever you please.
(My solution:  if more than one person wants something, have them write their name on a paper and have a drawing.  That would be fair and square.)

There is a big fear of probate.  It only means that the court must legally change the ownership if you haven't designated. Probate costs money (probably the real fear).  Although you may not be able to totally avoid probate it is possible to set up a trust.  A trust also costs money $2000+ so that your property just passes on to those you designate.

The "people watching" part happened the other day.  I was coming out of a building near a bank and saw a parked ambulance.  A closer look showed a person propped up on a hospital bed being rolled into the bank.  I guess he waited a little too long to make some adjustments!

Where did I put the glasses?

We have moved over 40 times and I made a few decisions in setting up a new house.
1.  Put the everyday dishes all around the dishwasher - not across the room.  It is quicker and easier to unload dishwasher when you don't have to run all over the kitchen.

2.  When you first move in and don't have all the boxes unpacked (and it will be a little while before you have time to do it), stack them up in a vacant corner, put a sheet over them and place a vase of flowers on the top.  It looks as presentable as possible and you don't have to look at the clutter.

3.  If you have a mar, chip or crack on your tile floor and it will be a while before you can replace it, match up the color with paint, clean up the place and put a little paint in it.  It won't be so noticeable.  You may have to do this every so often, but it saves you money while you "get it together".

4.  In like manner, if your grout around your toilet is discolored, buy some "Wite Out" and paint it - especially if company's coming.

I know you have found suitable cover ups for problems,  let me know for my benefit too.

Money, money, money!

Every December I set the budget for the coming year.  It makes it easier after the decision is made, incorporated and it then runs on auto pilot (so to speak).  This year was colossal in setting it in place.  A long story longer:

We had a few savings accounts on auto pilot for Emergencies, Car Fund, Christmas, and extra savings.  I had wanted to edit the amounts on two accounts back in October and was advised wrongly to close the auto and reset them up.  OK, I thought.  Meanwhile we got a letter from our out of state Savings bank that they had been sold to another institution (actually a good deal as it went from .5% to 1.%).  The two remaining accounts was transferred without my doing anything.  Then came up the setting up of the new accounts.  We had to start from scratch on an application to use their bank.  Then we had to wait until the account was verified by depositing a small amount into our account to verify that it was connected to our checking account for auto transfers.  I waited and waited...finally checked and it had been accomplished two weeks ago.  Whew!  All done ( I thought).  In checking the balances, one of the accounts was low because a deposit hadn't made it through.  I finally realized that I had written the transfer in my checkbook, BUT had never executed it.

This was a steep learning curve for me as I haven't had to do this for a long time.  I wrote this to encourage you.  Do not fear the unknown.  There will always be a voice on the other end of the line to straighten you out.  We are finally back on auto transfers to our out of state savings accounts and it's only January 22!

Money, money, money!

I wrote a long post about the perils of changing banks for your auto savings.  It took a while, and then I accidently pressed the wrong button and it went to Mars.  However, I do want to encourage you to not be concerned about the paper work involved.  You will make it, and you will have your savings accounts on auto transfer.  It is so much easier to just record the amount each month rather than have to go through the motions from the bottom upAND you won't save nearly as much.  Auto keeps you saving.  You can transfer it back to your checking account if you need it, but you will do about anything to keep from tapping it.  My best to you!

Candle wax on tablecloth

I have had candle wax drip on just about every tablecloth in the house.  I used to freak out about it, but heard you could get it out.  The process?  Scrape off as much as possible and then put tablecloth face down over the sink and pour boiling water through it.  It melts the wax and it drips away.  I've used this method over the years and it works great.  Enjoy the candles ... just be sure to never leave them burning when you leave a room.

Grandma's letter to the grandchildren

January 20, 2014

Letter to my Grandchildren:

I asked JESUS into my heart when I was 9 years old and began reading the Bible.  I have pretty much read it every day since then.  It is a wonderful book, but it always seemed that it was mixed up.  It made sense, but the time line was confusing.  Was Noah and the Ark  before Joshua and the Battle of Jericho or after?  Over the years, I discovered that God has told us in
 II Timothy 2:15 to “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (and that He hides things in plain sight so we can have the thrill of finding them.

I have learned a lot and although you will have to read every day and learn yourself, I thought I would give you a simple outline so you could find what you were looking for.   When JESUS lives in your heart, God begins to open His treasure house of information. 

The Bible is the master plan for all of humanity:  rich, poor, old, or young.  The thread of
His-story unfolds in its pages.  Simple outline:  God made everything good, the devil tempted Adam and Eve to do wrong.  When they disobeyed, they were locked out of the Garden of Eden and that’s where we find ourselves.  When sin came on them, it was passed down through every generation.  No one was born without sin.  (Only JESUS was because He is God’s Son.)

Because of everyone’s sin nature, mankind is cruel, hateful and unloving.  That explains why wars are fought and people are mean to one another. 

God’s great love for the people He created could only be realized if that sin could be cancelled.  JESUS, God’s Only Son, left Heaven and was born of Mary.  Remember Christmas?  That was God’s beginning of buying us back from the devil.  The most famous Bible verse John 3:16:  “For God SO loved the world (people) that He gave His Only Begotten Son (JESUS) that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have Eternal Life (live in Heaven with God when we die).  You are  precious to God as every person is.  God wants everyone to come to Heaven, but if you still have your old sin nature, you can’t enter because God will not allow sin to mess up Heaven.

When you ask JESUS to forgive your sin and come to live in your heart, you are SAVED.  Saved means that you have received JESUS’s payment for your sin and you get to go free.  Because someone has to pay for sin, what a wonderful gift JESUS gave us.  If you don’t ask JESUS to forgive your sin and turn away from it, then you will have to pay for your own sin.  Remember no sin can come into Heaven.  God did not make Hell for people.  It was made for the devil and the fallen angels.  Since there’s only Heaven or Hell and you can’t get into Heaven, you would have to be eternally separated from God – the One who really loves you.

I think that most of you children have already asked JESUS to come and live in your heart.  I am so glad.  Each generation must pass the baton to the next generation or no one will know God’s plan to buy us back.  It’s called “The Gospel”.

The Gospel can be explained in five simple facts:

            In the beginning, God created Heaven and Earth and IT WAS GOOD!

            Because of Adam’s disobedience, sin entered the whole world

            JESUS died in our place to pay for our sin so we would be washed from sin.

            We are required to ask for our sins to be forgiven and must turn away from them.  It
            is not automatic. 

            It is our responsibility to grow up in Christ:  Read our Bible, pray and get to know
            God the Father, JESUS the Son, and the Holy Spirit of God since they all come to live
            inside of us to help us understand what He wants us to do and not do.

Pretty soon I will send you more information on where to find the Bible stories you are learning in Sunday School so you can read them for yourself.  God is so powerful that He did great miracles and they are recorded in the Bible.  Start in I Samuel 17 and read about David and Goliath – he was really scary and mean but God used a young boy to rescue His people.  There were good kings and bad kings – godly prophets who told the truth about was going to happen and lying prophets who just said words but they weren’t true.

It’s an exciting journey and I hope that you dig deep and enjoy the ride.

I love you,

Grandma 

Chip on your favorite glassware?

I have a favorite bowl that Sally gave me for my birthday.  It is unusually shaped and just asks to be chipped.  I accomplished that!  It was a little chip, but could cut you like a paper cut.  I bought very fine sandpaper and gently rubbed it until the sharp edge was gone.  Couldn't tell the difference and I can still enjoy my beautiful bowl.  Now I'm going to try to sand off the sharp edges of my teaspoons that surprisingly got put in the garbage disposal.  What a frightful sound and produced a ragged edge.  Hope it works!

Now is the time!

NOW IS THE TIME to set up the small savings accounts that you will need to protect your monthly income.  All year long there are specialized bills that we did not plan for and it is disastrous.  Take time to set up auto transfers with your bank.  You can have several savings accounts at your bank, or you can earn slightly higher interest by using an online bank.  Everything is done electronically and you only have to remember to record the transfers in your check book.  Make yourself an outline of your monthly bills and savings and when they will happen each month.  You will totally enjoy the peace that a plan can bring.

Easy Recipes

These are some of my tried and true recipes.  Simple and tasty!

                                         SALSA

6 Roma tomatoes - chopped fine
¼ c. onion – chopped fine
½ c. fresh cilantro – chopped fine
1-2 fresh garlic – chopped fine
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 small jalapena – chopped fine
salt & pepper

I use a mini chopper and chop just until each is in small pieces)
Salt is a major component – if the flavor isn’t right, try adding a little more salt.
A little cumin would be all right too.  Fresh tomatoes are juicy.  I drain the finished salsa (drink the liquid – it’s yummy!)

 

                                         GUACAMOLE
6 Avocados – mashed
¼ c. onion – chopped fine
Juice of ½ to 1 lime
1 clove of garlic – chopped fine
1 Roma tomato – chopped fine
¼ c. cilantro – chopped fine
Salt & pepper
(may add jalapena)

As in Salsa, I use a mini chopper.  I just mash the avocados with a fork.  Adjust salt.

 

                                         PUNCH
 2 c. orange juice
1-2 c. pineapple juice ( I use the little 6 oz juice cans (from a six pack)
1  12 oz frozen limeade (do not add water)
¼ c. maraschino juice
1 2ltr. Lemon-lime soda (or Sprite)

Mix juices and refrigerate until serving.  Add soda and stir.
Makes about 3 quarts of punch

 

What to do with last years papers?

It seems as if you need to save every paper in your life.  Because I don't know what I will need (and not need), I bought some small plastic tubs and labeled the year on it (keep papers 7 years).  I put bank statements, credit card statements, check stubs, etc. for each year in case I ever need to rehash old info. When it has passed 7 years, I shred the old stuff and relabel for the current year just passed.  The tubs stack in an inconspicuous place and I have accomplished what the IRS recommends.  They could even go under a bed or at the far end of a closet.  *** Be sure to keep sales slips, bank letters and repair info in their own folder in your file.  It would be hard to go through the tubs to recover these.  It's a great feeling to keep what you need without it "keeping" you.