Callaway County

Never Too Early to Make a Will

By Sarah Hinds

If you have property or assets, it is never too early to make a will.  When you die without a will, state law determines who inherits your property, and it might not end up where you would like it.

If you have no spouse or children, your property will go to your parents or siblings.  If no relatives can be found, your property will go to the state.  If you are involved in a domestic partnership, your partner will not receive any of your property after your death unless you have a will.

Making a will does not have to be difficult or expensive.  Nolo.com, a legal self-help web site, offers information about how to write or change your will without the help of a lawyer.  Look at your will every year in order to make sure it is up-to-date with your life

Check beneficiary designations on all your financial accounts to make sure they agree with your will.  Sometimes, the beneficiaries you named on brokerage accounts, life insurance policies, mutual funds, or IRAs can supersede those named in a will.

Keep your will in a safe place—in a shared bank safe deposit box or at your lawyer’s office.  Let your family know where your will is, to save them needless hassle during a difficult time.

Clear About Air Bag Use?

Nearly everyone accepts the importance of wearing seat belts in cars.  The same cannot be said for the use of air bags, however.  Here’s some information that may be helpful.

It’s true that air bags have caused some fatalities and injuries.  At the same time, they have saved many more lives.

Be aware that air bags provide protection only in a frontal collision (some cars now have side air bags).

Even if your car has air bags, a seat belt is always your first line of defense.  A seat belt could also save you from possible injury from a deployed air bag.

Beware of All Those ‘Smoothie’ Calories!

Blenderized fruit smoothies may seem like a healthy choice but they tend to be very high in calories: as many as 550 for a 24-ounce drink—or nearly twice as many calories as your average fast-food milkshake.

Because smoothie recipes vary widely, it helps to know precisely what ingredients are being blended in the drink you are ordering.  You might ask these questions: Is it real fruit or sweetened concentrate? Is the drink cooled with plain old ice or does it include sorbet, sherbet, or frozen yogurt?  Be aware also of the caloric punch added by many common smoothie ingredients such as coconut, coconut cream, honey, fruit nectar, and protein powder (not to mention chocolate fudge and peanut butter).

History of Missouri

Missouri gets its name from a tribe of Sioux Indians called the Missouris.  The word “Missouri” often has been construed to mean, “muddy water” but the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology has stated it means “town of the large canoes”.

The first Europeans to visit Missouri may have been remnant of the Conquistadores, but probably were French explorers from Canada.  In 1682, Robert Cavalier Sieur de La Salle claimed the area for France.

By secret treaty in 1802, Spain returned the Louisiana Territory to control of France.  Napoleon Bonaparte, anxious to rid himself of the vast and troublesome frontier, sold it to the United States in 1803 for a total of $15 million.

Missouri was organized as a territory in 1812 and was admitted to the Union as the 24^th state on August 10, 1821.  Missouri became the second state (after Louisiana) of the Louisiana Purchase to be admitted to the Union.

People Who Love People Are the Happiest…

We live in a consumer culture that bombards us daily with the message: Buy this and you’ll be happy.  Or if only you could win a million dollars, all you troubles would be over.

There is the “dark side of the American dream”—the desire to strike it rich comes at a high cost emotionally.

Apparently, affluence itself is not the problem.  It’s wanting affluence above all else that has been associated with greater anxiety, depression, and a lower sense of well-being.

Pursuing a goal that reflects real human needs—such as wanting to feel connected to other people—turns out to be more beneficial psychologically than spending your life trying to impress other people with your material wealth.

The happiest people are those who love what they’re doing, value close relationships, and contribute to their communities.

Adapted from Work & Family Life, Vol. 15, No. 4, April 2001

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	Callaway County Extension callawayco@missouri.edu Last update: 03/16/12