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Review Brooks & Crowley
March 2026
781-251-0555
brooksandcrowley.com
439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026
*Services Throughout Massachusetts
THE STORIES BEHIND THE GREEN IRISH ROOTS AND BOSTON PRIDE
St. Patrick’s Day in Boston is kind of a big deal. It’s not just one day where everyone puts on a green T-shirt and drinks something dyed
a tour, and our guide said he had relatives in Boston. When I asked where they lived, he said the name of my neighborhood. When he gave me their name, I knew exactly who he was talking about because they live a couple of blocks from me.
an odd color. It’s hopefully a prelude to spring, and the wearing of the green is a sign that better weather is ahead. Daylight Saving Time is behind us and sunset will soon crack 7:00 p.m. Around
No matter if I’m in Ireland or Boston, another thing that feels the same is how Irish people talk to each other. There’s a line about Irish
here, it turns into a full season. You have the South Boston parade, Irish step dancers, the boxing cards, and thousands of visitors who come from out of town. As many of you know, my parents are from Ireland. They came to America in the ‘50s, as a lot of people did back then. Growing up, their school taught one day fully in English and the following day fully in the Irish language. They did not speak Irish much around the house. As a result, the only Irish words I retained were the “choice” words I heard occasionally as a kid.
diplomacy being the ability to tell someone to go to hell in a way that makes them look forward to the trip. I have cousins who will tear into you all night long, and you still want to hug them on the way out the door. The Irish are also great storytellers, so it makes sense that my job now is mostly about stories. I stand between my clients and the insurance companies, telling the truth about what happened to them in a way people will listen to. I guess that’s also its own kind of diplomacy.
My parents were proud of where they came from, but they were also very clear that we were American. We didn’t have shamrocks on every surface at our house. They were big on work, school, and the pursuit of the American dream.
These days, I celebrate St. Patrick’s Day the same way I always have. There’s the parade, music, and lots of stories, but it mostly comes down to spending
time with friends and family. It makes me think about my parents getting off the boat and all the new families that still come to start over in Boston. Without that stream of new stories coming in, this town would be a much duller place. –Neil Crowley
I’ve visited Ireland several times. During one trip, I ran into a guy who said, “Hey, you’re from Boston. You must know my cousin Peter Sullivan.” He wasn’t kidding, but I had to laugh. Turns out, I actually did know the Peter Sullivan he was talking about. The same thing happened on the Aran Islands off the coast of Galway. We were on
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Dresses From the Sky
Parachutes Turned Into Wedding Gowns
Most wedding dresses come from boutiques or family closets. But in the 1940s, some came from the sky. During and after World War II, brides across the U.S. and parts of Europe walked down the aisle in gowns made from parachutes. Equal parts scarcity and sentiment contributed to the development of this tradition. At the time, budgets were tight. Brides-to-be faced fabric rationing, and the military got most of the nylon. A parachute offered yards of strong, clean material, making it valuable. But for some couples, the biggest draw wasn’t the fabric. It was the story tied to it. One of the most famous examples is that of Major Claude Hensinger, who was forced to parachute out of a burning bomber. The chute delivered him safely to the ground and served
as his bedding while he waited for rescue. He proposed to his girlfriend, Ruth, after returning home and suggested she use that same parachute for her gown. She hired a seamstress to construct the bodice and gathered the skirt herself using parachute cords. The finished dress, inspired by one from “Gone With the Wind,” now sits in the Smithsonian. Another bride, Carolyn Martin, made her own parachute dress after her fiancé, Chuck, survived a training flight crash. Carolyn transformed his parachute into a wedding dress using the sewing skills she had picked up in eighth grade. It is now part of the San Diego Air and Space Museum’s collection. A far more elaborate dress is stored at the National Museum of the United States Air
Force. It originally belonged to an Air Force family and was pieced together from nine parachutes used in combat. One of the most meaningful parachute dresses, though, came from a displaced persons camp in Germany. Two Holocaust survivors, Ludwig Friedman and Lilly Lax, married at the camp in 1946. To make the wedding dress, Ludwig bought a parachute from Allied troops, and Lilly hired a seamstress using cigarette rations. Two more brides at other camps borrowed their dress before it was preserved at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Parachute nylon was never meant to be heirloom fabric. But during a time of shortages and uncertainty, that’s what it became.
A Safer Start to Riding Season Early Spring on 2 Wheels
March in Boston is great. The days are getting longer, and the weather is finally starting to warm up after months of snow and slush. All this brings more motorcycles out on the road, but early spring is a rough time to be on two wheels. The roads are still salty and sandy from winter. Potholes and broken pavement are also everywhere, and a bump that only shakes a car can send a rider to the ground. Aside from the road hazards, people just don’t pay attention to motorcycles. A lot of crashes I see follow a similar pattern. A bike goes through an intersection, a car turns across their lane, and the next stop is my office. There are also plenty of accidents involving cars that merge lanes and run into riders. The driver usually claims the motorcycle “came out of nowhere.” It didn’t. They just weren’t looking.
That’s why I tell riders to treat the road like a place where someone can ruin your day, and give yourself room to react. You need to be fully aware and stay out of blind spots. Also, use your lights and wear a helmet. There’s a reason the law in Massachusetts says it belongs on your head, not on the handlebars. Many riders are also surprised by how insurance rules work. Massachusetts is a no-fault state for cars. Personal injury protection (PIP) pays some medical bills and lost wages, no matter who caused the wreck. But that coverage is excluded for motorcycles, so riders and passengers injured on a bike don’t see a single dollar of it. Health insurance may cover treatment, but there are still out-of-pocket bills and time away from work.
If you ride, take 10 minutes to read your policy. Find the lines for Medical Payments, or MedPay, and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Those are the parts that matter when the driver who hits you has bad insurance or none at all. If you ever end up on the pavement, take care of yourself first and then call me. I can fight with insurance companies and sort out coverage and fault while you focus on healing.
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responsibilities like glue prevents your body and brain from taking necessary breaks to recalibrate and reset so you can operate at peak performance. STOP TRYING TO HUSTLE HARDER Plan Smarter Instead
Do you ever wish you could accomplish more in a day? Whether you’re trying to squeeze out as many tasks as possible at work or take care of all of your chores before Sunday, it can feel like you’re always trying to maximize your productivity. But many of us feel like we fall short each day. You may think you just need to regularly refresh your coffee or eliminate every distraction from your mind to improve your productivity, but this only gets you so far. Instead, focus on incorporating strong, simple strategies into your routine. Here are three ideas to help you be as productive as possible, no matter the situation. Put a plan in place. When do you start thinking about what you need to accomplish on any given day? Too often, people wait until they face their work computer or stare at a sink full of dishes to strategize their
day. Instead, take some time before you wrap up work to establish your priorities for the following day. Before the weekend starts, figure out which chores you need to do and the best time to tackle them. Having a plan will increase your likelihood of sticking to it. Stop saying yes. How often do you say “no” to others? Many of us are people pleasers who often agree to requests, even if they exceed our capacity. Saying “yes” all the time will lead to burnout, regardless of whether it’s your boss asking you to complete a project before noon or your friends wanting to go out for the fourth night in a row. Say no, and keep your main priorities at the forefront of your mind. Take regular breaks. You may want to push through all your tasks so you can finally unwind and relax, but this could lengthen the process. Sticking to your
Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai
Have a Laugh!
Pad Thai • 2 medium zucchini • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided • 1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 1/2 red bell peppers • 3 green onions Ingredients
Sauce • 2 tbsp rice vinegar • 2 tbsp fish sauce • 3 tbsp ketchup • 1 tsp packed brown sugar • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper • 1 tsp chili garlic sauce
• 1 large egg • 2 cups bean sprouts • 1/3 cup roasted peanuts • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional) • Lime wedges (optional)
directions
1. In small bowl, combine sauce ingredients; set aside. 2. Using vegetable spiralizer, cut zucchini into noodles. 3. Heat large pan on medium- high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil (reserve the other half). 4. Add zucchini noodles; cook for 2–3 minutes. 5. Let noodles rest for about 3 minutes. Remove noodles, drain, then reheat pan.
6. Add remaining olive oil and garlic; cook 30 seconds. 7. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes. 8. Add bell peppers and green onions; cook 1–2 minutes. 9. Add egg and stir until cooked 10. Add back zucchini noodles, then add sauce, and cook for 1 minute. Then add bean sprouts. 11. Serve, garnishing with roasted peanuts, cilantro, and lime wedges as desired.
Inspired by WhiteOnRiceCouple.com
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439 Washington St. • Dedham, MA 02026
Inside THIS ISSUE
1 Boston’s Irish Heart in March 2 Brides Who Wore Parachutes
A Rider’s March Safety Check
3 The Productivity Upgrade You Didn’t Know You Needed
Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai
4 A Quick Guide to This Month’s Events
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Boston’s March Highlights Wine, Music, and a Parade
March sits in the odd space between winter and spring, but Boston doesn’t wait for perfect weather to have a good time. St. Patrick’s season brings parades, music, and plenty of reasons to get out of the house for a few hours. Here are a couple of ideas if you are looking for something on the calendar this month. Sip and explore at the Boston Wine Expo. On March 7 and 8, the Boston Wine Expo returns to the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. The event brings together more than 100 wineries under one roof for a weekend of tastings, classes, and
Patrick’s Day weekend shows at MGM Music Hall at Fenway. It’s part of their “People in the Pit” tour, and you can expect loud guitars, singalong choruses, and a crowd that treats it like a holiday tradition. For a more seated version of Celtic culture, Symphony Hall hosts “Celtic Night: A Tribute to Brian O’Donovan and A Celtic Sojourn” on March 14 at 7:30 p.m. Between the two, you can go from a mosh pit to concert hall in one weekend. Join the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade. On Sunday, March 15, the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at 11:30 a.m. It starts at the Broadway T Station and winds its way through Southie. The parade draws huge crowds every year, with marching bands, local groups, and plenty of green along the route. Recent changes have focused on keeping the event more family-friendly. That makes it a good year to bundle up, take the T, and stake out a spot with friends or kids to watch the floats, listen to the music, and enjoy one of Boston’s longest-running traditions.
conversations. Visitors can sample wines from around the world, learn from producers and importers, and discover pairings to try at home. It’s a nice way to break up the late winter stretch, whether you are a serious collector or someone who wants to expand beyond your usual bottle. Turn up the volume of your Celtic music.
If March makes you reach for Irish music, you have options at very different ends of the spectrum. The Dropkick Murphys are back in town March 13–15 with their annual St.
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