Check out our November newsletter!
LYN’S LEDGER
Lyndon Thomas Insurance
November 2023
We Help You With Medicare.
BE INTENTIONAL THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Life in general, and the news media specifically, directs us to negativity. What’s wrong, who’s bad, what’s missing, the next catastrophe or three — it’s never-ending! Add to that the excess commercialization of our holidays. Even All Hallows’ Eve is trivialized! Stores compete to be the earliest to get Christmas decorations out for sale. To be sure, there is a lot in our beautiful but broken world that needs to be worked on. But we need a break from the bad news from time to time and refocus on what’s good and beautiful in the world around us. That’s why I appreciate Thanksgiving so much. Food advertisements and a few decorations aside, it is a time relatively free of commercialization. It’s a specific time of year serving as a reminder that gratitude is essential to spiritual and mental well-being — a holiday that reminds me to smile and say, “I appreciate you!” The effect of a simple yet genuine “thank you” is life-giving. To genuinely say, “Thank you,” and mean it blesses others. Recognizing the presence of another person and affirming their contribution to your life and well-being focuses our minds and hearts outward and upward. More than a century ago when she was a teenager, my grandmother kept a daily journal she called, “My Three Blessings.” At the close of each day, she recorded a blessing she had received from God, a blessing she received from someone else, and a blessing she had been able to give to someone else. Most of her blessings were the usual daily things easily taken for granted. The clouds were pretty that day. Someone spoke kindly to her. She was able to help a neighbor with a chore. Since childhood, she trained herself to express gratitude. The
last half of her life, when I knew her, remained true to the pattern established in the first. Everyone who knew Ruth Connor loved her in return. Whether it’s in passing at the checkout counter, more involved with a service person who comes to our home, a family member we’d rather critique, or someone we really enjoy, step it up. Imperfect as they may be, find something for which to express gratitude. All of us are feeling the pressure, but there’s one group of people in our lives who may be under more stress than most. Your health care providers are under more regulatory pressure and stress, understaffing, and moral compulsion than ever before. Please consider extending the Thanksgiving season to your next doctor’s appointment. Offer a genuine expression of gratitude, something like this: “I understand that you are under a lot of pressure these days, but I want to take a moment just to say, ‘Thank you for choosing the medical profession, and in an imperfect system, being my doctor and caring for me. I appreciate you.’” And so you don’t forget any of them, have your health care questions written down so that you don’t waste any of that precious five and half minutes you have with the doctor. If you do that, your doctor just might say, “Thank you!” back! In the midst of Annual Enrollment Period, and on behalf of the fantastic LTIA team, I remain your grateful insurance agent.
www.LT-ins.com –Lyn Thomas
1
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Lyndon Thomas Insurance
SAY GOODBYE TO CHRONIC CLUTTER — USE THE CORE 4 METHOD TO TRANSFORM YOUR HOME!
If you’ve attempted Marie Kondo’s famous “spark joy” approach to decluttering but still have too much stuff, you might want to try the CORE 4 Method designed by professional organizer Kayleen Kelly. Kelly specializes in tackling “chronic clutter” and designs her techniques to work for everyone , including people who are neurodivergent. Her CORE 4 Method has earned her millions of online fans because it includes just four steps anyone can follow to purge clutter! Here’s how it works. Step 1: Clear Out — First, choose one room of your home to work on. Then, grab a trash bag and several sturdy boxes. Use the bag to collect trash like food wrappers or broken items you never got around to
repairing. Then, look for things that belong in other rooms of your home and toss them into the boxes, using a different box for each room. If you’re working in your office, for example, move extra sweaters to your bedroom box and the spare hammer to your garage box. Then, put the boxes in their corresponding rooms to deal with later. Step 2: Categorize — Sort everything left in your room into categories. In your bedroom, you might have one pile for clothes, one for shoes, and another for hobby items. Step 3: Cut Out — Assess the storage in your room and use that space to calculate how many items you can keep from each category. For example, if you have a category of books, figure out how many will fit on your bookshelf. That’s how many books you can keep! Then, choose a category and go through it item by item. Kelly recommends using the “3 Second Rule”: Give yourself three seconds to decide if each item is a “Yes’’ or a “No,” and consider anything you hesitate on a “Yes.” Repeat this cycle until you have the right number of items in each category. Step 4: Contain — Stash each category of items in its designated storage space. Kelly suggests keeping “like” items together and ensuring your regularly used things are easy to access. These four steps can help you tackle even the most cluttered spaces. With help from a few friends, you can organize an entire room in a single day!
WHEN FAME MEETS INHERITANCE: ANNE HECHE’S LEGACY
News of Anne Heche’s death stunned the entertainment world in August 2022. The 53-year-old actress who starred in “Donnie Brasco’’ and “Six Days Seven Nights’’ was driving her MINI Clubman when she crashed into a Los Angeles home. A fire broke out from the accident, and firefighters were unable to remove the car — or Heche — for over 45 minutes. Following the accident, Heche fell into a coma and passed away seven days later due to inhalation and thermal injuries as well as a sternum fracture. Unfortunately for Heche’s family, she passed without a will in place, which complicated matters significantly. Heche’s eldest son, Homer Heche Laffoon, filed a petition to be appointed administrator of her estate not long after her death. James Tupper, Heche’s ex-partner and father to her second child, argued that he could reject the petition as he
believed Homer was not suitable due to his age and lack of income. Furthermore, Tupper provided an email written by Heche that left the estate in his hands. It read, “FYI In case I die tomorrow and anyone asks. My wishes are that all of my assets go to the control of Mr. James Tupper to be used to raise my children and then given to the children.” Heche sent the email in 2011 when the couple was still together. Unfortunately, the email was not legally binding, and a judge gave complete control of Heche’s estate to her son, Homer. The estate consisted of $110,000 in bank funds and uncashed checks as well as an estimated $400,000 in other assets. However, people continued to target Heche’s estate with massive lawsuits. In November
2022, the woman renting the home that Heche crashed into sued the estate for at least $2 million, then the homeowners filed their own lawsuit. A month later, a credit card company sued the estate for $36,000 in credit card debt. Like many other celebrity estate planning cases that make the news, this entire situation could have been avoided if Heche had created an estate plan.
2 1211 Maricopa Hwy, Ste 222, Ojai, CA 93023
CA# 0D96309
We Help You With Medicare.
MASTER THE CHALLENGE OF COOKING FOR 2
There’s one part of empty nesting almost no one talks about: After feeding a family for years, how do you rethink your kitchen to cook for two? Classic recipes like pot roast and roast chicken are challenging to cook in two-person portions and will create a metric ton of leftovers. But that doesn’t mean you have to eat from
This Much (EatThisMuch.com). It costs $9 per month, and you can use it from your phone or computer. Once you choose your recipes, it will automatically create a grocery list and even give you the option to order grocery delivery! 2. Invest in a meal kit service. If you’re exhausted by cooking and don’t want to build a new repertoire, you might want to use meal kits through your golden years. Dozens of companies will
your freezer for weeks or survive on cereal and pizza rolls! Here are three tips to help you cook for two without compromising healthy eating. 1. Meal plan like you’re a young parent
deliver ready-made meals or pre-portioned ingredients directly to your door, including Blue Apron, HelloFresh, Sunbasket, Home
again. This will be a familiar tactic for big families. Back in the day, you probably had “Taco Tuesdays” and “Pizza Fridays” to keep your grocery shopping on track and your kids
Chef, Dinnerly, EveryPlate, and Purple Carrot. Read up on each service (they’re all recommended for two!), and choose the best fit for your diet and budget. A meal kit can be a permanent fix or a temporary tactic to find two-person recipes you love. 3. Turn to the experts. For more inspiration and advice, pick up books like “The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook” by America’s Test Kitchen or “One Pan, Two Plates” by Carla Snyder.
happy. Now, it’s time to develop a new meal plan! Work with your partner or spouse to choose your favorite recurring meals and find new two-person recipes that fit your preferences. If you’re not sure where to start, consider using a digital meal-planning tool. The editors
at CNN recently compared the top meal-planning apps and recommend downloading the premium version of Eat
If all else fails, buy backyard chickens — they’re fantastic at gobbling up leftovers!
STUFFED PEPPER SOUP
Stuffed bell peppers are a common meal in many households. And as temperatures begin to drop, there’s no better way to warm up than by turning this classic recipe into a hearty — and healthy — soup!
Ingredients
• • • • •
2 lbs ground beef
• • • • • •
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 cups water
2 tsp salt
1 28-oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp beef bouillon granules
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups chopped green peppers
2 cups cooked long-grain rice Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Directions
1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook beef until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles; drain. Add beef back to the pot and stir in all ingredients except the cooked rice. Bring to a boil. 2. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until peppers are tender, about 30 minutes. 3. Add cooked rice and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.
SUDOKU
3 www.LT-ins.com
Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Lyndon Thomas Insurance
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
P.O. Box 207 Ojai, CA 93024
INSIDE
CA# 0D96309 | www.LT-ins.com | 805-646-6409
2 1
Be Intentional This Holiday Season Tackle Clutter With the CORE 4 Method Estate Planning Lessons From Anne Heche’s Untimely Death Empty Nest, Full Flavor: Tips for 2-Person Meals
3
Stuffed Pepper Soup
4
Podcast Your Way to a Sharper Mind and Smarter You
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
PODCAST WISDOM: LIFELONG LEARNING POTENTIAL
You’re never too old to learn something new! There are plenty of debunked myths floating around about the brain’s ability to absorb information as we age, but the truth is, learning in every phase of life is incredible for your mind. We keep our cognitive skills sharp as we age when we continue learning new information and skills. So, what’s the easiest way to passively learn something new? Tune in to one of these podcasts and continue with your day! Podcasts from experts can provide you with a plethora of compelling information to keep your brain strong. ‘Ologies’ Witty and endlessly informative, “Ologies” is hosted by Alie Ward, a science correspondent with all the humor you need to keep coming back for more. Ward
interviews experts and “-ologists” and asks them not-so-average questions. The information and insight you receive is easily digestible and entertaining. With over 340 episodes at your disposal on most streaming platforms like Apple and Spotify, “Ologies” can keep you listening for a long time! ‘You’re Wrong About’ The first step to understanding the world around you is to consider the possibility that everything you know may not be true. That’s where “You’re Wrong About” comes in! Host and journalist Sarah Marshall dives into different historical figures and events falsely covered by the traditional media. From Sinead O’Connor to Bonnie and Clyde, Sarah meets with various experts to go through the cold hard facts and what you likely didn’t know about these people. Start
listening to one of over 200 episodes and learn everything you never knew! ‘Maintenance Phase’ With social media and so-called health gurus everywhere, it can be challenging to know what health advice is factual or safe. “Maintenance Phase” debunks all the diet fads, fitness myths, and trendy health gimmicks to keep you informed. With the help of hosts Michael Hobbes and Aubrey Gordon, you learn the actual science behind your body’s health and discover what is true and what is simply trending. With plenty of podcasts at your fingertips, these three are exceptionally entertaining and informative. Put your headphones on and clean up the house, or drive your daily commute with one of these podcasts to keep your brain in tip-top shape!
4
1211 Maricopa Hwy, Ste 222, Ojai, CA 93023
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator