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Review Brooks & Crowley
January 2018
781-277-7321
www.brooksandcrowley.com
439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026
*Services Throughout Massachusetts
" When you want to help people, you won’t be seeing them during the best time of their lives."
Sometimes, the bright side is as simple as that. Sometimes, though, it’s harder to find. In those cases, I have to try to be the bright side, helping the client in any way I can. One example is a call I got a few weeks back. As our firm has grown, the number of new clients has grown as well. Sometimes these people find us on the internet and call us out of the blue. That was the case with this person. She’d just been hit by a drunk driver and had sustained injuries. She had the insurance company hounding her, a stack of medical bills, and a fistful of police reports. She also had three kids at home, all under the age of 7. She didn’t know us, but she needed help. When I told her I’d come to her house, she was shocked — didn’t she have to come meet with us ? Hearing the relief in her voice told me that I’d found the bright side in this situation, and I’m always happy when that happens. Our way of treating people is what’s allowed our firm to grow this far, and as new people ask for help, we’re determined to treat them the same way and to look on the bright side. Hopefully, we can help you find your own bright side in 2018. I know it’s going to be just as terrific and just as busy as 2017 was, and I look forward to seeing what it brings. –Neil Crowley I reminded her that she was the one who was hurt, and I could easily hop in my car and go.
LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE ...
In my line of work, I see a lot of tough situations: people injured, out of work, or stuck with the bill after someone else messed up. That’s to be expected. When you want to help people, you won’t be seeing them during the best time of their lives. If that was the case, they wouldn’t need help. You get perspective on many issues, some of them really crummy. You also get a lot of practice finding the bright side in bad situations.
Last month, I met with a client whose 2017 wasn’t ending very well. After being on disability for a while, her employer decided to fire her — two weeks before Christmas. She was definitely unhappy about it, and we talked at length. Eventually, despite the bad news, we found a silver lining. She hated that job, anyway. And the commute was terrible! Furthermore, with disability, she’s going to get paid either way. The job loss was a blow to her morale, to be sure, but not a real blow to her income.
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The Heart- Healthy Lifestyle Improve Your Health With the Mediterranean Diet
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Nuts and seeds
Calorie-cutting diets have become a thing of the past. Instead of depriving our bodies of nutrients, we’ve turned to lifestyle changes. Losing weight and reaching a healthy nutritional balance isn’t easy, and a few months of eating 1,000 calories per day just doesn’t cut it. Enter the Mediterranean diet, a lifestyle change that’s become quite popular and effective. This diet is inspired by the traditional eating habits of people in southern Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Spain. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is a realistic and sustainable way to reduce disease- causing inflammation and lose weight, and it is one of the most heart-conscious ways of eating.
your main source of protein and eat mostly plants and whole grains, the Mediterranean diet is far less expensive than processed foods. Some Mediterranean diet enthusiasts may believe that if a daily glass of wine is good for your heart, then three glasses per day is okay, too. While moderate amounts of red wine certainly have unique heart benefits, drinking too much has the opposite effect. The Mayo Clinic recommends no more than 5 ounces of wine daily for women and men over 65, and no more than 10 ounces per day for those under 65. Anything more is bad for your heart. But even if you switch over to Mediterranean- friendly recipes, your work doesn’t stop there. It’s also important to mirror the other ways Mediterraneans live their lives. When it’s time to eat, don’t rush or watch TV. Sit down, relax, and enjoy a leisurely meal with others. And of course, get plenty of exercise.
Legumes and beans
Herbs and spices
Whole grains
Wild-caught fish and seafood
High-quality, pasture-raised poultry, eggs, cheese, goat milk, and yogurt Red meat, but only on special occasions
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Daily glasses of red wine
Following the Mediterranean diet has many benefits. The Mayo Clinic credits this lifestyle with reduced instances of cancer and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. In addition, women who eat a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra- virgin olive oil and mixed nuts may have a reduced risk of breast cancer. But there are still a lot of misconceptions surrounding this lifestyle change. Many people believe it costs a small fortune. However, if you craft meals with beans or lentils as
The Mediterranean lifestyle promotes heart-healthy foods, including the following:
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Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens and non-starchy veggies
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Olive oil
The Clock Is Running Down ...
When you are injured, a lot of things happen at once. Medical treatment starts immediately, which could mean transport in an ambulance to the hospital. You might end up talking to the police, or you might be concerned about the well-being of other people at the scene. But something else has occurred as well. An hourglass has turned over, and the sands are starting to trickle. When those sands stop trickling, you will no longer be able to get legal recompense for what happened to you. That’s because there’s a statute of limitations in Massachusetts on how long you can wait before filing a personal injury suit. In most cases, this statute is three years, and the clock starts ticking as soon as the injury happens. That means the
day after your injury, whether you’re resting up at home or in the hospital, you only have two years and 364 days to file a claim. That may seem like a lot of time, but it’s easy to get buried under bills, backed up with work, and otherwise distracted. It’s also easy not to realize the extent of your injuries until well after the accident. You may shake it off at the time and deal with the consequences months — or even years — down the road. By then, it could be too late to get justice. What can you do about this? There are a few things. The first is to seek medical evaluation and treatment from your own physicians after an accident or injury. You may be in worse shape than
you think, and you need a comprehensive picture of your medical situation and treatment for your own safety and for any claim you may want to file. Next, as soon as you can, get in touch with a personal injury attorney about your potential claims and cases. This is a good idea anyway, since you don’t want to be dealing with insurance companies by yourself. An attorney will be able to give you the comprehensive legal picture, just as a doctor gave you the medical one. No matter what the situation, when the sand is piling up in the bottom of the hourglass, it’s good to have a lawyer on your side!
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Your Reading List for 2018
Tom Hanks’ new book, “Uncommon Type,” has been largely positive. His literary debut is a collection of 17 short stories, all featuring, in some way, a typewriter. At their heart, though, the stories are about human relationships, and Hanks manages to inject his most memorable character’s charm into his writing. As NPR reviewer Heller McAlpin puts it, “In a world where the news is unrelentingly bleak and much fiction tends toward the dystopian, postapocalyptic, dark, or edgy, this is a gentler, sweeter kind of storytelling than we've come to expect.” OVERCOME A HARROWING YEAR Few have done more to earn the title of modern-day hero than Scott Kelly, who has served as a military fighter pilot, an engineer, an astronaut, and now, an author. “Endurance” is Kelly’s memoir, and it recounts the year he spent on the International Space Station. From sharing everyday space adventures to letting us in on the physical toll space takes on the body, Kelly helps us understand what it’s really like to be in the great unknown. If you’re looking for inspiration in the new year, reading about Kelly’s
harrowing year of challenges will surely give you the courage to overcome your own.
IF YOU LOVED THE ‘DIVERGENT’ SERIES Veronica Roth brings us a new sci-fi/fantasy series with “Carve the Mark.” Roth whisks us to a planet where each person has a “currentgift,” a special power they develop. But for heroes Cyra and Akos, currentgifts are more of a curse. The two must work to overcome their distinctly different pasts and unite to save their world — or die trying. WHEN YOU NEED A HERO School is tough, and no one knows it better than George Heffley. In installment 12 of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, titled “The Getaway,” Jeff Kinney takes us on a tropical vacation with the Heffleys as they attempt to escape the cold weather and frenzy of the holidays. But the island isn’t the relaxing sanctuary it’s supposed to be. The suggested reading age is 8–12 years old, but this book would make an excellent listen for the whole family during a road trip of your own.
Laugh Out Loud FINDING FORREST When an actor tries their hand at other creative mediums, the results are varied, but the buzz about Can you believe 2017 is behind us? Elections, weather, and just about everything on the news left us feeling uncertain. We could all use a dose of optimism in the new year. Here are some books that celebrate the triumph of the human spirit, even in the most challenging situations.
Servings: 6 Paleo Bacon Zucchini and Red Pepper Frittata
Ingredients
• • •
8 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped
• • • •
6 eggs, whisked
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
1 medium zucchini, grated (peel on if desired)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, dried
Salt and pepper to taste
•
1/2 medium onion, diced
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. Cook bacon and set aside. 3. Dice onion and bell pepper. Grate zucchini and blot with paper towel to remove excess moisture. 4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut milk, and seasonings. 5. In a 10-inch oven-safe skillet on medium heat, sauté onion in 2 tablespoons fat (we used bacon fat) for about 4 minutes. Add the red pepper and sauté for an additional minute.
7. Add shredded zucchini to mixing bowl with the eggs. Stir and pour into skillet. 8. Continue to cook on stovetop 1–2 minutes or until mixture begins to set around the edges. 9. Transfer skillet to a 375 F oven. 10. Bake about 15 minutes or until eggs are cooked through. (For a slightly browned top, move skillet up to top rack and broil for 2–3 additional minutes.)
11. Transfer frittata to serving plate. Slice and serve.
6. Add cooked bacon to skillet.
Recipe from paleonewbie.com
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Inside This Issue
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Our Search for Silver Linings
Have You Heard of the Mediterranean Diet?
2
The Clock Is Running Down
3
Books to Inspire You in the New Year Paleo Bacon Zucchini and Red Pepper Frittata
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An Old Tavern for the New Year
An Old Tavern for the New Year People have been living in Boston for a long, long time. Two hundred and fifty years ago, it was the birthplace of the American Revolution, and in some ways, it’s the birthplace of America
terrible idea or a really, really good one. People at the time certainly had plenty to drink about, including our Founding Fathers, who liked to hatch plans and draft documents while enjoying a good brew (or two). Hard cider was the real drink of choice, but ale — which, at the time, was around 11 percent alcohol — was also a favorite. And don’t forget the “demon rum,” a drink condemned by many — but not by John Hancock, who made a small fortune smuggling the stuff. Whether you were after cider, ale, or rum, the Warren was the place to go, and it remains so to this day. It’s worth checking out for anyone who enjoys history, wants to sit at the same bar as the first patriots, or enjoys the simple pleasure of a good pint in a great tavern.
itself. Before that, it was a colony for over a hundred years. As modern as the city may be, sometimes you turn a corner and wonder whether you’re about to walk into the present era or a time from long ago. Nowhere is that tension more palpable than in the Warren Tavern on Pleasant Street in Charleston. There are a lot of places that claim to be “the first” or “the original,” but very few of those places are still in their first location. Not so with the Warren. It opened its doors in 1780 and hasn’t changed buildings once. The original proprietor, Dr. Joseph Warren, was a patriot through and through. Five years before opening his tavern, he’d sent Paul Revere on that famous midnight ride. Opening a bar in Boston during the middle of a bloody revolution was either a
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