SWERDLOFF In The Know
www.lawwithasmile.com • 310-577-9104
DECEMBER 2018
FOCUSING ON GRATITUDE
And Holding Loved Ones Close
Here we are, full swing in the holiday season! I can practically taste the cinnamon in the air, and everywhere I look, buildings blink with glittering decorations. I am looking forward to some turkey, pumpkin pie, and holiday cookies. There are also some fun traditions that go on this time of year. Seeing “The Nutcracker” in L.A. and watching the big Disneyland holiday parade get us in the spirit. The parade especially is quite the sight to see! All those floats and the park going all- out with decorations — it’s incredible, isn’t it? At home, I’ve been getting ready for the holidays by decorating and attending a few festive events, but what I like to focus on the most is family time. But since my family is in New Mexico coordinating their move to Santa Fe, I’m going to stay close to home this year and enjoy a quiet celebration with friends and neighbors. But you can be sure I’ll Facetime with them and see my granddaughter! There’s a lot of work to do, both in the office and at home, but this is a special time of year when we all place extra emphasis on time with loved ones. At the firm, I’m happy to share that we’ve started back up with our Sunset Seminars. Our first one was last month, and we could not have asked for a more spectacular sunset. It was absolutely stunning. As the sun moved below the horizon, the views were unbelievable.
experienced this year. California has had a hard last couple months with the wildfires that ran through our state. Our hearts go out to those who lost homes in the fires. It’s been devastating for families, especially those in the Malibu area. You may remember the feature we did in October on Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson and their efforts to save and rehabilitate turtles and tortoises through their nonprofit, the American Tortoise Rescue. Sadly, their ranch was in an area hit by the fires. They were able to relocate most of their turtles and tortoises and are doing all right, but they are still recovering and in need of our good thoughts. You can find their GoFundMe campaign to rebuild their turtle hospital and equipment on their Facebook page or by visiting GoFundMe. com/turtlestrong-malibu-fire-relief. We wish them and all the other families that have
been affected by the fires all the best as they recover and continue their lives.
Thinking about these hard times is another reminder to hold loved ones close and tell them how much they mean to you. We never know what life brings, but we can enjoy each moment and give thanks for our health, the food on the table, and the friendship and support of our community members. As we celebrate the holidays, let’s take a moment to reflect on a few of the things we are grateful for.
Happy Holidays,
–Arthur J. Swerdloff
While this is a joyful season, it doesn’t mean we forget the heartaches others have
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4 WINTER ILLNESSES YOU’D RATHER AVOID KNOWWHAT TO LOOK FOR BEFORE THEY ATTACK
subject to probate, treating your pour-over will like the safety net it is and not relying on it to cover larger assets will make any probate process quicker and less costly for your family. Similar to other wills, you will need to designate an executor for your pour-over will. The pour-over will can make their role easier, because instead of having to manage each component of your estate, they will simply take all the assets named in the will and transfer them to your trust. Your estate plan is one of the most important plans you will ever create. It’s put in place to ensure freedom, security, and wealth for your loved ones through protecting your assets. As you’re making these important decisions for your family, work with an experienced estate planning attorney to ensure you create a secure document. The attorneys BRONCHIOLITIS Bronchiolitis appears most commonly in children less than a year old and is caused by other viruses. Of the many symptoms — nasal congestion, low-grade fevers, and coughing — wheezing is the one you should be most concerned about. If your child is having difficulty breathing and is dehydrated, they may have caught a more serious strain of the virus. Most children will recover with at-home rest, but some may need to be hospitalized for more severe symptoms. INFLUENZA The flu is known for causing high fever, muscle aches and pains, nausea, and other symptoms similar to a cold. Often, the fever will last for around five days, but it can be shortened with the aid of antiviral medications. However, these medications are
recommended only for children who face serious complications or hospitalization from the flu. If you want to avoid catching this, your best bet is to receive the annual flu vaccine. STREP THROAT A sore throat, headache, stomach ache, vomiting, and high fever are signs of strep. This infection is treated with antibiotics and should be addressed soon after the first symptoms appear to prevent further complications. Children with strep throat should stay away from school and other activities until they’ve been on antibiotics for 24 hours. Everyone knows that getting sick is no fun and is best avoided at all costs. However, it happens to everyone eventually. Catching a virus or infection in its early stages can help you shake the sickness much faster.
What’s a pour-over will? First of all, it’s not a popular coffee-making method. But similar to a filter that serves to catch coffee grounds, a pour-over will serves as a safety net for your assets. Usually used in tandem with a living will, a pour-over will is an added measure of protection in case an asset isn’t transferred to your will before your death. A pour-over will ensures the assets that haven’t been transferred into the trust are still passed to your intended loved ones. As the name signifies, estate planning involves a lot of, well, planning. If you create a will or trust, your attorney will encourage you to list all your assets and anything that it should cover. If you have a large number of assets, though, even the most diligent list-maker can miss something. A pour-over will usually covers minor assets that remain after a living will is made and anything that is unintentionally left out of the living will. Because it may be Achoo! That’s the last noise you want to hear this winter. Cold weather brings a slew of sicknesses, so be vigilant to treat these common illnesses, or better yet, avoid them altogether. THE COMMON COLD Although there is no cure, a cold is easier to treat than other illnesses. If you or a loved one has a runny nose, low-grade fever, headache, cough, nasal congestion, or sore throat, the common cold has most likely taken hold. With the help of rest and perhaps some cold medicine, like cough drops and decongestants, the cold will come and go in about a week.
Freedom, Security, andWealth Through Estate Planning DO YOU NEED A SAFETY NET FOR YOUR ASSETS?
at Swerdloff Law have years of experience in estate planning and can help you through this process. Call our offices today using the number at the bottom of the page and receive a free consultation to go over each type of will and how they can benefit you and your family.
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CREATE A ROUTINE TO MINIMIZE STRESS
We’ve all felt it at one time or another: We’re overwhelmed by what has passed that didn’t get done, and as a consequence, overwhelmed by what lies ahead. While there’s no fast cure to this feeling, a treatment might be found in the simple order of a routine. A look back throughout history shows us that many of the authors, artists, and composers we know best used routines. Charles Dickens got up at 6 a.m., had breakfast, wrote in absolute silence for four hours, spent two hours walking around London, had dinner and spent time with friends and family, then went to sleep around midnight. Mozart woke up at 5 a.m., composed music for a few hours, gave music lessons for the remainder of the morning, had lunch with friends, composed or gave concerts, then after a couple hours with friends, composed into the evening and went to sleep around 1 a.m.
Why does a routine help people be more productive? It takes the guesswork out of what we should do next. By creating blocks of time for each activity (work, exercise, creative time, and eating) you’ve acknowledged them as priorities, made room for them in your schedule, and ensured they will be tackled in some way each day. Focus on what you really want to get done at a certain time. Designate periods of time to “admin bits and bobs” like Charles Darwin did, or for socializing and leisure time, like Benjamin Franklin did. A routine doesn’t have to be packed with activity every hour of the day; in fact, having built-in down time will help it be more sustainable. It’s also not set in stone. There will be times when it needs to be adapted, but implementing an everyday routine will set you up for success.
“Order and simplification are the first steps toward the mastery of a subject.” –Thomas Mann
SUDOKU ROASTED DELICATA
SQUASHWITH ALMONDS
Ingredients
• 1/4 cup roasted almonds,
• 3 delicata squash (about 1 pound each), halved and seeded • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or smoked paprika • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
preferably Marcona, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar • Chopped fresh chives, to garnish
Instructions
1. Heat an oven to 350 F. 2. On a workspace, brush cut sides of squash with olive oil and season cavity with salt, pepper, and Aleppo or paprika. 3. Place squash cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. 4. Remove squash from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, and top with crushed almonds, chives, and a drizzle of oil and agave nectar. 5. Serve immediately.
Inspired by The New York Times
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INSIDE
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Entering the Holiday Season
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What Do My Symptoms Mean? A Safety Net for Your Family
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Need Some Order? Check Out These Tips Roasted Delicata Squash With Almonds
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The ‘What the Fluff?’ Challenge
‘WHAT THE FLUFF?’ How to Make Your Dog Think You’re a Magician
Dog owners across the world are confounding their sweet pups with the latest internet craze, aptly known as the “What the Fluff?” challenge. For this puppy prank, the rules are quite simple. The owner stands in front of their dog and lifts up a blanket in front of them. As their pet looks on, the owner runs away and lets the blanket fall to the ground. From the unsuspecting pup’s point of view, it seems as if their beloved owner has disappeared into thin air! Some of the dogs stare ahead befuddled, some spin in circles, and others run around the room trying to find where their owner is hiding. It’s all fun and games for humans, but a lot of dog lovers can’t help but wonder what is going on in the minds of their pets. Zazie Todd, a professional dog trainer who holds a Ph.D. in psychology, explains that the “What the Fluff?” challenge
demonstrates that dogs exhibit object permanence: the understanding that objects exist even when you can’t see them. Scientists have long known that dogs, unlike newborn babies, understand object permanence. In 2013,
swapped-out bone than they did when the scientists revealed the same bone as before. Because the dogs were perplexed by the incongruity, the team concluded that dogs exhibit object permanence.
So how does a dog feel when their owner disappears suddenly? It’s hard to say. Most animal cognition scientists are hesitant to hypothesize about something so subjective as emotions, but after watching the pups’ reactions on Instagram and YouTube, most experts deem the prank harmless. “What the Fluff?” is akin to playing peekaboo with a baby. Does it cause some confusion? Definitely. Is it destructive? Not likely.
a team of animal cognition scientists at the University of Kentucky conducted an experiment reminiscent of “What bone, hid it behind a screen, and swapped it with a bone of a different color. When they revealed the new bone, the dogs spent more time inspecting the the Fluff?” They showed a dog a
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