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Review Brooks & Crowley
June 2024
781-251-0555
www.brooksandcrowley.com
439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026
*Services Throughout Massachusetts
LOVE AND LEGACY A Lawyer’s Honeymoon Trip to Normandy
Time is a funny thing: Certain events live on in memory long after they are over. It is hard to believe, but I got married nearly 25 years ago. One such event was our wedding. My wife planned it, and her handiwork ensured it was memorable and spectacular. I wanted to return the favor by plotting out an unforgettable honeymoon trip for us. We had already decided on France as a destination, and we were to spend a couple of weeks exploring the country from tip to tail. The journey would be forever cemented in my mind — a mix of joyous exploration and solemn reflection — as we came face-to-face with a historic example of sacrifice, courage, and determination during our travels. France is a beautiful country, and every corner of it is brimming with great food, culture, and history. We started in Paris, which is in central France and pretty far north. As we worked our way down toward the sunny south of France, there was one destination that was calling out to me that I had not planned for: Normandy. We were pretty far south when I suggested heading in the opposite direction. Diane didn’t object and we were off to Normandy, “land of the north men.” I was drawn to Normandy for its beaches, and it wasn’t because I wanted to get a suntan or feel the sand between my toes. It was because, frankly, I am an American, and those beaches hold a special place in our nation’s history. On June 6, 1944, they were the site of the HONEYMOON TURNED INTO A HISTORIC RENDEZVOUS
D-Day landings, where thousands of British and American soldiers stormed the German fortifications dotting the shore in their
gun turrets built into the earth, are still there, overlooking the shore from a steep cliff. I could not believe how steep that hill was, and how difficult it must have been for our soldiers to storm their way up it to take out the German soldiers. But their
campaign to liberate France. I needed to see it for myself, and I didn’t know if I would ever get another chance.
efforts were ultimately successful, and it was because of their sacrifice that we were able to free the rest of France.
DETOUR IS A FRENCH WORD
Since this was a detour and not a planned excursion, we did not have a fancy
hotel booked or a comfortable means of travel to get us to our destination. Instead, we took a train to get as close to Normandy as possible, then rented a car to drive the rest of the way in one of those tiny European smart cars. It was so cramped that our luggage barely fit inside. When we arrived at our one-star hotel, we were greeted with a room that was, ironically, not roomy . Our luggage did not even fit inside with us; we had to leave a suitcase out in the hall before spending the night getting what sleep we could in our closet-size compartment. SEEING THE MEANING OF SACRIFICE It is hard to comprehend the gravity of this endeavor without seeing exactly where it took place, and what they were up against. We visited all of the D-Day beaches — Utah, Gold, Juno, Sword, and Omaha — but the latter stuck out to me; it was the deadliest on D-Day. The beach was left just as it was on the day of the battle. The German defenses, including massive concrete bunkers and steel
Near the beach is the small village of Colleville-sur-Mer and the cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944, just two days after D-Day. There, on 172 acres of land granted to the U.S. by the French as a show of thanks for our contribution to their country’s liberation, are the graves of over 9,000 service members who lost their lives on that fateful day. The cemetery is a U.S territory within France and the American flag flies over the area. The graves are immaculately maintained and organized neatly. The memory of that visit will always stick out in my mind. I cannot remember ever being so moved as I was that day. Some events in human history serve as a testament to the capability of humans to accomplish a noble and wonderful purpose, and it was an honor to visit the location of one of the greatest endeavors in our nation’s history. –Neil Crowley
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My Word!
Exploring the Rich History of Scrabble
In 1931, the Great Depression — the worst economic crisis in American history — had thoroughly dampened the country’s spirit. Amidst the crisis, Alfred M. Butts, an out-of-work New York architect, decided to create a game to take his mind off the economy. Aspiring to develop a classic to join the ranks of other timeless card and board games, Butts came up with the idea for a board-and-tile game he non-committedly named “Criss Cross,” which we now know as Scrabble. THE ARCHITECT’S PLAN At its core, Scrabble was inspired by crossword puzzles and always featured the iconic lettered tiles, each with separate quantities and point values. Butts determined the point values by surfing through his collection of local newspapers and counting how often each letter appeared. To prevent players from creating too many cheap plurals, he included only four “S” tiles in each box and assigned the letter a measly 1 point. Butts was eager to share his idea with the world, but the world was not as eager to receive it. He pitched the game to several publishers and retailers, but all rejected it. Butts had to retail it on a small scale, and the game did not Did you know the color of fire is determined by its temperature? For example, blue and violet flames are hottest at a scorching 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit, while red flames are considerably cooler at around 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. This may leave you wondering: If the hottest fire on Earth is blue, why is the sun yellow? For starters, it isn’t . The explanation is fascinating and may surprise you! Shedding Light
become the surefire hit he expected it to be. It wasn’t until fellow New Yorker James Brunot discovered the game that things changed for the better. Brunot offered to mass-produce the game and, in exchange, would provide Butts with a portion of the profits, which Butts happily agreed to. BRUNOT’S BARGAIN As soon as Brunot secured the rights to the game, he began making significant changes to it. These included redesigning the board, its color, players’ starting position, and the location of various score multiplier tiles. But his most important contribution was changing its name to Scrabble!
The owner of Macy’s then discovered the game and offered to carry it in his stores. Brunot went from creating 12 copies of the game an hour when he
first acquired the rights to 2,000 sets per week by 1952. By 1954, millions of copies were sold. Today, the game has been translated into over 20 languages and has sold over 100 million copies. People play the game worldwide, in tournaments and living rooms alike, and it has allowed millions to share in the joy initially envisioned by a down-on-his-luck architect in a time when hope was a distant prospect.
What Color Is the Sun?
WHAT COLOR IS THE SUN? A star’s color — like fire — is based on its surface temperature and the wavelength of colors perceivable by the human eye. Like with fire on Earth, the coldest stars appear red, whereas the hottest stars appear blue. Our sun’s surface is around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit — a median temperature as far as stars are concerned — and emits light across the entire visible color spectrum. However, our sun actually emits the greatest amount of light in a green wavelength but not in great enough quantities for our eyes to perceive it. Because of this, if we were to look at our sun from space, the near-equal saturation of colors would cause us to perceive it as being white. Astronauts get the opportunity to witness the true color of the sun all the time — though I hope they don’t stare for too long. WE SEE FILTERED SUNLIGHT. The sun does not appear white from our perspective because of our atmosphere: When sunlight reaches Earth, our atmosphere filters out a greater proportion of blue light than red light, causing our sun to appear yellow. Likewise, when sunlight has to penetrate a greater proportion of our atmosphere — such as during sunrise and sunset — the sun takes on a red, vibrant appearance. Hopefully, this information helps you see the sun in a new light!
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STRIDING TO SUCCESS HOW POWER WALKING BOOSTS YOUR FITNESS
past, she had built strong, bulky thighs playing lacrosse and claimed she wanted to smooth out her quads. After just five weeks of power walking, she attained slimmer thighs while maintaining excellent muscle tone. Power walking involves moving faster and with more intention than regular walking. You keep your arms bent at a 90-degree angle and pump them vigorously back and forth as you stride. Power walkers also move their feet smoothly from heel to toe while striding ahead. Doing this correctly engages your whole body, including your core muscles, raises your heart rate, and burns more calories. A brisk walk elevates fat-burning hormones. According to Health.com, an hour of power walking uses more than 500 calories, compared with the 340 calories burned by a brisk walker and the 238 calories consumed by a casual stroller. Power walking is also easier on the joints than running. Power walkers’ feet never leave
the ground at the same time, while runners’ feet repeatedly strike the ground with greater force. People who take frequent, vigorous walks reap almost as many health benefits as runners, according to a peer-reviewed 2013 study by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Hartford Hospital. Another study found that runners and vigorous walkers showed similar reductions in the risk of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease. Vigorous exercise also reduces such mental health problems as depression and anxiety, according to a 2006 study. To get the most out of a power walk, keep your chin up and focus your eyes on a point about 10 feet ahead of you to lengthen your stride. Pull your abdomen muscles in toward your spine. Tighten your glutes to help propel you ahead. Follow these rules of good form and swing your arms while striding energetically ahead, Avara says, and you will get a workout worth doing!
Runners and other workout buffs often make fun of power walkers, saying that walking — even at a vigorous pace — isn’t a real workout. Try telling that to TikTok fitness influencer Stefana Avara. Avara says she got great results from power walking 30–45 minutes daily at a 15-minute mile pace (about 4 mph on a treadmill). In the
Have a Laugh!
Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas Inspired by DamnDelicious.net
• 2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined • 2 bell peppers, sliced • 1 onion, sliced • 3 tbsp olive oil • 2 tsp chili powder Ingredients directions
Topping Options: • Sliced avocado • Salsa • Sour cream • Chopped cilantro
• 2 tsp cumin • 1 tsp smoked paprika • 1 tsp garlic powder • Salt and pepper, to taste • Tortillas
1. Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 3. Place bell pepper and onion on the baking sheet. 4. Drizzle evenly with 2 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with the chili powder mixture; reserve some for shrimp. Bake for 12 minutes. 5. Remove sheet pan from oven and push veggies to one side. Add shrimp to the empty side. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and spices. Return sheet pan to oven and bake for another 6 minutes, until shrimp are pink. 6. Serve on warm tortillas with desired toppings.
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439 Washington St. • Dedham, MA 02026
Inside THIS ISSUE
1 A Lawyer’s Journey to Normandy Beach 2 The Appeal and Evolution of Scrabble How Science Reveals Our Sun’s True Color 3 TikTok Embraces Power Walking
Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
4 Beat the Heat With Boston’s Hottest Events!
What’s Going On, Boston? Your Ultimate Guide to June Events in Boston
Local events are heating up this summer, and a wide variety of entertaining escapades will fill your calendars with delight. From getting soaked in Charles River to surviving a historic pub crawl, it’s hard to see the bottom of the sea of possibilities this June. DUCKING THE RIVER Boston’s iconic Duck tours have participants hop aboard a submersible vehicle developed in WW2 and are a memorable 80-minute trip down Charles River. During the trip, you travel on land and in the water, visiting historic sites from a unique perspective. BOSTON BREWS If you want to explore the history of our great city while enjoying the local bar scene, you need to check out the History Pub Crawl Tour. A local beer expert will accompany tourgoers
as they sample brews at local pubs and immerse themselves in the fermented history of the Freedom Trail. Tickets for the two- hour pub crawl are $59 per person, and each participant gets their choice of four beers. SWAN SONG If you are looking for a romantic outing with your significant other, you should flock to the swan boats in the Public Garden. These leisurely voyages are ideal for taking in the splendor of summer. Best of all, tickets are only $4.50 for adults and $3.00 for kids! BUNKER HILL DAY This June 17, celebrate the anniversary of the historic Battle of Bunker Hill. The Bunker Hill Day parade will galivant through the streets of Charlestown to commemorate the battle that defined the grit and spirit of our city for
centuries to come. With reenactors, live music, and attractions aplenty, this state holiday is one you will not want to miss!
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