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Kevin’s Peace of Mind
www.kevintharpe.com (770) 503-1022
October 2023
MAKING CONNECTIONS The Importance of Connecting Estate Planning and Special Needs
Estate planning is all about making connections. I often speak and write about the importance of connecting the WISHES you made in your Estate Planning documents with the TITLES of your assets. Making the connection between these two essential legal steps provides you with a COMPLETE ESTATE PLAN . In estate planning, without the connection of your legal document with the title of your assets (which you cannot do with a Will), there are additional legal steps, like Probate, you’ll have to take to complete your estate plan. Most importantly, without making this connection, your wishes may not be carried out exactly as you desire. For the many families who have loved ones with special needs or disabilities, making the connection between your legal document and the title of your assets is even more important in order to protect and provide for your loved one with special needs or disabilities. How do you ensure your loved one with special needs will continue to receive government benefits? Is there an estate plan you can create to set aside assets and funds for your loved one with special needs? These are only a few of the many questions that could be racing through your mind as you begin to plan, especially for your loved one with special needs. October is not only Special Needs Law Month, but the third week of this month is also Estate Planning Awareness
Week. In honor of this special month, I wanted to share valuable information to help you make some important connections that will help you through the estate planning process, especially if you have a loved one with special needs or disabilities. I also want to introduce you to Connect Ability, Inc., a North Georgia nonprofit organization that creates communities where people with special needs and disabilities are heard and valued. I love Connect Ability, Inc., for several reasons. Many years ago, both personally and professionally, I realized there was definitely a need for families to have complete and accurate information regarding estate planning for those with special needs. Families don’t know where to turn when it comes to ensuring their loved ones are protected. After seeing this gap, I decided to incorporate special needs planning with my estate planning services to assist families, and the folks at Connect Ability, Inc., especially its executive director, Jackie Daniels, helped make that connection. Another reason I love Connect Ability, Inc., is the resources and community- building events they host to connect families with others experiencing the same issues. It can sometimes feel like you’re alone when navigating the world of special needs planning. Connect Ability Inc. wants to change that.
Every year, they hold several projects and events, one that is particularly near and dear to my heart is the “A Thousand Words” project. “A Thousand Words” is an annual project that pairs individuals with special needs with individuals whose profession or hobby is photography. The teams then go out into the community and take pictures according to a theme voted on by the teams. The tagline for this project is “A picture may be worth a thousand words, but what if pictures were your only words?” Many of the photographers are nonverbal, but they are gifted with incredible creative talents, and their pictures speak volumes. After all the pictures are taken, Connect Ability, Inc. then hosts a silent auction of the photography from the teams. I’ve purchased dozens of these pictures over the years. We even have a special place in our office called “A Thousand Words Wall” displaying pictures from the event! Another event hosted by Connect Ability, Inc. is Family Night, where I conduct training sessions for Connect Ability families planning for a loved one with special needs. When I conduct these sessions, I like to show these families how to put their wishes in an estate planning document called a Revocable Living Trust (rather
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In the 1800s, wealthy English families clamored to get their hands on the latest garden decoration trend, one that would showcase their affluence to other families while maintaining their image as intellectuals. No, this garden trend wasn’t a bench, wind chime, or statue. It was alive . They were called “Ornamental Hermits” and were living men hired to inhabit the gardens of the elite. Aristocrats across England between 1727 and 1830 outfitted their landscape gardens with “hermitages,” or tiny structures for the hermits to live in, and would pay the men to dress like Celtic priests, refrain from bathing, grow their hair and nails, and sit in the gardens looking contemplative while reading and writing. The idea was that these men would add an air of mystique to the property, as the hermit life symbolized philosophical and scientific curiosity, which of course, reflected the values of the property owners. And at the The Hidden History of Ornamental Hermits
time, hermits were a great curiosity of many due to their alleged “mystic powers.” By the end of the 19th century, the ornamental hermit craze fad ended, largely due to complaints that hiring a human to be a garden decoration and forcing them into a silent, unclean life was exploitative. However, many wealthy garden landscapes throughout England still feature tiny overgrown hermitages where these living “decorations” once resided.
Behind the Plate: Unveiling Food’s Mysteries
You probably think you know the foods you eat pretty well. Otherwise, you wouldn’t put them in your body, right? But you might be surprised to learn that common dietary staples like eggs, pineapples, and even chocolate cake are hiding some shocking secrets! The stickers on fruit are edible. According to the Food and Drug Administration, they have to be! Since these stickers come in contact with something we do eat, manufacturers must make them from safe materials in case any substance from the sticker transfers over. So yes, the stickers are indeed edible but have no flavor or nutritional value. Pineapples are not a single fruit but many berries grown together. Have you ever noticed the pentagon-shaped pattern on the outside of a pineapple? Each of
those pentagons is its own berry, called “syncarp,” and they all grow together onto the pineapple’s main “core,” which is that hard column in the middle most people cut around. German chocolate cake isn’t German. It was simply named after baker Samuel German who created a sweet baking chocolate used in the original recipe. Eggs sold in the U.S. would be illegal in the U.K. It’s all thanks to the fact that eggs in the U.S. must go through a washing and sanitizing process before they hit the shelves. While in the U.K., it’s illegal to wash or clean eggs in any way before selling them.
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In the U.S., 21 million people report having at least one major depressive episode, while 17.3 million adults live with major depressive disorders. When someone feels depressed, there isn’t much anyone can do to help them. However, someone suffering from depression can do a few things to help ease their symptoms. No. 1: Be gentle with yourself. When you feel depressed, you’re not going to accomplish the same number of tasks or be as productive as you usually would — and that’s okay! Be open and accepting of your current state, and take pride in your progress that day, no matter how small. No. 2: Take a walk — literally ! SMALL JOYS, BIG DIFFERENCE: Overcoming Depression
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than a Will). Their Revocable Living Trust contains a special needs trust to protect and provide for their loved one with special needs or disabilities. The special needs trust connected to their Revocable Living Trust does not take effect until one or both of the parents or grandparents die. I then show these families how to connect or title their assets with their Revocable Living Trust that contains a special needs trust. Making the connection of these two essential legal steps provides these families with a complete estate plan. By doing it this way, not only will these families avoid probate, but their loved one with special needs or disabilities will also be provided for and continue receiving their government benefits. If you or someone you know needs to make these connections by creating a Revocable Living Trust with a special needs trust, I will be more than happy to help! Please connect with me by making an appointment today!
—Kevin Tharpe
THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Research shows that for some people, even a little bit of exercise
(like a short walk) not only reduces their current symptoms but can also prevent future depressive
Ingredients
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour • 1 tsp baking soda • 1 tsp salt • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 large eggs • 2 cups (12-oz package)
episodes. Even if you can only walk around the block, it will still help your mind and body. No. 3: Do things YOU enjoy.
semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. 3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until creamy. 4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended. 5. Gradually beat in flour mixture. 6. Stir in chocolate chips. 7. Arrange dough in rounded teaspoonfuls on ungreased baking sheets. 8. Bake 8–10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; move to wire racks to cool completely.
The fatigue that depression brings can feel more powerful than your desire to enjoy your hobbies. Push back against this as much as possible and do something enjoyable, even if it seems minor. This will boost your mood and motivate you to continue engaging in activities.
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(770) 503-1022 www.KevinTharpe.com 405 Broad St. Gainesville, GA 30501
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Connect Ability Inc. Is Helping Bridge the Gap!
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The Bizarre Trend of Living Garden Decorations From Stickers to Cakes: Food Revelations!
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Walking Toward Happiness: Depression’s Antidote Revamp Your Space on a Budget With Furniture Flipping
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Furniture Flipping: Your Wallet-Friendly Ticket to a Stylish Home Makeover!
One of the easiest ways to refresh your home is to change your furniture, but that isn’t always cheap. According to Furnishr, a turnkey home-furnishing platform, refurnishing a living room can cost you nearly $2,500 on the low end , and that’s just one room. But if you don’t have thousands to spend on an interior facelift, don’t give up hope! Furniture flipping is a great way to revitalize a living space without breaking the bank. What is furniture flipping?
You’ll likely reupholster any chair or couch you buy, so don’t worry about the fabrics; instead, focus on the frames. Consider the structure of the furniture and let your creativity imagine what color or material would look perfect in your home. What are some ways to upgrade old furniture? Change the color! Give that furniture a good cleaning, strip off the old finishes, sand down the surface, and apply a fresh coat of paint so it looks new!
You “flip” furniture when you purchase old or outdated furniture from a local thrift store or online resale marketplace and then update it to a new, trendy condition!
Change existing hardware. Many handles on furniture pieces require only a screwdriver to change out. Visit your local hardware store and pick out some in your style! Reupholster couches or chairs. While it may require some work, reupholstering fabric furniture can save you a TON of money. If you want to learn how to do it, search “DIY reupholster” on YouTube. Hundreds of flippers are there waiting to give you advice!
We know what you’re thinking: “Ew! I don’t want to sit on someone’s used couch,” or “Why would I buy used furniture for my home?”
Remember, flipping means work . The whole point is to give old and cheap furniture a complete makeover to make it uniquely yours.
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