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JULY 2022
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LIFE IN BALANCE
A CENTURY OF LIFE
How My Grandmother’s Journey Inspires My Work
Grandma Dee Dee has always been an extraordinary woman with a fiercely independent streak. As you receive this newsletter, I’ll have just returned home from celebrating her 100th birthday in Bermuda at the end of July. Living to 100 is something most people don’t achieve, but her age is far from the most impressive thing about her. Grandma runs her own business as a hairdresser four days a week. Some of her customers have been receiving her services for over 50 years! She still lives alone and drives herself around, having had her license renewed at age 99. Granted, the speed limit in Bermuda is 40 mph, and she doesn’t drive at night — but that’s still pretty impressive. My cousins take turns making her meals and dropping them off for her, but otherwise, she remains independent and cares for herself. Last year, Grandma had a fall. Fortunately, she didn’t break or fracture any bones. She did end up with some bruising, and for the first time in her life, she started using a walker to get around. Many seniors aren’t so lucky, and one fall can result in a long-term injury or a need for round-the-clock care. Nursing home care can cost as much as $15,000 a month, which is why it’s so crucial to have a plan in place before a life-altering event occurs. The Law Office of Polly Tatum puts family first and works hard every day to protect our clients and their families when these common, but devastating, events occur. And while I’m very proud of my grandmother, not every senior can or should be working. Grandma does so because she wants to, and she’s fortunate enough to have the good health that can make it happen. There are many other ways to honor and celebrate our seniors and preserve their assets and legacy, and we work hard to do that every day. To meet the needs of more families, we’re expanding our services by growing our team. We were thrilled to recently welcome Kelly Caputo to the firm. She’s an attorney with 10 years of experience in estate planning, trust administration, and elder law. Kelly is originally from Worcester, and she attended law school and practiced in San Diego before returning to her hometown. We know that Kelly’s experience helping families protect their generational wealth and build solutions for long-term care will serve
our community well. Kelly is passionate about providing personalized and practical planning to her clients, and she excels at working closely with them to have all of their needs and wishes met. Whether she’s helping them plan for long-term care, build their legacy, or ease the burden of estate taxes, Kelly focuses on the details and lets the clients’ needs drive her work. Adding Kelly to our team will allow us to serve more families than ever before in their estate planning and elder law needs. If you or someone you love could use our help, we’re eager to accept the call. Please don’t hesitate to send us your referrals so we can help more seniors thrive under their unique life circumstances. Is Your Vacation as Stress-Free as Possible? If you’re going on vacation this year, you’ve likely put a lot of work into planning your travel, accommodations, and sight-seeing adventures. Unfortunately, many people don’t put the same amount of thought into what might happen to their assets and loved ones if the worst happens and they don’t make it home. Give yourself the most relaxing trip possible by ensuring your affairs are in order. Schedule a consultation with us by calling us at 508-795-1557 or visiting MediationAdvantage.com . We wish you safe and happy travels!
Some seniors run their own businesses; others need the support of assisted living facilities to remain healthy and safe. But wherever life has taken them, they deserve the same dignity. We are proud to support so many community members, however long their golden years may last.
-Polly Tatum
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‘Mom, Dad, There’s Nothing to Do!’ Keeping Kids Entertained Through Summer
Kids look forward to summer vacation all year long, but it often only takes a few days before the “I’m bored” whines begin. It gets worse; many kids will happily spend months staring at their devices, wasting time they’ll never get back. So, how do you get children active and keep them entertained? Make a summer bucket list. It even happens to adults: We blink, and the season is over. All those things we “meant” to do somehow end up having to wait another year (or more). Don’t let that happen to you or your kids this year. Make sure everyone gets their fill of summer fun by making a list of can’t-miss activities. Include staples like visiting the pool or the zoo — but also entertain ideas about
something else to do very quickly!) What interests do your kids have? Whether it’s firetrucks, dinosaurs, fashion, or something else entirely, they have countless opportunities to learn more through your local library or the World Wide Web. You don’t have to restrict them to book learning, either. Your kid might love the opportunity to try countless hobbies like sewing, sculpting, or even gardening. Camp close to home. Most kids love the outdoors, and they’re easily distracted by a bit of novelty. You don’t have to travel far to enjoy nature — you just need a backyard, a tent, and some sleeping bags. The prospect of spending the night outside will sound thrilling to most kids. If you have young children,
backyard crafts and water balloon fights. Don’t forget to incorporate plenty of things the kids can do at or near home. The next time they’re bored, point them to the list and urge them to complete one of their activities. Learn something new. Hear us out — this is designed to be fun. The goal here isn’t to make your kid memorize multiplication tables over summer break. (Though, if you suggest it, they might find
make it a family affair with a campfire, roasted marshmallows, and songs. Let older kids invite some friends for a unique sleepover, complete with flashlight tag and scary stories.
Summer will be over before you know it, but you and your kids can have more to show for those months — and great memories, too! Forget about “I’m bored,” and prepare yourself for a new mantra: “When can we do that again?”
In November 1970, George Harrison released his first solo single and biggest hit, “My Sweet Lord.” The song shot to No. 1 internationally and achieved the rare feat of bringing religious devotion to the pop charts. Only one problem arose — despite what the record label said, George Harrison didn’t write it. “He’s So Fine” was written by Ronnie Mack and recorded by The Chiffons only seven years earlier. It became a hit in its own right, with Billboard ranking it as the fifth-biggest single of 1963. Though Harrison had dramatically rearranged the song and written new lyrics, the similarities between “He’s So Fine” and “My Sweet Lord” were undeniable to even the casual listener. Despite Harrison’s lyric that “it takes so long,” the song’s owner, Bright Tunes, wasted no time filing a plagiarism lawsuit in February 1971. It also didn’t take Harrison long to realize his mistake. In fact, the “quiet Beatle” later confessed to the similarities in his book “I Me Mine,” asking, “Why didn’t I realize?” Harrison’s manager, Allen Klein, thought he could make the matter go away by throwing money at it. He suggested that the wealthy Harrison buy Bright Tunes so that he would own the rights to both songs. Bright Tunes rejected the offer, and the case went to court. The judge found Harrison guilty of “subconscious plagiarism” in 1976 and ordered him to pay lost royalties. He’s So Fined George Harrison’s Plagiarism Saga
But Klein had a ruthless reputation and made an unexpected move. Having been fired by Harrison in 1973, Klein began pursuing a purchase of Bright Tunes on his own starting around 1975. By 1978, Klein owned the catalog and had effectively switched sides in the case, leaving Harrison stunned. It took several more years of legal wrangling (the case was finally resolved in 1998!), but in 1981, Klein sold Harrison “He’s So Fine” for $587,000. Many experts declared that price to be a steal. Despite the public spectacle, Harrison had few regrets about his copycat hit. “I don’t feel bad or guilty about it,” he wrote in his autobiography. “It saved many a heroin addict’s life. I know the motive behind writing the song in the first place far exceeds the legal hassle.” In fact, the ordeal served as inspiration for his tongue- in-cheek single, “This Song,” released in 1976 — proving that a good artist can find inspiration anywhere.
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Strategies to Fight Distraction OVERCOMING INATTENTION With our phones always on standby, we’re more easily distracted than ever. Then there are also interruptions by coworkers or family members, emails or instant messages that divert our attention, household chores that will “only take a minute,” coffee breaks, and daydreams. Constant distraction hurts us more than we realize, creating a feedback loop of inattention. It’s time we understand what all this multitasking is doing to our minds and figure out how to break the cycle. No matter how good you think you are at it, multitasking doesn’t exist. What we’re really doing is called task-switching. Our brains can concentrate on only one thing at a time, and the quicker we go back and forth between tasks, the less we pay attention, and the more likely we are to make mistakes. Even worse, research says it takes us a whopping 23 minutes to regain our concentration after being interrupted. But what can you do? If you’ve ever been on a diet, you know that willpower has its limits. Simply promising you won’t check your email or phone rarely results in long-term success. But if technology is a big part of the problem, it can also be part of the solution. Try putting your email or phone notifications on silent. Or, consider a website blocker to keep you off distracting websites and an app that will lock distracting features on your phone. Low-tech solutions like a “do not disturb” sign and putting your phone in another room can also help. And mental tricks can still have their place. You probably tend to become productive when you’ve got a deadline crunch, and there’s a reason for that. Tasks have a way of stretching out unnecessarily when we don’t have to follow any restrictions. So, make some! Determine how much time you need to complete a task, and then don’t allow yourself anymore. Ask a colleague for help staying accountable. You’ll be amazed at how much you get done.
TAKE A BREAK
SUMMER CRAB AND LEMON CARBONARA
Fresh crab and lemon make this crowd-pleasing pasta dish perfect for summer.
Ingredients
• 12 oz bucatini pasta • 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 oz Pecorino Romano cheese, grated • 1/2 cup fresh chives, thinly sliced • 8 oz fresh crabmeat
• 2 tbsp garlic, finely chopped • 1/4 cup drained and rinsed capers, chopped • 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper • 6 large egg yolks, beaten
• 1 tbsp grated lemon zest • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice • Sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
Though we each have to fight our own battles, this isn’t entirely our fault.
Directions
Popular apps make billions of dollars by sucking our attention away from everything
1. In a pot of boiling water, cook pasta until not yet al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. 2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook oil and garlic until lightly toasted. Add capers and black pepper, then stir for 2 minutes. 3. Add reserved cooking liquid to skillet and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in pasta and cook until al dente. Remove from heat. 4. Stirring constantly, pour egg yolks quickly into the mixture. Add cheese and chives, stirring well until sauce is creamy. Add crab, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Toss together and season with salt.
else, so we’re automatically at a disadvantage. And there may be even more than meets the eye. If you have difficulty concentrating, stress could be the underlying culprit. Get that under control, and distractions might suddenly lose some of their allure.
Inspired by FoodAndWine.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
19 Cedar St. Worcester, MA 01609
Polly Celebrates Her Grandma’s 100th Birthday!
Beating Summer Vacation Boredom Ex-Beatle Sued for Plagiarism
Summer Crab and Lemon Carbonara How Distractions Are Hurting Us
‘The Repair Shop’: Relaxing and Heartwarming Television
Reality television can be a great way to turn off your mind, but most options are full of petty drama and sarcastic remarks. For some of us, it can get a little tiring. One show out of the U.K. is taking a refreshingly gentler approach. “The Repair Shop” follows passionate craftspeople as they fix antiques, and every object they work on has a story behind it. There are no high-stakes prizes or biting comments in “The Repair Shop.” Instead, viewers peek inside a warm and inviting workshop filled with collaboration and sentimental stories. In each episode, you watch the experts perform amazing transformations and hear heartwarming tales about the connections people build with family heirlooms. The main cast includes upholsterer Jay Blades, woodworker Will Kirk, clock repairer Steve Fletcher, leatherworker Suzie Fletcher, ceramicist Kirsten Ramsay, and metalworker Dom Chinea. They are joined by a painting restorationist, stuffed animal repairers, and experts in glass, jewelry, and musical instruments as needed. The eclectic mix means viewers are in for a new treat every episode. The cast may work on a grandfather clock and rocking horse in one episode, only to restore a beloved teddy bear and repair a pinball machine in another. A Slower, Kinder Type of TV Cozy Up With ‘The Repair Shop’
Some of the best moments happen when the craftspeople work together. When an old writing desk has a leather inlay or an antique clock needs a newly painted face, everyone in the shop is glad to pitch in and help restore any object. They do so with good humor, a collaborative spirit, and dedication to their craft. But the show’s real heroes are the guests who bring in their beloved keepsakes. From war mementos to antique furniture and favorite toys passed down from parents, each person who visits has a deep connection with the object that needs repairing. They tell their stories, and we see their emotional reactions to their items receiving new life. U.S. viewers can catch “The Repair Shop” on BBC One or stream it on Discovery+. Cozy up with a cup of tea — plus a box of tissues, if you’re the sentimental type — and prepare to be moved.
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