Hegwood Law - November 2020

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NOVEMBER 2020

OVERWHELMED? 2 IMPORTANT WAYS TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

Although this year will live in infamy, and many of us are overwhelmed in different ways, there are still things to be grateful for in 2020. Among them is an important reminder: Do not underestimate the importance of taking care of yourself, both your health and emotional well-being. Keeping in mind that November is Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Caregivers Month, I thought I would talk about the two important ways to take care of yourself, which I am so passionate about on a personal level. Alzheimer’s and caregiving share a common threat: Both can completely take over our lives in unexpected ways. In past newsletters, I have mentioned that my grandfather took great care of my grandmother — however, he nearly killed himself to do it. I would never want that to happen to anyone else, but unfortunately, many caregivers have such strong, selfless, generous spirits that they tend to deprioritize their own needs. This neglect can have lifelong consequences on the caretaker. But no matter what overwhelms you, the first thing you should keep in mind is you are not alone — it takes a village to care for a person, including yourself. For example, sometimes caretaking responsibilities fall upon one person in the family, but taking care of your own health and well-being are very difficult when you are constantly taking care of someone else. Every caregiver needs breaks! And if you need a break, do not hesitate to reach out to a loved one and ask for help, whether that means just having a meal together, being in their good company, or calling each other more often. Families often come together when they realize just how much help is needed — we have seen it again and again in our clients’ families at Hegwood Law Group. Secondly, a big part of taking care of yourself is planning for the future. All the little things we do contribute to our future: Having a solid estate plan, eating healthy meals, and getting enough exercise can help you feel confident that, no matter what happens, you are ready for the next steps in life. At our firm, we have seen how strained caregivers and those suffering from Alzheimer’s struggle to navigate

estate planning when they need it most. That feeling of being underprepared only adds to the stress of the situation.

That is why having a good power of attorney in place before anything happens is absolutely key, especially when planning for incapacitation. It can be the difference between your plan working and not working. If you need help navigating or creating an estate plan, or you don’t know where to start, let me help make your life now, and in the future, much easier. My experienced team and I have helped hundreds of clients overcome some of the most uncertain, vulnerable points of their lives, but you never have to wait to give us a call. I am extremely thankful for our clients and the tremendous support we have received this year. Do not forget that you can still submit your holiday recipes to us! Thank you so much, and have a wonderful November.

-Kim Hegwood

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THE 11TH HOUR OF THE 11TH DAY OF THE 11THMONTH Why Veterans Day and the Number 11 Go Hand in Hand

Veterans Day comes every Nov. 11. It’s a national holiday that recognizes veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces and honors those both living and deceased. Historically, the day marks Armistice Day and the end of the Great War: World War I. But what is the significance of the number 11? The armistice was signed at 5:45 a.m. in France, but it took effect at 11 a.m. that same morning — which happened to be Nov. 11, 1918. The armistice originally lasted 36 days but was extended month after month. This led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, when peace was officially declared. Later that year, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that Nov. 11 would be known as Armistice Day to honor those who fought in the Great War. This lasted until 1954, when President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation turning Armistice Day into Veterans Day. The change was made in order to recognize all veterans who had honorably served their country. By 1954, the U.S. had fought in more wars — specifically World War II and the Korean War — and hundreds of thousands more Americans had served.

Unsurprisingly, there was some political drama surrounding the day. In 1968, Congress made Veterans Day a federal holiday under the Uniform Holiday Bill. The idea was to increase the number of three- day weekends in the year. Veterans Day became a holiday that would fall on the fourth Monday of October, a far cry from Nov. 11.

However, in 1978, Veterans Day was restored to its original Nov. 11 date. But why?

The answer is simple. It’s a number that sticks with you. When the clock strikes 11:11, you always take notice. By that same notion, we all remember the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Because of this, we’ll never forget the end of the Great War, nor will we forget those who served.

BLACK FRIDAY: COVID-19 EDITION

Refuel with caffeine.

A string of retail stores, including JCPenney, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, and Dick’s Sporting Goods, have declared they won’t be open for the traditional Thanksgiving and/or Black Friday shopping this year. But that doesn’t mean the annual shopping holiday is canceled! If you’re an avid Black Friday shopper, you can keep the tradition going and involve the whole family by using the day to shop online. Here are a few tips to get everyone involved in the fun and turn the holiday into an overnight party. Divide and conquer. Does your whole family love shopping? If they do, it’s time to break out the laptops, cellphones, and tablets. Take the list of items you’re hoping to snag and divide them up so that each person has things to browse for. Then choose a start time —midnight is always good — and let everyone loose to bargain hunt. While you’re shopping, remember to use store apps, websites like RetailMeNot and Groupon, money-saving browser extensions like Honey, and price-comparison apps like Flipp to score the best deals.

No all-night shopping spree is complete without a coffee run. To keep your family fueled, make sure to stock up on your favorite coffee in advance and set a time for a coffee break. It’s not quite the same as taking a break at the mall’s Starbucks, but it will help you power through the night. For an extra bit of fun, you

can even try to recreate your favorite Starbucks drinks at home. ChowHound.com is a great resource for DIY recipes and has hacks for the caramel frappuccino, pumpkin spice latte, and more. Celebrate with a big breakfast. When you’ve finally dropped the last item into your virtual cart, it’s time to celebrate! Depending on how long your spree took, it might be 3 a.m., or you might be able to see the sunlight peeking through your blinds. Either way, you deserve to reward yourself with breakfast. Try cooking your favorite breakfast foods as a family or, if it’s late enough, order home-delivered pancakes and hashbrowns from your favorite local restaurant. Once you’re stuffed, you can crawl into bed knowing that you had a fantastic family night.

2 HEGWOOD LAW GROUP

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A MEAL FOR THE CHANGING AMERICAN HOME

How a Thanksgiving Dinner Mix-Up Led to the TV Dinner

Would you believe that Thanksgiving dinner — a meal dedicated to home cooking, family time, and, well, being thankful — was directly responsible for the invention of the TV dinner, the ultimate manifestation of the solitary, processed meal? If you are a little suspicious of that fact, you are not alone. But, the connection is real. Those little frozen meals on trays were the result of a Turkey Day mix-up of epic proportions. The year was 1953. That fall, the frozen food company C.A. Swanson & Sons drastically overestimated how many Americans would want a turkey as the centerpiece of their Thanksgiving spread, leaving them with about 260 tons of extra turkey packed into 10 refrigerated railroad cars. They needed a way to sell this surplus quickly because they had to keep running the train cars back and forth between the East Coast and the Midwest to generate the electricity needed to keep the turkey from spoiling. The company sent out a bulletin asking if any of their employees had a solution to the problem. Swanson salesman Gerry Thomas had a winning idea. He suggested they package up the remaining turkey with a few sides as frozen dinners that would be ready to eat after being thawed. The twist? They would be served in compartmentalized aluminum trays, much like airplane meals, which were the inspiration for Thomas’ idea. Additionally, they would be marketed as “TV dinners,” with their packaging designed to look like a television set.

By 1954, roughly half of American households had TVs. Over the next 10 years, that figure jumped to 92%. As the TV rose in prominence in American living rooms, the TV dinner’s popularity increased exponentially. Swanson sold nearly 10 million of them during the first year of production. By 1959, Americans spent half a billion dollars gobbling up TV dinners. Several other phenomena have been linked to the advent of the TVdinner, such as the erosion of the traditional family dinner and a preference for TV entertainment over family conversation during mealtime. It is hard to believe it all happened because of one Thanksgiving Day with too much turkey!

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BUNDT

WORD SEARCH

directions

Ingredients

1. Prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously grease 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with 1/4 cup cocoa. Into large

For the cake • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa, divided • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar • 2 tsp baking soda • 1 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp salt • 1 cup buttermilk • 1 cup strong coffee, cold • 2/3 cup vegetable oil • 2 large eggs • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract For the glaze • 3 oz semisweet chocolate, melted • 4 tbsp butter, melted • 1/4 cup powdered sugar • 1/4 cup sour cream • 2 tbsp strong coffee, cold • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract • 1/8 tsp salt

bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and remaining 3/4 cup cocoa.

2. In medium bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat buttermilk, coffee, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture into buttermilk mixture and beat until just blended. Transfer to prepared Bundt pan. Bake 45–55 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 3. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Loosen sides with offset spatula. Invert onto wire rack and remove pan. 4. Prepare glaze: In medium bowl, whisk chocolate and butter. Add powdered sugar, sour cream, coffee, vanilla, and salt. Stir until smooth. Pour over chocolate cake. Let stand at room temperature until set, about 4 hours.

APPLES CALENDULA CANDY HALLOWEEN HORROR MASKS

OPAL POPCORN SCARY SCREAM

TREAT TRICK

Source: Goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/dessert/ a35180/double-chocolate-bundt/

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1 Overwhelmed? 2 Important Ways to Take Care of Yourself

2 A Number of Importance

Black Friday: COVID-19 Edition

3 How a Thanksgiving Dinner Mix-Up Led to the TV Dinner Double Chocolate Bundt

4 Help Kids Be Grateful All Year Long

HELP KIDS BE GRATEFUL ALL YEAR LONG

Many studies over the past decade suggest that one way to be happier is to consciously count your blessings. This is not a natural talent — this is a learned skill you and your child(ren) can practice together to promote happier feelings any time of the year. However, considering that Thanksgiving is coming up, now is a great time to start!

take most for granted. In a similar way, you could also begin having gratitude rituals, like saying grace before a meal or simply talking about people you are grateful for before or after a family get-together.

How do we notice the best things in our lives?

If we were to contemplate disappearing tomorrow (or going on a trip far, far away without anyone else), we would probably focus more on the things and people we would miss most. It is human nature to focus on ourselves, our needs, and what is missing in our lives. We do not always take time to realize how great our lives already are. That is why we need to think about what we are grateful for and learn how to savor the bliss of gratitude.

Anotherwayof encouraging gratitude is to teach kids to

show appreciation when someone does something kind to them. Help them learn phrases like, “It was really kind of you to …” or “Thank you for listening when …” or inspire them to return a favor and express gratitude through kindness. Being open and vulnerable about our gratitude can become a skill that helps us connect with people over and over again throughout our lives. We hope these tips help you and your family start practicing more today!

Express or practice gratitude with kids.

Each day, ask your kids to list three things they are grateful for. They can list anything, no matter how simple it is. In fact, simpler might even be better because it will draw attention to the small details of life we