Soto Law Group - August 2021

Soto Law Group - August 2021

August 2021 Soto’s Chronicles

DeDe Soto

Protecting your most valuable asset — your family

FROM THE DESK OF

DeDe Soto

Something strange has been happening lately. My social calendar is starting to fill up! After over a year of mostly staying at home, we’ve finally got the greenlight for vaccinated people to start socializing again. Even the introverts among us who’ve been in relative isolation for many months are ready to mix and mingle again. All of this has happened just in time for wedding season. Summer months are typically the most popular time for couples to get hitched, but this year, there’s a new kind of invitation appearing in the mailbox: vow renewal ceremonies and way-after wedding parties. Many couples who were engaged pre-pandemic went ahead with their weddings in 2020. But instead of having the big (or even not so big!) gathering of their dreams, they had smaller ceremonies with far fewer guests than they previously anticipated. Some decided to elope, and many moved their indoor ceremonies outdoors and said goodbye to traditional receptions. While it was still possible to get married, weddings themselves looked a lot different. That was a disappointment for some, but the human spirit is never short of creativity, thus, the revival of vow renewal ceremonies. While we tend to think of vow renewal ceremonies as being reserved for longtime couples or those who are recommitting after a rough patch, COVID-19 has shed a new light on this old tradition. For couples who don’t need to re-create their wedding day — but want to say their vows in front of loved ones and party with music, dancing, food, and, of course, cake — these ceremonies are just the ticket. Saying ‘I Do’ Again Vow Renewal Ceremonies and the Way-After Wedding Party

Happy August, hope you have enjoyed getting out and about! Maybe you even went on a little vacation or stay get away! I have socialized with friends and made a couple of business trips. But more importantly, is that we have been able to meet with clients in person. However, no matter what your situation is, whether you can meet in person or need to meet via Zoom, we are here to assist you and get your estate planning affairs in order. While the courts are opening up slowly – I can assure you that you do not want your family dealing with a conservatorship should you become incapacitated; the courts are still slower and more costly than planning ahead and making the decisions that you want to procrastinate about! Stay healthy and enjoy the summer months.

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2. Sign up for Scott’s Cheap Flights. One of the most important parts of booking an affordable vacation is booking it at the right time. Scott’s Cheap Flights will track all the cheapest flights at an airport of your choice — you’ll get over 50%–75% savings on highly rated airlines. This will get you stress-free travel for a much lower price! 3. Travel in a group. If you travel with friends, your expenses become a lot more manageable. Let’s say you and a partner travel with two other couples — renting a swanky cabin at $200 a night will only cost around $33 per person. Plus, you will create some amazing memories together! 4. Plan your meal budget ahead of time. Looking forward to eating certain dishes? Find local menus and prices to ensure you don’t spend more than you planned. If you want an authentic and homestyle culinary experience, consider signing up for a peer-to-peer dining experience through Traveling Spoon or Bon Appetour, which is tax-free as well! 5. Consider volunteering for vacation. Want to go on a self-discovery trip? Why not cut your expenses in half by volunteering? For example, Habitat for Humanity offers a nine-day Mexico trip for $1,200 with lodging, food, and activities included. You’ll get to build structures and create something permanent for the local community. some great suggestions for navigating this new terrain from TheSpruce.com, which has a great archive on weddings and vow renewal ceremonies. • Remember, this isn’t a legal ceremony. You’ve probably already been to the courthouse, but keep in mind that these ceremonies are symbolic. • Consider rededicating or blessing your rings. • Create new traditions. Toast your guests instead of having them toast you. Skip walking down the aisle and instead enter from separate sides of the room and meet in the middle. • Respect people’s comfort levels about gathering again. Capitalize on the warmth of the summer and plan an outdoor celebration. Consider livestreaming at least the vow exchange portion of your event for those who are unable to attend. When it comes to gifts and what to wear, you and your honey can discuss what feels appropriate for your situation. Longtime couples who are renewing their vows may want to skip formal wear and gifts, but couples who delayed ceremonies due to COVID-19 may opt to accept gifts and encourage guests to dress up. If these invites are showing up in your mailbox, I hope you’ll see them as a positive sign that we’re headed in the right direction.

While we don’t need much impetus for a good get-together after last year, we could all use reasons to celebrate. But thinking about it, I realized that this is a great idea for a lot of couples, not just those who missed out on their weddings because of COVID-19. Think about it: The pandemic has been hard on all of us. It has strained parents who suddenly had to work remotely while also helping their kids learn from home. Not to mention the additional emotional needs parents had to provide as their kids underwent a scary time and couldn’t socialize with their friends or do activities as normal. For married couples with kids, there was a lot of togetherness and plenty of hardship, which can really strain relationships. Married couples who don’t have children weren’t exempt from this, either! If you were stuck at home with a loved one, you probably got to know them better than ever, and that includes all the annoying habits they usually reserve for their work colleagues. Who knew your spouse talked so loud on work calls?! That brings me to my proposal: Maybe we should all consider throwing one of these parties? Unlike weddings, there’s far less tradition and precedent around vow renewal ceremonies, which gives you a lot of leeway if you and your sweetheart want to have one. Here are

Are you excited to explore the world again? Or maybe you’ve just gotten back from your latest vacation! In either case, the economic challenges of the pandemic might require travelers to plan their trips a little smarter. Here are five tricks to do just that. 1. Consider your budget while choosing your destination. Any destination heavily impacted by tourists is going to be more expensive to visit. So, consider taking a tour through various French countryside towns instead of Paris! Not only could it be more culturally immersing, but it may even be more relaxing and less stressful than visiting a dense area. 5 Tips for Your Next Affordable Getaway

Traveling on a dime is no sweat with the right tools. Best of luck, traveler!

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Caffeine: The Skin Care Stimulant? How This Coffee Ingredient Could Energize Your Skin Care Routine wrinkles, so using skin care products with caffeine in them can minimize the amount of wrinkles on your face. Secondly, caffeine can reduce eye puffiness because it increases circulation in the blood vessels just below the skin. However, it should be noted that this effect doesn’t last long, so you should apply the right caffeinated skin care products daily to maximize this benefit. Caffeine can also get rid of subdermal fat and cellulite by metabolizing fatty acids as well as aid in the production of collagen (the most abundant protein in the body, aka what’s literally holding you together). However, before you start applying skin care products with caffeine to your face and expecting all of the above results, you should know that not all dermatologists agree on the extent of these purported benefits. Paula Begoun of Paula’s Choice skin care products says that caffeine “doesn’t work well” for puffy eyes or cellulite. On the other hand, Jennifer L. MacGregor, MD of Schweiger Dermatology Group, insists that caffeine is best for brightening puffy eyes. In any case, the potential benefits of adding caffeine to your daily skin care regimen far outweigh any possible drawbacks. So, what are you waiting for? Energize your skin with a little caffeine!

We all know caffeine is the stimulant in our morning cup of coffee that energizes us for the day. But could it also leave your skin looking and feeling refreshed? Most Americans (62%, in fact) would agree that a cup of coffee a day keeps the drowsiness away. According to some dermatologists, though, the caffeine that keeps us awake may also liven up our skin as part of our daily skin care routine — but how? As it turns out, caffeine can help keep your skin healthy in a number of ways. For one, it has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect the body from free radicals, which are unstable atoms that can destabilize cells, leading to illness and aging. Free radicals cause Take a Break!

Tomato and Watermelon Salad (Yes, Really!)

Inspired by BonAppetit.com

Ingredients

• 4 cups seedless watermelon, rind removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes • 2 heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes • 8 oz feta cheese, cut into 1/2- inch cubes • Sea salt, to taste

• 1 tsp peppercorns, coarsely crushed • 1 tsp coriander seeds, coarsely crushed • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds • 1/2 tsp turmeric • 1/4 cup coconut oil

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, sauté spices and herbs in the coconut oil for 3 minutes over medium heat to create turmeric oil. Take the pan off of the heat, then let it cool. 2. Combine the watermelon, tomatoes, and feta on a large platter or in a bowl. Drizzle with cooled turmeric oil. Now, simply sprinkle with sea salt and enjoy!

Rhubarb Sardonyx Schooling Vacation

Heat Outdoors Pool Rainy

Beach Fishing Friendship Garden

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of DeDe PAGE 1 Saying ‘I Do’ Again PAGE 1 Want to Save on Your Next Vacation? PAGE 2 How Caffeine Could Energize Your Skin Care Routine PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Tomato and Watermelon Salad (Yes, Really!) PAGE 3 The Strange Battle of Castle Itter PAGE 4

The Strange Battle of Castle Itter

THE ONLY TIME AMERICANS AND GERMANS FOUGHT TOGETHER IN WWII

escaping by units of Waffen SS and Gestapo troops roaming the woods that surrounded the castle. So, the castle handyman and cook asked for help. The cook encountered Major Josef Gangl, a Wehrmacht officer, who, after becoming disillusioned with Nazism, had decided to help the Austrian resistance instead. Gangl only had about 20 other Wehrmacht troops that were still loyal to him. So, in order to free Castle Itter from the SS, he hoisted a white flag when he made contact with Captain Jack C. Lee Jr., a U.S. tank commander. Together, they made their way to Castle Itter and prepared to withstand a siege and free the prisoners. The battle was short and resulted in only one casualty — Josef Gangl was killed by a sniper. It ended when a small rescue group dispatched by Major John T. Kramers, with whom the castle handyman had made contact, arrived with a column of tanks, and scattered the SS troops. The prisoners were freed, Lee was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and Josef Gangl, for his service to the Austrian resistance, has a street named after him in a nearby town that still remains to this day.

The battlefields of World War II were often fought by complex sets of alliances between countries and factions, the likes of which few wars before or since have ever seen. Few battles proved that more than the Battle of Castle Itter. In the grand scheme of WWII, Castle Itter was no Omaha Beach. During the Nazi occupation, the Third Reich converted this medieval Austrian castle into a prison for important French prisoners who could possibly be used as bargaining chips, and they ran this as a subunit of the Dachau Concentration Camp which sat about 90 miles away. All of that said, if allied forces captured this, it would not represent any sort of decisive victory. Instead, what made the happenings of May 5, 1945, so remarkable is that the Battle of Castle Itter is the only WWII battle where German and American soldiers fought on the same side. In the waning days of the war, the German guards of Castle Itter abandoned their posts, leaving control of the prison to the prisoners. However, they were still prevented from

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