Viva

Published by Estrella Publishing LLC, PO Box 6962, Goodyear AZ 85338. Additional copies can be obtained for a fee by contacting info@EstrellaPublishing.com

Catherine Uretsky, Publisher and Editor 623.398.5541 info@EstrellaPublishing.com

Al Uretsky, Publisher and Sales Executive 623.398.5541 info@EstrellaPublishing.com

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I was scrolling on the internet recently and a headline jumped out at me, “3 Scary Noises Your Furnace Shouldn’t Make.” So I immediately thought, “I should read this so I know if my furnace is making any unusual or dangerous noises!” Now I should note that my furnace is not making any odd noises that I am aware of, and if it was I wouldn’t hear them anyway because it is in the garage. But that did not stop me from scrolling to learn all I could - from the font of all wisdom, the internet.

Did you ever think that there would be too much information? That having access to all the knowledge out there would cause more problems than it would fix?

Let me give you another example. Someone in our family recently had regular blood work done. “Not a problem!” You say. Well, have you visited a doctor recently? Gone for any blood tests or scans? Then you too are a victim of the ‘knows too much’ family. Those incomprehensible lists of names you almost know from all those hours

of watching Grey’s Anatomy, the scary numbers that seem so high and low compared to the ‘normal range’ presented to you.

So you do what we all do. Google it. This, my friends, is the rabbit hole of information that always ends with you convinced that you have at the least a serious, if not terminal, diagnosis. Once an actual doctor was consulted there was nothing unusual in the tests, but the temporary terror we experienced was not good for our health. In this world of law suits and commercials claiming that everyone has been exposed to some terrifying chemical or other, it can be hard to reign in the terror that a medical report instills.

A little knowledge is apparently a dangerous thing, and I will try to reduce my internet based research in the future. Now excuse me while I check out my furnace, I swear I heard it making a noise just now...

Catherine Uretsky

Editor, Viva magazine catherine@estrellapublishing.com 623-398-5541

The Bug Guy

Winter is here, at last! With lows in the 40s in November I wonder what December will bring. Could it be cold enough for snow as we get deeper into winter? Maybe, maybe not, we will just have to wait and see. As our winter season progresses it’s important to remember to reach out to your friends and family to stay connected, not just during the holidays, but all year long.

Regardless of whether or not the cooler weather is appealing to you, we anticipate certain insect activity will decrease; however, other ones will increase. I know that we are all enjoying the cooler temperatures and are enjoying the comforts of opening our homes to the fresh air,

however, we need to be mindful to keep our window/door screens shut and in good repair to keep the creepy crawlers out of the house.

The cooler weather changes the types of insects that are more prevalent around our homes but doesn’t remove all of them. Be on the lookout for an increase in more flying bugs as well as spiders. The big jump in the quantity of spiders we will see is primarily based on the increase in their food source, flying insects. Don’t worry though, the dangerous spiders we have like the black widow, shelter down for the winter.

On another positive weather-related note, with our lows below 50 degrees the rattle snakes are trying to stay warm and are mostly not interested in getting out of their den for the season. Keep in mind, however, that a warm day may bring them out of hibernation. So, if you are out on our trails and its warm you should continue to keep an eye out for snakes.

With the return of cooler weather, we also see the return of the great horned owls. Not only are these beautiful raptures, but they will also help control the native rodent population as rodents are their natural prey.

Continue to be mindful of your surroundings to keep your family safe from our typical winter pests. Enjoy your holidays!

Submitted by Larry Cash, of Estrella Mountain Pest Control

Gas Or Electric

Love them, hate them, or don’t really care, electric vehicles are beginning to take over. Auto manufacturers are phasing out the production of internal combustion engine (ICE) models. General Motors announced in 2021 that the company will only sell vehicles that have zero tailpipe emissions by 2035, across all global markets. Similarly, leading companies like Ford committed to zero emissions globally by 2040 and no later than 2035 in key markets. Some states are making the same commitment. Through Michigan’s Healthy Climate plan, for example, the state is working to achieve economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050, including through electrifying vehicles and increasing public transit.

States are accelerating the push for EVs through legislation. The Air Resources Board is offering a Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, making new and used electric cars more affordable for consumers, as some states seek to ban the sale of ICE model vehicles. On the federal level, as part of a broad new Inflation Reduction Act - designed to address climate change, healthcare, and taxes - a new tax credit of up to $4,000 on used electric cars and revised tax credits of up to $7,500 on certain new EVs are available for prospective buyers to take advantage of. These legislative changes highlight the need for tangible progress in increasing the accessibility of EVs.

States are building out supporting infrastructure for EVs. All over the United States, you will find EV chargers popping up at local supermarkets, malls and sporting events. Michigan is taking it a step further by bringing chargers to state parks and working with public universities on pilot programs and research programs to improve battery design. The Lake Michigan EV Circuit Tour, for example, is a network of EV chargers that, once completed, will span over 1,100 miles of drivable shoreline around Lake Michigan throughout Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and

Wisconsin.

“We are going to see a huge uptick in EV adoption, especially as manufacturers continue to diversify the EV models on the market, lower prices for increased accessibility, and partner with states to ensure infrastructure is catching up with the hightech innovation happening across the country,” says Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Officer for the State of Michigan. “It’s only a matter of time before your neighbors are driving one too.”

Beyond incentives and legislation, we’re still human and want to keep up with our neighbors and peers. EVs have been around for almost 30 years, with the first mass-produced, purposebuilt modern electric car from one of the industry’s key players released in 1996 from General Motors. Soon, EVs will make up a majority of new cars available. And, with the many financial incentives and user benefits associated with making the shift to EVs, it may not take long for you to begin reimagining how an EV could fit into your life, too.

While your next car choice will hinge on a range of factors - lifestyle, brand preference, car features, safety ratings, availability and price - you may be surprised how many boxes an EV can tick. Even without gas, there’s a lot of sustainable power under their hoods.

Gifting

The holidays are approaching, which means it’s time to start thinking about gifts for your loved ones. Gift-giving can be tricky, especially if it’s not your strength. Finding the perfect gift that will thrill in the moment and last past the holiday season can be frustrating. Instead of gifting the latest toy, fashion trend or home gadget, consider giving the gift of an experience. When you give the gift of an experience, you’re providing opportunities for the recipient to make memories that will last longer than any fad or gadget.

Check out these four experiential gift ideas you can use to up your gift-giving game this holiday season.

1. Learn a new skill together

Have you always wanted to learn how to ski?

Or have your kids begged for guitar lessons? Maybe your spouse is interested in learning pottery, or Grandpa has mentioned an interest in woodworking. Try something new and take a class together this holiday season. If your family

enjoys the activity, it could become a tradition you all look forward to each year. Even if you only try an activity once and decide it’s not for you, you’ll still have the memory of trying something new with the people you love.

2. Take a trip

It’s fun to get away with the whole family during the holiday season, especially if you can head somewhere warm during the colder months. Once you find the perfect spot, you can turn a family trip into an annual holiday tradition where you continue to make memories year after year.

3. Buy a family membership

If you’ve wanted to spend more time exploring local museums, zoos, live theaters or other attractions close to home, consider buying a family membership. Not only are you more likely to go if you’ve already paid for a membership, but you can use it immediately and start making memories during the holidays. Best of all, you can continue to visit throughout the year and make memories year-round. Family memberships or family season packages are generally more affordable than buying individual tickets for each visit, and many families see savings after just one trip. Some memberships even include perks like discounts, member-only events and advanced ticket options.

4. Encourage experiences with gift cards

Gift cards don’t need to be limited to retail stores and restaurants. Take note of your family members’ interests and buy them gift cards that support and encourage exploration. For example, if your youngest is a budding film critic, get them a gift card to your local movie theater. Give Grandma and Grandpa a gift card to the local museum or your spouse a membership to a yoga or Pilates studio. Elevate your gift-giving this holiday season. You can gift your family and friends experiences that create memories that will last a lifetime.

Happy Hosting

The holidays are coming up, which means your life will be full of family, friends and many delicious meals. To keep everything running along merrily this year, why not take steps to make hosting less stressful, and a lot more joyful?

Here are 4 key tips and a few must-have kitchen essentials that can make your holiday hosting easier than ever.

1. Stock your pantry before the holidays

Even before finalizing your holiday menus, ensuring that your pantry staples are well stocked will prevent last-minute panic runs to the store for things like flour, salt, cooking oil and chocolate, lots of chocolate. Take inventory of your cupboards to see if any of those kitchen necessities are running low - then you’ll be ready for all kinds of tasty recipes.

2. Don’t underestimate your prep time

If your recipe says a dish takes 45 minutes to prepare and cook, build in an extra 30 minutes when scheduling your meal prep time before guests arrive. Even better, prep or cook some items (or components) ahead, so they’re pre-chopped or ready to take from the fridge and reheat. Everything always takes longer than expected, so you’ll relieve a lot of stress if you know you’ll have time to do it well. Then you can relax, put on your favorite music, gather your ingredients and get ready to make holiday magic.

3. Let many hands make light work

Holiday cooking and baking memories with friends and relatives may be some of the best memories from your own childhood, so go ahead and let your

family and friends help out with some of your meal preparation, cooking and table setting. Even little hands can do a few simple tasks to help, and the more the merrier!

4. Clean as you go

If you can do some of the cleanup during the preparation and cooking process, you’ll not only maximize your prep surface, but you’ll also make it a lot easier to finish the cleaning after the festivities have wound down for the day.

There’s nothing more satisfying than collaborating with loved ones to prepare a celebration, so take time to have fun and savor the moment. Taste your own food, spend time with the people you care about and enjoy the wonderful holiday feeling you’ve helped to create.

Between the best tools, help from family and friends, plus your upbeat, can-do attitude, your holidays this year can be more fun, festive and flavorful than ever.

Yum Yum

Texas Sheet Cake Cookies (for Santa!)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for COOKIE EXCHANGES! Many of us have been to one or hosted ~ depending on the number of guests, instructions are given for how many cookies to bring so that everyone goes home with a bountiful variety. The recipe I’m sharing this month comes from a neighbor, Kelly, who brought these to last year’s event ~ and they were one of the hits of the party! And what are the origins of Texas Sheet Cake, you ask? A reference for a large chocolate sheet cake published in the Galveston Daily News back in 1936 as well as a 1967 recipe for another chocolate sheet cake with pecans in the frosting that was published in the Huntsville Heritage Cookbook. Yes, Huntsville as in Alabama, not Texas!

Helpful

Preheat

Using a medium cookie scoop,

place dough on parchment-lined cookie sheets.

Bake for 7-8 minutes; remove from oven then let cool on the cookie sheets for 4-5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

Combine first (3) frosting ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until melted. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar ~ whisk until smooth. Using a small spatula, spread frosting over cookies.

Let frosting set; cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature up to (3) days. Optional: Place a Pecan Half on each cookie after frosting is spread.

Submitted by Maureen Woods

Home Sweet Home

As temperatures fall and we begin to spend more time indoors, many of us are looking for ways to make our homes more snug and cozy. After all, the winter months can be much easier to withstand when our homes become havens. As British poet Edith Sitwell once wrote: “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand, and for a talk beside the fire: It is the time for home.”

Here are some key decor elements that can go a long way toward making your home seem warm and inviting.

Soft and luxurious textiles

The upholstery, drapes, curtains, linens, bedding and throws you pick can have a major impact on comfort levels. It may be worth spending more to purchase high-end textiles with high thread counts.

Rich-looking hardwood floors

Hardwood floors offer unparalleled warmth and beauty to any home regardless of its architecture and design style. “Engineered hardwood floors are a great home decor choice,” says Jen Meska, Director of Merchandising at LL

Flooring. “They’re built to withstand changes in temperature and humidity in your home, while delivering the warm, organic benefits of hardwood that can make your home feel cozy and welcoming.”

Peaceful atmospheric lighting

Our natural human circadian rhythms dictate that warm yellowish-white light helps us relax and unwind. In general, light bulbs marked “soft white” or “warm white” will warm up any room.

Comfortable furniture

Perhaps it’s time to invest in a new pillow-top mattress, a cushy sectional couch that can seat your entire family around the TV or dining room chairs comfortable enough for game-playing and lingering conversations.

Warm color schemes

Because warm colors such as reds, yellows, oranges and yellow-greens tend to remind us of sun, sand, and heat, they can make us perceive rooms as warmer and cozier. You may wish to paint one or more of your rooms in those colors.

Legal Advice

NON-STRESS IRA DESIGNATION

For 401ks, IRAs and other qualified retirement accounts, the designated beneficiary form directs how the funds will be paid on your death. Common problems that arise with beneficiary designations are:

• The “Estate” or no beneficiary is listed, so a probate is needed and the IRA will lose the ability to be stretched beyond 5 years, increasing the income tax.

• A beneficiary dies before you, and if the trust was not the IRA’s designee, then the financial company rules apply to who gets the deceased beneficiary’s share.

• The designated beneficiary is a minor, not a trust for the minor, and so a costly court conservatorship is need and much of the deferred tax benefit is lost.

• Your spouse, who is not your children’s parent, did not sign a spousal waiver, so your spouse is entitled to at least if not all of funds, not your children.

Remember, currently, an inherited IRA must be paid in 10 years, if the beneficiary is not a spouse. Leaving a portion or all of your qualified retirement account to charity makes sense. The charity does not pay income taxes and will receive more funds than a family member. Other assets which are not taxable then can be left to family or friends.

Sharon Ravenscroft, Esq., The Cavanagh Law Firm, PA, Sun City and Phoenix offices, (623) 815-7451 or Sravenscroft@CavanaghLaw. com. Sharon’s practice focuses on Wills, trusts, probate and trust administration. For more information www. sharonravenscroft.com

Happy Holidays

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”

Helen Keller

Get Out Of Your Own Way

Have you ever wondered why you react so strongly to certain things? Why someone says a specific thing or acts a certain way toward you and you have a big reaction that later seems disproportionate to the event? I can promise you it’s because at least one of your self-limiting beliefs is being triggered. Let’s look at a couple of examples here:

For instance, your partner goes out with friends, comes home later than expected and doesn’t call or return your texts when it gets really late and you’re trying to check in with them. When they get home, you go off on them and rant and rave about them not caring about you, or maybe you even accuse them of cheating. Chances are, those situations are triggering your fears of abandonment. When that fear is triggered, like it or not, you are instantly transported back to

when those fears first arose. It’s not a conscious process, but it’s one that will continue if you don’t do something to overcome it by exploring and changing the self-limiting beliefs that lie beneath it.

Or let’s say your friend becomes really successful with an opportunity that was presented to both of you but you didn’t take because of a fear of failure. When you see her, she talks about how her career is rocketing to the next level and how she’s so happy that her hard work has paid off. You say that you’re happy for her but then you cry on your way home and snark at your spouse or kids when you get home. But aren’t you happy for your friend? Yes, of course you are, but you’re also jealous, which is triggered by your selflimiting belief of not being worthy or capable of good things. You have to annihilate your selflimiting beliefs in order to respond differently to both the opportunities and the successes of others.

DISCLAIMER: Material is for informational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for evaluation or treatment by a licensed professional. Material is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with written permission of Dr. Bellingrodt.

Submitted by Jennifer Bellingrodt, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist. For the full article and more, visit www.doctorbellingrodt.com.

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