India (Hindi saying):
उल्टा चोर कोतवाल को डांटे = When caught, the thief scolds the policeman; similar: Pot calling the kettle black.
My first thought was to make this article about personal responsibility, which we could use a lot more of in today's world. But upon reflection, I'm going with humility (as in, my need for) and how I tend to criticize others for faults that I share.
If I see someone at a buffet taking two overloaded plates of food, I silently judge their gluttony. And yet, I'm a short woman who can polish off an entire sleeve of Thin Mints in minutes.
If an obese person comes down the airplane aisle, I silently pray that they are not seated next to me. Yet, I have now missed my morning gym appointment 6, no 7, wait... 8 days in a row.
And if I encounter an unkept house or apartment, I find myself slightly repelled. And yet, my Swiffer and mop have seen little action this past month.
Humility check: look in the mirror, Moynahan!!! Clean up your own dust balls before criticizing the dust balls of others. You know the saying about stones and glass houses...
Probate vs. Non-Probate Assets
Don't know the difference between the two? Welcome to a very large club!
Probate assets are solely owned by the decedent and do not have a designated beneficiary. These assets cannot be distributed until they go through the probate process, which can be lengthy. As examples, think:
- real property, solely owned by the decedent
- bank accounts without a payable-on-death (POD) designation
- cars, jewelry, and furniture
Non-probate assets bypass the probate process (hence their name) and transfer directly to the named beneficiary. This gets these assets to your heirs faster and with greater privacy. Think:
- life insurance policies
- retirement accounts (IRAs, 401ks)
- bank accounts WITH a POD designation.
Most estates involve both types of assets. If you have lost someone recently, use this information to manage your expectations... whether you are the estate administrator or a designated beneficiary.
The Brussels Binge
Staid.
Gray.
Seat of EU bureaucracy.
All of this is true about Brussels, Belgium. But also true are the culinary opportunities that the city provides to the traveler. It's a mussel-fry-beer-waffle-chocolate paradise set within a few city blocks. A foodie playground for adults. Wheeeeeee!
I have only spent a couple of days in Brussels, but the impression it left on my dining memory (not to mention my hips) stands the test of time. Enter: an outdoor bistro lunch of garlic-and-wine mussels accompanied by the requisite thin, crispy fries of perfection.
After lunch, a short walk takes us to the memorable Beer Center of the Universe: Christmas beers, beers in commemorative porcelain, dark stouts, light lagers, lambics (fruit beers to include Kriek [cherry], Framboise [raspberry], and Pecheresse [peach]), Trappist beers, royal beers, and so much more! I made a mental note to bring my husband Eddie to Brussels someday so that he might share in this fiesta of malt and barley.
Purchases in hand, we took a side street through Waffle-Land: storefront after storefront serving Belgian waffles with toppings I could never have fathomed, both savory and sweet. Believe it or not, I resisted the siren call of the waffle, as we were headed towards Chocolate Square (below).
Just imagine every fine Belgian chocolatier located within feet of each other, all with small silver trays of samples to entice you. Two surprises: 1) Godiva isn't just an American mall standby from the 1990s but is in fact a stalwart Belgian chocolate brand; and 2) it IS possible to eat too much chocolate within a short period of time. Lucy and Ethel were so right.
Come back next month for a new installment of “Best Thing I Ever Ate.”
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