As you all know, I am a lawyer who handles various types of cases; criminal defense, personal injury, and Wills & Estates, to mention a few. It is a career that I am very passionate about because it allows me to help people in times of their life that can feel hopeless. Many of you know that side of me, but I wanted to share a peek into my life outside the courtroom, plus encourage you to find the simple things that bring you joy. 

One of my "things" that I love to do is arrange fresh flowers and place them throughout my home. There is something that I find so peaceful about taking the time out of a busy day and making pretty arrangements. Each day when I come home from work, seeing them on a table can genuinely make me smile, especially after a stressful day in the courtroom. 

I used to feel like it was a bit frivolous to do this, especially compared to the struggles I see so many people go through every day. But then one day I realized the benefits that I got from doing this. Having fresh flowers throughout my home helps me to be a better lawyer, wife, and person. Some of the benefits for me are:

• When I buy the flowers, I have to stop and take a few minutes to arrange them. Doing this is like a small reset and makes me more present in my home and family. It's so hard sometimes to shift gears and turn off the work mindset. For me, arranging flowers accomplishes that and gives me a gentle reminder that even in the darkest of days, there is beauty in every day.

• Walking in the door each evening and smelling the flowers helps me instantly begin to relax. Scientists say that scent has such a powerful effect on us that it should be part of any wellness routine. I have found that to be true for me! If you have ever had stress-induced insomnia, you know how important anything that can help you relax is.

• Being around pretty flowers ignites my creative side. Aside from being a simple pleasure, it helps me solve problems or think through the best course of action for a case by activating a different part of the brain. That's pretty impressive for a bunch of grocery store flowers!

So why am I telling you about my love of flowers? Because we all have simple things that bring us joy that we often overlook in the busyness of life. For you, it may be hiking through the woods, going fishing, or reading Hollywood gossip magazines. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as it is something that brings you joy and helps you to plug back into something that you love and that inspires you. For many years, I was guilty of not taking the time for the simple pleasures until I realized how many benefits it brought into my life, and I wanted to encourage you to make time to find yours. Not only can they bring joy to you each day, but they help ignite parts of your brain that aren't used in your day-to-day life and will improve your mental health and wellbeing!

If you would like to share the things that bring you joy, show them off on my Facebook page! Maybe we can all inspire one another.

https://www.facebook.com/TheLawOfficeOfJulieCMoore 

FREE Concert at The MILL- Big Sam’s Funky Nation

St. Patrick's Day will be here soon, and we are all a little Irish on that day! I love to make Irish bread, and this recipe is pretty simple and uses easy-to-find ingredients. Make sure to not skip the buttermilk! It really adds flavor. You can also add some raisins or chocolate chips to the bread before you bake it if you prefer a sweeter Irish bread. A loaf of this bread along with a hearty soup or stew is a delicious and filling meal!  

INGREDIENTS: 

• 4 cup Flour
• 4 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup softened Butter
• 1/4 cup melted Butter
• 1 1/4 cup Buttermilk
• 1 Egg

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Grease a baking sheet.
• Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Add 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup buttermilk, and egg to dry ingredients and mix until combined.
• Flour work surface.
• Turn out dough and knead briefly.
• Shape dough into a round shape and place on prepared sheet.
• Whisk together 1/4 cup melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk.
• Brush loaf with buttermilk mixture.
• Cut an X in the top of the loaf.
• Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Brush with buttermilk mixture every 15 minutes or so while baking.

Technology can be a wonderful convenience, but it usually comes with a price. That's no reason to completely avoid it, but it is a good idea to consider the pros and cons of each new development.

A new feature coming to Apple's iOS in 2022 is that you will be able to store your driver's license and state ID cards in your Apple Wallet. Eight U.S. states have already signed up for digital IDs, including Georgia. 

If you have your ID on your phone, you could likely breeze through TSA security lines, check-in at your doctor's office, or prove your age at a liquor store without fumbling through your wallet. Businesses or institutions could verify your identity from your phone in less than a second using an NFC scanner.

Another great benefit is that if someone steals your iPhone to use your ID, you can disable it remotely or potentially track where the fraudsters impersonated you to catch them more easily. Whereas if your wallet is stolen, you most likely will never see it again.

"Sounds great, what's the big deal?"

Convenience nearly always comes at a cost, and there is a danger that this creates opportunities for greater levels of surveillance. There are many unanswered questions about how else these digital identities could be used, and by whom. Data gathering has long been an issue with digital giants like Apple, Google, and Facebook, and this new "feature" makes it even easier for them to catalog millions of personal IDs. Another major issue is that identity documents will be easier to share, so businesses, government institutions, and websites may share them with 3rd parties without your knowledge. 

If digital IDs become widely used, interactions with the government and businesses could also change. For example, would you let a police officer carry your phone back to their car?  And what will happen when the government declines to authenticate your digital ID or notices you have an expired license?

Apple says that Georgia, Connecticut, Arizona, Iowa, Maryland, Kentucky, Utah, and Oklahoma will be the first states to let people use digital driver's licenses and IDs. So if you are an early adopter, you can use your digital ID at some TSA checkpoints, but you'll still need a physical ID in every other case while the rest of the world catches up with this technology.

For now, I can only guess how this technology will change our world. I am sure that many people will use Apple Wallet to store their IDs but there will be many holdouts who want to see what the long-term consequences of it will be. So the question of whether you should keep your ID in Apple Pay is a personal one based on if you prefer convenience or privacy. Odds are that all IDs will eventually be digital and this is a step towards that direction, but for now, you still have a choice in the matter. 

Since Apple is scheduled to release this sometime in 2022, I wanted to make you aware so that you can do your research and make a decision that you feel confident about.

Oh, Florida Man. Florida is such a beautiful state with some of the most amazing beaches, but it also provides some of the funniest arrest stories too! 

On a random Monday, the Lakeland, FL Police Department received a call regarding a blocked intersection. They were surprised to hear what was causing the obstruction- a man eating his breakfast in the middle of a crosswalk! 

When the officers arrived at the intersection, the person was no longer there but from the photos and videos posted on social media, they determined who the hungry prankster was. Once they located Kiaron Thomas, 21, they asked him why he set up a tv tray in the middle of a busy street to eat pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon. His answer? He thought that it would be funny. 

It is certainly not every day that you see someone enjoying their breakfast in the middle of a road. Definitely not the safest prank to pull (I do NOT recommend trying it) but it certainly made us laugh! Thanks, Florida Man!
 

Thank You for Reading!
~Julie

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