Cass Ewing, Castlemaine (2026)

04/04/2023

PART 3_The Bright Yellow Folder™ PDF template has predesigned pages to record an assortment of information for any size household.

This post is the third of four that outlines the type of information users are prompted to enter when they set up a Bright Yellow Folder™ in their household.

19. Insurances
20. Keys
21. Licences
22. Liabilities
23. Logins + PINs + Passwords
24. Marriage Information
25. Medical Information
26. Notes
27. Passports.

Some of these topics may not be relevant to a household now, but may be in the future, or may never be relevant at all.

Nevertheless, it's important to realise that the collating of this information is as much about managing our own household's admin as it is about someone else being able to step in manage it for us.

Cass 🌱

http://www.cassewing.com/bright-yellow-folder/

27/03/2023

I received this lovely message from a client last week celebrating 12 months since work began on her garden in Albury.

It has been so wonderful to be involved in such a great transformation and to receive regular messages of gratitude from Nicole.

I can't wait to see how lush it's looking in another year!

Looks like I might have to take a little drive up north for a 'site visit' 😉

See link below to learn more about how my 2-hour onsite design consultation can get you started transforming your own garden.

https://www.cassewing.com/consultations/ -consultation-for-households

17/02/2023

PART 2_The Bright Yellow Folder™ PDF template has predesigned pages to record an assortment of information for any size household.

This post is the second of four that outlines the type of information users are prompted to enter when they set up a Bright Yellow Folder™ in their household.

10. Contacts & Service Providers
11. Death Certificates
12. Divorce Documents
13. Domain Names & Hosted Websites
14. Electoral Enrolment Details
15. Email Addresses
16. Emergency Evacuation Plans
17. Employment Details
18. Funeral Arrangements.

Some of these topics may not be relevant to a household now, but may be in the future., or may never be relevant at all.

Nevertheless, it's important to realise that the collating of this information is as much about managing our own household's admin as it is about someone else being able to step in manage it for us.

Cass 🌱

https://www.cassewing.com/bright-yellow-folder/

07/02/2023

No word of a lie.

My friend called a few weeks ago.

She had attended her uncle's funeral a few days prior & was telling me her father was concerned that his brother had been interred in the wrong plot at the cemetery.

This friend knew I was the treasurer of our local cemetery, so she was keen to ask me what they could do to confirm if an error had been made.

I explained that everyone who is interred at a cemetery in Victoria needs to own the 'right' to be interred in a particular location; they must have paid the cemetery for a Right of Interment (ROI).

The Crown still owns the land, but the owner of the ROI owns the 'right' to be interred in that piece of land.

The ROI is a certificate, issued by the cemetery, that stipulates the plot number and the full name of the owner of the ROI.

I told my friend, if her uncle's family can locate the ROI they will be able to confirm if the plot number on his ROI matches the ground location where he's been interred, or not.

My friend called back last week.

Her uncle had been buried in the wrong grave.

Her father and cousins had to make numerous phone calls and sift to paperwork to join enough dots to confirm that her uncle is not buried where he intended to be.

My friend's family is now navigating their options to either exhume her uncle's body, or pay in excess of $10,000 to relocate the masonry work surrounding the plot where he was supposed to be buried, to the plot where he is.

Stressful to say the least, right?

Having worked at a funeral home & as the treasurer of a local cemetery I know what information & documentation is required when someone dies.

This is why I included a section in the Bright Yellow Folder™ template called Funeral Arrangements which prompts users to record details about:

➡️ The status of their funeral arrangements
➡️ Funeral home details
➡️ Interment preferences (cremation/burial)
➡️ Cemetery details
➡️ ROI details
➡️ Payment details (pre-paid/or not)
➡️ Service information (location, songs, celebrant), etc

I know, planning our own funerals isn't the most exhilarating exercise (!), but it's a relief for those we leave behind.

Cass 🌱

https://www.cassewing.com/bright-yellow-folder/

06/02/2023

As long as I can remember our family has always had really transparent conversations about what we do and don't want to happen if we can no longer make decisions for ourselves.

It's not that 'those sorts of conversations' have been at the top of the agenda for family dinners, but they have always been openly addressed.

My parents are getting older and are in reasonably good health.

Nevertheless, their GP recently initiated the preparation of their Advanced Care Directives which documents 'their' decisions regarding the medical treatment 'they' do and don’t want to receive if 'they' can no longer decide for themselves.

The Victorian Department of Health website states that “The Medical Treatment Planning and Decisions Act 2016 enshrines advance care directives in Victorian law and creates clear obligations for health practitioners caring for people who do not have decision-making capacity.”

It was a pretty straight forward process that required the completion of a 2-3 page form.

That form was then given to the GP, and a copy retained by Mum and Dad.

Mum & Dad’s copy was filed in their Bright Yellow Folder™, the section called Advanced Care Directives.

It all sounds a bit confronting, but I'm particularly glad it's done.

It removes the burden from myself and my siblings, and provides our parents with peace of mind that 'their' decisions regarding 'their' medical treatment will be upheld if and when the time comes.

Cass 🌱

https://www.cassewing.com/bright-yellow-folder/

03/02/2023

My client Clem spent an hour on hold with her telecommunication provider trying to confirm that her phone & internet services were not going to be cut off.

"I couldn't believe how complicated and stressful it was.” she shared.

"We need to speak to your husband because he's the listed account holder and the only person we're authorised to speak to about the account." they insisted.

"He died!" she exclaimed. "You can't speak to him! His bank accounts have been frozen while we wait for our application for Probate to be granted, the existing direct debits from his bank account are no longer working, I keep getting overdue reminders from your organisation because your bills aren’t being paid, and all I want to know is - do I need to worry about my services being cut off?!”

Clem was none the wiser when she hung up the phone abruptly without an answer to her question.

Unfortunately, this is one example of many stressful situations households can find themselves in when they’re navigating the administration of life.

It’s frustrating and arduous at the best of times, let alone when there’s grief involved.

One of the sections in the Bright Yellow Folder™ PDF template is called ‘Phones + Tablets + Internet’, and its predesigned pages prompt users to record all the details about their phone, tablet and internet services. E.g.:

➡️ What services do they have?
➡️ What is the service number as it appears on the bill?
➡️ How is the service paid?
➡️ What is the PIN number?
➡️ Who is the account holder?
➡️ Is there an authorised representative?
➡️ What’s the account or customer number?
➡️ What’s the service address?
➡️ Where are notifications sent?
➡️ What type of agreement/contract is in place?

Record it once.

Refer to it often.

Alleviate the stress along the way.

Cass 🌱
https://www.cassewing.com/bright-yellow-folder/

01/02/2023

PART 1_The Bright Yellow Folder™ PDF template has predesigned pages to record an assortment of information for any size household.

This post is the first of four that outlines the type of information users are prompted to enter when they set up a Bright Yellow Folder™ in their household.

01. Addresses
02. Advanced Care Directives
03. Aged Care Services
04. Assets
05. Bank Accounts
06. Birth Certificates
07. Birthdays
08. Centrelink
09. Certificates of Title.

Some of these topics may not be relevant to a household now, but may be in the future., or may never be relevant at all.

Nevertheless, it's important to realise that the collating of this information is as much about managing our own household's admin as it is about someone else being able to step in manage it for us.

Cass 🌱
http://www.cassewing.com/bright-yellow-folder/

30/01/2023

None of us know what's around the corner.

Whether it's natural disaster or life events, we're all susceptible to being caught off-guard.

The reality is, our situations can change in a heartbeat and we can find ourselves needing assistance to manage our lives, or needing to provide assistance to help other people manage theirs.

I know from experience how stressful and time consuming it can be to wrap your head around other people's household admin.

Personally, I don't want someone to feel burdened if they had to step in and manage my affairs.

So I designed a series of templates to use to compile all of my household's information.

I used the same templates to compile my parent's information too.

I now know that if required, someone else can readily access everything they need to manage the administration of my life.

This is also true for my siblings, if anything were to happen to our parents.

So if you're also keen to avoid overwhelming others who may have to step in and make decisions on your behalf, you might like your very own copy of my Bright Yellow Folder™ PDF template.

Learn more...
https://www.cassewing.com/bright-yellow-folder/

Cass 🌱

21/01/2023

Mum plays bowls for the Harcourt Bowls Club who were hosting barefoot bowls last night, so I got an invitation.

I rocked up feeling pretty confident.

My joints work, I've got reasonably good eye sight and decent hand-eye coordination.

Rolling a bowl on a flat surface couldn't be that hard, surely?

Well, lemme tell you - it's not that easy, and I have a long way to go before I get a call from the recruitment scouts that were nestled in the crowd last night!

Fortunately, there were club members providing plenty of tips and patiently showing the rest of us what to do.

There was laughter, playful banter, encouragement and applause.

There were people of all ages having a go: 'Oldies', 'Middle-Agers' (yours truely), and 'Babies' (twenty-somethings and younger!) too.

I came home feeling particularly inspired by the 'Oldies' in the community who continue to want to contribute and participate.

Look after the Oldies - they've got skills to share and wisdom to impart.

Cass 🌱

19/01/2023

Big shout out to JB Hi Fi and Smart Phone Specialists in Bendigo.

Both were able to help me get Marg sorted with a new iPhone 12 and screen protector today.

Being in the store made it easier for Marg to 'see' what her options were and evaluate what she really needed.

Having a patient retail assistant was fantastic too.

In the end we decided she only needed a new phone (big thanks to the iPhone 6 that get her this far!), she'd stay on her current plan (because it's too-good-to-be-true!), and she'd make do with her iPad and old laptop for now.

We agreed - there's no point spending money on something she doesn't 'really' need just for the sake of a shiny new object that will ultimately end up in landfill.

We finished our adventure with a cuppa at my place to recalibrate, and so I could set up her new phone and write some notes to summarise what we did and why.

✔️ Marg's happy.
✔️ I'm happy
✔️ Everyone's happy.

Looking after the Oldies!

Cass 🌱

Smartphone Specialist - Repairs & Accessories
JB Hi-Fi

18/01/2023

Tomorrow is the big day, and although Marg and I are going 20mins up the road to sort out her iPad, iPhone and internet plan I knew if I didn't think ahead we'd all be in strife!

Have I missed anything!?

It's all a part of the friendly service 😄

16/01/2023

Too many Oldies tell me the same story.

They want to make informed decisions about their tech, but because they "don't want to bother anyone" and want to hold on to their independence, they try to do it themselves.

So they go to retailers on their own to ask questions and understand their options, but leave feeling completely bamboozled, or with an expensive device they never needed in the first place!

When I meet with my Oldies in their homes I evaluate what tech they have and what they actually want to be able to do with it.

We have a conversation about their options.

If necessary I draw diagrams to explain how their devices are/should be connected.

I also write notes for them, to summarise what we discussed and how we reached the decisions we did.

I don't push them to change anything if they don't need to.

I don't force them to spend lots of money on gadgetry they don't need.

I take the time to listen, understand and explain.

If you are (or know) an Oldie who could use some personalised, 1:1 tech help in Mount Alexander Shire, do get in touch.

Cass 🌱
[email protected]

Cass Ewing

04/04/2023

27/03/2023

17/02/2023

07/02/2023

06/02/2023

03/02/2023

01/02/2023

30/01/2023

21/01/2023

19/01/2023

18/01/2023

16/01/2023

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